How to fix error critical-process-died in JAWS Screen Reader

Solution Steps

1. 1 Restart JAWS Screen Reader completely. Close it, open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), find any remaining JAWS Screen Reader processes, right-click → End Task. Background processes from previous sessions are the most common cause of startup crashes.
2. 2 Update JAWS Screen Reader to the latest version. Open the app, go to Help → Check for Updates (or download the latest installer from the official website). Updates fix known bugs and compatibility issues.
3. 3 Reset JAWS Screen Reader settings. Navigate to %APPDATA%\JAWSScreenReader and rename the settings folder to add '.old'. This forces JAWS Screen Reader to create fresh settings — corrupted config files cause crashes.
4. 4 Run JAWS Screen Reader as Administrator. Right-click the shortcut → Properties → Compatibility → check 'Run as Administrator'. Some features of JAWS Screen Reader require elevated permissions.
5. 5 Check if JAWS Screen Reader conflicts with your antivirus. Temporarily disable real-time protection and test. Add JAWS Screen Reader installation folder to antivirus exclusions.
6. 6 Clear JAWS Screen Reader cache. Navigate to %LOCALAPPDATA%\JAWSScreenReader\Cache and delete all files. Corrupted cache data causes rendering and processing errors.
7. 7 Repair JAWS Screen Reader installation. Windows Settings → Apps → JAWS Screen Reader → Modify → Repair. This replaces damaged program files while preserving your data.
8. 8 If JAWS Screen Reader still won't work: uninstall from Settings → Apps, restart, reinstall from official website. A clean install is the nuclear option but fixes almost everything.