Kernel security check failure

What is KERNEL-SECURITY-CHECK-FAILURE-2?

KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE is a critical-severity Windows operating system problem. Windows has detected corruption of kernel data structures. Most often caused by a faulty driver or memory corruption. It's most often caused by defective RAM, overclocking and malware. The steps below are ordered to resolve this efficiently.

Common Causes

• Incompatible driver
• Defective RAM
• Overclocking
• Malware

Step-by-Step Fix Guide

• 1
  Run MemTest86

  Run MemTest86 resolves the majority of KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE cases on its own, making it the logical starting point.

• 2
  Update all drivers

  Where the fault comes back, look to the later steps — they're built around uncommon windows instability triggers.

• 3
  Run SFC and DISM

  "Run SFC and DISM" covers a less common but documented cause of KERNEL-SECURITY-CHECK-FAILURE-2.

• 4
  Check the OC settings

  For lingering KERNEL-SECURITY-CHECK-FAILURE-2 cases, "Check the OC settings" is worth running through.

Commands & Diagnostics

Frequently Asked Questions