7 Best Ways to Fix Critical Process Died Error in Windows 11

Windows errors can occur at the most unexpected times, especially during a Windows update. It is the “Critical Process Death error” (also known as the Blue Screen of Death) that plagues many of the few such errors.

Corrupted drivers, faulty system updates and memory issues are among the top reasons behind the ‘critical process dead’ error in Windows 11. So let’s check them out.

1. Boot in Safe Mode

If you can start your computer normally after the BSoD error, skip this step. However, if Windows cannot boot, you may get a ‘critical process dead’ error. So, you can try starting it in Safe Mode to further investigate this and fix the problem.

Stage 1: While your PC is booting, press and hold the physical power button for a few seconds until your PC restarts. Interrupt the boot process three times in a row and Windows will greet you with the startup repair screen. From here select Advanced options.

Step 2: Then click Troubleshoot.

Stage 3: Then go to Advanced Options.

Step 4: Click on Startup Settings on the Advanced Options screen.

Step 5: Click the Restart button to visit the Startup Settings menu.

Step 6: Finally, press 4 or F4 on your keyboard to restart your computer in Safe Mode.

Use the following methods to clear the error after booting in Safe Mode.

2. Run the Troubleshooter

Windows 11 includes a number of troubleshooters that can be useful in such situations. You can run these troubleshooters and see if that makes any difference.

Start by running the hardware troubleshooter first. Press Windows key + R to start run command, type msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic and press Enter.

Then press Next to begin the process.

If the problem persists, you can run other troubleshooters in Windows.

Stage 1: Open the start menu, type troubleshooting settingsand press Enter.

Step 2: Go to other troubleshooters.

Stage 3: You will find a list of available troubleshooters. In this case, run any relevant troubleshooters that might help.

Restart your computer to see if this fixes the error.

3. Run SFC and DISM Scan

Corrupted or missing system files can also interfere with Windows processes and lead to the ‘critical process dead’ error. You can try running an SFC (System File Checker) scan to replace these system files with their cached versions.

Stage 1: Right-click on the start menu icon and select Windows Terminal (Admin) from the menu that appears.

Step 2: Type the command mentioned below and press Enter.

SFC /scannow

Next, run the DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) scan. Besides scanning system files, it will also download missing internal system files from Microsoft’s server if needed.

Open Windows Terminal with administrator rights and type the following commands.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Then restart your computer and see if the error has been resolved.

4. Update Drivers

Faulty drivers are another possible cause of a ‘critical process dead’ stop code. It’s worth checking if any of these drivers need an update or repair.

Stage 1: Click the Search icon in the Taskbar, type Device Managerand press Enter.

Step 2: Scroll through the list and see if any drivers have a yellow exclamation point. If found, right-click and select Update Driver.

5. Scan PC for Malware

If your computer has been infected with malware or viruses, you will witness such errors. You can try running a full system scan of your PC with Windows Defender. Alternatively, you can use any of your preferred antivirus programs for this purpose.

6. Uninstall Recent Windows Updates

At times, software updates can also go wrong. If the error only occurred after installing a software update, you can try uninstalling recently installed Windows updates. Here’s how.

Stage 1: Press Windows key + I to launch the Settings app. Go to the Windows Update tab and click Update history.

Step 2: Scroll down to the relevant settings and click on Uninstall updates.

Stage 3: Select the most recently installed update and click Uninstall.

7. Try System Restore

System Restore in Windows periodically backs up the entire system. So, if the solutions above don’t help, you can use system restore to go back to a point before the error first started appearing. Here’s how.

Stage 1: Click the Search icon in the Taskbar. In summer create a restore point and press Enter.

Step 2: Under the System Protection tab, click the System Restore button.

Stage 3: Here you can navigate to the recommended restore point or choose the second option yourself.

Select a relevant restore point and press Next. Then follow the on-screen instructions to perform the system restore.

Trust the Process

Such system errors can be frustrating as they prevent you from using your computer for a long time and even cause unsaved work to be lost from time to time. We are sure that one of the solutions mentioned above helped you deal with the error and you are back to enjoying Windows 11.