You’re using your computer surfing the web, running a program, or playing a video, and suddenly everything shuts down and you see a blue screen with a message that your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart.
This is a blue screen of death error and many types of it. One of them is the Critical Structure Corruption error. You can see the error name at the bottom of the BSOD.
Causes Of The Critical Structure Corruption BSOD Error
- A driver problem connected to your computer’s kernel
- Power supply unit problems
- Corrupted system files
- Corrupted or outdated graphics drivers
- Bad sector on the hard drive or a hardware failure
- An unsupported hardware or USB device connected to the PC
- Overclocked CPU, RAM, or GPU
Top Fixes For The Critical Structure Corruption in Windows 10 Error
- Unplug USB Devices
- Boot in Safe Mode
- Run Memory Diagnostic Tool
- Scan the Hard Drive and System Files
- Update or Uninstall the Graphics Driver
- Uninstall Potentially Problematic Apps
- Perform a Clean Boot
- Use Microsoft’s Online Blue Screen Troubleshooter
- Undo Overclocking
- Inspect the Power Supply Unit (PSU)
- Update Windows and All the Device Drivers
- Create a New User Account
1. Unplug USB Devices
When beginning troubleshooting for this BSOD error, removing as many variables from the equation as possible is recommended. So, unplug all the USB devices like mouse, keyboard, printers, flash drives, and similar devices from the PC and reboot it.
In the case of a computer, leave the mouse and keyboard plugged in and remove other devices.
2. Boot in Safe Mode
The Windows operating system comes in-built with a free utility that’s a lifesaver in errors like the critical structure corruption Windows 10 error. Safe mode boots your Windows only with essential programs and drivers, leaving out all other drivers.
Use these steps to boot your Windows into safe mode:
- Turn on your computer and long-press the power button when the Windows logo appears to turn it off.
- Start the PC again and do the same as above.
- When you turn on your computer again, Windows will boot the Automatic Repair Environment.
- On the ‘Your PC did not start correctly’ screen, select ‘Advanced options’.
- Navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings.
- The next screen will show which settings will be enabled. Choose ‘Restart’.
- When Windows will boot again, it’ll show a blue screen showing different options. Press F4 on your keyboard to start Windows in safe mode.
3. Run Memory Diagnostic Tool
RAM issues are known to result in system crashes and critical structure corruption in windows 10. So, run the Windows memory diagnostic tool to test the memory state. It can fix some problems, while for some, you may need to replace your PC’s RAM.
- Click the Start menu, type ‘memory diagnostic tool’, and select the best match.
- Make sure to close and save your work and select ‘restart now and check for problems (recommended)’.
- Your computer will restart and the memory diagnostic tool will run automatically.
- Once it’s done, Windows will boot normally and you’ll receive the memory diagnostic report in notifications. This will show if any errors were found and/or fixed.
- If the tool cannot fix the issues, you would need to get a new RAM.
4. Scan the Hard Drive and System Files
There are three types of in-built hard disk and Windows files checking tools. And as we’re dealing with critical structure corruption In Windows 10, we may need to use all three of them one by one.
4.1 Hard Disk Error Checking (CHKDSK)
For user-friendly disk error checking, use these steps:
- Open File Manager.
- Go to ‘This PC’.
- Right-click the local drive that has Windows 10 installation files and choose ‘Properties.
- Switch to the ‘Tools’ tab.
- In the ‘Error Checking’, click ‘Check’.
- In case everything is fine, Windows will show that you don’t need to run the scan. Select ‘Scan drive’.
- After finishing the scan, if there are errors, the wizard will show you the actions you can take to fix them.
For more control, run this check on the command prompt:
- Click the Start menu, type cmd, and select ‘Run as administrator’.
- Copy-paste chkdsk /f /r C: and press the enter key.
- This will check and fix the C drive errors and bad sectors. It will take some time.
4.2 SFC Scan
The System File Checker also checks the file system of hard drives, but it’s more geared towards finding and fixing problems in the Windows file system.
- Open the Start, type cmd, and choose ‘Run as administrator’.
- Type sfc /scannow and hit enter.
- Wait while the system files are checked and fixed.
4.3 DISM Tool
When SFC scan can’t repair files, you should use the DISM tool. Follow these steps:
- Open the command prompt with administrator privileges.
- Use the below commands and press enter with each one:
- Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
- Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
5. Update or Uninstall the Graphics Driver
Often, critical structure corruption in windows 10 is due to an outdated or faulty graphics driver. When the driver doesn’t work properly, Windows crashes and shows the BSOD error.
Try updating the graphics driver:
- Right-click the Start logo on the taskbar and choose ‘Device Manager’.
- Double-click ‘Display adapters’, right-click your graphics device driver, and pick ‘Update driver’.
- Choose ‘Search automatically for drivers’.
- It will search for the drivers and install them if available.
- Reboot your PC.
In cases where updating the drivers isn’t fixing the critical error, uninstall your GPU driver. Windows will automatically install it again. Moreover, if you’re using a special application for your display driver, like NVIDIA GeForce Experience, uninstall it as well.
- Use the same steps as above but when you right-click your graphics device driver, choose ‘Uninstall device’.
- Confirm the action and reboot your computer.
6. Uninstall Potentially Problematic Apps
Some apps are reported to cause Windows BSOD errors. So, if you have installed Alcohol 120%, Intel HAXM, MacDriver, or Daemon Tools, remove them.
- Navigate to Settings > Apps.
- Select the application you want to remove and click ‘Uninstall’.
7. Perform a Clean Boot
Clean boot enables you to remove all the third-party apps from starting when you boot Windows. This allows you to deduct if any installed program is causing critical structure corruption in Windows 10.
If your Windows can boot in safe mode, try a clean boot to know if the software problem is related to Windows files or third-party apps. Smooth functioning during a clean boot will show you that the BSOD error is caused by third-party software.
- Press the Windows logo + R to have the run command.
- Type msconfig and press enter.
- Navigate to the ‘Services’ tab.
- Check the box ‘Hide all Microsoft services’ and then click the ‘Disable all’ button.
- Then, go to the ‘Startup’ tab and choose ‘Open Task Manager.
- Right-click each item and select ‘Disabled’.
- Close Task Manager and go back to the System Configuration window.
- Click ‘Apply’ and ‘OK’.
- Reboot your computer.
- Now see if the PC runs into any problems upon startup. If not, perform the same steps and allow one third-party app, and restart your computer. Keep enabling one app each time to find out the culprit.
8. Use Microsoft’s Online Blue Screen Troubleshooter
Windows 10 has an in-built BSOD troubleshooter, but it has been discontinued. But for diagnosing the problems behind the critical structure corruption BSOD error, you can still use the online blue screen troubleshooter.
- Go to the Online Blue and Black Screen Troubleshooter.
- Answer the questions, so you get suggestions for fixing the error.
9. Undo Overclocking
Overclocking can cause many problems and fatal errors. So, when troubleshooting a BSOD error, take this factor out of the equation by switching back to the stock settings and undo the overlocking of RAM, CPU, and GPU.
10. Inspect the Power Supply Unit (PSU)
In some cases, a damaged or inferior-quality cable can cause critical structure corruption in windows 10. So, perform a hardware checkup of your computer and ensure that all the wires are properly connected to the correct ports and are not loose. Moreover, check for any damaged cable.
11. Update Windows and All the Device Drivers
I showed you to update or uninstall the display driver because it usually causes Blue Screen of Death errors. If your critical structure corruption error isn’t fixed, update all the drivers.
- Go to Settings > Update & Security.
- Press the button ‘Check for updates’.
- Let updates and then restart your PC.
- Now, navigate Settings > Update & Security again and click ‘Optional updates’.
- Afterward, select ‘Driver updates’, checkmark all drivers, and press ‘Download and install’.
12. Create a New User Account
The problem could be related to the user account you commonly use. When the system files of a user are missing or corrupted, a BSOD error is triggered. Create a new account and try again. These steps are for creating a local account on Windows 10.
- Disconnected from the internet.
- Navigate to Settings > Accounts > Family & other users.
- Select ‘Add someone to this PC’.
- Type a username and password.
- Select the account type.
- Restart the computer and sign in to the new account.
Conclusion
The most common reason for critical structure corruption in windows 10 is faulty display drivers and hard disk problems. If the above solutions don’t fix the error, you should reinstall Windows.
