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12 Solutions to Fix Windows Stop Code FAT File System

Wondershare Recoverit Authors

Jan 15, 2024 • Filed to: Windows Computer Solutions • Proven solutions

The stop code fat file system is one of the Blue Screen of Death errors. It occurs when your PC restarts itself to prevent any damage. It is a serious error and can occur repeatedly.

Several reasons can cause this BSOD error. The most common reason for this error is the newly installed hardware. Other reasons can be a recently upgraded system, corrupted or damaged drivers, corrupted and damaged file systems, malware, and virus. No matter what, we will try to help you fix the error using the following methods. Let us explore.

Part 1: How to fix the stop code fat file system?

Although fixing BSOD errors are not difficult, you will need a different approach toward separate problems. If you are encountering the Fat file system stop code, you need to be aware of the reason first. Then, you can proceed to solve the error by following the instruction.

Solution 1: Update Your Windows Drivers

One of the reasons that cause BSOD errors is old and damaged Windows drivers. If you want to update your Drivers, check the following steps.

Step 1: First and foremost, open the "Run" dialogue box by pressing "Windows key" and "R" together. Then, write "devmgmt.msc" command and click "Ok."

update driver 1 1

Step 2: Once you open the "Device Manager" window, you have to click on the drop-down button of the "Display adapters" option.

update driver 2 7

Step 3: Once you see the list of drivers, choose one by right-clicking it. And now, you have to click on the "Update Driver software" option.

update driver 3

Step 4: In the next window, you need to select the "Search automatically for updated driver software" button.

update driver 4

Step 5: It will update your old driver software. Once the process is finished, restart your computer to check if this has solved the issue.

However, if the driver is not updating, you need to uninstall the driver. For this, choose "Uninstall" while clicking on the target driver. Reboot your computer, and Windows will download the latest version of the driver automatically.

Solution 2: Check the Possible Damaged Hardware

Faulty and incompatible hardware can be another reason for this stop code error. In this case, you have to scan your computer to check for any possible damaged hardware. If you find any incompatible hardware, you have to remove it. The process is as below.

Step 1: You have to unplug all the devices connected to the computer except the basic necessary devices (such as boot drive, keyboard, and mouse). Restart your computer to check if the problem persists.

Step 2: If the problem is solved, it indicates that one of the removed hardware is faulty. To check this, plug in the hardware tools one by one and check which is causing the issue.

Step 3: Once you have found the damaged hardware, double-check it by connecting it with another PC. If the problem persists, remove this hardware.

Solution 3: Run Driver Verifier to Find Problematic Drivers

If there is any configuration error, damage, or compatibility issue with your device drivers, it can cause many errors. One of such is the stop code fat file system, which you can solve with the "Driver verifier." To run this, you are required to follow the given steps.

Step 1: At first, you have to reboot your computer from the Windows Installation media. Then, set the preferred settings, and in the "Windows Setup" tab, click on "Repair Your Computer."

repair computer

Step 2: Now, you have to choose "Troubleshoot," and then "Advanced Options" and "Command Prompt."

Step 3: Now, write "verifier" on the "Command Prompt" tab and press "Enter."

Step 4: It will, then, open the "Driver Verifier Manager" page. Under the "Select a Task" section, you have to choose the "Create standard settings" option.

driver verifier 1

Step 5: Once you click on "Next," you have to select the driver that you want to verify. You are required to click on "Automatically select all drivers installed on this computer" and click on the "Finish" option.

driver verifier 2

This will end the process and scan for errors automatically. After that, you have to reboot your computer. Once that is done, the tool will analyze all the drivers for the issues. It will inform you if there is any problem.

Solution 4: Run the BSOD Troubleshooter

To solve an issue like the Fat file system stop code, you can use the integrated troubleshooter of Windows 10. You will be able to use that by following the given steps.

Step 1: Firstly, you have to open the "Settings" app from the "Start" menu and open the "Update and Security" option.

update security

Step 2: Now, you are required to click on the "Troubleshoot" option on the left-side menu.

Step 3: After that, you need to select the "BSOD" option and click on the "Run the troubleshooter" option.

run troubleshooter

Step 4: Instruction will appear on the screen. You need to follow it to complete the troubleshooting process.

Solution 5: Run the SFC scan

System File Checker is a very useful troubleshooting tool if you want to check the corrupt and damaged files. You can run the SFC scan, and for that, follow the simple steps given below.

Step 1: To open the "Run" dialogue box, press the "windows key" and "R" together. Write the "cmd" command to open "Command Prompt" and run this as an administrator.

sfc scan 1

Step 2: Now, you have to write the "sfc/scannow" command. Press "enter" to start the process.

sfc scan 2

Step 3: SFC will scan and repair the faulty files. Once the process is finished, reboot your PC to find out if the problem is gone.

Solution 6: Run DISM Command

Deployment Image Servicing and Management, or DISM, is another troubleshooting tool. If your system has faulty system images, the DISM command can find and repair them. For that, follow the simple steps.

Step 1: At first, open "Command Prompt" and run it as an administrator.

Step 2: Now, you need to write this command and press enter: "DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth" command.

dism command

Step 3: Once the process has ended, restart your computer to check the issue.

You can run this with the Windows Installation media also. In that case, you have to write different commands. And they are respectively:

You have to press "Enter" after writing each command. Replace the "X" in the third command with the letter of the target Drive.

Solution 7: Try to start your computer with only one hard drive

One of the most common reasons for the fat file system stop code is a faulty hard drive. In this case, disconnect your second hard drive and try to start Windows 10 without it. You can perform this step if you have more than one hard drive in your computer.

To open the hard drive, you have to open the computer cabinet. You have to disconnect the power cable that is connecting the hard drive. Do not open the drive that has Windows installed in it. Also, remove the memory card and USB drives.

If the issue is solved this way, it indicates you have a faulty hard drive. To check that which one is causing the error, connect the drives one by one and check the problem.

Solution 8: Uninstall Folder Protect and Folder Lock software

Folder protection software can interfere with your hard drives. It, in turn, can cause a fat file system stop code. If you are using such tools, you can uninstall them from the PC.

If you are facing problem in accessing the Windows due to the BSOD, you need to start safe mode. That way, you can uninstall folder protection software.

Step 1: At first, restart your computer, while it is booting, and repeat the process until the computer starts the "Automatic Repair" process.

Step 2: Now, you have to choose, respectively, "Troubleshoot," "Advanced Options," and "Startup settings." Then, you need to click on "Restart."

startup settings

Step 3: Once that is done, you are required to press F4/F5 to access "Safe Mode with Networking."

Solution 9: Uninstall your antivirus software

If your antivirus software is not compatible with your system, it can cause such stop code errors. If you are facing the fat file system error, remove the currently installed antivirus. If that fixes the issue, it indicates that your antivirus program is incompatible.

In that case, uninstall your antivirus software with a dedicated uninstaller. Then, you can install software that is compatible with your system.

Solution 10: Check Hard Drive for Bad Sectors

Bad sectors in hard drives can cause such stop codes. To check hard drives, you have to create a bootable media at first. Plug the bootable media with your PC, and boot the system with it. Then, you can check the hard drives for any problem.

Solution 11: Fix Errors on the File System

Another troubleshooting tool to fix any error with system files is the "Check Disk" command. You can run the command with the following steps.

Step 1: First and foremost, open "Command Prompt" and run it as an administrator. Then, in the command box window, write the "chkdsk c: /f" command.

chkdsk 2

Step 2: Press "Enter" to initiate the process. You can replace "c" with the letter where your system is located.

This process will check and repair the files and hard disks. Once the process is done, you have to restart your PC.

Solution 12: Reset Windows 10

If nothing can solve the issue, you need to reset your Windows 10. This will remove all installed files, so you need to keep backups. To reset your PC, check the steps given below.

Step 1: Start the Automatic Repair by restarting your computer several times.

Step 2: Now, you are required to click on "Troubleshoot" and then "Reset this PC."

reset windows 1

Step 3: Now, you are required to select an option between "Keep my files" and "Remove everything" options.

reset windows 2

Step 4: Wait for the process to finish and perform a clean reinstall.


Part 2: How to Recover Unsaved Data Due to Windows Stop Code Fat File System?

Losing important data due to an error code is not something you want. In this case, Recoverit comes to help. With the ability to restore more than a thousand types of files, such as NTFS, FAT, APFS, HFS+, and so on, Recoverit can retrieve data from any storage device.

Here are the steps that can help you to retrieve your lost data with this top-rated application.

Step 1: Choose the Location

To choose a location open Recoverit and then select the location. Then, click on the "Start" option to trigger the scanning process.

recoverit interface

Step 2: Scanning the Location

Respectively select the "File Path" and "File Type" to pinpoint the files. If you need it, you can use the "Search Filter."

operations during scanning

To pause the scan, press the "Pause" button, and to end the scan, press the "Stop" button.

Step 3: Preview and Restore the Files

You can easily preview your data with Recoverit. For that, just select the files and click on the "Preview" option under the thumbnail. After that, save the file by clicking on the "Recover" button. For this, you need to choose a path (except where you had lost the data) to save the file.

preview recovered photos


The Bottom Line

Windows stop code Fat File System is not difficult to work with, although severe. If you follow the instruction, it will usually fix this issue. However, losing data is, of course, not preferable. Hence, Wondershare introduces the Recoverit application. Download this application from the official website so that you can restore almost every data from any device.

Recoverit author

David Darlington

staff Editor

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