CRITICAL_OBJECT_TERMINATION (0xF4)
What is this error?
A process or thread crucial to system operation unexpectedly exited or was terminated.
Common causes
- antivirus terminating system process
- malware
- corrupted system file
- failing storage causing process data corruption
How to fix it
- Scan for malware
- check antivirus behavior
- run sfc /scannow
- check disk health
Too many steps? Crashless can diagnose this automatically — checks your drivers, temps, VRAM, and 400+ known error patterns.
Get free AI diagnosis Detailed analysis
Bug check 0x000000F4 (CRITICAL_OBJECT_TERMINATION) occurs when a process or thread critical to the system exits unexpectedly. The parameters identify which process or thread terminated. This can be caused by: antivirus software incorrectly terminating a system process, malware killing system processes, corrupted system files, or a failing drive causing the process image to be corrupted when loaded. Fixes:
- Check if antivirus recently quarantined any system files — restore them,
- Run full malware scan with Malwarebytes in Safe Mode,
- Run sfc /scannow and DISM,
- Check disk health with CrystalDiskInfo,
- Boot into Safe Mode to test if third-party software is the cause,
- If persistent: repair Windows installation using the installation media.
When to seek help
If this error keeps happening after trying the fixes above, it may point to a deeper hardware or system issue. Consider professional help if:
- The crash occurs across multiple games or applications
- You see the same error after a clean Windows install
- Your PC is less than a year old (could be a warranty issue)
- You smell burning or hear unusual sounds from your PC
Or let Crashless do the deep analysis for you -- our AI checks drivers, temps, event logs, and 400+ known patterns automatically.
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