How to avoid the BSOD caused by Easy Anti-Cheat in Windows

If every time you launch a game with Easy Anti-Cheat your PC crashes to a blue screen of death (BSOD) and forces a restart, you're not alone. Fortnite , Smite, The Finals, Lost Ark, Hunt Showdown, Elden Ring, BattleBit, or any other title that uses this anti-cheat system can become a nightmare when something goes wrong between Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC), Windows, and the drivers.

Recently, there has been a surge in cases of players encountering errors such as KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE, PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA, or error code 30005 , always occurring immediately after Easy Anti-Cheat loads or within a few minutes of launching the game. Let's take a detailed and clear look at what's happening , why it's often caused by the combination of EAC, Windows, and drivers, and what you can do to prevent your computer from crashing every time you try to play.

What is Easy Anti-Cheat and why can it cause a BSOD?

Easy Anti-Cheat is an operating system-level anti-cheat service that loads with many multiplayer games to detect unauthorized software, memory modifications, and various cheats. To perform its function, it integrates closely with the Windows kernel, using drivers (.sys) and services that interact with the kernel.

This deep integration means that when something goes wrong, the result isn't just a simple game startup error, but a system-wide blue screen of death . If the EAC driver fails , accesses memory it shouldn't, or conflicts with other drivers or Windows security features, the operating system protects itself by halting everything and displaying a BSOD.

Many Windows 10 and Windows 11 users have noticed that, right when the Easy Anti-Cheat window or splash screen appears , or after a few minutes of playing the game, their computer freezes, the CPU spikes, or the system restarts with critical errors. In a large number of the analyzed memory dumps , the EAC modules are at the top of the execution stack just before Windows throws the error.

Most common symptoms when EAC triggers blue screens

The affected individuals describe very similar patterns, which helps to identify that the problem is related to Easy Anti-Cheat and not the game itself :

• Game crash when startingThe system freezes or displays a BSOD right after the Easy Anti-Cheat screen finishes loading, even before reaching the game's main menu.
• Completely repeatable hangsIn some cases, the error always appears at the same time, for example, exactly 15 minutes (about 15:41-15:46) after the Lost Ark splash screen appears and the EAC module starts to work.
• EAC errors + system lockThe Easy Anti-Cheat error message appears, such as the famous "Error code: 30005 (CreateFile Failed with 32.)", the PC slows down for a few seconds and then a blue screen appears with "Stop code: KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE".
• BSODs related to memoryOn many Windows 11 machines, the error "PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA" or kernel security flaws are seen, which point to a unauthorized access to memory by a controller.
• 100% hooked on the BSODAfter the blue screen, the information gathering percentage counter gets stuck at 100% and you have to manually restart the PC.

On some computers, initially, simply restarting the computer or deleting the EAC .sys file within the EasyAntiCheat_EOS folder was enough to allow gameplay. However, over time , the crashes have become more frequent and aggressive, affecting multiple games and causing errors even when attempting to run the Easy Anti-Cheat installer or repair tool.

Real-life cases: from constant restarts to error 30005

A recurring pattern is that users, upon launching a game that relies on EAC (Fortnite, Smite, The Finals, etc.), experience their computer crashing with a "Kernel Security Fault" and then completely restarting. Analysis of the system's mini-dump identifies EAC as the prime suspect in the call chain immediately preceding the crash.

Another common scenario involves users with two separate Windows 11 machines, both consistently encountering the " Page Fault in Nonpaged Area " error approximately 15 minutes after the Lost Ark screen appears. Even after restoring a backup of the previous system, pausing Windows updates, uninstalling Lost Ark, removing all traces of Easy Anti-Cheat, and performing a clean installation, the error persists.

Users on updated Windows 10 have also reported encountering the error " 30005 (CreateFile Failed with 32.) " when launching games like Elden Ring, BattleBit, Hunt Showdown, or The Finals. Initially, they could work around it by deleting the .sys file from the EAC folder, but later, each occurrence of the error was accompanied by a severe system slowdown and a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) displaying KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE , rendering the PC unusable until a manual restart.

In some of these cases, to make matters worse, the Easy Anti-Cheat installer or repair tool itself stops working: when run, no window appears, neither as administrator nor in normal mode , and the standard solutions circulating in forums cease to be effective. From that point on, the user's understandable fear is that the problem will worsen or even damage the system.

The role of Windows 11 updates and EAC

As if all this weren't enough, recent updates to both Easy Anti-Cheat and Windows 11 have also come into play. Scenarios have been detected where a specific version of EAC, released around March 23 , began causing BSODs on systems that previously worked without problems, without any hardware or driver changes by the user.

In parallel, Microsoft released cumulative updates for Windows 11 that, instead of improving stability, triggered serious compatibility issues with Easy Anti-Cheat . On systems running Windows 11 24H2, some patches resulted in random restarts, complete crashes, and blue screens related to the EasyAntiCheat_EOS.exe process, especially while playing popular titles like Fortnite or Rust.

Faced with a flood of complaints, Microsoft was forced to release an emergency update identified as KB5063060 , which is actually a revision of the cumulative update KB5060842 for Windows 11. This update is focused on fixing the serious incompatibility problem detected with Easy Anti-Cheat and the games that use it.

Initially, no details were given about which hardware or software configurations were affected, but within a few hours it was confirmed that the problem primarily impacted devices running Easy Anti-Cheat in conjunction with that specific Windows update . Given that EAC is present in hundreds of games (Apex Legends, Dead by Daylight, Rust, Fortnite, NBA 2K25, and many more), the impact was enormous.

Update KB5063060 is automatically distributed via Windows Update to computers that have Easy Anti-Cheat installed and have not yet received KB5060842 or its revision. Its purpose is to prevent the system from restarting unexpectedly or displaying Blue Screens of Death while gaming, caused by conflicts between the Windows patch and EAC.

Influence of modern hardware and Windows security

Not all errors are due solely to problematic updates. On modern systems with processors like a Ryzen 9 9800X3D on X870 motherboards , BSODs have also been observed immediately after the Easy Anti-Cheat screen when launching games like Hunt: Showdown, even though the game worked perfectly months ago on the same hardware.

On these systems, users have tried reinstalling the game, following EAC's repair instructions, restoring older BIOS versions , and even reverting to near-factory settings (leaving only EXPO enabled and the iGPU disabled). Even with TPM enabled and Windows security features like memory integrity enabled, the problem persists.

Some players point out that disabling memory integrity or other virtualization-based security features can help Easy Anti-Cheat avoid conflicting with the kernel , but many prefer not to give up those layers of protection for a simple game, especially when the behavior points to a clear fault between EAC and a specific Windows update.

These types of cases serve as a reminder that, with new generations of processors, chipsets, TPMs, and Windows hardening measures, any driver that deviates from the norm or is not properly adapted can end up causing an instant blue screen, and Easy Anti-Cheat is no exception.

Solutions proposed by Microsoft technical support

The Microsoft support community has recommended a series of steps to try and narrow down the problem when a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) related to games, and by extension, to Easy Anti-Cheat, appears. The idea is to rule out driver or third-party software conflicts before completely blaming the operating system.

First, it is suggested to try reinstalling key drivers such as those for the sound card and graphics card, as these are components that are deeply integrated with the system and can be affected by changes in Windows or EAC.

• Open the Device administrator (Win + X) and uninstall the sound card driver.
• Restart your system so that Windows can attempt to automatically assign a suitable driver.
• If the problem persists, uninstall the audio device again and download the correct driver from the manufacturer's official website (available in portable(always the one from the specific brand of the equipment).
• If the problem persists with the sound, repeat the same process with the Graphic cardUninstall the driver from Device Manager and then manually install the latest stable version from the AMD website. NVIDIA o Intel.

Additionally, it is recommended to perform a clean boot of Windows to see if any background applications or services are interfering with EAC and causing the BSOD. The proposed procedure is as follows:

1. Press Windows + R, type msconfig and open System Settings.
2. On the "General" tab, check the "Selective startup" option.
3. Uncheck "Load startup items" to prevent third-party programs from starting up.
4. Go to the "Services" tab and select "Hide all Microsoft services«.
5. Click on "Disable all" to temporarily disable third-party services.
6. Apply the changes and restart your computer, then check if the problem with games and Easy Anti-Cheat persists.

This method starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and programs , allowing you to detect if an antivirus, monitoring program, overlay, or similar is causing the conflict. If, after a Clean Boot, the system stops displaying BSODs when launching games with EAC, you'll have a clue as to which direction to take.

General best practices for reducing BSODs with Easy Anti-Cheat

Beyond extreme cases linked to faulty patches, there are a number of guidelines that can help you minimize the likelihood of Easy Anti-Cheat causing a blue screen on your computer.

To begin, it's a good idea to check the status of Windows Update, Easy Anti-Cheat, and your system drivers . Make sure to install updates that fix known bugs, but avoid beta versions or newly released patches if you start experiencing problems around the time of their release.

• Check Windows Update to see if the update is available. KB5063060 (or later updates that integrate it) if you use Windows 11 24H2 and play titles that use EAC.
• Install the latest stable versions of GPU and sound drivers from the official websites.
• Use the "repair" or "verify files" options in the launchers (Steam, Epic, etc.) to ensure the installation of Easy Anti-Cheat is not corrupted.

It's also important to check for potential conflicts with security software and resident programs . Some antivirus programs, overclocking tools, or optimization suites can attach to system processes in a way very similar to how EAC does, causing conflicts.

If you suspect this type of conflict, Microsoft's clean boot is a good way to check. Once you've identified the problematic program, you can look for specific settings to exclude EAC processes or, if that's not possible, replace it with a more gaming-friendly alternative.

When is it up to you and when should you wait for a patch?

There are situations where, despite reinstalling games, updating drivers, performing clean boot operations, and checking security settings, blue screens of death continue to appear as soon as Easy Anti-Cheat kicks in. If you're at this point, the problem most likely lies with a faulty EAC or Windows update , and not necessarily with your specific computer.

When official game forums, the PC community (like subreddits such as PCMR), and Microsoft's patch notes start filling up with similar cases, it strongly suggests a widespread bug requiring a patch from Crytek, Epic, Microsoft, or Easy Anti-Cheat itself . In these circumstances, there's little you can do beyond:

• Follow the official game and EAC channels. to see if they recognize the problem.
• check if there is emergency updates for Windows or hotfixes for the game.
• Avoid disabling critical security features (TPM, memory integrity, etc.) unless explicitly recommended by the developer and at your own risk.
• Save minidumps of BSODs and attach them to official reports, so that developers have more data to work with.

Meanwhile, if you have more than one game installed with EAC, it may be worth checking which ones are failing and which ones aren't, as sometimes the problem is associated with a specific version of the module that comes with a title and doesn't necessarily affect them all at once.

Unstable drivers, conflicting Windows patches, extra layers of system security, and an anti-cheat system that delves deep into the kernel create an explosive combination that can result in a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) every time you press "Play." Checking your sound and graphics drivers , performing a clean boot, ensuring you have corrective updates like KB5063060 installed , and paying attention to developer and Microsoft advisories are currently the best ways to keep Easy Anti-Cheat-induced blue screens at bay and continue enjoying your games without your PC deciding to restart on its own.

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Isaac

Passionate writer about the world of bytes and technology in general. I love sharing my knowledge through writing, and that's what I'll do on this blog, show you all the most interesting things about gadgets, software, hardware, tech trends, and more. My goal is to help you navigate the digital world in a simple and entertaining way.