BSOD CRITICAL_SERVICE_FAILED (0x5A) when enabling Intel (VMX) Virtualization in BIOS

Question

BSOD CRITICAL_SERVICE_FAILED (0x5A) when enabling Intel (VMX) Virtualization in BIOS

M . Aldo Herri Saputra 0

Hi everyone,

I'm dealing with a really boot issue and could use some help. Whenever I enable "Intel (VMX) Virtualization Technology" in my BIOS, Windows throws a Blue Screen on startup with the stop code: CRITICAL_SERVICE_FAILED (0x5A).

If I go back into the BIOS and disable VMX, Windows boots up perfectly fine. I need to get VMX working so I can run an Android emulator.

For context, here is my setup:

Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix B460-G Gaming Bios version 0212

OS: Windows 11 Pro Build 26300.9457

Here is a list of troubleshooting steps (from gemini) I’ve already tried (none of them fixed the BSOD):

Turned off "Hyper-V", "Virtual Machine Platform", "Windows Hypervisor Platform", and "Windows Sandbox" in Windows Features.
Disabled "Memory Integrity" (Core Isolation) in Windows Security.
Made sure there are no third-party antivirus programs blocking virtualization.

Even after making sure all Windows hypervisor features are completely off, simply flipping the VMX switch to "Enabled" in the BIOS guarantees a BSOD on the next boot.

Does anyone know what specific hidden service might be failing to start, or how I can trace what's crashing without having to wipe and reinstall Windows completely?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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Answer 1

David-M 128.1K Independent Advisor

Hi. I'm David, and I'm happy to help you.

Please see if your computer created minidump files.

These files are in C:\Windows\Minidump.

Copy any files you have to your desktop and store them in a ZIP file. Then, upload the ZIP file to the cloud (OneDrive), choose to share it, and get the link.

Then, post the link to the ZIP file here so I can have a look.

Looking forward to your reply.

M . Aldo Herri Saputra 0 Reputation points

2026-10-16T13:21:34.2+00:00
Hi David,

Thanks for answering!

When I check C:\Windows\Minidump the folder is empty, so I tried enabling the small memory dump (256 KB) setting in System Properties, but the C:\Windows\Minidump folder is still completely empty. But here is what happened when I tested VMX again:

When I enabled VMX, Windows threw a MEMORY_MANAGEMENT (0x1A) BSOD pointing to win32k.sys.

I let Windows restart itself, and surprisingly, it booted into the desktop and on Task Manager showing that Virtualization was Enabled.

However, the OS was broken the Start menu, Search, and several system apps wouldn't open at all.

After I manually restarted the PC to fix the UI freeze, it went straight back to the CRITICAL_SERVICE_FAILED (0x5A__)__ BSOD loop.

Once I disabled VMX in BIOS to get back into Windows, I checked C:\Windows\Minidump, but no dump files were created at all.

Do you have any ideas what happened?

Thanks again for your help!
David-M 128.1K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-10-16T14:29:59.7133333+00:00

The absence of minidumps suggests either a failure in the dump creation process itself or that the error is occurring before the necessary Windows services can start (more likely due to your description).

Based on everything you’ve said, my primary suspicion is an outdated BIOS. The version you mentioned is the initial BIOS release, the factory version. Several versions have been released since then.

I suggest doing the following:

1 = Update the BIOS by following Asus's instructions.

2 = After updating the BIOS, go to the Asus website using the link below, download the latest Chipset driver, and install it.

https://rog.asus.com/motherboards/rog-strix/rog-strix-b460-g-gaming-model/helpdesk_download/

Driver name: Intel Chipset driver V10.1.19600.8418 for Windows10 and Windows 11 21H2 64-bit.(WHQL)

(You will need to expand the Chipset category to find the mentioned driver.)

(Extract the ZIP file, and double-click the file AsusSetup to run it. Then, follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver.)

Then, see if the system works stably with VMX enabled.

If the crash occurs again after doing this, please let me know.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Standard Disclaimer: There is a link to a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.