Windows, like any other operating system, can end up giving some problems that end up with one of those hateful blue screens and constant PC reboots. One of the most common failures that can appear overnight is called CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED, which often makes it impossible to access the desktop itself to perform corrective action.
In this article we will tell you about some of the ways we have to solve this error code, even when the blue screen appears a few seconds after starting the computer itself.
The CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED error code is related to a failure in the drivers that are installed, such as those for Wi-Fi, the graphics card, or a simple printer. But it can also appear after performing an update of the operating system when there is some type of incompatibility with any of the files that exist. This means that the first thing to do is try to start the computer by disconnecting all the peripherals that are connected, and if that doesn’t work, you have to resort to other methods like the ones we mentioned.
First of all, boot into safe mode.
With this type of error, running the computer becomes very difficult, since it is not possible to enter the password to start working with it. In this way, you will have to try to start the safe mode in order to access the CMD or update all the drivers, which is sometimes where the problem lies. In order to do so, you have to enter the Windows Recovery Environment by following the steps below:
- Press and hold the home button for 10 seconds to turn off the device.
- Press the home button again to turn on the device.
- At the first sign that Windows has started (for example, when the Windows logo appears), press and hold the start button for 10 seconds to turn off the device.
- Press the home button again to turn on the device.
- When Windows restarts, press and hold the start button for 10 seconds to turn off your device.
- Press the home button again to turn on the device.
- Let the device fully reboot and you will be inside winRE, which is characterized by its blue background.
In winRE you will have to follow the path Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart. When it starts again, a list will appear with all the options that are available to start the operating system. In this particular case, you will have to press key 5.
Update drivers
In the event that you have been able to access the safe mode of the operating system, it is important to keep all the drivers updated , since this is where the error can reside. Above all, the one that has the tag in the error code “0x000000ef” will be related.
To carry out this update, you will simply have to access the Device Manager by clicking on Windows + X. Manually you will have to review each of the drivers that appear in the list, displaying all the lists. If there is one that has an exclamation mark next to it, it means that it is defective. In this case, you can click on the secondary button to uninstall it, and when you start the computer again it can be installed.
Use the command prompt
In the event that this bug is causing the system not to start even in safe mode, you should know that through the winRE environment you will be able to access this functionality. Specifically, after following the steps that we have discussed above, you will have to follow the route Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt. But you will also be able to enter it through safe mode, if it works for you, although always running as administrator.
The command to use at first is sfc /scannow and press Enter. It will automatically begin to analyze all the files in the system startup and will detect if there are any corrupted ones. In the event that we have, a message will appear that says ” Windows resource protection did not find any integrity violations .” But if it finds any, it will have the ability to repair it automatically and after a reboot everything will work just like before.
However, if this command does not give you any solution, you will be able to run DISM to repair the system image, both in Windows 10 and Windows 11. For this, you will also have to access the command prompt as we have previously commented, and enter the following lines of code in order:
- Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
- Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
- Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Run Windows Startup Repair
If you’re still unable to access Windows Safe Mode, and screenshots are constantly showing up on your screen, your next step may be to run Windows Repair. This is a tool that the operating system offers to solve different problems that prevent Windows from starting normally, which is precisely what happens in this type of error code.
To be able to access this function, you simply have to access the recovery mode that we have mentioned previously. Once in winRE you will have to follow the following path: Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Repair. Choose the user account that is primary and enter the password. At the moment it will start to restart diagnosing Windows to give you some kind of solution.
Restore the operating system
The last option is to format the unit where the operating system is located in order to reinstall Windows in a completely clean way. It is true that it is a radical measure, but it is also one of the most effective, since the root problem is eliminated, either because there has been a virus or a corrupt file that the troubleshooting systems cannot detect.
From personal experience, when this error appears, it does not allow you to restore the operating system through the recovery options due to an unknown error being generated. That is why we should recommend creating a storage drive in which the Windows installer is loaded, either on a USB or on another drive, to install through the BIOS.
In this way, once you have the bootable USB, you will be able to open the BIOS by pressing F2 when you start the computer to choose to boot from it. It will automatically load the Windows installation program to be able to format the main drive and follow all the installation steps that will appear on the screen.
