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Get the fix to "<strong>0x0000005A</strong>  error for<strong> Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 </strong>and<strong> 10</strong> operating systems.
<h2>About the "<strong>0x0000005A</strong>" error</h2>
[kbintro]
<h3>Description and Symptoms</h3>
The error messages, alerts, warnings, and symptoms below are tied to this error.
<h4>Symptom 1: 0x0000005A error screen on startup</h4>
0x0000005A is also known as <strong>CRITICAL_SERVICE_FAILED.</strong> It's a Blue Screen of Death error (or BSoD error) that's causing your Windows operating system to stop working completely. It is usually caused by a malfunctioning hardware from your PC or issues with a device driver.

The error code is usually displayed at the "Technical Information" paragraph and its error name ("CRITICAL_SERVICE_FAILED") is at the top of the screen.

If the blue screen shows any of the following references, then the error affecting your Windows system is 0x0000005A:
<ul>
 	<li>0x0000005A</li>
 	<li>STOP: 0x0000005A</li>
 	<li>CRITICAL_SERVICE_FAILED</li>
</ul>
The "CRITICAL_SERVICE_FAILED" doesn't always appear in the error screen, but the error is identified by the "0x0000005A" code.

The error screen usually looks like this:

The text of the error screen can be different depending on your Windows version (Vista, 7, 8 or 10), but in most cases the text reads:
<pre>A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage 
to your computer.

CRITICAL_SERVICE_FAILED

If this is the first time you've seen this Stop error screen, 
restart your computer. If this screen appears again, follow
these steps:

Check to make sure any new hardware or software is properly installed.
If this is a new installation, ask your hardware or software manufacturer
for any Windows updates you might need.

If problems continue, disable or remove any newly installed hardware 
or software. Disable BIOS memory options such as caching or shadowing.
If you need to use Safe Mode to remove or disable components, restart
your computer, press F8 to select Advanced Startup Options, and then
select Safe Mode.

Technical Information:

*** STOP: 0x0000005A (0x00000001, 0x00000001, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)

Collecting data for crash dump ...
Initializing disk for crash dump ...
Beginning dump for physical memory.
Dumping physical memory to disk: 100
Physical memory dump complete.
Contact your system admin or technical support group for further assistance.</pre>
<h3>Causes of this Error</h3>
This error has been known to occur as a result of one or more of the following:
<h4>Cause 1: Outdated device driver</h4>
The main cause of this error is an outdated or corrupt device driver. This may happen after a Windows update, a disk read/write error, or a system downgrade.
<h4>Cause 2: Corrupt system files</h4>
Another common cause for this error is a key system file that became corrupt or missing. This usually happens after virus attacks, power outages or disk read/write errors.
<h2>Fixing "0x0000005A" on Windows</h2>
[setupcd]
<h3>Fix 0x0000005A with Easy Recovery Essentials</h3>
[easyre error="0x0000005A" bootscreen="xp-vista-7-8-10" guaranteed="true"]
<h2>Fix 0x0000005A on Windows XP</h2>
<h3>Fix #1: Remove hardware or uninstall device driver</h3>
The most common cause for 0x0000005A error to appear is an incompatible hardware or device driver with your Windows XP system.

If you recently plugged-in a new hardware or installed a new device driver, follow these steps:
<ol>
 	<li>Remove the hardware from your computer and reboot. You can also remove any peripherals (scanners, printers etc), leave only your keyboard and mouse, and restart the computer.</li>
 	<li>Boot into <strong>Safe Mode</strong> and uninstall the device drivers.</li>
</ol>
To boot Windows XP into Safe Mode, follow these steps:
<ol>
 	<li>Reboot the computer</li>
 	<li>Press the <kbd>F8</kbd> key as soon your Windows starts before the Windows XP logo appears</li>
 	<li>The <strong>Windows Advanced Options Menu</strong> should now appear</li>
 	<li>Select <strong>Safe Mode</strong></li>
 	<li>Press <kbd>Enter</kbd></li>
</ol>
[caption id="attachment_1964" align="alignnone" width="980"]<a href="https://neosmart.net/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/05/windows-xp-advanced-options-screen.png"><img class="wp-image-1964 size-full" src="https://neosmart.net/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/05/windows-xp-advanced-options-screen.png" alt="Windows XP Advanced Options Menu" width="980" height="500" /></a> Windows XP Advanced Options Menu[/caption]
<h3>Fix #2: Run chkdsk</h3>
The chkdsk and sfc instructions explained in <a href="#Fix_2_Run_chkdsk">Fix #2</a> and <a href="#Fix_3_Run_sfc">Fix #3</a> are recommended to run, if <a href="#Fix_1_Remove_hardware_or_uninstall_device_driver">Fix #1</a> didn't worked to fix the error.
<p class="info">If Fix #1 or Fix #2 aren't working to fix the error, go to <a href="#Fix_481200000005A_with_Easy_Recovery_Essentials">Fix 0x0000005A with Easy Recovery Essentials</a>.</p>
To run the chkdsk command, follow these steps:
<ol>
 	<li>Insert the original Windows XP installation CD in the disc tray</li>
 	<li>Restart the computer and boot from the CD</li>
 	<li>Press <kbd>R</kbd> to open <strong>Recovery Console</strong></li>
 	<li>Enter the Administrator password</li>
 	<li>When Command Prompt appears, type this command and press <kbd>Enter</kbd>:
<pre>chkdsk C: /r</pre>
Replace <code>C:</code> with the letter of the drive where your Windows XP is installed.</li>
</ol>
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="636"]<a href="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/05/windows-xp-r-recovery-console.jpg"><img src="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/05/windows-xp-r-recovery-console.jpg" alt="Recovery Console in Windows XP" width="636" height="380" /></a> Recovery Console in Windows XP[/caption]
<h3>Fix #3: Run sfc</h3>
Similar to <a href="#Fix_2_Run_chkdsk">chkdsk above</a>, the sfc command is recommended to be tried if you're faced with the 0x0000005A error on a Windows XP system.

To run sfc, follow these steps:
<ol>
 	<li>Insert the original Windows XP installation CD in the disc tray</li>
 	<li>Restart the computer and boot from the CD</li>
 	<li>Press <kbd>R</kbd> to open <strong>Recovery Console</strong></li>
 	<li>Enter the Administrator password</li>
 	<li>When Command Prompt appears, type this command:
<pre>sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ /offwindir=c:\windows</pre>
Replace <code>c:</code> with the letter of the drive where your Windows XP is installed.</li>
 	<li>Press <kbd>Enter</kbd></li>
</ol>
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="636"]<img src="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/05/windows-xp-r-recovery-console.jpg" alt="Recovery Console in Windows XP" width="636" height="380" /> Recovery Console in Windows XP[/caption]
<h2>Fix 0x0000005A on Windows Vista</h2>
<h3>Fix #1: Remove peripherals</h3>
If the error is caused by a new peripheral that you may have added to your computer, try to remove all peripherals and restart your computer:
<ol>
 	<li>Remove any plugged-in peripherals from your computer. <strong>Do not remove your keyboard and mouse.</strong>Peripherals are: scanners, printers, USB drives, smartphones, tablets etc.If you have a laptop: remove the laptop from the dock station, if it's docked. Do not run the laptop on battery, plug the AC adapter in and start your laptop.</li>
 	<li>Restart your computer.</li>
</ol>
Apply these steps for any hardware you may have installed recently. Remove the hardware and restart your computer.
<h3>Fix #2: Boot into Last Known Good Configuration</h3>
If <a href="#Fix_1_Remove_peripherals">Fix #1 above</a> doesn't work, try booting your Windows Vista into the Last Known Good Configuration mode.

To do so, follow these steps:
<ol>
 	<li>Restart your computer</li>
 	<li>Start to tap the <kbd>F8</kbd> key repeatedly before the Windows Vista logo appears, but after the BIOS screen (the screen with your manufacturer logo and/or system information)</li>
 	<li>When the boot menu appears, select <strong>Last Known Good Configuration (Advanced)</strong></li>
 	<li>Press <kbd>Enter</kbd></li>
</ol>
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1024"]<a href="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2013/09/Advanced-Boot-Options-menu.png"><img src="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2013/09/Advanced-Boot-Options-menu.png" alt="Windows Vista Advanced Boot Options" width="1024" height="768" /></a> Windows Vista Advanced Boot Options[/caption]
<h3>Fix #3: Uninstall drivers</h3>
If 0x0000005A isn't caused by a hardware malfunction, it might be because of a device driver. Issues with device drivers is a very common cause for this error.

If you recently installed a new device driver, uninstall it and restart your computer.

If you can't boot into Windows Vista because of the blue screen error, boot into Safe Mode and uninstall the driver:
<ol>
 	<li>Reboot the computer</li>
 	<li>Press the <kbd>F8</kbd> key. Press <kbd>F8</kbd> before the Windows Vista logo appears.</li>
 	<li>At the <em>Advanced Boot Options</em> screen, select <strong>Safe Mode</strong></li>
 	<li>Press <kbd>Enter</kbd></li>
</ol>
If uninstall the device driver isn't an option, try to update the driver to its latest version available and make sure it's compatible with Windows Vista.
<h3>Fix #4: Run Startup Repair</h3>
Certain Windows Vista computers may have the Startup Repair tool already installed on the hard disk. If it's not installed (see steps below on how to check this), use your Windows Vista installation disc to access System Recovery Options &gt; Startup Repair.
<p class="info">If you don't have the Windows Vista installation disc, you can use <a href="#Fix_481200000005A_with_Easy_Recovery_Essentials">Easy Recovery Essentials to fix 0x0000005A</a>.</p>
To check if you have the system recovery tools installed on your hard disk, follow these steps:
<ol>
 	<li>Restart the PC</li>
 	<li>Press the <kbd>F8</kbd> key as soon as your PC starts to boot. Do this before the Windows Vista logo appears on your screen.</li>
 	<li>At the <em>Advanced Boot Options</em> menu, check if you have a <strong>Repair your computer</strong> option listed</li>
 	<li>If so, select <strong>Repair your computer</strong> and press <kbd>Enter</kbd></li>
</ol>
If you don't have the Repair your computer option listed, you don't have the necessary system recovery tools installed on your PC.

To access the recovery tools, you need to use the original installation disc. Follow these instructions:
<ol>
 	<li>Restart the PC</li>
 	<li>Insert the Windows Vista installation disc in the disc tray</li>
 	<li>When it's time to boot from the CD/DVD, at the "<em>Press any key to boot from CD or DVD...</em>" message, press any key to boot from the media</li>
 	<li>Click <strong>Repair your compute</strong> at the <em>Install now</em> screen<img src="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/06/windows-vista-repair-your-computer.png" alt="Install Windows Vista screen" /></li>
 	<li>Choose the operating system from the presented list</li>
 	<li>Click <strong>Startup Repair</strong><img src="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/06/windows-vista-system-recovery-options.jpg" alt="Windows Vista System Recovery Options" /></li>
 	<li>Follow the instructions of the wizard to continue</li>
</ol>
<h2>Fix 0x0000005A on Windows 7</h2>
<h3>Fix #1: Easy fixes</h3>
If your Windows 7 system doesn't start because of the 0x0000005A code, you can try some easy fixes.
<p class="info">If these fixes didn't work to fix the error, go to <a href="#Fix_2_Uninstall_device_drivers">Fix #2 below</a> or <a href="#Fix_481200000005A_with_Easy_Recovery_Essentials">Fix 0x0000005A with Easy Recovery Essentials</a>.</p>
<strong>Remove any external hardware</strong>

Usually, this error is either caused by a hardware malfunction or hardware that's not compatible with Windows 7 or by incompatible device driver.

Follow these steps and reboot your Windows 7:
<ol>
 	<li>Remove any external hardware or peripherals that you may have recently added to your system. This includes scanners, printers, USB flash drives, external HDDs and so on.Do not remove your mouse and keyboard.</li>
 	<li>Restart your computer and check if the blue screen appears again</li>
</ol>
<strong>Boot into Last Known Good Configuration</strong>

You can boot into Windows 7 into the Last Known Good Configuration by follow these steps:
<ol>
 	<li>Restart your computer</li>
 	<li>Before the Windows 7 logo appears, press the <kbd>F8</kbd> key</li>
 	<li>At the <em>Advanced Boot Options</em> menu, select <strong>Last Known Good Configuration</strong></li>
 	<li>Press <kbd>Enter</kbd></li>
</ol>
<h3>Fix #2: Uninstall device drivers</h3>
If temporarily removing newly added hardware isn't fixing the error, check if you have incompatible device drivers installed on your Windows 7. Issues with incompatible device drivers are a common cause for 0x0000005A.

Boot your Windows 7 system in Safe Mode and uninstall the device driver:
<ol>
 	<li>Restart your computer</li>
 	<li>Press the <kbd>F8</kbd> key as soon as your computer boots</li>
 	<li>Select <strong>Safe Mode</strong> at the <strong>Advanced Boot Options</strong> screen</li>
 	<li>Press <kbd>Enter</kbd></li>
</ol>
<h3>Fix #3: Startup Repair</h3>
Unlike Windows Vista above, Windows 7 systems usually have the necessary system recovery tools installed on the hard disk to open Startup Repair. Startup Repair will try to automatically fix issues that's preventing Windows to start.

To open it, follow these steps:
<ol>
 	<li>Restart your computer and press the <kbd>F8</kbd> key as soon as your computer boots</li>
 	<li>Select <strong>Repair Your Computer</strong><img src="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2013/09/Advanced-Boot-Options.jpg" alt="Advanced Boot Options on Windows 7" /></li>
 	<li>Press <kbd>Enter</kbd></li>
 	<li><strong>System Recovery Options</strong> should now be available. Click <strong>Startup Repair</strong><img src="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/05/windows-7-system-recovery-options-screen.jpg" alt="System Recovery Options on Windows 7" /></li>
 	<li>Continue with the wizard to complete the process</li>
</ol>
If you don't have a Repair Your Computer option listed at the Advanced Boot Options screen, you need to use the original installation disc:
<ol>
 	<li>Boot from the installation DVD</li>
 	<li>At the <em>Install Windows</em> screen, select your preferred keyboard, language</li>
 	<li>Click <strong>Next</strong></li>
 	<li>Click <strong>Repair your computer</strong> or press <kbd>R</kbd><img src="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2013/10/Install-Now-Windows-7.jpg" alt="Install Windows 7 Screen" /></li>
 	<li><strong>System Recovery Options</strong> should now be available<img src="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/05/windows-7-system-recovery-options-screen.jpg" alt="System Recovery Options on Windows 7" /></li>
 	<li>Click <strong>Startup Repair</strong></li>
 	<li>Continue with the wizard to complete the process</li>
</ol>
<h2>Fix 0x0000005A on Windows 8</h2>
<h3>Fix #1: Uninstall device drivers</h3>
Like on Windows Vista and 7 systems, uninstalling incompatible device drivers can fix the 0x0000005A error. To do that, you can boot your Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 system into Safe Mode to uninstall the drivers from Control Panel.

Depending on your system, try these following methods to boot into Safe Mode.

<strong>Method #1</strong>

Windows 8/8.1 systems are usually installed on computers with UEFI, so this combination of keys <strong>would not work</strong>, but you can try it.
<ol>
 	<li>Restart the computer</li>
 	<li>Press <kbd>F8</kbd> or <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>F8</kbd> during booting, but before the Windows 8 logo appears</li>
</ol>
<strong>Method #2</strong>

If the <kbd>F8</kbd> key or the combination of <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>F8</kbd> keys isn't working, use the original installation disc or USB drive to access the Startup Settings menu.

When you reach Startup Settings, you can press <kbd>F4</kbd> to boot into Safe Mode:
<p class="info">If you don't have the original installation disc/USB, go to <a href="#Fix_481200000005A_with_Easy_Recovery_Essentials">Fix 0x0000005A with Easy Recovery Essentials</a>.</p>

<ol>
 	<li>Insert the disc or USB in the drive</li>
 	<li>Reboot the system</li>
 	<li>Press any key to boot from the DVD or boot from the USB flash drive</li>
 	<li>Choose your preferred keyboard layout</li>
 	<li>At the <em>Install Windows</em> screen, click <strong>Repair your computer</strong><img src="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/06/windows-8-repair-your-computer-screen.png" alt="Install Windows 8 Screen" /></li>
 	<li>Click <strong>Troubleshoot</strong></li>
 	<li>Click <strong>Advanced options</strong></li>
 	<li>Click <strong>Startup Settings</strong></li>
 	<li>Click <strong>Start</strong></li>
 	<li>At the <em>Startup Settings</em> screen, press <kbd>F4</kbd> to boot into <strong>Safe Mode</strong></li>
</ol>
<h3>Fix #2: Temporarily remove hardware</h3>
If you recently plugged-in a piece of hardware on your computer, remove it temporarily and restart your computer.

If a hardware is causing the 0x0000005A error, your computer should work at the next boot without the specific hardware added.
<h2>Fix 0x0000005A on Windows 10</h2>
<h3>Fix #1: Uninstall device drivers</h3>
Just like on other Windows systems, uninstalling incompatible device drivers can fix the 0x0000005A error. To do that, you can boot your Windows 10 system into Safe Mode to uninstall the drivers from Control Panel.

Depending on your system, try these following methods to boot into Safe Mode.

<strong>Method #1</strong>

Windows 10 systems are usually installed on computers with UEFI, so this combination of keys <strong>would not work</strong>, but you can try it.
<ol>
 	<li>Restart the computer</li>
 	<li>Press <kbd>F8</kbd> or <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>F8</kbd> during booting, but before the Windows logo appears</li>
</ol>
<strong>Method #2</strong>

If the <kbd>F8</kbd> key or the combination of <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>F8</kbd> keys isn't working, use the original installation disc or USB drive to access the Startup Settings menu.

<ol>
 	<li>Insert the disc or USB in the drive</li>
 	<li>Reboot the system</li>
 	<li>Press any key to boot from the DVD or boot from the USB flash drive</li>
 	<li>Choose your preferred keyboard layout</li>
 	<li>At the <em>Install Windows</em> screen, click <strong><strong>Repair your computer<a href="https://neosmart.net/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/12/Win10_setup.png"><img class="alignnone wp-image-5053 size-full" src="https://neosmart.net/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/12/Win10_setup.png" alt="Windows 10 Setup screen" width="603" height="419" /></a></strong></strong></li>
 	<li>Click <strong>Troubleshoot</strong></li>
 	<li>Click <strong>Advanced options</strong></li>
 	<li>Click <strong>Startup Settings</strong></li>
 	<li>Click <strong>Start</strong></li>
 	<li>At the <em>Startup Settings</em> screen, press <kbd>F4</kbd> to boot into <strong>Safe Mode</strong></li>
</ol>
<h3>Fix #2: Temporarily remove hardware</h3>
If you recently plugged-in a piece of hardware on your computer, remove it temporarily and restart your computer.

If a hardware is causing the 0x0000005A error, your computer should work at the next boot without the specific hardware added.
<h2>More Information</h2>
[partial name="partial_moreinfo" versions="xp,vista,7,8,10"]