How to Fix KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE

KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE is a Windows stop error with the bug-check value 0x00000139, and the most common cause is corruption detected when a kernel data structure fails an integrity check. The corruption usually comes from an outdated or faulty driver, defective RAM, or damaged system files. This article explains what the error means, then gives the step-by-step fixes that resolve it.

Each fix names the exact Windows tool, including Device Manager, SFC, DISM, the Windows Memory Diagnostic, MemTest86, and chkdsk. The fixes are ordered from the most common, such as updating drivers and repairing system files, to memory and disk tests, removing recent updates, and a BIOS update.

Apply the fixes in order and test stability after each one, because a single corruption source usually triggers this stop code. The goal is to find and repair the corrupt driver, memory, or file that fails the security check.

What Does KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE Mean?

KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE means a kernel data structure failed an integrity check, so Windows halted to prevent corrupted data from causing further damage. The points below explain the common sources of that corruption.

• Outdated or incompatible drivers. A driver that writes to memory incorrectly corrupts a structure the kernel later validates.
• Defective RAM. Bad memory cells alter data after it is written, so the integrity check fails.
• Corrupt system files. Damaged Windows components from a failed update or disk error fail validation.
• Failing storage. Bad sectors on the system drive corrupt files that the kernel reads.
• Malware. Code that modifies protected kernel structures triggers the security check directly.

Update Device Drivers

Updating outdated or incompatible drivers removes the most common source of the corruption that fails the kernel security check. Graphics, storage, network, and chipset drivers are the usual causes.

1. Open the latest minidump in C:\Windows\Minidump with BlueScreenView to find any named .sys file.
2. Open Device Manager and expand Display adapters, Storage controllers, and Network adapters.
3. Right-click each device, select Update driver, then Search automatically for drivers.
4. Download the newest drivers from the device or PC maker if Windows reports none.
5. If crashes began after a driver update, open Properties, the Driver tab, and Roll Back Driver.

Run SFC and DISM to Repair System Files

Repairing corrupt system files with SFC and DISM resolves crashes caused by damaged Windows components. Both tools run from an administrator command line.

1. Right-click Start and open Terminal or Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and wait for it to finish.
3. Run sfc /scannow to scan and repair protected system files.
4. Restart the computer after both tools report completion.
5. Re-run sfc /scannow to confirm no further corruption remains.

Test the RAM

Testing memory confirms or rules out defective RAM, a direct cause of the integrity failures behind this stop code. Windows includes a memory tester, and MemTest86 catches intermittent faults.

1. Type Windows Memory Diagnostic in Windows Search and open it.
2. Select Restart now and check for problems and let every pass complete.
3. Read the result in Event Viewer under the MemoryDiagnostics-Results source.
4. Run MemTest86 from a USB drive for several passes to confirm an intermittent fault.
5. Reseat each module and test one stick at a time to isolate a failing module.

Confirm the installed modules match the board specification before replacing them, as covered in the guide to how RAM works. When adding or swapping memory, the steps to install RAM show the correct seating and slot order.

Run chkdsk to Check the Disk

Running chkdsk finds and repairs the bad sectors and file-system errors that corrupt the files the kernel validates. The tool is built into Windows.

1. Open Terminal or Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Run chkdsk C: /f /r to fix errors and recover readable data from bad sectors.
3. Type Y to schedule the scan at the next restart when prompted.
4. Restart and let chkdsk complete every stage before Windows loads.
5. Read CrystalDiskInfo afterward to confirm the drive health status is Good.

Uninstall Recent Updates and Incompatible Apps

Removing a recent update or a newly installed application fixes crashes that began right after the change. An incompatible patch or low-level app is a common trigger.

1. Open Settings, then Windows Update, then Update history, and select Uninstall updates.
2. Remove the most recent quality update installed before the crashes began.
3. Open Settings, Apps, Installed apps, and remove any antivirus or system utility added recently.
4. Restart and test stability before reinstalling a supported version of the application.

Scan for Malware

Scanning for malware removes code that modifies protected kernel structures and triggers the security check directly. Windows Security includes the Microsoft Defender Antivirus engine.

1. Open Windows Security and select Virus and threat protection.
2. Click Scan options and choose Full scan, then Scan now.
3. Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan to catch rootkits that load before Windows.
4. Quarantine every detection and restart the computer.

Update the BIOS

Updating the BIOS corrects firmware-level faults that can corrupt data and fail the kernel security check. The update comes from the motherboard or PC maker.

1. Read the current BIOS version and the motherboard model from System Information.
2. Download the latest BIOS from the manufacturer support page.
3. Follow the maker instructions to flash the BIOS without interrupting power.
4. Reset the BIOS to optimized defaults after the update and restart.
5. Test stability for several hours after the BIOS is updated.

Disable Overclocking and Reset BIOS Settings

Returning the CPU, GPU, and memory to stock speeds removes the instability that corrupts data and fails the kernel security check. An overclock or an XMP profile can push hardware past a stable point.

1. Enter the BIOS or UEFI during startup by pressing the setup key shown on the boot screen.
2. Load optimized or default settings to clear any manual overclock.
3. Disable the XMP or EXPO memory profile and run memory at its default JEDEC speed.
4. Save and exit, then test stability under normal use.
5. Re-enable a memory profile only after confirming the system is stable at stock speeds.

If the crashes stop at stock speeds, the previous overclock or memory profile exceeded what the hardware could sustain and should remain disabled.

Confirm the Failing Driver with Driver Verifier

Driver Verifier forces a crash that names the corrupting driver when the minidump does not identify one on its own. The tool ships with Windows and stresses every third-party driver.

1. Create a System Restore point before enabling Driver Verifier.
2. Type verifier in Windows Search and open Driver Verifier Manager.
3. Select Create standard settings, then Select driver names from a list.
4. Check all non-Microsoft drivers and click Finish, then restart.
5. After the next crash, read the named driver in the minidump, then run verifier /reset to turn it off.

If the system cannot boot with Driver Verifier active, enter Safe Mode and run verifier /reset to disable it.

Boot into Safe Mode to Apply Fixes

Safe Mode loads Windows with only essential drivers so repairs run when the system crashes during normal startup. It is reached from the Windows Recovery Environment.

1. Force three failed boots to trigger the Windows Recovery Environment, or hold Shift and click Restart.
2. Select Troubleshoot, then Advanced options, then Startup Settings, and enable Safe Mode.
3. Run SFC, DISM, and chkdsk from an administrator command line inside Safe Mode.
4. Uninstall the suspect driver, update, or application that preceded the crashes.
5. Restart into normal Windows and test stability.

When Safe Mode cannot resolve the crash, System Restore from Advanced options reverses recent driver and update changes to a point before the first failure.

KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE Causes and Fixes

Test One RAM Module at a Time

Testing memory one module at a time isolates a single failing stick when a full test reports errors but does not name the module. The method confirms which module to replace.

1. Shut down and remove all but one RAM module, leaving it in the first supported slot.
2. Boot and run Windows Memory Diagnostic or MemTest86 to completion.
3. Record whether errors appear with that single module.
4. Repeat with each module individually in the same slot.
5. Replace any module that produces errors and retest the system as a whole.

A module that passes alone but fails when paired points to a slot or compatibility fault rather than a defective stick.

Prevent KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE From Returning

Keeping the crash from returning depends on current drivers, intact system files, and healthy hardware. A few routine actions hold the system stable.

• Install drivers from the device maker. Manufacturer drivers avoid the memory-handling faults that fail the integrity check.
• Run SFC and DISM periodically. Routine repairs keep system files free of the corruption that triggers the code.
• Monitor disk health. Replace a drive once CrystalDiskInfo reports rising reallocated sectors.
• Keep Windows updated. Quality updates fix kernel bugs that can fail the security check.

Key Takeaways

• The error is an integrity-check failure. A kernel data structure failed validation, named by bug-check 0x00000139.
• Drivers are the leading cause. Update or roll back the driver named in the minidump first.
• Repair system files next. Run DISM, then SFC, to fix corrupt Windows components.
• Test RAM and disk. Windows Memory Diagnostic, MemTest86, and chkdsk find hardware-level corruption.
• Reverse recent changes. Remove the update or app that preceded the first crash.

Last Thoughts on KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE

KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE is resolved by finding the corruption that fails the integrity check, because the bug-check 0x00000139 always points to a damaged driver, memory, or file. Updating drivers, repairing system files with DISM and SFC, testing RAM, and running chkdsk cover the common sources. The full crash workflow and the meaning of every code are covered in the guides to fixing the Blue Screen of Death and reading BSOD stop codes.

Related stop codes are handled in the steps to fix SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION and fix CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED. When the crashes coincide with reboots, the guide to a computer that keeps restarting covers the related recovery steps.