KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE (0x00000139): Windows Blue Screen Fix

Quick answer

The Windows stop code KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE (0x00000139) means: Windows detected corruption of a critical data structure. If it happened once, restart and keep an eye on it. If the blue screen repeats, follow the steps below; it is usually fixed by updating or removing a driver or program.

Before you start: note the stop code shown on the blue screen. If Windows will not start normally, it usually opens Automatic Repair after two failed starts; from there choose Advanced options to reach Safe Mode or System Restore.

Is it serious? Can I keep using my PC?

Severity: Medium

If it happened once, restart and keep an eye on it. If the blue screen repeats, follow the steps below; it is usually fixed by updating or removing a driver or program.

Common causes

Faulty, outdated or incompatible driver
Faulty or incompatible RAM
Corrupted file system or Windows system files

How to fix it

Restart the PC. If the blue screen happened only once and does not return, no further action is usually needed
Find the faulting driver: check Event Viewer and the dump files in C:\Windows\Minidump
Update or roll back the driver of the faulting device in Device Manager (look for yellow warning icons)
Install the latest Windows updates
Test the RAM with Windows Memory Diagnostic (mdsched.exe)
Run "sfc /scannow" and "DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth" as administrator

Frequently asked questions

What does KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE mean?

The Windows stop code KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE (0x00000139) means: Windows detected corruption of a critical data structure.

Is KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE serious?

Severity: Medium. If it happened once, restart and keep an eye on it. If the blue screen repeats, follow the steps below; it is usually fixed by updating or removing a driver or program.

How do I fix KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE?

Start with these steps: Restart the PC. If the blue screen happened only once and does not return, no further action is usually needed; Find the faulting driver: check Event Viewer and the dump files in C:\Windows\Minidump; Update or roll back the driver of the faulting device in Device Manager (look for yellow warning icons); Install the latest Windows updates; Test the RAM with Windows Memory Diagnostic (mdsched.exe).

Related codes

0xA IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUALA driver or system process tried to access memory it was not allowed to use, usually because of a faulty driver.0x19 BAD_POOL_HEADERThe memory pool used by Windows has become corrupted, usually by a faulty driver.0x1E KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLEDA program running in the Windows kernel caused an error that it did not handle.0x50 PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREAWindows tried to use memory that does not exist or is not available, often due to a driver, security software or faulty RAM.0x109 CRITICAL_STRUCTURE_CORRUPTIONWindows detected that critical kernel code or data was corrupted.0x1A MEMORY_MANAGEMENTA serious memory management error occurred, often caused by faulty RAM or a driver.0x24 NTFS_FILE_SYSTEMA problem occurred in the NTFS file system driver, usually because of disk or file system corruption.0x3B SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTIONAn error occurred while a system service was running, often caused by a driver (frequently graphics) or security software.0x3F NO_MORE_SYSTEM_PTESWindows ran out of system page table entries, usually because a driver is not releasing memory.