How to Fix 0x000000E7 BSOD: Understanding the "INVALID_FLOATING_POINT_STATE" Error

What Is the 0x000000E7 BSOD?

The 0x000000E7 Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), also known by its label "INVALID_FLOATING_POINT_STATE", signals a serious system error caused by corruption or mismanagement of a thread's floating-point state. In simpler terms, the CPU stores floating-point (decimal number) data in a specific state or structure. When Windows tries to restore that state and finds it corrupted or invalid, the system crashes to avoid further damage.

This error is rare and highly technical, usually associated with low-level driver issues, hardware malfunctions, or kernel-mode software bugs.

What Does "INVALID_FLOATING_POINT_STATE" Mean?

To fully grasp this error, it's important to understand the role of floating-point operations. These are numerical calculations involving non-integer values (like 3.14 or 0.001). Modern CPUs perform these calculations using a special processor area called the FPU (Floating Point Unit).

When a thread (a unit of process execution) is suspended or switched out during multitasking, its FPU state is saved. If this saved state becomes unreadable or corrupted, Windows throws the 0x000000E7 STOP code and halts to prevent unsafe operations.

Common Causes of 0x000000E7

Several underlying issues can trigger this BSOD. The most common ones include:

1. Faulty Device Drivers

Bad or outdated drivers that fail to correctly handle FPU state during context switches can cause this error. Video card drivers, virtualization tools, and other low-level drivers are often to blame.

2. Hardware Malfunctions

Defective RAM, a failing CPU, or overheating components can corrupt thread states, including the floating-point area.

3. Corrupt System Files

Core system files in Windows may be damaged by improper shutdowns, malware, or bad sectors on a hard drive or SSD.

4. Overclocking

Improper CPU overclocking may cause unstable FPU performance, especially during high-load tasks.

5. Third-Party Software Conflicts

Software that hooks into system-level operations, such as antivirus tools, virtual machines, debuggers, or performance monitoring software, can sometimes interfere with floating-point context.

How to Fix the 0x000000E7 BSOD

Follow these steps to diagnose and fix the problem:

1. Boot into Safe Mode

Start by booting into Safe Mode to prevent unstable drivers from loading.

• Press and hold the Power button to force a shutdown.
• Start your PC and interrupt the boot 3 times to trigger Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).
• Navigate to: Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart
• Press 4 or F4 to boot into Safe Mode.

2. Update or Roll Back Device Drivers

Use Device Manager to locate and update or roll back problematic drivers:

• Press Windows + X > Device Manager
• Focus on Display Adapters, Processors, Network Adapters, and other critical drivers.
• Right-click and choose Update Driver or Properties > Driver > Roll Back Driver (if recently updated).

For graphics drivers, it's often best to:

• Use Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) in Safe Mode
• Reinstall the latest stable drivers from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel.

3. Run System File Checker and DISM

Corrupt system files can be fixed with built-in tools:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:

bash

CopyEdit

sfc /scannow

‍

Then:

bash

CopyEdit

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

‍

Restart your system after both commands finish.

4. Check RAM and CPU Health

Hardware faults in memory or CPU can lead to corrupted thread states.

• Run Windows Memory Diagnostic:
  
  • Press Windows + R, type mdsched.exe, and choose Restart now.
• Use MemTest86 for a more thorough test (requires bootable USB).
• Monitor CPU temperatures with tools like Core Temp or HWMonitor to detect overheating.
• Consider resetting BIOS/UEFI settings to defaults if you’ve overclocked your system.

5. Perform a Clean Boot

Eliminate third-party software conflicts:

• Press Windows + R, type msconfig, and go to the Services tab.
• Check Hide all Microsoft services, then click Disable all.
• Go to Startup > Open Task Manager and disable all startup items.
• Reboot and see if the issue persists.

6. Restore System to a Previous State

If the BSOD started after a recent update or driver installation:

• Boot into WinRE and go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > System Restore.
• Select a restore point before the error started occurring.

7. Perform a Windows Reset (Last Resort)

If nothing else works, reset Windows:

• Go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Reset this PC
• Choose Keep my files or Remove everything depending on your preference.

How to Prevent the 0x000000E7 Error in the Future

• Keep drivers updated—especially graphics, chipset, and storage drivers.
• Avoid aggressive overclocking, especially CPU/FPU tweaking.
• Run regular virus/malware scans to ensure system integrity.
• Keep Windows up to date with the latest security and reliability patches.
• Use quality hardware components, particularly RAM and power supplies.
• Back up regularly so you can recover quickly in case of failure.

Final Thoughts

The 0x000000E7 BSOD may seem obscure, but it highlights a serious problem with how your system manages floating-point computations. By following the steps above—focusing on driver health, system integrity, and hardware reliability—you can resolve the issue and protect your system from future crashes.

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