The critical process died is one of the most troublesome issues among the Windows 10 users. This error generally appears right after installing an application or OS update. This error is sometimes accompanied by the blue screen error on your computer.

Furthermore, this specific Windows 10 error is one of the most commonly occurring errors. It can give nightmares to the users if not resolved in proper time. 

Such kind of error goes to the extent of hampering memory, hard disk, and even the processor unit. So, this kind of challenging error needs to be repaired as soon as possible. 

Usually, the critical process can fail due to a number of factors. When this error appears on a device, it crashes several active applications and produces various error codes.  

If you are seeing this error and seeking suitable solutions to get back your device to its normal state, then keep reading this post. Here, you will get some amazing hacks that will help you to crack the error on your own. 

Major Causes of Critical Process Died Windows 10

In a Windows-based device, there are several reasons that can generate this error. So, let’s discuss some of the causes due to which critical process can stop working. 

• The most annoying cause of this error is the Windows service that came across some critical problem on startup. It can also happen when a misconfigured device driver crashes during the Windows 10 startup.
• Damaged or corrupted device drivers can also be a major cause of this issue. This situation mostly appeared due to virus infection, power outages or disk errors.
• If something went wrong in the memory, then the occurrence of such an error is quite a common event.
• Sometimes, corrupted Windows registry can also trigger this bothersome issue.
• Also, third-party antivirus software can be held responsible for such an issue.

Now, you are well accustomed to all the potential reasons behind this error. So, let’s move on to the next section and avail the most feasible workarounds to overcome the error.

Proactive Workarounds to Eliminate the “Stop Code Critical Process Died”

Here, you will see how to fix critical process died Windows 10. You can apply the methods accordingly to get a satisfactory result.

Try to Run an Anti-malware Scan

Sometimes, it is noticed that the error appears due to a certain malware or virus infection. To get rid of this troublesome situation, get a reliable security software and scan your entire device. If there are viruses affecting the critical process, then you can easily remove them from your device using the antivirus software.

On the other hand, you can also use the Windows Defender. It is a built-in security utility which is specially designed to repair the internal bugs and glitches that are caused due to the malware or virus infection.

Steps to Run Windows Defender

• Go to the Start menu.
• Then, choose the Settings.
• Under the Settings window, navigate to the “Update and Security” section.
• Now, in the Update and Security window, locate and select the “Windows Security” option.
• After that, click on the option “Virus & threat protection” from the context menu.
• Now, go to the Current threats and choose the Quick scan.
• Lastly, hit the OK button to confirm the process. 

Once you are done with all the above steps, Windows Defender will scan your entire device and try to detect the actual problem. Once it recognizes the internal issue, it will repair them automatically.

Upgrade the Device Drivers

At times, it has been seen that due to the backdated device drivers, critical process died error can take place. Under this circumstance, update all the device drivers to the newest version to resolve this error.  

To do this process, you can avail the under mentioned steps. 

Step 1: Click on the Start menu. Then, write “Device Manager” into the Search dialog box. Now, choose the top search result to invoke the Device Manager window.  

Step 2: Now, under this window, locate the backdated device drivers, after that, right-click on them. Next, choose the “Update Driver” option from the queue window.

Step 3: Now, let the Windows look for the suitable device drivers for your Windows Operating System. Therefore, you need to choose the option “Search Automatically for Updated Driver Software”.  

Step 4: As soon as you perform this action, Windows will download the authentic device drivers for your Windows OS. Afterward, you have to install it to your device by following the on-screen prompts. 

When the process is over, reboot your device and verify whether the error gets removed or not.

Perform SFC and DISM

At times, the corrupted hard drive or damaged RAM triggers the critical process died Windows 10 error. Moreover, it pops up on the screen and forces the device to restart. 

In such conditions, the device tries to protect itself from further damage. To make sure that the disk and RAM are in good condition, run both of the SFC and DISM inbuilt utility.

Steps to Run System File Checker

• Launch to Run windows, then write “cmd” and hit the Enter key to run the command. Next, choose the “Run as Administrator” option by right-clicking on the Command Prompt window. 
• Once the Command Prompt window opens with administrator rights, write “sfc/scannow” and hit the Enter key to execute the command. Wait until the scanning process is over. 

Now, reboot your device to let the new changes take effect. After running the SFC scan, if the error still appears, then proceed with the DISM check.

Steps to Run Deployment Image Servicing and Management

• Open the Run window by using the Windows Logo and R key. When the Run dialog box opens, write “cmd” into the search field. After that, hit the Enter key to run the command.
• Now, right-click on the Command Prompt option and select the option named “Run as Administrator”.
• When the command Prompt open, write “dism /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth” and hit the Enter button.
• After that, type again, “dism /online /cleanup-image /checkhealth” and press the Enter key.
• Lastly, enter “dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth” and hit the Enter key to complete the process. 

Wait until the scanning process ends. Once the process is over, restart your device and check whether the error gets eliminated from your device.

Disable the Fast Startup Feature

You can also fix the critical process died error by disabling the Fast Startup feature. To do this, follow the steps underneath. 

Step 1: Tap on the Start icon. Then, in the Search dialog box, write “Control Panel” and the Enter key. As soon as you perform this action, you will find the Control Panel option on the top search result.

Step 2: Now, under the Control Panel window, click on the option “Choose what the power button does” that is situated on the left pane of the window. 

Step 3: After that, tap on the  Define power buttons and enable the password protection. Next, select the option “Change settings that are currently unavailable” from the queue window.

Step 4: Go to the Shutdown settings section and hit the “Turn on fast startup” option. It will turn off the Fast Startup feature.

Step 5: Save all the changes by hitting the Apply button as well as the OK button. Then, close the window and verify whether the error gets removed.

Reset or Refresh the Windows 10

Even after performing all the above methods, if the error still bothers you, the last way is to reset or refresh the Windows 10.  

This is the ultimate process of formatting your device and reinstalling the Windows OS. This process not only resolves the error but, enhances system performance. 

End Note

Here, in this post, we have shared all the essential tips and tricks regarding the issue of critical process died. We hope, this post will be beneficial for you to resolve the Windows error. 

In case, the error persists or the above-discussed methods do not work, you might have done something wrong while following the methods. So, look over those steps again or consult a Windows expert for instant help. 

Moreover, you can share your valuable feedback in the comments below to let us know about your experience.