[SOLVED] Unable to boot to windows

Oct 27, 2020
5
0
10
Hey all. Been having a problem getting back to windows after it crashed on me while gaming. I can see and access BIOS screen, I see the first windows flash screen but right about when you're supposed to be able to get to login to put in your PIN/password, that screen never shows because blue screen comes up with "critical process died" message.

I have so far tried to use the default troubleshooter to fix problems trying to boot into windows (it just does the diagnose part and then says nothing could be fixed, would you like to try something else?), different safe modes (all end in same blue screen message), using sfc /scannow and chkdsk on my ssd where OS is located (both said ssd is fine), tried bootrec.exe /fixmbr and /fixboot and also tried out ubuntu live cd just to rule out faulty RAM. Ubuntu ran perfectly fine, could play music/videos from ssd and youtube. Also used disks program in Ubuntu and ran SMART test on ssd and it said it's working fine as well.

I don't know what else to try to be fair. I don't have a second desktop to try my ssd on. Currently working on seeing if I can put together a windows 10 install usb to install another copy on one of my older harddrives just to see if those boot up. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance
 
Solution
critical process died is mostly a windows error. It relates to files that if they crash, windows follows. can be boot files, can be files associated with logon, there are a number of them. Sounds like its logon files given behaviour.

running chkdsk on the drive might help
automatic repair as well as start up repair are not all that good.

I would use the installer to copy everything off C you want to save and just clean install on the ssd
How to copy data over
boot from installer
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...

Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
critical process died is mostly a windows error. It relates to files that if they crash, windows follows. can be boot files, can be files associated with logon, there are a number of them. Sounds like its logon files given behaviour.

running chkdsk on the drive might help
automatic repair as well as start up repair are not all that good.

I would use the installer to copy everything off C you want to save and just clean install on the ssd
How to copy data over
boot from installer
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 another hdd

boot from installer
follow this guide: https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq/how-to-do-a-clean-installation-of-windows-10.3170366/
 
Solution
Oct 27, 2020
5
0
10
Oh that's useful to know. Sadly chkdsk so far offered no solution. But I'll take a closer look maybe it has something more it can offer. Not quite yet willing to give up the files if I can do anything about it but if that's the only way then what needs to be done.. needs to be done. Thanks for the guide. Had no idea you could access file explorer like that.

Would having access to memory dump offer any insight as to what might be going on?
 

Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
depends how big it is. The person I would ask to check it has slow internet so if the memory dump is a gb or more he won't be able to download it.

also, problem is even knowing what cause is might not help. You can't get into windows or safe mode.

you could have also used the ubuntu live cd to copy info over. the explorer way is just easier for most people.