The Critical Process Died 0x000000EF error is a type of BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) error that can occur before the system fully boots. When the Windows operating system encounters critical damage to its system files and services, it refuses to load and displays error messages on a blue screen during system startup.
If you are experiencing this issue, continue reading this article. Here, we explain the solution in an easy-to-follow manner so that you can resolve the problem on your own.
How to Fix Critical Process Died 0x000000EF on Windows 11/10?
Fixing the Critical Process Died 0x000000EF error can be challenging, as it often indicates a severe issue with the Windows operating system. However, you can try the following steps to resolve it:
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Solution 1: Try Safe Mode
If you are unable to boot your PC due to this error, try safe mode to boot your PC. By entering in Safe mode, you can easily revert the changes you made before the BSOD error such as uninstalling the recent software, drivers, updates, games, and so on.
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Solution 2: Remove the faulty driver.
Driver malfunctions, including incompatibility, outdated, faulty, or corrupted driver files, are the most common causes of a Critical Process Died 0x000000EF error. To resolve this error, you need to manually remove the recently installed driver. You can perform this step as follows:
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Step 5: Find the drive where the Windows is installed. In the Windows Recovery Environment, the letter gets changed so you can not be assured about the Windows drive. You can find the correct Windows drive as follows:
- Type
"c:"and press enter. - Type Type
"dir"to list the directory. - If you find the
"Windows"directory in the list then it is the correct drive. - If you don’t find the
"Windows"directory, then try finding the"Windows"directory in the"D:", "E:", "F:", drive too.
Step 6: Once you determine the and enter the Windows drive, run the following command. Here, I assume that my "Windows" directory is in the "e:" drive.
dism /image:e:\ /get-drivers
The above command will list installed third-party driver on your computer.
Step 7: You can use the following command to get more information about the driver.
dism /image:e:\ /get-driverinfo /driver:driver_name.inf
Replace driver_name with your driver name.
Step 8: Remove the problematic or suspected driver using the following command.
dism /image:e:\ /remove-driver /driver:driver_name.inf
Replace driver_name with your driver name.
[/lightweight-accordion]Solution 3: Run System Repair commands.
There are a few useful commands inbuilt in Windows 11 and 10, that might be useful in terms of repairing the Windows issues. These commands are SFC, CHKDSK, DISM, and Bootrec. You can use all these commands as follows:
Step 3: Run the following commands.
[icon name=”terminal” prefix=”fas”] SFC Command
SFC stands for System File Checker, and it is used to scan and repair corrupted Windows files. The primary purpose of the System File Checker is to maintain the integrity of essential system files that Windows relies on for proper functioning.
sfc /scannow
[icon name=”terminal” prefix=”fas”] CHKDSK Command
CHKDSK is a short form of “Check Disk” and it is used to scan and repair HDD/SSD errors such as integrity violation, file system failure, bad sectors on disk, etc.
chkdsk C: /f /r
[icon name=”terminal” prefix=”fas”] DISM Command
The DISM command, which stands for “Deployment Imaging Service and Management Tool,” is a command-line utility in Windows used for servicing and managing Windows operating system images. It’s a powerful tool that’s mainly used for tasks related to system repair, updates, and maintenance.
To check the health of the Windows image:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
To attempt to repair any issues found in the image:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
[icon name=”terminal” prefix=”fas”] Bootrec command
The bootrec command is a powerful command-line tool in Windows used for repairing and troubleshooting issues related to the boot process. It’s especially useful when dealing with boot-related problems that prevent your computer from starting correctly.
bootrec /scanos
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /rebuildbcdSolution 4: Perform Startup Repair
You can also perform a startup repair to resolve the Critical Process Died 0x000000EF error. To do this, you’ll need a Windows bootable drive, which you can create using the following methods.
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Solution 5: Uninstall the Latest updates
If you suspect that this error started occurring after installing a specific Windows update, you can consider removing it to resolve the BSOD error 0x000000EF.
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How to Prevent Critical Process Died 0x000000EF
Encountering a BSOD error can be a frustrating experience, often requiring considerable time and effort to resolve. To prevent such issues, it’s advisable to maintain your computer by keeping it clutter-free, updated, and optimized. One way to achieve this is by installing a reliable PC optimization tool. These tools can automate optimization tasks, enhance security, and repair system damages, making your computing experience smoother and more secure.
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Summary
The Critical Process Died 0x000000EF is also a critical Windows error that can cause the Blue Screen of Death. It occurs due to various reasons, such as driver malfunctioning, missing system files, issues in Windows boot files, malware/viruses, etc. This article outlines several troubleshooting steps, and by following these steps, you can eliminate this error.