Stop code 0x3B: the file named on the crash screen tells you where to start.
SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION is a Windows stop code (0x3B) that appears when a driver or Windows component makes a bad request while handing work to the core of Windows. It shows up on Windows 10 and Windows 11, often while gaming, using a webcam or right after an update.
This error has one big advantage over most blue screens. The crash screen almost always names the file that failed, and that file tells you exactly where to look. Graphics drivers are the most common culprit.
Below: what the error means, a lookup table for the file names you are most likely to see, eight fixes in order, and a video that shows how to reach the recovery tools if Windows will not start. Still stuck after trying them? Reach out to us directly.
What Does SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION Mean?
Apps and most of what you see on screen run in a protected, low-privilege area of Windows. When they need the hardware or the disk, they ask the core of Windows to do it through a system service, a doorway into the privileged part of the system.
SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION means something went wrong while crossing that doorway. Usually a driver handed Windows a bad memory address, or tried to use memory that had already been released. Inside the core of Windows that cannot be ignored, so Windows stops.
If you open the crash dump, the first parameter is the type of error. 0xC0000005 means a memory access violation, which is by far the most common. Microsoft notes that in the past this stop code has been linked to graphics drivers passing bad data to the core of Windows.
Seen error 0xc0000005 when opening an app? That is the same kind of memory error, but in a single program rather than the whole system. Our guide to error 0xc0000005 covers that one.
What the File on the Crash Screen Points To
Find the file from the What failed line on the crash screen (or from Reliability Monitor) in this table, then go to the fix it suggests.
Can’t reach the desktop? Use Safe Mode first
If the crash hits before you can do anything, start Windows in Safe Mode. It loads only the basic drivers, so the crash usually stays away long enough to work through the fixes below.
- From the desktop: open Settings > System > Recovery and select Restart now next to Advanced startup. On Windows 10 it is Settings > Update & Security > Recovery.
- From the sign-in screen: hold Shift while you select Power > Restart.
- If Windows won’t start at all: turn the PC on and hold the power button as soon as the logo appears, twice in a row. On the third start, Windows opens the recovery screen by itself.
- Then: select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart, and press 5 for Safe Mode with Networking.
Find Out Which Driver Crashed
Guessing wastes hours. Windows usually records the file that caused the crash, and you have three places to look, from quickest to most detailed.
1. Read the crash screen
The crash screen (blue on Windows 10, black on recent Windows 11 versions) shows the stop code and, when Windows knows it, a What failed line with a file name such as nvlddmkm.sys or win32kfull.sys. Take a photo of it with your phone. A web search for that file name tells you which driver it belongs to.
2. Check Reliability Monitor
Type reliability in the Start menu and open View reliability history. Each red X in the Windows failures row is a crash. Select that day, then the entry, and choose View technical details. This error shows as a BlueScreen event with code 3b.
You can also open Event Viewer, go to Windows Logs > System, and look for errors just before the crash. Microsoft suggests this step to find the device or driver involved.
3. Open the crash dump in WinDbg (optional, most detail)
When Windows crashes it saves a small file called a minidump in C:\Windows\Minidump. WinDbg is Microsoft’s free tool for reading it. Install it from the Microsoft Store or with this command in Terminal:
winget install Microsoft.WinDbg- Open WinDbg as administrator, then select File > Open dump file and pick the newest file in C:\Windows\Minidump.
- Type the command below in the box at the bottom and press Enter. The first run takes a minute while it downloads symbols (labels that make the dump readable).
- Look for the lines MODULE_NAME and IMAGE_NAME. That is the driver to update, roll back or remove.
!analyze -vHow to Fix SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION on Windows 10/11
Start with the fix the table pointed you to. If nothing was named, go in order and restart after each one.
Undo the last driver, service or hardware you added
Microsoft’s first question for this error is what changed just before it started. A new driver, a new program that runs in the background, or new hardware is the usual answer.
- New hardware? Shut down, unplug it, and see if the crashes stop.
- New driver? Right-click Start, open Device Manager, right-click the device, choose Properties > Driver and select Roll Back Driver.
- New program? Uninstall it from Settings > Apps > Installed apps, especially tools that add drivers, like VPNs, RGB lighting or virtual drive software.
While in Device Manager, look for devices marked with a yellow warning sign. Microsoft suggests updating the driver for any device marked that way.
Clean-install your graphics driver
If the file named belongs to NVIDIA, AMD or Intel graphics, or to Windows’ DirectX core, a fresh graphics driver fixes most cases. A normal update can leave broken pieces behind, so do a clean install.
- Download the latest driver from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel for your exact card. Our NVIDIA driver guide shows where to find it.
- Run the installer and pick the clean install option: NVIDIA calls it Perform a clean installation (under Custom), AMD calls it Factory Reset.
- Started after a new driver? Install the previous version instead. Graphics makers keep older drivers on their download pages.
Update every other driver from the maker
If a different driver file was named, or nothing was, bring the rest up to date: chipset, network, audio and storage.
- Open Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates and install any driver updates listed.
- Then visit your PC or motherboard maker’s support page and install its latest chipset, network and audio drivers.
Remove antivirus, VPN and camera software
When the file named is netio.sys or tcpip.sys, networking add-ons are the usual suspects. When it is ks.sys, look at webcam, capture card and audio software.
- Uninstall third-party antivirus and VPN apps for a day and let Microsoft Defender take over.
- Uninstall camera and streaming add-ons, such as virtual camera tools, webcam effects apps or capture card software, then reinstall only the ones you need, in their newest version.
- Still crashing? Do a clean boot to start Windows with only Microsoft services, then turn apps back on a few at a time.
Install Windows updates
Files like win32kfull.sys belong to Windows itself. If one of them is named and your drivers are current, a Windows update is often the fix.
- Open Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates. Install everything, restart, and check again until nothing is left.
Repair system files and check the drive
If Windows’ own files are damaged, drivers run into them and crash. Right-click Start, choose Terminal (Admin), and run these in order:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow
chkdsk C: /scanLet each one finish before starting the next, then restart.
Test your memory
The usual error inside this crash, 0xC0000005, is a memory access problem. Faulty RAM can cause it no matter which file is named.
- Press Windows + R, type mdsched and press Enter, then choose Restart now and check for problems.
- Read the result in the notification after you sign in, or in Event Viewer under Windows Logs > System, source MemoryDiagnostics-Results.
- Errors found, or memory overclocked? Reset XMP or EXPO to default in the BIOS, and test one stick at a time to find a bad one.
Undo a recent update, or reinstall Windows
If none of the above works and the crashes started after an update, go back to before it.
- Uninstall the update: Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates.
- Use System Restore: in Settings > System > Recovery, or from the recovery screen under Troubleshoot > Advanced options.
- Reinstall Windows and keep everything: on Windows 11, Settings > System > Recovery > Fix problems using Windows Update > Reinstall now.
- Last resort, Reset this PC with Keep my files. It removes your apps, so note what you need first.
Video Walkthrough
This walkthrough from MDTechVideos focuses on the hard case, when the error stops Windows from starting: it shows the recovery screen, Command Prompt from recovery, and booting from a Windows install drive. It was recorded on Windows 10, and the recovery screens look the same on Windows 11.
How to Stop It Coming Back
Clean-install graphics drivers
When you update your graphics driver, use the clean install option. It clears out leftovers from older versions.
Be picky about add-ons
Virtual cameras, VPNs, RGB and tuning tools all add low-level drivers. Keep only the ones you use, and keep them updated.
Let Windows Update finish
Many fixes for Windows’ own files arrive through updates. Do not postpone them for weeks.
Make a restore point first
Before a new driver or system tool, create a restore point so you can go straight back if crashes start.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION caused by hardware or software?
Why does SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION happen when I play games?
Why does the crash name win32kfull.sys or dxgkrnl.sys?
Can a webcam cause SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION?
Will resetting my PC fix SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION?
Support and Community
- Bug Check 0x3B SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION on Microsoft Learn, Microsoft’s technical reference for this stop code.
- Troubleshoot unexpected restarts and stop code errors on Microsoft Support.
- WinDbg download and documentation on Microsoft Learn, for reading crash dumps.
- r/techsupport on Reddit, where you can post your WinDbg output and get help reading it.
More Blue Screen Fixes
- How to fix DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION
- How to fix KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE
- How to fix DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
- How to fix WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR
- How to fix CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED
- How to fix PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
- How to fix error 0xc0000005
- How to fix Code 43
- All Windows error code guides
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