Blue Screen of Death errors are real troublemakers. There are many instances where your PC stops all operations and flashes an error on the screen with a sad smile and an OOPS! exclamation. Kernel Security Check Failure error is one such error that users often face.
If you have come across a halt on the operations of your PC due to a BSOD error that says Kernel Security Check Failure, this is the post for you!
In this one, let us unravel why this particular error may bother your PC and how to fix it in this ultimate guide. Without further ado, let’s get started with what the error is about!
Kernel Security Check Failure Error – What is It?
The error comes from the BSOD family. These errors fall under the category of fatal issues on the PC. Due to this error, your PC might experience a sudden halt in the running operations. As far as the severity of the error is concerned, it can crash your PC and even make it unrecoverable in some cases.
The Kernel Security Check is a process of the operating system that continuously runs in the background to create a solid connection between the kernel and the PC’s operating system. This connection is crucial for your system to run, as when this is hindered, the system tends to crash with the Kernel Security Check Failure Error.
What Causes the Kernel Security Check Failure Error?
Now that you know how severe the error can be, let’s look at why this error appears in the first place.
Usually, any error in the system files can cause a BSOD error on your PC. This sort of error directly reflects on the processing health of your PC. Some of the core reasons why you might have come across the Windows kernel security check failure error on your computer are –
- RAM Errors and Memory Issues
- Issues with Internal Storage or HDD in use
- Hardware Faults
- Outdated/Corrupt Drivers
- System File/ Registry Errors
- Corrupt Windows Update Installed
- Malware/Virus Attack
- Application-Service Interruption
The list of the problem-causing factors is a long one. This is also why the Kernel Security Check Failure error appears more frequently and easily on a PC. After identifying these issues, you might know what caused your PC’s error.
Fortunately, all of these problems can be resolved. Check out the next section to find solutions that will help you fix the Error.
Read Also: How To Backup & Restore Windows 10 System Files
How to Fix Kernel Security Check Failure Error?
There are multiple ways to start troubleshooting the kernel_security_check_failure. You can start implementing the fix if you can identify the exact issue bothering your PC. If not, review the list of fixes individually and check which fix does the trick.
Fix 1 – Check for System Updates
Keeping your PC updated plays a vital role in improving its performance. It has been observed in several cases that the Kernel Security Check Failure Error appeared on a PC that was running on an OS with a lot of pending updates. System updates, minor security patches, or major feature enhancements are crucial to the PC. Hence, it is recommended that you check your PC for updates regularly and install them as soon as they are available.
Here’s how to check for updates on Windows –
Step 1 – Press the Windows+I keys on the keyboard to open System Settings.
Step 2 – Check the left pane in System Settings to find the Windows Update option. Click on it to open the update settings. 
Step 3 – You may find multiple options to configure how your system fetches updates in the Update Settings window.
You can find a check for updates button as well. Click on the same to initiate a search for updates.
Step 4 – If the updates are available, click on Download and Install Updates.
Step 5 – The system usually automatically restarts when an update is installed. However, if it does not, manually restart it for changes to take effect.
With that, you have successfully updated the PC. If the BSOD error Kernel Security Check Failure appeared due to a lack of system updates, it will no longer bother your PC. In case it appears again, use the next fix!
Read Also : 9+ Ways To Fix Windows Stuck on “Checking for Updates”
Fix 2 – Update Outdated Drivers
Drivers are another crucial component of your PC. They allow proper communication between the devices connected to the PC and the OS that it is using. Needless to say, if these are outdated or, by any chance, corrupted, a BSOD error may appear. This is one of the most common reasons for triggering the Kernel Security Check Failure error on a Windows PC.
However, updating these drivers is not as simple as updating the system. It requires a decent knowledge of the operating system to update drivers.
Here’s how you update drivers on Windows (the traditional method) –
Step 1 – Press Win+R to open the Run search utility.
Step 2 – In the Run search utility, use the command devmgmt.msc to open the Device Manager on your PC.
Step 3 – In the Device Manager, you may find all the devices and their drivers currently installed on your PC.
Step 4 – Simply go to any driver, right-click on it, and you may find the Update Driver option.
Step 5 – Click on the Update driver, and it will bring up the Windows Driver Update Utility.
Now, you have to follow the steps as they appear on your screen. This is the process to check for updates, which means it is not completely sure that after completing all the steps, you will find an update.
The entire process must be repeated to update each driver. This is also why users ignore the task, considering it a tedious job.
Fortunately, there is a way to simplify the process. Presenting Advanced Driver Updater, a unique application that finishes an hour-long job in minutes! All you have to do is –
Step 1 – Download the application and install it on your computer.
Step 2 – Run a scan of your PC using the tool to find all the outdated drivers on your computer.
Step 3 – When the scan finishes, click Update All, and you’re ready!
Not only does the tool minimize your effort, but it also fixes the much-necessary issue of manually initiating the update process for individual drivers.
Once your drivers are updated, the system should be restarted. If a driver bothers your PC with the BSOD, this should resolve it easily!
Fix 3 – Use System File Checker
After finishing the necessary updates, it is time to dig deeper into the problem. If the Kernel Security Check Failure error appears after updating both the system and the drivers, there is a chance that the problem lies in the system files. Since these are delicate files, you should never try to temper them directly.
Instead, you can run a command in the CMD to run a quick system file checker. Here’s how that works –
Step 1 – Press the Start button and search for Command Prompt
Step 2 – Click on the Run as Administrator option in the search result.
Step 3 – After opening the command prompt, use SFC/ Scannow and hit enter.
Step 4 – Wait for the command to act and finish checking the system files on your computer. If any damaged or corrupted files are found, the scanner fixes them on its own.
Step 5 – Once the scan is complete, restart the computer.
After restarting the computer, you should immediately try opening the same process that caused your PC’s BSOD Kernel Security Check Failure error. If system files were the culprit, the problem should not bother you again!
Fix 4 – Check the Hard Disk for Errors
Now that you have already ticked system updates, driver updates, and system file errors in the list, the next step (if the error persists) is to check your hard disk for errors. Damaged storage plays a crucial role in fatal errors when they appear. Hence, it is always better to be double-sure about the disk that you are using.
We will use the Check Disk utility built-in to Windows to check the hard disks for errors. You can invoke it using the command prompt. All you need to do is –
Step 1 – Press the Start button and search for Command Prompt
Step 2 – Click on the Run as Administrator option in the search result.
Step 3 – Use the command CHKDSK /X in the Command Prompt Window. This will dismount the disk in use and look for errors in it while attempting to fix them at the same time.
Step 4 – Since you are using the PC, you might encounter the error that says “cannot lock the current drive.” In that situation, it will ask you whether you want to schedule the scan for the next time your PC restarts. Type Y and hit enter to give it your consent.
Step 5 – After all of it, simply restart your PC, and it will automatically run a disk check on all your hard drives to check and fix any errors on them.
Since the hard disks are now repaired for any errors, you can freely use your PC without worrying about the Kernel Security Check Failure Error due to storage or hard disk issues. However, if even that did not stop the blue screen of death from haunting your system again, do not worry, as we have more fixes up our sleeves. Keep on reading!
Fix 5 – Uninstall/Disable The Triggering App
If you have identified a particular application or action in an application that triggers the Kernel Security Check Failure, removing that software might help you out. Doesn’t matter if it is a game, a utility application, or a third-party antivirus.
Since fixing basic problems related to the system could not resolve the error (considering you have tried all the fixes above and have had no luck), it only makes sense to remove the application.
Step 1 – Press Win+R to bring up the Run search.
Step 2 – In the Run search bar, use the command control appwiz.cpl
Step 3 – The above command will take you to the program manager of the PC. Here, you can find all the installed applications.
Step 4 – Find the application that has caused the BSOD episodes on your PC.
Step 5 – Select the application and click the Uninstall button to initiate removal.
Keep in mind that an app doesn’t need to run to cause the error. Some users have shared that they started facing errors only after installing an application. Hence, it is recommended that if you do not know which error is causing the error, you remove the last installed application, before which the PC was fine.
Fix 6 – Check the System for Viruses/Malware
In case none of those mentioned above fixes did the job for you, the probability that your PC is affected by malware or virus is higher than you may think. It is in the best interest of your PC that you run the Windows Defender scan to evaluate the current status of your PC’s security.
To initiate the scan –
Step 1 – Press the Start button and search for Security.
Step 2 – Open the Windows Security settings in the search.
Step 3 – After opening the Windows Security Window, click on Virus & Threat Protection.
Step 4 – You can run a quick scan to check your PC for issues in the opened options. Just below it, you may find Scan options. Click on it.
Step 5 – In the Scan options, you have 4 scan modes. Choose the Microsoft Defender Antivirus option and initiate the scan using the Scan Now button.
This scan is quite time-consuming and might restart your computer; hence, saving all your work and closing the apps in the background is recommended. Once the scan is over, the error should be fixed!
Fix 7 – Turn the Legacy Boot Menu ON (Advanced)
If the problem keeps appearing when you restart your computer, turning ON the legacy boot menu might help. For this, you will need a separate Windows Installation Media. You can use a bootable pendrive or continue with the traditional installation discs available in the market.
Step 1 – Connect the Windows Installation Media to your PC and restart the system.
Step 2 – During the restart, the PC will read the installation media and prompt you to press any key to enter the boot menu. Use the spacebar to be safe.
Step 3 – Spot the Repair Your Computer in the bottom left corner after entering the installation screen. Click on it.
Step 4 – In the opened options, open the Command Prompt and use the command –
“C: BCDEDIT /SET {DEFAULT} BOOTMENUPOLICY LEGACY” and hit enter.
Step 5 – Let the command prompt run the command. Once it is done, restart the computer and let it boot to the already installed copy of Windows.
It is an advanced way of handling the Kernel Security Check Failure error. Hence, we recommend you take the assistance of someone well-versed in using Windows PCs.
Fix 8 – Reset/Reinstall Windows
In case no fix has been able to resolve the issue permanently on your PC, we recommend that you reset the PC or reinstall the Windows. If the error is persistently sticking to the core of your system files, replacing them is the best way to handle the situation.
If you plan to reset the PC, you can go to the start menu, search for reset, click on Reset PC, and follow the steps that the utility shows.
As far as reinstallation is concerned, find an expert to assist you with the process, as a bit of fault in reinstalling the OS might brick your PC completely.
Once you finish these fixes, we assure you that the Kernel Security Check Failure Error will be resolved.
The security kernel check failure Error is a fatal error that should be fixed on priority; otherwise, it can cause serious damage to the PC. Fortunately, multiple things can be done to resolve the error. If you face any difficulties in the steps shared, feel free to contact us using the comments section.
That’ll be all for this post. Thanks for reading. Good Luck!
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