0x00000020BSODCritical

0x00000020 — Kernel APC Pending During Exit | Blue Screen Fix Guide

KERNEL_APC_PENDING_DURING_EXIT

Windows XPWindows VistaWindows 7Windows 8Windows 10Windows 11

What Does 0x00000020 Mean?

An APC (Asynchronous Procedure Call) was still pending when a thread was exiting. This indicates a driver failed to clean up properly.

Real-World Causes

1Driver not completing APCs before thread exit
2File system driver bug
3Antivirus or filter driver issue

Symptoms

⚠Blue screen with stop code KERNEL_APC_PENDING_DURING_EXIT
⚠System reboots unexpectedly
⚠Possible data loss from unsaved work

DIY Fix

Beginner-friendly steps you can try at home

1Restart your computer
2Run System File Checker (sfc /scannow)
3Check Windows Update
4Run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Advanced Fix

For experienced users and IT professionals

1Analyze minidump with WinDbg
2Check Event Viewer for correlated errors
3Use Process Monitor to trace system activity
4Perform clean boot to isolate the cause

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes KERNEL_APC_PENDING_DURING_EXIT?

An APC (Asynchronous Procedure Call) was still pending when a thread was exiting. This indicates a driver failed to clean up properly.

Can I fix Kernel APC Pending During Exit myself?

In many cases yes. Start with basic troubleshooting like restarting, updating drivers, and running System File Checker. If the issue persists, advanced analysis of crash dumps may be needed.

Related Error Codes

0x00000001APC Index Mismatch 0x00000050Page Fault in Nonpaged Area

About the Author

Windows Troubleshooting Team

Verified against official Microsoft documentation and real-world diagnostic data. Error behavior confirmed across Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server.