How To Fix the “Kernel Security Check Failure” Error in Windows 10

Windows PCs often run into errors that halt operations. Knowing the error code and what it means can help you fix the issue promptly and systematically. The “Kernel Security Check Failure” is one such error that is a part of the Blue Screen of Death’s (BSoD) error that can halt all your operations and be expensive to fix if not reacted to early.

Corrupted system files, drivers, and faulty hardware contribute to the error. You need to fix the error soon if your PC is showing a BSoD screen with a “Kernel Security Check Failure” error, or it can be difficult in the future. This article will explain everything about Kernel Security check failure in Windows 10 and what causes it.

Common causes for “Kernel Security Check Failure” error

Here are some common problems with their solutions to correct the “Kernel Security Check Failure” error:

Common causes	Problem	Solution	Method to fix Issue
Issues with your RAM	If your RAM is not inserted properly or its drivers are corrupted, you’ll encounter the error “Kernel Security Check Failure.”	When you see the error, turn off your computer, insert the RAM properly, and then turn on your PC and see if you can still see the error.	Run System File Checker and Windows Memory Diagnostic
Corrupted or outdated drivers	Corrupted and outdated drivers is also another major reason why you see the error.	That’s why it’s important to always update the drivers with the latest available updates. You might see this error if you haven’t updated your drivers in a long time. Here is a list of best driver updater software.	Check how to Update the drivers
Issues with your hard drive	This error is more common on a computer with a hard drive than on one with an SSD. It is because hard drives are unreliable and more prone to damage.	If you’re using a hard drive, swap it with the SSD as soon as you can after trying our fixes.	Check if the hard drive is connected properly
Your PC could be infected with a virus or malware	If your PC is infected with the virus, you might have to reinstall the operating system causing data loss.	If Windows automatically fixes and stops the code “Kernel Security Check Failure” error and boots you in, it is a temporary fix that allows you to backup data.	Check for viruses and malware
Corrupted registry or system files	This can be another reason for this error if you recently tried to configure a registry file or accidentally deleted a system file on the boot disk.	Reinstalling the operating system will restore the registry/system files and stop the code “Kernel Security Check Failure.”	Check How to Reinstall Windows
Faulty Hardware	A faulty PC component can interfere with the system files and drivers and corrupt them over time, resulting in the “Kernel Security Check Failure error.”	Update your PC’s drivers regularly	Check how to Update the drivers
Faulty Windows Update	Windows Update downloads and installs the latest features, drivers, and more. At times, Windows can update and install a buggy or corrupted update, which results in an error like “Kernel Security Check Failure.”	Wait for Windows to release a stable update and update your PC to that version. If your computer isn’t responding, reinstall the OS.	Check How to Update your PC

What is the “Kernel Security Check Failure” Error in Windows 10?

Windows automatically fixes the “Blue Screens of Death” caused by a hard crash or other issues by automatically restarting the PC. Unfortunately, the “Kernel Security Check Failure” in Windows 10 is a genuine problem.

You need to contact a service center to fix this issue, and it could be expensive. To avoid the hassle, we’ll show you how to fix the “Kernel Security Check Failure” error on your PC at home.

How to Fix the Kernel Security Check Failure Error

Use these methods to resolve the “Kernel Security Check Failure” error in Windows 11/10:

Method 1: Turn on the legacy advanced boot menu

Here’s how to turn on the legacy advanced boot menu and fix the error:

Step 1) Grab your secondary computer and create a bootable installation USB drive by downloading the image from Microsoft’s website.

Step 2) Click on “Select Edition,” then pick “Windows 10 (multi-edition ISO),” and then click on “Confirm.”

Step 3) Now confirm the language and the Windows architecture that you want to download.

Step 4) Your file will start downloading. After the file has been downloaded, open it by double-clicking on it.

Step 5) Accept the license terms, and in the next window, select “Create installation media for another PC” and click “Next.”

Step 6) Deselect “Use the recommended settings for this PC” and proceed forward by clicking “Next.”

Step 7) Plug in your USB drive, select “USB flash drive,” and install the bootable installation media on your USB drive. Click on “Finish” once it’s done.

Restart the computer on which you see the error “Kernel Security Check Failure” and plug in the USB drive.

Step 8) The “Windows Setup” box will appear; click “Next,” and then click on “Repair your computer” on the next window.

Step 9) Select “Troubleshoot” in the “Choose an option” options screen, and select and open “Command Prompt.”

Step 10) Now, type the letter “C:” and then type “BCDEDIT /SET {DEFAULT} BOOTMENUPOLICY LEGACY” and press “Enter” key on your keyboard to execute the command.

Step 11) Once done, close Command Prompt and restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Method 2: Update your PC

Here’s how to fix the error by updating your PC:

Step 1) Click on the “magnifying glass” icon in the taskbar and search for “Settings.”

Step 2) Open “Settings” from the search results.

Step 3) In the left-side menu of the “Settings” page, select “Windows Update,” and then click on “Check for updates.” on the right-hand window.

Step 4) If Windows found updates for your computer. Click on “Download now” to update your computer with the latest available updates.

Method 3: Run System File Checker and Windows Memory Diagnostic

Here’s what you need to do:

Step 1) Restart your computer and then interrupt the restart process until Windows doesn’t show the “Advanced Startup Options” window.

Step 2) Inside the “Advanced Startup Options” window, select “Troubleshoot.

Step 3) Select an option named “Advanced Options” inside the “Troubleshoot” window

Step 4) Choose “Startup Settings” in the “Advanced Options” window and restart your computer.

Step 5) After your computer boots up, click on the “Windows” icon in the taskbar, and search for “Command Prompt.”

Step 6) Open it with administrator privileges by clicking “Run as administrator.”

Step 7) Type the command “SFC/scan now” and press the “Return” key on your keyboard.

Step 8) Once the command has been executed, type “Exit” and press the “Enter” button on your keyboard.

Step 9) Now, open the “Windows Memory Diagnostic” tool as an administrator by clicking on the “Start” button and searching for it.

Step 10) Choose “Restart now and check for problems.”

Step 11) Your PC will restart and diagnose the RAM for any problems; that’s the reason behind the error “Kernel Security Check Failure.”

Allow some time to diagnose; once completed, it will display the errors, which you can fix based on the error displayed.

Method 4: Update the drivers

Let me show you how to update your drivers to avoid the error:

Step 1) Click on the “Windows” button, and then search for and open “Device Manager.”

Step 2) Expand each component, right-click on each driver, and select “Update driver.”

Step 3) Now, select “Search automatically for drivers.”

Step 4) If new drivers are detected, install them. If not, proceed ahead and update other drivers on your PC.

Method 5: Check for viruses and malware

Here’s how to check for viruses and malware and remove them:

Step 1) Click on the magnifying glass icon in the taskbar.

Step 2) Search and open “Windows Security.”

Step 3) On the left-side menu, click on the “Shield” icon.

Step 4) Now click on “Scan options.”

Step 5) Select “Full scan” and click on “Scan now.”

Step 6) Allow your PC to be scanned completely and detected for malware or viruses.

Note: After the scan, if any viruses or malware are detected, Windows will report them to you and suggest removing them. Follow Windows’ instructions and remove the malware or viruses from your PC.

Method 6: Run the PC in safe mode

Step 1) In the taskbar, click the “Start” button, and search for and open “Settings.”

Step 2) On the next screen, do the following action:

1. In the left-side menu of “Settings,” select “System.”
2. On the right-side window of “System,” click on “Recovery”

Step 3) Select “Restart Now” under “Advanced Startup.”

Step 4) Click on “Troubleshoot,” followed by “Advanced Options.”

Step 5) In the “Startup Settings” window, select “Restart.”

Step 6) Safe Mode will turn on; check if you still see the error.

Method 7: Check the disk for errors

For Windows PowerShell

Step 1) Press the “Windows” button on your keyboard and search for “Windows PowerShell.”

Step 2) Open it with administrator privileges by clicking “Run as administrator.”

Step 3) Type and enter the command “chkdsk C: /f”

Step 4) last, type and enter the command “chkdsk C: /r”

Step 5) Press the “Y” key on your keyboard and then press the “Enter” key when requested if you want to restart your computer.

Step 6) Don’t turn off your computer until Windows has finished examining the disk for errors; give it some time to do so.

Method 8: Reset Windows

Here’s how to perform the system restore to fix the error:

Step 1) Press “Win + X” or “Win + I” to open “Settings.”

Step 2) Click on “Recovery” on the right-side window.

Step 3) Click on “Reset PC” under the section “Reset this PC.”

Step 4) A new window will open; select “Keep my files.”

Step 5) In the next prompt window, it will ask if you want to save your data on the cloud or if you want to save your data on a drive. Select “Cloud download” if you don’t have a portable drive.

Step 6) Click on “Next” in the “Additional settings window.”

Step 7) last, select “Reset” in the following window and begin the resetting process of your Windows.

Method 9: Check if the hard drive is connected properly

You may see the “Kernel Security Check Failure” error because the hard drive isn’t properly connected.

• Verify that it is properly plugged in and try again; you shouldn’t see the error. However, if you still see this error, disconnect it from your computer and install it on a secondary computer.
• Monitor if the drive is functioning and booting properly when connected to the secondary computer without issues.
• If it cannot boot up properly, there are issues with the hard drive, and you should take it to a hard drive specialist to get it fixed.
• Instead, if the hard drive successfully boots when connected to a secondary computer, the issue can be with the primary computer.
• The “Kernel Security Check Failure” could appear on your primary computer because of outdated drivers or any other underlying issues.

Method 10: Reinstall Windows

Let me show you how to reinstall Windows on your computer and solve the error that you’re seeing:

Step 1) Turn off your computer, and then plug the USB drive with the installation media into your computer.

Step 2) Turn on your computer and then open the BIOS settings page by pressing the dedicated key that your PC manufacturer sets.

Step 3) Set the USB as the boot device, save the changes, and exit the BIOS settings.

Step 4) Your computer will boot the USB drive and launch the Windows installation screen.

Step 5) Choose your language, the time and currency format, and the keyboard or input method, and then click “Next.”

Step 6) In the next window, click on “Install.”

Step 7) In the next window, you’ll be asked for the Windows product key; if you have it, enter the product key. If not, click on “I don’t have a product key.”

Step 8) Now, select the option “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced).”

Step 9) The installation will start now. Give Windows some time for the installation, and don’t power off your computer until the installation is successful.

Conclusion

• The “Kernel Security Check Failure” is caused by outdated or corrupted drivers, corrupted registry files, viruses, or faulty Windows updates.
• The error can be fixed by updating your drivers, running the PC in safe mode, checking the disk for errors, re-setting Windows, or reinstalling the Windows OS.
• Windows may show the error and boot you in if it hasn’t advanced to a dangerous stage. Leaving it unfixed advances the problem, and it can be expensive and challenging to fix.
• Regularly scan for viruses, delete unused files, and update the drivers regularly. This will stop the code “kernel security check failure” on your Windows PC.