Fix – STATUS_SYSTEM_PROCESS_TERMINATED Error 0xc000021a

STATUS_SYSTEM_PROCESS_TERMINATED is a blue screen type issue that features an error code 0xc000021a. When this occurs, one can’t get past the login screen. In this post, we will look into the reasons that may have caused this issue, what this error code actually means, and how to fix it on the Windows operating system.

What does Error 0xc000021a mean?

The stop error code 0xc000021a when appears, displays an error message – “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. The error persists even after you restart your device.” The problem is you can’t really reboot your PC as the operating system has crashed severely on your computer. 

What causes Error code 0xc000021a?

There are several instances that may result in this error including faulty HDD, malicious codes, corruption in system files, outdated device drivers, and several others. Most users encounter this bug after installing a faulty update on their devices. A few users even claimed of getting into this error after they format one of their system partitions recently. 

Here are a few solutions that you must try in order to get rid of this stop error in Windows 11/10 –

1. Unplug all peripheral devices
2. Safe mode
3. Run the System File Checker command
4. A full scan of the Windows
5. Run Disk Health Checker Command
6. Reset BCD code
7. Check HDD health
8. Upgrade trough OS
9. Disable Driver Signature Enforcement
10. Create a bootable drive with genuine Windows

Fix – STATUS_SYSTEM_PROCESS_TERMINATED Error 0xc000021a

Let’s explore each method in detail to solve STATUS_SYSTEM_PROCESS_TERMINATED Error 0xc000021a on Windows 10.

1] Unplug all peripheral devices

There’s no doubt that using secondary devices enhances the efficiency and functionality of the computer. However, when one attaches a problematic peripheral device to his/her computer, this may do more harm than good.

The STATUS_SYSTEM_PROCESS_TERMINATED is one such error that may occur because of any fault with the secondary devices. 

To fix this issue, you need to unplug all secondary devices except the keyboard & mouse and then boot your system using USB or DVD. After you remove the peripheral devices, restart your PC, and check if this resolves the stop error that you were getting previously. 

In case it does fix this issue, you need to plug in the secondary devices one by one and while doing so, identify the culprit one. If the error persists even after removing all the peripherals, head over to the next set of solutions below. 

Safe mode

Since we have already explained Error 0xc000021a is a type of BSOD, you can’t log in to your Display Screen. To get past the login screen then, you must boot into the Safe Mode in Windows. Here’s how can you enter the Clean boot state –

• Press and hold down the Power button for 10 seconds approximately. Performing so will shut down your Windows OS after the stipulated time frame.
• Push the Power button again to log into your device. Repeat shutting off/on your PC at least 3 times, and your device automatically gets into an Automatic Repair state. 

• Wait for a few minutes while the system is diagnosing the underlying cause.
• Succeeding after, select Advanced options on the next Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) followed by Troubleshoot.
• Go ahead and select Startup Settings then Restart option from the lower pane of the same window.
• Now from the list of options, press F5 to boot your PC Enable Safe Mode with Networking.

The system will reboot automatically. When it restarts, follow the on-screen troubleshooting guide to address the stop error code 0xc000021a in Windows 11/10. 

2] Run System File Checker

In general, obsolete system files may also interrupt your Windows 10 PC. Malware attacks on the computer can infect certain boot files, as a result, error code 0xc000021a appears. SFC command is designed to identify the following sector failures and repair the problem as well.

• Repair common errors
• Protection against file loss
• Malware aftermath
• Fix corrupted files
• Replace missing files
• Hardware failures
• Performance optimization

In order to perform this task, cover these processes-

• Initially, click upon Search and type Command Prompt.
• Right-click on the first option then select Run as Administrator using the context menu.
• If UAC Window comes into view, tap Yes to grant the permission.
• Type the following code then hit Enter key to execute the command.

sfc /scannow

• This operation will take a few minutes to detect and repair corrupted files, so wait patiently.

3] Perform a full scan using Windows Security

Full Scan is another good method to overcome the STATUS_SYSTEM_PROCESS_TERMINATED BSOD bug. Windows Defender is an in-built tool by Microsoft to perform such tasks in an easy way. Follow these steps to solve this error code on your PC –

• Jointly Press Win and S to launch Windows Search.
• In the text box, type Windows Defender and then click on the top result
• When the app comes into view, navigate to Virus & threat protection then Scan options.
• Henceforth, activate the Full Scan radio button followed by “Scan now.”

This will search for all malicious files and remove them from your PC to overcome this trouble.

4] Run Disk Health Checker Command

Disk performance always matters and ensures the smooth running of your System. Hence, unlike System File Checker, the DISM scan will help to identify the problem in a specified disk drive which leads to BSOD error code 0xc000021a. To perform this, go through the following steps-

• Press the Window + R shortcut together to launch Run.
• Type cmd in the search bar. Press and hold the “Shift and Ctrl” keys together and hit Enter to open Command Prompt as Admin.
• When the UAC prompts, hit Yes to authorize the access.
• Subsequently, copy the following code and paste it near the blinking cursor.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

• Hit again Enter key to begin the scanning process.

This is a time-consuming process, so be patient. When it is over, Restart your PC and check if the STATUS_SYSTEM_PROCESS_TERMINATED issue has been solved or not.

5] Reset BCD code

In certain circumstances, corrupt Windows BCD code can arise BSOD 0xc000021a error. If that’s the case, rebuild Boot Configuration Data to solve this setup bug.

Since the STATUS_SYSTEM_PROCESS_TERMINATED problem is a Blue Screen Crash type bug, you won’t be able to log into the desktop screen. To perform this task, you require Command Prompt and Windows installation media-

• First, insert Windows installation media (USB or DVD) into its respective port and Restart your system.
• When OS is loading, press function keys like F10, F11, F12, Esc, and Del (depending on your system model) to launch BIOS settings.
• Select language, time/format, and keyboard input henceforth hit the Next button to go ahead.
• Now, click the Repair your computer button available at the left corner of the screen.
• From three consecutive options, select Troubleshoot thereby Advanced Options.

• Go ahead and choose Command Prompt then enter your credentials if asked.
• On the new prompt, type the following code separately and tap Enter at the end of each command.

• • bootrec /FixMbr

  • bootrec /FixBoot

  • bootrec /ScanOs

  • bootrec /RebuildBcd

• This will finalize the process and repair the trouble.

6] Check HDD health

The above solutions won’t work in cases wherein your hard disk is corrupted and is not able to process even simpler tasks. If you are still facing the error 0xc000021a then you should check if there are any issues with the hardware by following these easy steps – 

• Press Win+E to launch the File Explorer on your screen.
• When the page opens up, click on the This PC option in the left column of the result.
• Now, switch to the correspondence side of the same page and right-click on the System partition (C:).
• From the context menu, select the Properties option. Thereafter, move to the Tools tab.
• Under the Error-checking section, click on the Check button.

This will take a few minutes to complete the scanning process, therefore, here you need to wait until it gets over.

At this point, if you find a fault in the concerned HDD, you need to change it soon, if possible.

7] Disable Driver Signature Enforcement

Though booting in Safe Mode may work as a recovery option, you should change other boot elements as well in order to troubleshoot certain issues on Windows 10. One such element is disabling Driver Signature Enforcement. This is a security tool that blocks drivers that don’t contain the Windows digital sign.

In certain scenarios, you may use a few unsigned drivers for different purposes. If that’s the case, here are the steps to follow –

• First of all, click on the Windows icon and select the Power option.
• Press and hold the shift key and select the Restart option. Thereafter, hit the Enter key to launch the Recovery tool.
• From three consecutive tools, select Troubleshoot followed by Advanced options.
• Now, click on the Startup settings from the list of available options and choose the Restart button again.
• Subsequently, press the F7 function key to select Disable driver signature enforcement.
• Finally, insert the OS installation media and see the changes.

8] Upgrade your PC using an ISO image

Often, the STATUS_SYSTEM_PROCESS_TERMINATED issue occurs on the older versions of Windows. If this is the apparent cause, you should upgrade your system so as to overcome this boot error 0xc000021a. Windows provides several choices to correct this without losing any data. Here, we have explained simple steps to update your current OS using Media Creation Tool.

• Firstly, visit the official website to download the Media Creation Tool.
• On the next window, press the Save button.
• Once downloaded, install the same using the next button.
• Now, hit Accept button to agree with the License Terms
• Thereafter, tick the Upgrade this PC checkbox.

This will start downloading Windows. After its completion, your Windows will automatically upgrade to the latest version.

9] Create a bootable flash drive via a Genuine Windows

If the above methods don’t work for you then finally you need to reinstall Windows 10 using the original file. In this process, you need to first check the Genuity of the file at hand. In case, the system files got corrupted somehow, create the bootable file again. Booting can be done using either DVD or USB thumb drive, if you don’t know how to proceed, here is the complete process-

• Insert the USB drive to its respective port first. The Pendrive that you are using must have an empty space of at least 4 GB.
• Visit the Microsoft site to download Media Creation Tool and save this file on the USB drive.
  
• Once it is downloaded, run this file and click on the Accept button to permit license terms.
• Now, tick against the Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC checkbox.
• From the next screen, choose the preferred language, architecture, and edition, and click on the Next button to proceed.

• Select the USB flash drive or ISO radio button and again hit the Next option.
• Follow the on-screen instruction until Windows 10 OS completely install on your device. Finally, reboot your system.

I hope, these methods indeed help you to fix the STATUS_SYSTEM_PROCESS_TERMINATED BSOD Error 0xc000021a on your computer.