The CRYPTO_SELF_TEST_FAILURE BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) error may appear during the initialization process for Windows Vista, Windows 2008, and Windows 7 and 8. This error appears when the driver that handles encryption fails to function correctly, or is damaged. This error results to the abrupt shutdown of the computer to prevent damage and avoid possible loss of data from unsaved work.

This error arises due to a failure in the mandatory algorithm self-test in the cryptographic subsystem. The cryptographic self-tests are pre-operational tests that are performed after the computer is turned on, and runs without operator intervention.

This BSOD error is also known as CRYPTO_SELF_TEST_FAILURE and “STOP 0x00000123“. Some users of Windows have reported this error, which normally appears on the screen during the initialization of the system.

You can resolve the CRYPTO_SELF_TEST_FAILURE BSOD error by installing the latest Windows software updates. To install updates manually, open the Internet Explorer (IE), click on Safety and Windows Update, and then follow the prompts and instructions that appear on the screen. When using IE 7 or its older versions, open the browser, click Tools, and then Windows Update. You should install both critical and non-critical software updates

You can also resolve this error by removing the last installed application, hardware, or driver. To uninstall the hardware or driver that is causing the error in Windows 8, press the Windows key and X together, click on Control Panel, and then choose Programs and Features. Highlight the application to uninstall using the arrow key, and then click Uninstall. In Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7, the uninstall process can be done by successively clicking on Start, Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs for Windows XP and Programs and Features for Windows 7 and Vista, and then selecting the software to uninstall and clicking Remove/ Uninstall.