How To Fix The Critical_Service_Failed Error

Reader Question:
“Hi Wally, My Windows 8 computer is getting a CRITICAL_SERVICE_FAILED error, please help!“- Luis K., Australia

Before addressing any computer issue, I always recommend scanning and repairing any underlying problems affecting your PC health and performance:

Step 1 : Download PC Repair & Optimizer Tool (WinThruster for Win 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP and 2000 – Microsoft Gold Certified).
Step 2 : Click “Start Scan” to find Windows registry issues that could be causing PC problems.
Step 3 : Click “Repair All” to fix all issues.

Setting up weekly (or daily) automatic scans will help prevent system problems and keep your PC running fast and trouble-free.

Wally’s Answer: The Critical_Service_Failed error can appear randomly at times. Blue screen errors like this can take people by surprise. The error message sounds cryptic to most people, making them think that it is a very messy problem. That’s not really the case though. You should be able to fix it if you know what to do.

Problem

The Critical_Service_Failed error or STOP 0x0000005A appears when the computer is loading Windows.

Cause

The Critical_Service_Failed error is usually caused by corrupt device drivers. What normally happens is that people try to use new hardware with the computer and install new drivers. The device or the drivers might be incompatible with the computer, resulting in this error.

Solution

Here are some ways to fix the Critical_Service_Failed error:

Troubleshoot Driver Issues

Blue screen errors are caused mostly by driver failure. A driver is the software program that sits between the operating system and the hardware. It helps them communicate with each other.

These driver-related problems occur when the device is not compatible with the computer or the device driver is corrupt. You can check to see if a device driver is not working by using the Windows device manager.

Press Windows Key + X and click Device Manager from the pop-up menu.
You can expand each category by clicking the arrow next to it. Click all of these arrows to see what device drivers are installed on the computer. An Unknown device is one whose drivers have not yet been installed.
Here you should be able to see if there’s anything wrong with the hardware. You should be looking for a yellow triangle or a red mark.

Yellow triangle means that the driver needs to be fixed. The red mark may indicate that the hardware device is the problem. The hardware device might be a bit loose or it might have stopped functioning and needs to be replaced.

Install And Update Device Drivers To Fix The Problem

If you saw a yellow triangle then the problem probably has to do with device drivers. It should be noted here that not all such problems are caught by the device manager. Since most blue screen errors are caused by corrupt drivers, you should try reinstalling the drivers to fix the problem.

You can do this in two ways. One is to download the drivers using a driver utility like DriverDoc. The other way is to go to your computer manufacturer’s website and download the drivers from there.

Use Automatic Repair

If you can’t log into Windows, then try using a bootable Windows 8 USB or DVD. A bootable recovery USB can also be made using another computer running Windows 8.

Boot the computer using the USB or DVD
Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options
Click Windows Startup Settings > Automatic Repair and follow the instructions

I Hope You Liked This Blog Article! If You Need Additional Support on This Issue Then Please Don’t Hesitate To Contact Me On Facebook.

Is Your PC Healthy?

I always recommend to my readers to regularly use a trusted registry cleaner and optimizer such as WinThruster or CCleaner. Many problems that you encounter can be attributed to a corrupt and bloated registry.

Happy Computing!

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About the Author

Wally PhillipsWindows Wally is a helpful guy. It’s just in his nature. It’s why he started a blog in the first place. He heard over and over how hard it was to find simple, plain-English solutions to Windows troubleshooting problems on the Internet. Enter: Windows Wally. Ask away, and he will answer.