Laptop Not Booting – “Inaccessible Boot Device” & “Driver PNP Watchdog” – then again "inacc..." loop

[Jamil78]

• Title:

Laptop Not Booting – “Inaccessible Boot Device” & “Driver PNP Watchdog” – Need Help Without Formatting (HP 15s-fq2071TU)

Hi HP Community,

I really need help with my HP laptop. Here are the full details:

Model: HP 15s-fq2071TU

Product ID: 360L4PA#ACJ

Processor: 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7

Storage: 512GB Intel Optane SSD (non-RAID)

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🛠️ Problem:

My laptop froze when switching users (my brother was using it, then I logged into my own account).

I forced shut it down by long pressing the power button.

On restart, I got “Inaccessible Boot Device” blue screen.

It auto-restarts and shows “Preparing Automatic Repair”, but then throws another blue screen:

“Driver PNP Watchdog”

This loop keeps repeating and I can't access Windows or Safe Mode.

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I don’t want to format the laptop because I have important files in the C drive (Downloads, Documents, Screenshots).

I created a Windows 11 bootable USB via my Android phone (USBZile), and tried loading Intel RST VMD drivers to detect the SSD. I got as far as selecting drivers, but it crashed with Driver PNP Watchdog again.

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🔍 What I’ve Tried:

Booted into Windows installer (USB).

Loaded iastorVD.inf from dchu_VMD folder.

Tried both "VMD Controller" and "Managed Controller" — both caused BSOD.

Windows

installer doesn’t detect my SSD without loading driver.

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @Jamil78,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.
 

Thank you for posting your query. I will be glad to help you.

You're doing a fantastic job troubleshooting already, and thank you for being thorough — it helps. Let's work this out step by step to get your HP 15s-fq2071TU back up without formatting, keeping your data intact.

 1. Confirm BIOS Settings

Make sure your BIOS is configured correctly for your Intel Optane SSD:

1. Power on and press F10 to enter BIOS.
2. Go to System Configuration > Storage Options.
3. Ensure:
   • SATA Mode is set to Intel RST with Optane (not AHCI or RAID)
   • Secure Boot is Enabled
   • UEFI Boot Mode is selected

If you change anything, save and exit (F10), then try booting again.

2. Use the Correct Intel RST VMD Driver

You mentioned using iastorVD.inf — that’s correct, but the Driver PNP Watchdog BSOD suggests a mismatch.

• Download the Intel RST VMD driver for your exact model from HP: 👉 HP Laptop 15s-fq2071TU (360L4PA) Software and Driver Downloads | HP® Support 
• Look under Driver – Storage or Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver
• Extract the .zip and load the driver during Windows Setup

3. Use Safe Boot Option in Windows Installer

When booting from your USB:

1. On the Windows Setup screen, press Shift + F10 to open Command Prompt
2. Type: bcdedit /set {default} safeboot minimal
3. exit
4. Click Next > Repair your computer > Continue
5. If it boots, you’ll enter Safe Mode — back up your files immediately
6. To exit Safe Mode later: bcdedit /deletevalue {default} safeboot

4. Run HP UEFI Hardware Diagnostics

1. Power off the laptop
2. Press Esc repeatedly, then F2 to enter diagnostics
3. Run the Storage Test (Quick and Extensive)
4. If the SSD fails, note the Failure ID and contact HP Support

I hope this helps.

Take care, and have an amazing day!
 

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!

Regards,

VikramTheGreat