10 Ways to Fix Critical Process Died in Windows | Blue Screen of Death

Critical Process Died is one type of Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) error that prevents a
user from booting into windows. The main reason behind this error is the corruption of background processes. 

Although this error is less common in newer versions of windows, still it is not completely eradicated. This error is commonly reported by the users after installing new operating system or upgrading windows. 

Similar to other BSOD errors, this too can be easily rectified. Since there are more than onw possible cause to this error, there are several troubleshooting methods. 

In this article, I will be describing about 10 Ways to Fix Critical Process Died in Windows | Blue Screen of Death. The purpose of these measures are to prevent potential damages to the system.

Let's get started,

1. Run SFC Scan

One of the reasons for the Critical Process Died error is the corruption of system files. The files that is been corrupted can be repaired with the help of system file checker. System File Checker essentially scans corrupted files and if needed replaces it from the backup.

To run SFC Scan,

1. Click on search box and type '' cmd '' .
2. Right click on cmd.exe and choose run as administrator.
3. Type the command SFC/Scannow and Press Enter.

2. Run Anti Virus Scan

The operating system which you use can also be infected with viruses causing this error. Scanning the system with an antivirus program eventually removes infected files and monitors other threats. To scan computer for infections you can either use a third party software or built-in security solutions such as Windows defender. Whatever it is, make sure it is a full system scan. 

3. Update Drivers

Similar to other blue screen errors, the critical process died can also be caused by the outdated drivers. This happens mainly if the device drivers are incompatible with the operating system. Therefore, you must download the latest drivers. Besides that, it can also be because of a faulty driver. You can also check if your PC is with faulty drivers through the device manager.

4. Uninstall Updates

Many users have reported experiencing critical process died error after a latest windows update. If the problem is most recent, then probably the cause of it may be a faulty update. Hence, you can try uninstalling all the recent updates to check if the problem goes away. 

5. Perform Clean boot

During the startup process, all of the applications are loaded. Some of them might be corrupted causing this error. Performing a clean boot ensures that only necessary applications are loaded avoiding corrupted ones. A clean boot can be performed through both by launching a command as well as by booting into windows.

To perform clean boot,

1. Press '' Windows + R ''
2. Type '' msconfig '' and Press Enter
3. Go to the Services tab
4. Ensure that '' Hide all Microsoft services '' is checked
5. Press '' Disable all ''
6. Go to the Startup tab
7. Press Open task manager
8. Select the applications and Press Disable
9. Press Apply and Ok

6. Enable Safe Mode

Most often when the error critical process died appears, the system becomes unusable. The users cannot boot into the system normally. Then you have no option but to boot your computer in safe mode. Rebooting computer in safe mode makes system to load files with minimum configurations. Thus, the critical process died can be prevented.

7. Uninstall Third Party Apps

In some instances, the recently installed application on your computer may cause this error. This happens if the application is incompatible or contain viruses. Whatever it is, it prevents you from using the device. So for getting rid of this error, simply you need to uninstall such third party apps.

8. Use DISM Command

DISM is a command line utility that fixes misconfigured or corrupted files. This includes files that causing critical process died error too. It is far more effective when repairing corrupt system image. As a result, the overall system health is restored to normal.

9. Restore System

There is also a possibility of this error occurring due to a system malfunction. In this case you can try restoring the computer back to the previous state if the error seems to appear recently. However, you need to make sure that the creation of restore points is enabled on your PC.

To Restore System,

1. Insert the installation media
2. Restart the PC
3. Boot from the installation media
4. Choose your language
5. Select '' Troubleshoot ''
6. Select '' System Restore ''

10. Reinstall System

After trying all of the above methods and nothing seems to work as a last resort you should consider reinstalling the operating system. Since reinstalling operating system deletes everything from the scratch, the corrupted files will be automatically replaces with the new ones. 

It is far more easier and time saving as compared to finding a solution one by one. However, you should also be aware that reinstalling the operating system will make you lose data.