What to Do If SIW Does Not Start, Freezes Windows, or Causes a Blue Screen

Stop repeating the failing action and identify which symptom you have: SIW does not open, SIW becomes unresponsive, Windows freezes, or Windows displays a bugcheck and restarts. Then confirm that you are using the latest SIW build from the official website, try SIW with hardware SDK access disabled, and collect the exact error, dump, or bugcheck information before changing several things at once.

A blue screen is a Windows kernel or driver failure, not an ordinary application error. If the computer is unstable, save your work, disconnect unnecessary devices, and use Windows Recovery or Safe Mode to undo the most recent driver or configuration change.

• Does not start: record whether there is no window, an error message, a brief process, or an antivirus notification.
• Freezes: record which SIW module was opening, whether the pointer still moves, and whether waiting eventually restores Windows.
• Blue screen: record the stop code, the named driver, the time, and whether the failure happens at startup or only when SIW scans a particular component.

Write down the SIW version, Windows edition and build, computer model, processor, graphics adapter, and any recently installed BIOS, chipset, graphics, storage, or security software update. Do not make multiple driver or registry changes before recording this baseline.

1. Download the current SIW version from the official SIW website and test it in a separate folder.
2. If SIW opens, use Help > Check for Updates and record the installed version.
3. Run the 64-bit executable without the CPUID SDK by opening an elevated Command Prompt in the SIW folder and running:

siw64.exe /nosdk

If /nosdk allows SIW to start, the failure is associated with low-level hardware or sensor access rather than the basic user interface. Keep using that mode while updating chipset, graphics, storage, and motherboard drivers through the computer or component manufacturer.

Do not assume that running as administrator fixes a driver or hardware problem. Use elevation only when a specific diagnostic step requires it.

For a process crash, check whether Windows created a dump under:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps

Look for a recent dump whose name begins with siw. Keep the file private because a dump can contain memory from the process, paths, usernames, report data, and other sensitive information. Share it only through the official support channel after confirming the recipient and upload method.

Microsoft Sysinternals ProcDump can capture a full user-mode dump when SIW crashes. Download it from Microsoft, extract it into the SIW folder, open Command Prompt as Administrator, and run the command that matches the executable you use:

procdump64.exe -accepteula -e -ma -t -w siw64.exe

Then reproduce the failure once. Stop ProcDump after the dump is created, compress the dump if requested by support, and remove the diagnostic tools and dump when the support case is complete. Do not use a public file-sharing service for an unredacted dump.

1. Do not continue scanning if SIW consistently triggers a freeze or bugcheck.
2. Record the Windows stop code and check %SystemRoot%\Minidump for a newly created dump.
3. Update or roll back the driver named by the stop code, prioritizing chipset, graphics, storage, and sensor-related drivers from the manufacturer.
4. Test SIW again with /nosdk only after Windows is stable.

Driver Verifier is an advanced Windows testing tool for suspected drivers. It can intentionally stress a driver and cause additional blue screens, so do not enable it casually or for every driver. Use it only when you can recover through Safe Mode or Windows Recovery, follow Microsoft's targeted-driver guidance, and reset it after testing:

verifier /reset

If Windows cannot boot after enabling Driver Verifier, enter Safe Mode or the Recovery Environment, open Command Prompt, run the reset command, and restart. A manufacturer or qualified support technician should guide advanced driver testing on a production computer.

SIW reads some inventory through Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). If only WMI-backed information fails, open services.msc and confirm that Windows Management Instrumentation is running. Check Event Viewer for matching WMI, service, or driver errors and record the event source and ID.

Microsoft notes that the old WMI Diagnosis Utility is no longer supported on modern Windows. Do not delete or rebuild the WMI repository as a first step; that can damage Windows or installed applications. Use the current WMI troubleshooting guidance or contact Microsoft support for persistent WMI errors.

Run dxdiag, select Save All Information, and keep the report for support. A current CPU-Z text report can provide an independent view of processor, motherboard, memory, and graphics information. Review both reports and redact usernames, serial numbers, network addresses, license data, and organization details before sharing them publicly.

Security software can block a legitimate hardware-inventory tool or its sensor components, but an exclusion reduces protection. First verify that SIW came from the official website and that its digital signature is valid. If Microsoft Defender is blocking SIW, follow the focused Defender exclusion instructions, use the narrowest possible path or process exclusion, and remove it after testing. Never disable antivirus protection globally just to make SIW start.

Include the SIW version and edition, Windows version and build, computer model, exact reproduction steps, stop code or error text, whether /nosdk changes the behavior, and which drivers or security products were recently changed. Attach only the requested diagnostic files through a private support channel. Do not include passwords, full license keys, private memory dumps, or unredacted inventory reports in a public forum.

For a support request, link to the original forum question or contact the Topala Software Solutions support team so the investigation can be matched to the correct SIW release and hardware environment.

• How to add SIW to the Microsoft Defender Antivirus exclusion list
• SIW and old video drivers
• SIW and old disk drivers
• How to Collect System Information Without Installing Software
• SIW Frequently Asked Questions