Hey everyone, I've been dealing with a frustrating issue with my PC. About a week ago, I suddenly encountered a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) that stated a 'critical process died' error. Now, I can only access the recovery environment, not my usual desktop. I've run SFC and DISM, but they haven't succeeded. I also tried chkdsk with both /r and /f on all disks, but it hasn't helped. The SFC tool won't complete its operation, and DISM can't repair the image.
Safe mode doesn't work either, as my system just keeps rebooting into recovery. I attempted system restores and resets, but none of those have worked either and just give vague error messages. I ran memtest86 since I had issues suspected with my RAM; initially, I found one faulty stick, replaced it, and now I have new RAM that seems fine. Yet, I'm still encountering the same BSOD.
I tried creating a repair USB and starting from it, but it just returns me to the recovery menu. When I attempted a clean install of Windows 11, it told me my PC doesn't support it, even though it has been running Windows 11 since its launch. I've checked my BIOS settings to ensure they're correct (UEFI and TPM enabled, per Microsoft's recommendations).
At this point, I'm unsure what else could be wrong. I've exhausted many typical solutions, and I'm worried about potential issues with my CPU or motherboard. I'm ready to run any commands or tests needed to track this down! Here are my specs for reference: CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600, Motherboard: MSI B450 Tomahawk Max, Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB DDR4-3600 (now with Corsair DDR4-3600), HDD: Seagate 2TB, SSD: Kingston A400 240GB, GPU: EVGA GTX 1660 Super, Power Supply: Corsair 750W, OS: Windows 11.
2 Answers
This sounds tricky! Since you're still getting BSODs after replacing the RAM, have you checked the CPU? Sometimes, it's not easy to pinpoint without testing the component directly. If you have access to another compatible CPU, swapping it out could help confirm if the CPU is causing the issue. If you need to buy a new one, you might want to try a friend's setup first before making that purchase.
It sounds like you're really deep in the weeds with this one! First off, getting those crash dump files could provide clues about what's causing the BSOD. If you can access the recovery environment, you might be able to navigate to C:WindowsMinidump and see if any dump files are present. Zip them up and share them on a file hosting site so people can analyze them. If you don’t see anything there, consider changing the dump type to Small Memory Dump, which could give you more information without overriding old files.
I can't get into Windows, including safe mode, but I'm open to finding those files through other means!
I haven't tested another CPU yet; I didn't want to spend the bucks unless I was sure! But it might be my next step.