How to fix ACPI_BIOS_FATAL_ERROR error in Windows 10?

Although numerous Blue Screen of Death error messages exist, you are likely to encounter only a select few of them. The Blue Screen of Death error represented by ACPI_BIOS_FATAL_ERROR with STOP code 0x000000E belongs to the class of the most popular BSODs.

What does the ACPI_BIOS_FATAL_ERROR error mean in Windows?

ACPI is an acronym that represents Advanced Configuration and Power Interface. It is a power management specification used in Windows since the release of Windows 98. The interface was designed to enable the operating system to control the amount of power delivered to every component or device connected to the computer.

Blue Screen of Death errors generally have something to do with drivers, but the BSOD defined by the ACPI_BIOS_FATAL_ERROR message goes a step further in this regard. This particular Blue Screen of Death error comes up when your computer’s BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) detects that a hardware component is malfunctioning or when it notices that there are issues with an installed driver.

The error is described as fatal because when your PC encounters it, Windows becomes unable to operate safely no matter what it tries to do, and subsequently, it is left with no choice but to restart your PC. This forced or unexpected restart sometimes results in the loss of unsaved data or work.

We have provided you with enough information about the Blue Screen of Death error message in view to improve your understanding about it. Now, it is time we moved on to show you how to fix BSOD associated with ACPI_BIOS_FATAL_ERROR, and this, of course, is the main business of this guide and probably the reason you ended up on this page.

How to fix ACPI_BIOS_FATAL_ERROR on Windows 10?

You will do well to start with the first solution on the list. If it fails to deliver the result you want, feel free to carry on to the next fix. In general, we recommend you go through the solutions in the order we listed them here until you arrive at the ideal fix for the problem in your case.

1. Check your power supply and hardware devices:

If your power supply is fluctuating or not delivering as it was designed to, then a general Blue Screen of Death with ACPI_BIOS_FATAL_ERROR as the preferred description in most cases is bound to appear. In any case, if you encountered this error, you might want to check and confirm that your power supply is okay before you move on to complicated software operations.

A good number of users confirmed that issues with their battery triggered the Blue Screen of Death error in view, and that after they replaced their battery cell, it stopped coming up to disturb them. If your computer is not equipped with a battery, then the power supply setup is the only thing you have to scrutinize.

Besides issues affecting your power supply, numerous hardware components sometimes play an important role in causing your computer to blue screen. If the error appeared not long after you connected a new hardware device, then you must disconnect the component you plugged in and observe the changes that occur.

If the error fails to come up after you disconnected a specific hardware device, then you will do well take note of the device. Perhaps, it is incompatible with your system. You have to find a replacement for it.

In general, we implore you to go through all the major hardware devices on your PC or hardware parts that make up your computer. Your motherboard, hard disk drive, temporary memory or RAM, graphics cards, network adapters, and so on are all fair game.

2. Uninstall problematic programs:

A good number of applications are well capable of executing operations that trigger Blue Screen of Death errors or getting involved in activities that give rise to such fatal errors. Here, we are referring to powerful third-party programs like your antivirus, firewall apps, and so on.

We ask that you go through all the applications currently installed on your PC to identify or take note of the problematic programs you have. We understand that some programs like antiviruses provide options you can use to disable them or limit their powers, but we have to warn you that such options might not do enough to bring about the required changes.

On Windows 10, you can quickly uninstall apps through the Apps and Features menu in the Settings program. Nevertheless, the Programs and Features menu in the Control Panel app is still accessible (for users who prefer removing programs the old way).

• Open the Settings app. Press (and hold) the Windows button on your keyboard, then follow up your action with a tap of the letter I key. From the Settings menu you see on its program window, click on System
• On the left pane, you will see some options from which you must click on Apps and Features. Now, on the right pane, Windows will display the applications currently installed on your computer
• Go through the programs you see there and locate the ones you want to remove. To remove an app, all you have to do is click on it to highlight it, click on the Uninstall button that shows up, and finally, you must click on the Uninstall button on dialog box seeking confirmation for your action
• Windows will now act to remove the selected program. After the uninstallation is complete, you can repeat the same operation on any other problematic app to get rid of it. Once you are done removing all the unwanted applications, you must restart your PC
• After your computer reboots and Windows settles down, you will do well to check if there is any leftover file (from the programs you removed) remaining on your PC. Delete every remnant you find

Antiviruses, in particular, more or less create deep roots in the systems they are uninstalled on, so you might have to carry out other operations to remove everything associated with them. If you are lucky, you might be able to obtain tools that will help you do the work. Some antivirus firms make them available for download on their websites.

Whatever happens, another reboot of your system will be required. After this, you can now move on to check if you can recreate or trigger the ACPI_BIOS_FATAL_ERROR Blue Screen of Death error once more on your Windows 10 PC.

3. Fix problem with drivers:

In case you have forgotten, we already established that the ACPI_BIOS_FATAL_ERROR BSOD is closely related to drivers. Issues affecting drivers are most likely in play as causes of this error. Perhaps, you recently installed an incompatible driver or the drivers on your system have become corrupted or outdated. You need to check the state of them.

Do this:

• Open Device Manager. Press the Windows button on your keyboard, and while you hold it, you must tap the letter X key to bring up the Power User menu, which comprises of some essential programs and options. From the list you see, select Device Manager
• After the program window comes up, Windows will display your device drivers grouped in categories. To expand a category and see its contents, you must double-click on it
• Go through all the drivers. You might notice a yellow mark or symbol beside some drivers. Windows might be trying to tell you that something is wrong with them. Nevertheless, you must understand that some faulty drivers give out no clue about their situations.

After you identify all the problematic or faulty drivers, you must find and install replacements for them. This task is hardly ever easy, though. The identification process is complicated enough already, considering the volume of items you have to go through and the chances of you missing something. You need to avoid complications as much as possible.

With the help of Auslogics Driver Updater, you can get things done safely and efficiently. For one, this excellent program will carry out a scan on your PC to help you identify the missing, corrupted or outdated drivers.

Furthermore, it will fetch the required replacements for all the problematic drivers. This way, the drivers in view get updated to their latest-manufacturer recommended versions.

After the installation of all the required drivers is complete, you must restart your PC for obvious reasons, and only then can you move on to check if the ACPI_BIOS_FATAL_ERROR Blue Screen of Death error you encountered earlier is still active.

4. Get help from a troubleshooter:

If at this point you are still struggling with the ACPI_BIOS_FATAL_ERROR BSOD, then a call for help from a troubleshooter is very much in order. After all, Microsoft specifically designed troubleshooters to help users diagnose and resolve issues, especially those they cannot deal with themselves.

We know of numerous troubleshooters on Windows 10, but since we are dealing with a Blue Screen of Death error here, we are going to run the troubleshooter that handles the issue in view. Follow these instructions:

• Open the Settings app. We showed you a way of doing this earlier (in the starting step of the first fix), so there is not much point in repeating the same thing here.
• Once the required program window is up, you must click on Update and Security to enter the menu for this section. There, on the left pane, you will see Troubleshoot, which you must click on to enter its menu
• Now, Windows will display the troubleshooters available for a wide range of issues or components on your computer. Locate Blue Screen. Click on this troubleshooter to highlight it. Click on the Run the troubleshooter button that should be visible by now
• We expect some instructions to show up on your screen, and you must follow them to initiate the troubleshooting operations. If everything goes well, then the troubleshooter will try to identify the source of your problem and resolve the issue if possible.

The tool might ask you to perform a specific task. Do your best to ensure everything is successful. The troubleshooter will probably inform you about the operations it carried out, anyway. If it failed to do enough to resolve your problem, you will definitely know about it.

5. Use the SFC and DISM tools to perform scans:

We know too well that scans with the System File Checker tool are often recommended in many scenarios (sometimes unnecessarily), but this time, since we are dealing with a Blue Screen of Death like ACPI_BIOS_FATAL_ERROR, the procedure is very much in order.

The SFC tool works by checking for corruption in system files and replacing corrupted items with good copies. Follow these instructions to run the scan:

• First, you must open an elevated Command Prompt Window. Right-click on the Windows Start icon always visible on your desktop screen to see the Power User menu, then select Command Prompt (Admin) from the programs and options that show up
• Once the required Administrator: Command Prompt program window is up, you must input the following code and give the Enter key a tap once you are done to force Windows to execute it: sfc/scannow
• Windows will initiate the scan; you can monitor its progress. Note that it could take a while; you must remain patient. After the scan is complete, you must exit the Command Prompt app or any other program window you opened, then restart your system.

If the BSOD error reappears even after you rebooted your computer, then you must go a step further to check the state of things and fix problems with the DISM tool. The DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) more or less fixes issues with system images.

In cases where the SFC tool fails to replace corrupted files with regular copies or in scenarios where it is unable to do its job correctly, the repair of the Windows image is essential, and after this operation, you can redo scans with the SFC too to get the best results.

Continue with the instructions below to work with the DISM tool:

• Open an elevated Command Prompt window. We showed you how to do this not so long ago; you might want to scroll up a bit
• After the required program window appears, you must input the following code: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
• Hit the Enter key, and Windows will run the code. After the scan is complete, you must restart your system and check the state of things.

If your Windows installation medium is still accessible, then you might want to carry out the more extensive DISM scan.

Here are the instructions you must follow:

• First, you have to insert your Windows installation medium (CD, bootable flash drive, and so on) into your PC
• Now, you must open an elevated Command Prompt program window. You must have gotten used to doing this by now. Once the required program window is up, you must input the following lines of code and hit the Enter key after you finish typing each one:

dism /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth

dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

• Once the first part is complete, you must continue the process with the following code: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /source:WIM:X:Sourceswim:1 /LimitAccess

(Note that the “X” part in the code represents the mounted drive for your Windows 10 installation. Replace it with the correct location or directory if necessary)

• After the Windows completes the operation, you must restart your PC.

Remember to redo scans, using the SFC tool. The procedure might be more helpful now. After you are done with everything, you will do well to check if your computer still blue screens with the ACPI_BIOS_FATAL_ERROR notification appearing.

6. Reset Windows:

As far as we know, the reset option on Windows 10 is akin to a clean installation of the operating system. Therefore, it is your best bet to fix issues if the ACPI_BIOS_FATAL_ERROR Blue Screen of Death error you are struggling with has something to with third-party programs or processes.

A reset of Windows 10 will result in the loss of files stored on the C partition of your hard disk drive. It is imperative that you back up all your data to ensure that you do not lose anything. Besides the creation of the backup, you have to create a bootable USB flash drive because a Windows installation medium is required to complete the process you are about to initiate.

Follow these instructions to reset Windows:

• Disrupt the boot process of your computer to trigger Automatic repair (3 times should do in most cases). An alternative method of doing the same thing requires you to press and hold the Shift button on your keyboard and click on the Restart button on your screen
• Once you are in the required menu, from the options that appear, click on Troubleshoot. On the next screen, select Reset this PC. Go with Remove everything
• At this stage, Windows will now prompt you to insert the installation medium you created earlier. Plug in the required component and move on
• Now, you must choose Only the drive where Windows is installed. Select Just remove my files. Finally, it is time you clicked on the Reset button
• At this point, all you have to do to complete the process is follow the instructions that appear on your screen. Windows will reboot your PC after everything is done.

If your PC blue screens again and you see the ACPI_BIOS_FATAL_ERROR BSOD even after a successful reset of Windows, then hardware failure or damage is the most likely the cause of the issue you have been struggling with to no avail.

You will do well to run the required tests, starting with checks on your hard disk drive (HDD), temporary memory (RAM), and so on. If you get positive results indicating problems with any of the listed components, then you must carry out extensive tests to verify things. If the new findings suggest the same thing, then you must replace the faulty hardware part or component to stop seeing the BSOD.

Other things that might help in resolving ACPI_BIOS_FATAL_ERROR Blue Screen of Death error on Windows 10

If you are still struggling with the same problem, then you might have to consider a different approach to the resolution of the issue. An alternative list of fixes or things to try will do you a whole lot of good.

7. Remove your Solid State Drive (SSD) or Hard Disk Drive (HDD). Insert an equivalent component that already has Windows 10 installed on it. If everything goes well, you must try updating your BIOS to the latest build or version available.
8. Check your CMOS battery. Replace it if necessary
9. Do a Clean Boot to identify the source of the problem or isolate the things triggering the ACPI_BIOS_FATAL_ERROR Blue Screen of Death error
10. Undo any unnecessary alterations you have made to your PC’s hardware settings or Windows configuration. For example, if you have overclocking enabled, you must disable it, then check the state of your problem
11. Change the OS image ID for your device in BIOS. If all else fails, then you must try resetting the entirety of your BIOS.