Upon understanding the possible reasons, you can easily fix the Kmode Exception Not Handled on Windows Server 2012(R2), along with step by step instructions, 6 methods in total.
The “KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED” error is a critical Windows Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) in Windows Server 2012 (R2), triggered when the operating system encounters an exception in kernel mode and cannot handle it safely.
Since kernel mode has full access to hardware and memory, Windows treats the exception as highly dangerous. It will halts the activity and force Windows to shut down to prevent system damage or data corruption. The common reasons include:
Usually, users may encounter this kernel error while booting Windows, after installing new hardware or drivers, during Windows updates, launching resource-intensive applications or games, etc., all of which heavily rely on drivers and hardware.
The KMODE Exception Not Handled error often occurs due to driver conflicts, corrupted system files, faulty hardware, etc. Just identify the root cause and fix it with the corresponding solutions.
Safe Mode is a special diagnostic mode that starts Windowswith only the essential drivers and services, makingit much easier to identify and troubleshoot KMODE Exception Not Handled error.
Step 1. Press Win + I to open Windows settings and go to Update & Security >Recovery >click Restart now under Advanced startup.
⚠️Note: Alternatively, hold Shift while clicking Restart from the Start menu.
Step 2. Click Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart.
Step 3. Press 4 to boot into Safe Mode or 5 to boot into Safe Mode with Networking.
Incompatible or missing drivers(e.g., network, graphics, and storage drivers)are one of the most common causes of this Kernel error. You can choose to update, roll back, or reinstall problematic drivers.
Step 1. Press Win + X and select Device Manager.
Step 2. Expand Network adapters, Display adapters, IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers, Storage controller, and Disk drives, and look for devices with a yellow exclamation mark (indicating driver issues).
Step 3. Right-click the device, then update, roll back, or reinstall drivers, depending on your situation.
Update drivers (for outdated drivers): Select Update driver and then Search automatically for drivers.
Reinstall drivers (for missing or corrupted drivers, or devices with a warning icon): Select Uninstall device and restart Windows. Windows will reinstall the latest driver automatically.
Roll back drivers (after a driver update): Select Properties and go to the Driver tab, click Roll Back Driver (if available).
Corrupted system files can trigger kernel-level errors. Since these files are critical to Windows' core operations, any damage can lead to kernel-level crashes and BSODs. Try SFC and DISM to repair them.
Step 1. Press Win + S, type cmd, and select Run as administrator.
Step 2. In the Command Prompt window, type sfc /scannow and press Enter. Wait for the scan to complete.
Step 3. Then, run DISM to repair the Windows image and restart your computer.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Disk errors, such as bad sectors or corrupted file systems, can cause the KMODE Exception Not Handled BSOD.Try chkdsk to scan and repair disk errors automatically.
Step 1. Open CMDas administrator.
Step 2. In the Command Prompt window, type chkdsk /f /r and press Enter.
Step 3. Press Y to schedule the check at the next restart. Save your files and restart.
Faulty RAM (memory modules) can often cause this kernelerror, as Windows relies on RAM to store and access critical data while running programs.
Step 1. Press Win + S, type Windows Memory Diagnostic, and press Enter.
Step 2. Select Restart now and check for problems.
Step 3. Your system will restart and test your RAM. Replace it with a new, working RAM stick if needed.
Keeping Windows and BIOS up-to-date improves system stability. Be sure to download BIOS from the manufacturer’s websiteand it should be compatible with your motherboard.
Step 1. Press Win + I to open Windows settings. Then, go to Update & Security and Windows Update.
Step 2. Click Check for updates. Wait until you see any available updates.
Step 3. Install all pending updates and restart your PC.
A clean boot starts Windows with only essential services, which helps to quickly identify if third-party software or services are causing the Kernel error.
Step 1. Press Win + R, type msconfig, and press Enter to open the System Configuration window.
Step 2. Under the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services and click Disable all.
Step 3. Then, go to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager.
Step 4. In the Task Manager window, right-click the startup item and select Disable. Repeat the steps until you disable all startup items.
Step 5. Back to the System Configuration window, click OK. At last, restart your PC to apply the changes and see if the error stops.
Step 6. Re-enable services and startup items one by one. This helps youidentify the culprit causing the Kmode Exception Not Handled error.
Update Rollup 2887595 is a Microsoft Windows update released to fix a critical bug related to the KMODE Exception Not Handled blue screen error, particularly on older versions of Windows, such as Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8, etc.
This update addresses a flaw in the Windows kernel that could cause the system to crash when certain drivers or software attempted to execute invalid operations in kernel mode. Without this fix, affected systems could experience repeated BSODs, even after updating drivers or repairing system files.
One of the most effective long-term protections against the KMODE Exception Not Handled error or system crashesis creatingregular system backups. It allows you to restore Windows Server 2012 (R2) from backup quickly without losing data. You don’t need to spend hours troubleshooting or reinstalling Windows. Here are some useful tips:
By keeping reliable backups, even the most serious system errors become manageable setbacks rather than disasters.
Step 1. Download and install AOMEI Backupper Server. Click Backup on the left panel, then choose System Backup.
Step 2. The software will select all the boot partitions automatically. Click the PC icon > Local Drive/Network Drive/NAS to add a new destination. Or select the current location (if it exists).
Step 3. Click Schedule and enable it. Select Weekly, Monthly (By week), Monthly (By date), or Event triggers. Optionally, click Options or Backup Scheme to review or change what you want.
At last, click Start Backup.
⚠️Notes:
◾ Options: Include compression, splitting, backup only used sectors of file system, VSS, etc., to reduce storage space automatically and avoid any interruption.
◾ Backup Scheme: Incremental backup is enabled by default. You can also change it to differential backup and enable automatic backup cleanup to delete old backups automatically.
The Kmode Exception Not Handled Server 2012 error is mainly caused by faultyor outdated drivers, corrupted Windows system files, BIOS or firmware inconsistencies, etc. You can choose to reboot to safe mode (with minimal drivers) for easier troubleshooting.
In addition, it’s suggested to create full system backup regularly to prevent this error. With it, you can easily restore Windows Server 2012(R2) to a previous good state, fully preserving all data, system settings, games, and more.