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The CRITICAL_SERVICE_FAILED error, technically classified as Bug Check 0x5A, occurred because cumulative updates like KB5094123 and KB5087538 enforce strict Secure Boot certificate distributions. When you previously installed these updates on outdated Dell PowerEdge firmware, the system's UEFI failed to validate the RAID controller's boot driver signatures against the new certificates, intentionally halting the boot process to prevent unauthorized code execution. Because you have successfully restored the baremetal backup and correctly updated the server firmware and RAID drivers, you have already implemented the official Microsoft fix. The updated Dell firmware now holds the matching hardware certificates required to natively validate the Windows update payload.
You can now safely proceed with the installation without altering any BIOS security settings. Ensure that the latest Servicing Stack Update is applied to your system first, as this component governs the Windows update engine itself. You can verify your system's current update packages by checking the registry path HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing\Packages using the Registry Editor, which will show you the exact status of your installed updates. Once KB5094123 is installed and the server reboots successfully, open an administrative command prompt and run DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth.
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