Windows 11 critical process died? Here's the fix

What is the "Critical Process Dead" stop code on Windows 11 Blue Screen of Death

The stop code that accompanies BSOD - Critical Process Dead - provides more than just an indication that something went wrong. As the stop code suggests, this error highlights that one or more processes critical to your system have failed. Depending on the problem, the fixes you need to apply will vary.

But unless you try fixing and experimenting, it's nearly impossible to tell which potential cause is real. However, the most straightforward method is to log when you encounter a "critical process died" error. If it occurs while playing a game, it may be related to the graphics card driver; if there is a hardware problem when connecting an external device; or if a file is corrupted related to a program or update you recently installed. But this is not an exhaustive list by any means.

Causes of "Critical Process Died" Errors

Here are a few common reasons why a system may end up with BSOD and Critical Process Failed Stop errors:

• hardwarefailure - Whether it's a laptop or a desktop computer, failure of internal components, for whatever reason (usually just neglect and misuse), can interrupt functionality and cut off resources from critical system processes.
• Bad hard drive sectors - System processes, like other files, are stored on drive sectors. If these go bad, your system will not be able to access these processes and hence a BSOD will be thrown.
• Corrupted or Outdated Drivers – Bad drivers are the source of many problems. But the general idea of ​​all such problems, including BSODs and critical process failures, is the same - when driver files are corrupted or outdated, there's no reliable link between hardware and software.
• Corrupted Programs and Windows Updates - Third-party applications and some Windows updates that are not downloaded correctly or are completely corrupted may affect the normal execution of system processes.​
• Virus or Malware – Another common cause is not only BSOD errors but also various other undesirable phenomena that you may not be able to control until you find and eliminate them.
• Overclocking – Any time you overclock your processor, you run the risk of putting undue stress on the system and causing the dreaded BSOD to appear with process failure messages.

What to do when you encounter "Critical process died" on Windows 11

When you receive "Critical process died" stop code, in addition to hard reboot ( There's not much you can do other than restart the PC by holding down the power button until the system turns off and then on again). After that, you can try to use the fixes given in the later chapters to resolve the issue and prevent the BSOD from reoccurring.

However, if you are stuck in a boot loop, you may not be able to use these fixes until you gain access to the operating system in some way. In this case, there are a few things you can do:

1. Run Startup Repair

Startup Repair is a Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) tool that fixes issues that prevent your PC from booting . Accessing WinRE is easy if you've already booted it. However, if the system doesn't boot, you'll have to rely on a hard reboot to get there.

A hard reboot of 2-3 times within a few minutes will load WinRE. To do this, press and hold the power button until the computer turns off. Press again to turn it on. At the first sign of the computer starting up, press and hold the power button again to turn it off. Then reopen it. After 2-3 failed boot attempts, you will see Windows "Preparing Automatic Repair" instead of trying to boot to Windows.

On the next screen, click Advanced Options.

Click Troubleshooter.

Select Advanced Options.

Click Start Repair.

Wait for the computer to restart and for Startup Repair to finish its job.

If Startup Repair cannot fix your PC, you will need to access Safe Mode and apply the fix from there.

2. Enter safe mode

WinRE can also be used to access safe mode. To do this, click on "Troubleshoot".

Then Advanced options.

Then select Startup Settings.

Click Restart.

Press number 4 to boot into safe mode.

#After entering safe mode, you will see a black screen with the words "Safe Mode" displayed on the four corners of the screen.

From now on, you can start applying the fixes given in the next section.

How to Fix Critical Process Death BSOD Error

The following fixes can be easily applied whether you are in Safe Mode or booting into Windows correctly. In fact, in some cases, it's better to enter Safe Mode because it's easier to apply them from a stripped-down version of Windows. So, if you are unable to run the fix for any reason, apply the same fix from Safe Mode.

With that question out of the way, let’s look at possible solutions to the underlying issues causing critical processes to fail.

Method 1: Disconnect the faulty external device

Often, the cause of the problem lies outside your PC, with a faulty external device (such as USB). If the external device is damaged in a way that can also damage your PC, once the system attempts to access it, it will receive a return signal, which will result in a BSOD "Critical Process Death" error. This may not always happen with a faulty drive. But it is known that corrupted drives are one of the major causes of BSOD.

In short, try to unplug any and all external devices, USB cables, keyboards, mice, etc. to check if Windows starts and runs properly without them. If so, the problem is most likely with the device and needs to be replaced.

Method 2: Update or Reinstall Drivers

Incompatible, corrupt, or outdated drivers are a common cause of many problems, including critical process failures and resulting BSODs. To fix this issue, you need to update the drivers that are causing the problem, or reinstall them. To know which drivers to update, check if they are mentioned in the BSOD crash log. Or, if the drivers were recently updated, remove them from your system. Here's how to do it:

Right-click Start and select "Device Manager".

Now select a device category to expand it.

Right-click the driver that you suspect is the root cause of the problem and select Update Driver.

#Here you can let Windows search for a suitable driver, or you can choose one yourself. To let Windows take over, click Search automatically for drivers.

Alternatively, click Browse my computer for drivers.

If you have downloaded the driver file from the manufacturer's website, you can browse it by clicking Browse.

Or select Let me choose from a list of available drivers on my computer.

Choose from available compatible hardware. Then click "Next".

Drivers will be updated immediately.

You can also uninstall the driver and let Windows install one automatically. To do this, right-click the device in Device Manager and select Uninstall device.

#When prompted, click "Uninstall".

Now restart your computer. On startup, Windows will check for available drivers and install them automatically.

Method 3: Run the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter from Settings

When you are looking to resolve the root cause of frequent BSOD crashes and system process failures, it is best not to leave no stone unturned. Running the internal troubleshooter can also help diagnose and fix issues related to hardware and connected devices, and it's important to check this box so you don't miss an obvious, simple fix.

Press Win R to open the run command box. Then type the following and press Enter:

msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic

## This will open the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter program. Click

Next.

Wait for the process to complete identification.

#If a device is diagnosed with an error, troubleshoot it by selecting it.

Wait for the troubleshooter to perform its actions.

Apply any suggested changes.

When finished, close the troubleshooter.

Method 4: Scan for viruses and malware

To ensure that no viruses or malware are interfering with critical system files and processes, you need to run a full system scan . Most antivirus programs offer the option to run a full scan from the application dashboard or home page.

But for those who don’t have any such program installed, Windows Security is the best option. Here's how to use it to run a full scan and remove viruses and malware: Press Start, type security, and then select Windows Security.

Click

Virus & Threat Protection

.

Click

Scan Options

.

Select

Full Scan

and click Scan Now at the bottom to start the scan .

Wait for the scan to complete. This may take some time, but it's important that you stay the course.

Delete any viruses found and you should be good to go.

Method 5: Run SFC, DISM, and CHKDSK scans

The next best thing is to run a native file scan to check the system image, files, and disks for corruption. Any of these can cause severe process failure, so you must run three command-line tools - System File Checker (SFC), Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM), and Checkdisk (CHKDSK) scan - and apply the repair automatically land. Here's how to deal with them:

Press Start, type

cmd

, then right-click it and select

"Run as administrator"

.

Now, first, run the SFC scan using the following command:

sfc /scannow

Press Enter and wait for the scan to complete.

If any errors were found and fixed, please restart your computer.

Next is DISM. The following are three commands that need to be entered one by one:

dism /online /cleanup-image /checkhealth

Press Enter key. Now type:

dism /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth

and hit Enter again.

dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

Press Enter and wait for each scan to complete.

Restart your computer for good results.

Finally, use a CHKDSK scan to check the system disk for errors:

chkdsk C: /f

this , "C" is the drive letter you want to check, in this case the system drive. click to enter.

When prompted, enter YYes and schedule a disk check on reboot.

Now restart your computer to run a Check Disk Scan to begin diagnosing and repairing any problems that exist.

Method 6: Uninstall a recently installed program

If a "critical process is dead" message appears after recently installing a program, this is most likely a BSOD crash. reason. Third-party programs sometimes introduce problematic files that disrupt system processes and drivers. You will want to uninstall these applications.

To uninstall the app, press Win I and open Settings. Then click Apps in the left pane.

Select Installed Applications.

Scroll down the app list and find the app you want to delete. Click on the three-dot icon next to it.

Select Uninstall.

Click Uninstall again.

After you have removed all potentially problematic applications, restart your computer in case you need them.

Method 7: Uninstall Windows Update

Like programs, Windows update files can cause system crashes, especially if the package is not downloaded and installed correctly. This is another possibility to look into when looking to resolve the root cause of the "Critical Process Died" error. If you have recently installed Windows updates at the time of the crash, uninstall the updates as follows:

Press Win I and open the Settings app. Then click Windows Update in the left pane.

Click Update History on the right.

#Then scroll down to the bottom and click Uninstall Updates under Related Settings.

Click Uninstall to get the latest updates.

Click Uninstall again.

After you remove Windows Updates, your computer will restart.

Method 8: Use System Restore

If you continue to receive the same BSOD crash and critical process death error messages, you may have to take some drastic measures. The simplest of these involves restoring the system and its configuration to a previous point in time. The operation method is as follows:

Press "Start", type "System Restore", and then select "Create a restore point".

Now click System Restore.

Click Next.

Select the event you want the system to recover to.

To learn more about the program and driver changes your system will make through a restore, click Scan for Affected Programs .

Alternatively, just click "Next" to continue.

Finally, click "Finish" to start the recovery.

Method 9: Repair the boot file

If the cause of the problem is the boot file, you may encounter a boot loop. To resolve this issue, follow these steps:

Hard reboot your PC 2-3 times in a row (as shown before). After the system boots to Startup Repair, click Advanced Options.

Then select Troubleshoot.

Select Advanced Options again.

Then click Command Prompt.

Now type the following command in the command prompt:

diskpart

Press the Enter key. Wait for the command to be executed.

Then enter:

select disk 0

Press the Enter key.

Now type the following:

list partition

note Under "System" partition type and its size (usually 100 MB).

Next, find the volume number for this system partition and the drive letter where Windows is installed by typing:

list volume

Then click Enter. Find a volume with a size of 100 MB. That is the system partition volume.

The volume on which Windows is installed is usually assigned the letter C.

Now, type the following command using the volume number of the system partition (2 in our case):

select volume 2

Press the Enter key. Once selected, assign it a new drive letter (e.g. Z) using the following command:

assign letter=Z

Press the Enter key. Once assigned, type exit, press Enter, and exit Diskpart.

Finally, type the following command:

bcdboot C:\windows /s Z: /f UEFI

Press the Enter key.

After successfully creating the boot file, close the command prompt and click Continue to restart your PC normally.

Method 10: Apply the Fix in Safe Mode

If any of the above fixes don't work as shown, you may need to switch to Safe patterns and try them out there. Fewer processes and services interrupt your operations in Safe Mode, allowing you to run fixes effortlessly. To boot into Safe Mode, access WinRE and select Safe Mode from the startup settings as shown previously.

Method 11: Reset Windows

Resetting Windows is your last resort when everything else fails to stop critical processes from continually failing. Be sure to back up important files. Then press Win I to open the Settings app. Scroll down on the right side and select Recovery.

Then select Reset PC next to "Reset this PC ".

When asked for a choice, select Keep my files.

Choose whether you want a "cloud download" (from the Internet) or a "local reinstall" (if you have a Windows 11 installation disk). We chose the former.

Check your selections and click Next.

Finally, click Reset to start resetting Windows.

FAQ

In this section, we will answer some frequently asked questions about the Critical Process Died stop code.

Why do I always let key processes die?

If you keep getting Critical Process Died errors and accompanying blue screens, it means that whatever the cause is, whether it’s a faulty driver, malware, or a corrupted process, you won’t be able to fix it without human intervention. Disappears without intervention. However, fixing this problem is easier said than done as there are many possible root causes. That's why, to make sure you find the right solution once and for all, we recommend you apply all available fixes. See our tutorial to learn these step-by-step.​

Will BSOD errors damage my computer?

Although BSOD itself does not damage your computer, the hard reboot required to exit it may damage your PC's hard drive (not the SSD). A BSOD error by itself simply indicates that your system is experiencing a problem. The accompanying error message is more important because it provides clues as to what might have gone wrong.

How to fix critical process panic loop?

If you hard reboot your computer to get rid of the critical process died error, but then get back to the same error screen, then you are in the unfortunate scenario of a boot loop. To start fixing it, you first need to enter safe mode. This can be accessed from the Windows recovery environment. Two or three hard reboots in a row will automatically send the system to Startup Repair, from where you can easily access WinRE. See our tutorial above for more information.

Where are BSOD crash logs stored?

Windows logs every time your computer crashes. This can be accessed from C:\Windows\Minidump.

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