[SOLVED] BSOD Critical Process Died - Cant get ito Windows

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Dec 22, 2016
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I'm getting a BSOD with 'Critical Process Died' when I start up my PC, I cannot even get into Windows 11.
I belive its the OS and not hardware, as Iv'e taken the SSD out and put it in another computer, and it still gives the same error on booting up.
I've done a Kingston SSD Manager scan and it reports back healthy.
CrystalDiskInfo shows 'Unknown' and 92%.

Once the PC shows the BSOD, I restart it and it goes into Automatic Repair.
I can then go to Troubleshoot>Reset PC, no matter what i click on i get 'There was a problem resetting your PC'

Looking on the net, it looks like the Windows files are corrupt, is there any way to refresh the Windows files?
I've tried sfc/scannow and it took a while, but it completed.
I've tried Dism /image:d: /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth and it gives 'The scratch directory size might be insufficient...'
I've tried System Restore but there are no valid restore points.

I just need a way to refresh Windows to get it working agin, is there a way to do this?

CPU: i5 4590?
GPU: Gigabyte GTX 1060, GV-N1060WF2OC-6GD (removed currently)
RAM: 12GB, 4GB MT8JTF51264AZ-1G6E1, 8GB TPKD38G1600HC11BK
MOBO: Gigabyte GA-Z97P-D3
HDD: Kingston SA400S37/480G
PSU: A-750BR
 
Last edited:
Solution
do you want to save anything on ssd?
do you have a win 11 installer? if not, download either 2nd link here (media creation tool) or 3rd link (ISO) to make a Win 11 installer on USB - https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11

  • on screen after languages, choose repair this pc, not install.
  • choose troubleshoot
  • choose advanced
  • choose command prompt
  • type notepad and press enter
  • in notepad, select file>open
  • Use file explorer to copy any files you need to save to USB or hdd

if you were willing to do a reset, I would suggest a clean install as i have seen resets fail before

critical process died only applies to windows files, so its possible the files on the windows image are bad...
do you want to save anything on ssd?
do you have a win 11 installer? if not, download either 2nd link here (media creation tool) or 3rd link (ISO) to make a Win 11 installer on USB - https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11

  • on screen after languages, choose repair this pc, not install.
  • choose troubleshoot
  • choose advanced
  • choose command prompt
  • type notepad and press enter
  • in notepad, select file>open
  • Use file explorer to copy any files you need to save to USB or hdd

if you were willing to do a reset, I would suggest a clean install as i have seen resets fail before

critical process died only applies to windows files, so its possible the files on the windows image are bad, hence resets won't work.

boot from installer

follow this guide: https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq/how-to-do-a-clean-installation-of-windows-10.3170366/ (its mostly the same as win 11 install)
 
Solution
Thanks for the swift reply Colif.
I ideally need to get my Windows install up and running, it's got a few games which are cloud based, but not signed in so I wont be able to recover them if I wipe the disk, it would start a new game.
I have the installed and I have done the trick you have mentioned to open the DISM logs, it looked like there was a permissions issue, or what it was trying to see wasnt there.