STOP 0x0000005C errors are likely caused by hardware or device driver issues, and will most likely always appear on a STOP message, more commonly called a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD).

STOP 0x0000005C Errors

One of the errors below, or a combination of both, may display on the STOP message:

Any of Microsoft’s Windows NT-based operating systems could experience this error. This includes newer versions and older ones, back through Windows NT.

STOP: 0x0000005C HAL_INITIALIZATION_FAILED

The error might be abbreviated STOP 0x5C, but the full STOP code will always be what’s displayed on the blue screen STOP message.

If Windows is able to start after the error, you may be prompted with a Windows has recovered from an unexpected shutdown message that shows:

Problem Event Name: BlueScreen BCCode: 5c

How to Fix STOP 0x0000005C Errors

  • Restart your computer if you haven’t already done so.
  • The STOP 0x0000005C blue screen error may not occur again after rebooting.
  • Use the latest version of VirtualBox, VMware Workstation, or other virtual machine software if you’re receiving the HAL_INITIALIZATION_FAILED error during the installation of Windows on a VM.
  • Versions of popular virtual machine tools that were released before some of the early releases of Windows 11, 10, and 8 don’t support the operating systems.
  • If you’re getting the error on Windows 8.1 after enabling a virtual machine program, install update 2919355 from Microsoft.
  • Make sure all pins on the 24-pin PSU power connectors are properly connected to the motherboard.
  • This is really only a problem in computers with power supplies with a 20+4 pin connector instead of a 24 pin connector. With the extra four pins separate, it’s easy for them to become loose or assume they’re not necessary.
  • Install the “Fix363570” hotfix from Microsoft, but only if you’re receiving a very specific STOP 0x0000005C error while trying to start a computer running Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1).
  • These errors only occur on Windows Server 2008 when x2APIC mode is enabled in BIOS. According to Microsoft: This issue occurs because the ACPI driver (Acpi.sys) incorrectly creates a duplicated physical device object (PDO) when some APIC IDs are larger than a value of 255.
  • If you see either of the below errors, visit that link above to install the hotfix. The first occurs during startup if there is not a debugger attached to the computer, while the second is seen when a debugger is attached (again, only when the above conditions are met):
  • STOP 0x0000005C ( parameter1 , parameter2 , parameter3 , parameter4 )
  • HAL_INITIALIZATION_FAILED
  • A driver has enumerated two child PDO’s that return identical Device Ids.
  • See Microsoft’s explanation of this error (the link above) for more information about how it applies to this scenario in Windows Server 2008 and specific details on how the hotfix works.
  • Perform basic STOP error troubleshooting. The extensive troubleshooting steps through that link aren’t specific to the STOP 0x0000005C error, but they should help resolve it since most STOP errors are so similar.

If that’s not the exact STOP code or error message you see, check our Complete List of STOP Error Codes and reference the troubleshooting information for the message that you are seeing. If you’re on Windows Server 2008, take note of what’s written below in Step 4 about that kind of error.

Restart your computer if you haven’t already done so.

The STOP 0x0000005C blue screen error may not occur again after rebooting.

Use the latest version of VirtualBox, VMware Workstation, or other virtual machine software if you’re receiving the HAL_INITIALIZATION_FAILED error during the installation of Windows on a VM.

Versions of popular virtual machine tools that were released before some of the early releases of Windows 11, 10, and 8 don’t support the operating systems.

If you’re getting the error on Windows 8.1 after enabling a virtual machine program, install update 2919355 from Microsoft.

Make sure all pins on the 24-pin PSU power connectors are properly connected to the motherboard.

This is really only a problem in computers with power supplies with a 20+4 pin connector instead of a 24 pin connector. With the extra four pins separate, it’s easy for them to become loose or assume they’re not necessary.

Install the “Fix363570” hotfix from Microsoft, but only if you’re receiving a very specific STOP 0x0000005C error while trying to start a computer running Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1).

If you see either of the below errors, visit that link above to install the hotfix. The first occurs during startup if there is not a debugger attached to the computer, while the second is seen when a debugger is attached (again, only when the above conditions are met):

These errors only occur on Windows Server 2008 when x2APIC mode is enabled in BIOS. According to Microsoft: This issue occurs because the ACPI driver (Acpi.sys) incorrectly creates a duplicated physical device object (PDO) when some APIC IDs are larger than a value of 255.

STOP 0x0000005C ( parameter1 , parameter2 , parameter3 , parameter4 )  HAL_INITIALIZATION_FAILED  A driver has enumerated two child PDO’s that return identical Device Ids.

See Microsoft’s explanation of this error (the link above) for more information about how it applies to this scenario in Windows Server 2008 and specific details on how the hotfix works.

Perform basic STOP error troubleshooting. The extensive troubleshooting steps through that link aren’t specific to the STOP 0x0000005C error, but they should help resolve it since most STOP errors are so similar.

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