Microsoft has changed the background color in BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) issues with a black background , keeping with the design that is a part of Windows 11. It’s not surprising that this doesn’t appear to have any positive impact on performance or the frequency at which you encounter this error. It essentially is the same for all users.
The most common BSOD errors that users have reported experiencing in Windows 11 is the ‘Kernel Security Check Failure’. There are a variety of reasons that cause the error , and we’ve covered them in an additional section below. In contrast to the other errors, BSOD errors appear out from nowhere and can cause a crash to the system, leading in the destruction of unsalvaged data.
The best thing of BSOD issues is the fact that they’re easily repaired if you take advantage of a variety of efficient solutions. In the next section, we’ll walk you through these solutions to fix the ‘Kernel Security Check Failure’ error. Before we move on to the solutions, we must first identify the causes that cause the error.
Table of Contents
What Leads to ‘Kernel Security Check Failure’ Error on Windows 11?
Understanding the causes that cause the error is essential to be able to troubleshoot. Therefore, we have provided a list of the most common causes leading to the ‘Kernel Security Test Failure’ error.
- Files from the corrupt system
- Hardware that is not compatible or malfunctioning
- Incompatible or out of date drivers
- Windows XP running an older version Windows
- Memory issues
If you’ve a good knowledge of the different problems, you’re now in a position to correct the issue. It’s about time to walk you through the solutions.
1. Update Windows
A version that is older than Windows could be the reason for the error , and it is easily fixed by updating Windows. Sometimes, it’s due to an issue in the version you are using which is causing the issue and it’s likely that the issue will be corrected in future updates.
To upgrade Windows 11, right-click on the icon ‘Start’ in the Taskbar or press Windows + X to open the Quick Access menu, and choose ‘Settings’ from the menu of choices. Alternately, use Windows + I to immediately start the Settings application.
In Settings, click the Windows Update tab on the left.
Then, click “Check for updates” on the rightside, and Windows will search for available updates. If they are found available, they will download and install on your computer.
After you have updated the Windows Check if the ‘Kernel Security check failure issue is resolved.
2. Run Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool
Windows comes with a built-in tool that analyzes your memory and pinpoints the issues with it. Although there are a variety of third-party programs available, Windows Memory Diagnostics fairs better due to its simple interface and the efficient testing.
To launch this Windows Memory Diagnostic tool, use Windows + S to open the menu ‘Search’, type the word “Windows Memory Diagnostics” into the text box at the top, then click on the appropriate search result to launch the application.
Within the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool, there are two options: either restart the computer now and look for issues or conduct a test the next time you reboot the computer. It is recommended to select the first option and then run the test immediately. But, you should save any unfinished work to prevent loss of information.
After the test has been run and the system is restarted make sure the issue is resolved.
3. Run SFC Scan
It is the SFC (System File Checker) scan can be used to find damaged Windows system files and replace the corrupted files by an archived copy. It is easily executed using the Command Prompt or PowerShell, and can be a reliable solution to the ‘Kernel Security Check Failure’ error.
To start SFC, you must run the SFC scan, type Windows Terminal within the Search menu, then right-click the result of your search and select the option to run as administrator in the contextual menu. Select ‘Yes’ at the UAC prompt that appears.
If you’re not yet setting Command Prompt as the default profile in Terminal then it’s possible that the Windows PowerShell tab will open by default. To start it, click on the Command Prompt tab, click on the downward-facing arrow on the top of the screen and choose ‘Command Prompt from the list of options available. Alternately, use CTRL + SHIFT + 2 to open to the Command Prompt tab.
Within the elevated Command Prompt, type or paste the command below and press ENTER to start the scan.
sfc /scannowOnce the command has been completed the scan will begin and take a while to finish. The progress will be shown on the screen, as well as you’ll be informed when a corrupted system files are found and repaired at the conclusion this scan.
After the scan is completed After the scan is complete, verify that the ‘Kernel Security check failure error has been fixed.
4. Run CheckDisk
The Check Disk Another tool you can use to find corrupted files. It’s more thorough in comparison to an SFC scan since it examines all files on your drive , rather than only the system files and repairs the issues. Therefore, it requires longer to finish, which is why we suggest running it following having completed the SFC scan.
To launch Check Disk, you must run the Check Disk tool, launch an elevated Command Prompt within Windows Terminal as discussed earlier and then type or paste the following command, then press ENTER to run it.
chkdsk C: /fYou’ll be requested to schedule the check when your system next restarts. To schedule it you need to press Y, then enter.
Restart your computer to allow your check disk program to start and see if it fixes the issue. If the issue persists then proceed to the next solution.
5. Update Drivers
As we mentioned before, incompatible drivers may also cause “Kernel Security Check Failure”. While Windows generally handles driver updates, it is possible to manually look for updates if you experience an error. There are three methods you can update your drivers on your computer and we’ve included the three methods below.
NOTE: We have taken the example that the driver displays to aid you in understanding the idea. Once you’ve mastered the concept then you can upgrade all other drivers too.
Update Drivers with Device Manager
Then, press Windows + S to open the menu ‘Search’, enter ‘Device Manager” in the text box at the top, then click on the appropriate search result to open it.
Within the Device Manager Find the option ‘Display adapter Double-click it to expand it and show the devices that are under it.
Then, right-click the graphics adapter and choose “Update driver” in the contextual menu.
In the Update Drivers window that pops up you’ll have two choices: or allow Windows look for the most suitable available driver on your system and install it , or find and install it manually. It is recommended to select the first option, and let Windows handle updating the drivers.
If you have installed an update and you are able to verify that the ‘Kernel Security check Failure’ error has been resolved. If Device Manager is unable to locate a new driver, we should move to the next step to update the driver.
Install Driver Updates using the Windows Update Menu
Although Device Manager only looks for driver updates for your system Windows Update looks for driver updates that are available through Microsoft. These are updates that have been submitted by the device manufacturers to Microsoft by the manufacturers of devices and made available to users via Windows Update.
To update your drivers using Windows Update, launch the “Settings” app as described earlier, and then select ‘Windows Update from the tabs to the right.
Then, select “Advanced Options” to the left.
Then, find the option ‘Optional updates’ and click under the “Additional options”.
NOTE: Next to ‘Optional updates’, you’ll see the number of updates that are available in the case of 1 in the example below. If there are no updates available, simply skip the next steps and move to the next step.
Then, click on “Driver updates” to see the different updates available for the drivers that are installed by your personal computer.
It is recommended to take the time to download these patches and then install them. To do this, mark the checkboxes that apply to each update and then click ‘Download and install’ beneath the respective updates.
Once the updates have been installed and the computer is restarted, you will be you are prompted. After the computer has restarted then check to see if the issue is resolved.
If you didn’t see any updates on Windows Update, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the update is not available. Therefore, it’s time you go to the last method to update your driver.
Download the latest drivers from the Manufacturer’s Website
The final place to look for the driver update is on the manufacturer’s site. A lot of manufacturers do not submit drivers updates directly to Microsoft instead, they upload them to their official site for download by users so you won’t see the updates on Windows Update.
Before downloading a driver upgrade on the manufacturer’s site You must determine the current version of the driver to determine whether the version you have downloaded is an update version. To determine the current driver version, click on your device’s name in Device Manager, and select Properties in the contextual menu.
In the device’s properties, click on the tab ‘Driver’ and note the driver’s version.
Go to Google or another search engine and look to update the driver by using the words ‘Device Manucaturer” and “OS” as keywords to search for, then ‘Driver Update’.
Find the official site of the manufacturer by searching the result. verify if an update is available. If there is one you can download it. Once you’ve downloaded the update driver, click on the downloaded file to launch the installer. Follow the instructions on screen to finish the installation process.
Once the installation has been completed and the computer is restarted, you will be you are prompted to allow the modifications to take effect. Check if the ‘Kernel Security Check Failure issue is resolved.
6. Roll Back Driver Update
Sometimes an update to a driver can cause errors on Windows. If you’ve noticed the ‘Kernel Security Test Failure error following the update of the driver in question, then it’s about time to roll back to the prior version. Windows provide a quick way to go back to the prior driver version. Here’s how to do it.
To reverse an update to a driver, right-click on the device where the driver was recently updated and choose ‘Properties’ in the contextual menu.
In the device’s properties go to the Driver tab at the top, and then click “Roll back Driver’.
NOTE: If you find the “Roll Back Driver option grayed out, it’s because the driver wasn’t last updated or Windows did not store the files from the previous version. In this scenario, you’ll need to download the previous version on the manufacturer’s site in the manner we discussed earlier.
Then, choose a reason to roll forward the update, and select “Yes” at the bottom of the page to continue.
The update will be reversed and the old version will be installed. Verify if this resolves the ‘Kernel Security Test Failure’ error.
7. Check your computer for viruses
A system that is infected by virus or malware is likely to display the ‘Kernel Security check Failure Error. A complete system scan can be more than effective in solving this problem. We suggest that you use the included Windows Security app to run the scan, but you could use any other third-party antivirus that is effective also.
To check your PC for viruses, use Windows + S to open the menu ‘Search’, type ‘Windows Security’ into the search box located at the top. Click on the appropriate search result to open the application.
Within Windows Security, select ‘Virus and security’ among the choices that are listed.
Then, select “Scan options” to see the different types of scans that are available.
Now choose the option ‘Full scan’ and then click “Scan Now’ at the bottom of the page to begin the scan.
The scan may take some time to finish, dependent on the storage capacity of the system and other variables. While the scan is running you are able to continue working on your system while letting the scan take place on the background. Once the scan is completed you will be informed of any threats that were discovered and removed.
8. Reset the Windows
If all else fails the last option is to reset your Windows. This is a solution in the majority of cases, but due to the complexity and the loss of data this should be the last option. If you decide to reset Windows You have the option of either clean the system and then reinstall Windows as well as save data as you remove the programs and settings. It is your choice to make.
To reset the Window start the ‘Settings’ application like we did earlier, and choose ‘Recovery’ to the right side of the tab ‘System.
Then, select the Reset PC option beside Reset this PC under Recovery options’.
The “Reset this PC” window will now appear. The next step is to choose whether you wish to preserve the files or delete everything. Select the desired option. We chose two options, i.e., Remove everything.
Then, choose ‘Local Reinstall When asked how you’d prefer to install the Windows.
If you’re new to resets, we suggest clicking next to continue. If you are able to grasp what we are talking about, then you can modify the settings to your preferences and desires by clicking the ‘Change settings’.
NOTE: In case you encounter another Windows in between the previous and this one select the appropriate option to proceed.
Then, check how the reset affects your PC, and then click ‘Reset’ at the bottom of the screen to begin the process.
It may take some time for the computer to reboot after which, once it’s completed then the ‘Kernel Security Test Failure error will be corrected.
After you’ve completed the fixes above after executing the above fixes, you’ll notice that your Windows 11 PC wouldn’t throw the ‘Kernel Security check Failure” error any more. This means that you won’t have to worry about system crashes for you from now on!