BSOD 0xef CRITICAL-PROCESS-DIED after new update

Hello, I also have the same problem since the start of 2026. My system has a Ryzen 9 5900x CPU on an Asus TUF Gaming X570 plus Motherboard, the storage drive is a 1Tb Samsung 980 Pro M.2 Nvme, I have 2x 16GB 3600mhz Ram from Ballistix and a Asus TUF 3080ti graphics card.

I tried safe mode, freshly installing windows multiple times, checked both my ram sticks with memtest86, tried the newest beta Bios 5041, checked the Nvme drive with samsung magicians thoroughly, tried another Mainboard (Asus prime x570 p) tried another CPU (also 5900X), tried a new power supply and I'm loosing hope to get my system to run properly. I tried using ChatGPT to get to the root cause and it assumes it has to do with windows, Agesa or something with the power management. This is really frustrating and I'm actually really angry at Microsoft and Windows for breaking my System so badly, that I cant use it at all. I would also like some help because I don't know what to do anymore and this is the first post I found, talking about a similar problem. I checked for a minidump/minidumps folder, but there is none on my system.

Thanks for the details

My suspicion is that Windows may have experienced significant corruption, or the storage drive where it is installed could be affected by a hardware defect.

Since you can access your files through Notepad, I suggest you back them up to an external storage device as soon as possible.

After backing up your files, try this:

1. Start your PC in Windows Recovery Environment (The location where you tried to enter safe mode);
2. On the Choose an option screen, select "Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair".

If it persists, use System Restore to get Windows to the point where it was working.

1. Start your PC in Windows Recovery Environment;
2. On the Choose an option screen, select "Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore" and follow the on-screen instructions.

Let me know the result.

Feel free to ask back any questions.

Hi. I'm David, and I'm happy to help you.

BSOD issues can have several reasons. It is necessary to investigate.

Please see if your computer created minidump files.

These files are in C:\Windows\Minidump.

(If you don't have a "Minidump" folder, check if it is in the plural "Minidumps".)

Copy any files you have to your desktop and store them in a ZIP file. Then, upload the ZIP file to the cloud (OneDrive), choose to share it, and get the link.

If the system is not stable enough to do this, start Windows in Safe Mode with Networking.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-startup-settings-1af6ec8c-4d4a-4b23-adb7-e76eef0b847f

At the "Startup settings" step, press 5 or F5 to start Windows in Safe Mode with Networking.

Post the link to the ZIP file here so I can have a look.

I await your reply.

The error code 0xEF, known as "CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED," typically indicates that a critical system process has failed during boot. This can happen due to various reasons, including issues introduced by a recent update, corrupted files, or hardware problems.

Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve this issue:

1. Boot into Safe Mode: Try booting your PC into Safe Mode. This can help you determine if the issue is caused by a third-party application or driver.
2. Check for Updates: If you suspect that the recent update caused the issue, check if there are any new updates available that might fix the problem. You can also consider rolling back the update if possible.
3. Run System Scans: Use the built-in Windows tools to check for system file corruption. You can run the following commands in an elevated Command Prompt:
   • sfc /scannow to scan for and repair corrupted system files.
   • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth to repair the Windows image.
4. Restore from a Restore Point: If you have System Restore enabled, you can try restoring your system to a point before the update was installed.
5. Check Hardware: If the problem persists, it might be worth checking your hardware components, such as RAM and hard drives, for any issues.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, you may need to consider more advanced troubleshooting or seek further assistance from Microsoft support.

References:

• Windows Stop Error - #0x000000EF "Critical Process Died"