The critical process died is a Blue Screen of Death (BSoD), which may keep your computer in a permanent restarting loop. The error comes with a reference code 0x000000EF, implying that a critical Windows process no longer functions.
Corrupted or missing system files, malware, bad device drivers, bad drive sectors, and compatibility issues may trigger the crash, affecting critical services like wininit.exe, csrss.exe, smss.exe, logonui.exe, conhost.exe, services.exe, and winlogon.exe.
How do I Solve the Critical Process Died Error?
Pre-solution: Boot into Safe Mode
Windows Safe Mode allows the computer to start with minimal processes, services, and applications. It is an ideal step for troubleshooting BSoD problems because it helps you eliminate crashes while you troubleshoot. If your computer is stuck on booting after the crash, you may enter Safe Mode using the steps below:
Step 1: Turn on your computer and shut it down as soon as you see the Windows logo. Repeat this step 3 or 4 times till you see the Repair window.
Step 2: Click Advanced options.
Step 3: Select Troubleshoot.
Step 4: Click Advanced options.
Step 5: Select the Startup Settings option.
Step 6: Click the Restart button.
Step 7: Finally, press F4 to boot into Safe Mode or F5 for Safe Mode with networking.
1. Uninstall Problematic Programs
If the Critical Process Died crash happened after a program was installed, you may be facing the issue because of conflicting or incompatible programs. Uninstalling the program would be the best solution. Here is how to uninstall Windows 11 programs:
Step 1: Press the Start menu, type control, and select Uninstall a program.
Step 2: Click the problematic program from the app list and select Uninstall.
Step 3: Follow any prompts on the wizard to complete the process, then reboot the computer.
2. Run the DISM Utility
The DISM utility will repair corrupted system files and restore the health of your Windows image. So, it is a practical solution for the Critical Process Died BSoD. Here is how you use the utility:
Step 1: Press down Window + R, type cmd, and hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open the Command Prompt with administrative privileges.
Step 2: Type the script below and hit Enter to find corruption within your Windows image.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Step 3: Type the script below and hit Enter to perform a more advanced scan of the image.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
Step 4: Type the script below and hit Enter to repair any corruption found.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
3. Run the SFC and CHDKDSK utilities
If your computer is encounters the Critical Process Died BSoD, it might be due to a damaged drive sector, corrupted system files, or faulty hardware components. To fix these underlying problems, you can run two scans to locate and repair the issues. Run the scans with the steps below:
Step 1: Press down Window + R, type cmd, and hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open the Command Prompt with administrative privileges.
Step 2: Type the script below and hit Enter to run the SFC scan. Follow the prompts on the command prompt to complete the process.
sfc /scannow
Step 3: Type the script below and hit Enter to run the chkdsk scan (replace C with the drive letter where you have the Windows installation), then restart your computer at the end of the scan.
chkdsk C: /f /r
4. Perform a Clean Boot
To troubleshoot the Critical Process Died crash on Windows, you can perform a clean boot which starts the system with only a basic set of apps, drivers, and processes. Then, you can gradually enable them one by one to pinpoint the root cause of the issue. Here are the steps to execute a clean boot on your PC:
Step 1: Press the Start menu, type msconfig, and select the System Configuration tool.
Step 2: Click the Services tab, tick Hide all Microsoft services, and click Disable all.
Step 3: Navigate to the Startup tab and click the Open Task Manager link.
Step 4: To turn off startup apps, select the app and click the Disable button. Repeat this step for any additional apps you wish to disable.
Step 5: Return to the System Configuration screen and click the OK button.
Step 6: To determine which app is causing the Critical Process Died crash, you can enable each app individually and observe the results.
5. Perform a System Restore
A System Restore can return your computer to the state before an error or crash occurred. It will help if recent changes you made on the computer trigger the BSoD. You may follow the steps below to restore the computer.
Step 1: Type restore on Windows Search and select the Recovery option.
Step 2: Click the Open System Restore option on the Control Panel.
Step 3: Select Choose a different restore point and click the Next button.
Step 4: Select a restore point from the available options and click Next.
Step 5: Lastly, click the Finish button. The process will begin, and your computer may restart as the restore runs. On completion, verify if it fixed the BSoD.
6. Reset Windows 11
A reset will reinstall Windows and remove corrupt or incompatible files that may cause Critical Process Died. Here is how to reset your computer.
Step 1: Press Windows + I to open the Settings app.
Step 2: Click Recovery on the right pane.
Step 3: Click the Reset PC button on the right pane.
Step 4: Select Remove everything. Your computer will restart a couple of times during the process. Once fully reset, you should no longer get the Critical Process Died BSoD.
FAQ on Critical Process Died
1. Can Critical Process Died be fixed?
Yes, this problem can be fixed. A clean boot, a system reset, and other solutions we discussed would work.
2. How do you get past Critical Process Died?
It would help if you first booted into Safe Mode; this enables you to isolate and fix the cause.
3. What does Critical Process Died mean on my computer?
This error means that one of your PC’s critical processes malfunctioned. It may damage your memory, drives, or hard disk.
Using the Computer Post Critical Process Died
Now that you have successfully recovered from the BSoD, you should be careful not to have a repeat occurrence. Only use apps from verified sources, regularly scan your drives to fix errors, and use a trusted antivirus program.