If you have ever seen your PC suddenly freeze with a blue screen and a string of white text, it is possible that you’ve experienced the much dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSoD). It’s Windows’ way of saying, “Something went so wrong that I can’t keep running safely.”
Blue screen errors come with Stop Codes which are basically identifiers that tell you which part of the system triggered a particular error.
Out of all the Windows stop codes, INVALID_PROCESS_DETACH_ATTEMPT (0x00000006) blue screen error is the one that occurs when Windows tries to shut down a program, driver, or system component. And the process doesn’t go as planned.
INVALID_PROCESS_DETACH_ATTEMPT: What is It
Every time you launch an app, Windows loads a bunch of small helper files called Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs). These files contain shared code that different programs can call on to get their job done. Upon shutting down an app, Windows sends a “cleanup” signal for each DLL to release memory, basically saying, “It’s time to pack up and go.”
Problem arises when a DLL or driver attempts an unsafe operation during the cleanup process: trying to access something that’s already gone, freeing memory twice, or executing a cleanup code that it shouldn’t. When it happens, Windows steps in and forces a crash. This is how the INVALID_PROCESS_DETACH_ATTEMPT BSoD occurs.
INVALID_PROCESS_DETACH_ATTEMPT Error: The Common Causes
From what we have seen and read on debugging forums, some common culprits behind this error are:
- The network, storage, or GPU drivers on your PC are either outdated or corrupted.
- Antivirus programs on your PC are interrupting the cleanup process.
- A faulty RAM or corrupt memory is conflicting with DLLs.
- Corrupted Windows files or broken registry entries are interfering with normal process handling.
- Overclocking your CPU is causing timing issues during the cleanup process.
Fixing the INVALID_PROCESS_DETACH_ATTEMPT Error
Start with repairing system files to eliminate corruption issues. Type CMD in search and click Run as administrator. Now execute the following commands one after another:
- sfc /scannow
- DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
1. Boot into Safe Mode
Safe mode starts Windows with bare essentials: the core drivers and services it needs to run. This minimalist environment helps you figure out what’s really causing trouble. So if a third-party driver or background service is causing the INVALID_PROCESS_DETACH_ATTEMPT during DLL unload, Safe Mode lets you boot cleanly and helps diagnose or remove the problematic software.
- Power on your PC.
- Enter WinRE Environment by pressing and holding the Shift key.
- Select Restart.
- Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options.
- Select Startup Settings > Restart.
- To boot in Safe Mode with Networking, press F5.
2. Update the USB Drivers on Your PC
Like I mentioned earlier, outdated or badly written (third-party) USB drivers are one of the most common causes behind INVALID_PROCESS_DETACH_ATTEMPT BSoD error. For example, if a USB driver tries to free memory, close handles, or unregister callbacks during DLL_PROCESS_DETACH phase instead of using safer methods like DriverUnload, it can result in error.
- Open Device Manager.
- Go to Network adapters and expand it.
- Right-click on the adapters and click Update driver.
Update the USB & Storage controllers in the similar way, and restart to apply changes.
3. Check for Memory Issues
An unstable or failing RAM can cause false memory access that may seem like a driver or DLL bugs. If memory errors appear, test RAM sticks individually by swapping their slots and replace faulty modules if needed. Additionally, Run the Windows Memory Diagnostic to check for and fix any underlying bugs.
- Open search, type CMD, and click Run as administrator.
- Type mdsched.exe and press Enter.
- Click Restart now and check for problems.
- The PC will restart and automatically check for memory faults.
You can also run a more through test like the open-source MemTest86 (bootable) for a deeper analysis.
4. Uninstall Third-Party Antivirus Software
Sometimes a third-party antivirus program can run into conflict with some applications, system settings, or even recent updates. The anti-virus may also block a critical system file through a firewall, causing your system to crash and generate the INVALID_PROCESS_DETACH_ATTEMPT Blue Screen of Death error. The quickest way to check if that’s the cause is to uninstall any third-party antivirus software and see if the system stabilizes.
5. Run the BSoD Troubleshooter
Microsoft provides an online Blue Screen of Death troubleshooter that you can use to fix the INVALID_PROCESS_DETACH_ATTEMPT error. The tool will look for critical system errors and try to fix them. If you have a knack for programming, and advanced debugging, use the WinDbg tool to analyze BSoD dump files.
- Follow the instructions carefully as mentioned in the guide.
6. Disable Overclocking on Your PC
Overclocking increases CPU/GPU frequencies or memory timings beyond tested defaults, causing timing issues and race conditions during driver or DLL cleanup. For example, a cleanup routine supposes a specific ordering/timing and the overclock changes that, triggering the detach attempt to access freed memory.
- Go to Settings > Update & Security.
- Click Recovery from the left sidebar.
- Under Advanced startup, click Restart now and wait till Windows boots into Advanced Startup Options.
- Now, click Troubleshoot and select Advanced options.
- Click UEFI Firmware Settings and hit Restart.
- Your computer will now boot into BIOS.
- Navigate to the Advanced tab, and select Performance.
- Now, find the Overclocking option and disable it.
- Press the Esc key and choose Save and Exit.
Lost Files After the INVALID_PROCESS_DETACH_ATTEMPT Error?
BSoD errors like the INVALID_PROCESS_DETACH_ATTEMPT can interrupt the file writing process on Windows. If the error occurred while writing to the drive, it can result in data loss. In such scenarios, we recommend using a professional data recovery software – Stellar Data Recovery Professional to reclaim your lost files.
The software helps you recover data in complex loss scenarios like BSoD errors, logical drive failures, lost partitions, and more. Download, install & launch the software on your PC and recover data using stellar Data Recovery is just three simple steps.
Bottom Line
We understand how BSoDs like the INVALID_PROCESS_ATTACH_ATTEMPT hamper and stall your work midway. Such errors usually indicate a critical system error. However, you must not get worried and instead use the methods discussed above to resolve this blue screen error in no time.
