After installing a cracked game, my computer became extremely slow and started showing unusually high CPU usage. Now it will not boot into Windows and repeatedly displays the stop code CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED (0xEF). I cannot use Reset this PC while keeping my files, System Restore, or SFC, and attempting Safe Mode just returns me to the same blue screen. I suspect malware, but I cannot access the desktop. What recovery steps should I try, and how can I protect my files?
3 Answers
The cracked game may have introduced malware, but the stop code alone does not prove that. Since you cannot reach Windows, use another computer to create a Windows installation or recovery USB, then boot the affected computer from it. Try Startup Repair and the recovery options first. If those fail, use the USB environment to copy important files to an external drive, then perform a clean Windows installation. After reinstalling, update Windows and run a full Microsoft Defender scan before restoring files or reinstalling programs.
Treat the machine as potentially compromised. Disconnect it from the internet, do not log into accounts from it, and use a clean computer to change important passwords if the suspicious download was executed. If the files are backed up, a clean installation is generally safer than trying to remove malware from a damaged system. If the files are not backed up, copy only personal documents, photos, and similar data; do not bring over cracked software, installers, scripts, or unknown executables.
If Windows can eventually start, crash dump files in C:WindowsMinidump can help identify the underlying driver or hardware problem. Since you are stuck at the blue screen, dump-file analysis probably is not immediately possible. From the recovery environment, you can also try Command Prompt and run offline checks against the Windows installation, but use the correct drive letter because Windows may not be on C: there. Avoid repeatedly choosing Reset if preserving files is important—make a backup from the recovery environment first.

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