{"id":189677,"date":"2026-02-03T12:29:26","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T12:29:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/?p=189677"},"modified":"2026-02-26T09:31:31","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T09:31:31","slug":"fix-event-tracing-fatal-error","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/fix-event-tracing-fatal-error","title":{"rendered":"How to Fix EVENT_TRACING_FATAL_ERROR (0x0000011D)?"},"content":{"rendered":"
It’s Monday, you’ve spent the entire last week working on an important product pitch which is due tomorrow, and suddenly your screen freezes with a blue screen & forces a reboot. Upon restart, Windows greets you with the message – EVENT_TRACING_FATAL_ERROR—meaning the Event Tracing for Windows (ETW) subsystem on your computer has failed.<\/p>
Event Tracing for Windows is a diagnostic and logging system used by the OS to log kernel-level events. Because this system is deeply integrated into Windows, when it fails, the system performs a forced shutdown to prevent data corruption.<\/p>
The purpose of this blog is to help people who are facing the EVENT_TRACING_FATAL_ERROR (0x0000011D) on their Windows PC and recover lost data.<\/p>
EVENT TRACING FATAL ERROR: The Causes<\/h2>
After scrolling through some user reports on different forums & technical documentation, we have come up with a bunch of probable causes that could be triggering the 0x0000011D error on your PC:<\/p>
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Files responsible for event logging (TraceLog) are corrupted or missing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Windows is blocking a specific driver from loading because it lacks a valid digital signature.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
The BIOS Secure Boot feature is conflicting with a specific hardware component or driver.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
The drivers (mainly Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Chipset) on your PC are incompatible with the current Windows version.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
The RAM settings on your PC are mismatched or the memory modules are failing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
Troubleshooting the EVENT TRACING FATAL ERROR<\/h2>
Effectively troubleshooting the EVENT_TRACING_FATAL_ERROR BSoD needs a specific approach, which depends on how the error occurred in the first place. Start with some basic workarounds like repairing system files to rule out corruption issues.<\/p>
Type CMD<\/strong> in the search and click Run as administrator<\/strong>. Now execute the following commands one after another:<\/p>
This will fix corruption in the Windows system files and component store issues that ETW and kernel logging depend on.<\/p>
1. Clear Corrupted ETW AutoLogger Files<\/h3>
Corrupted ETW AutoLogger files can prevent Windows from initializing essential tracing sessions during startup. Delete the existing .etl<\/strong> files. It will force Windows to recreate fresh trace logs on the next startup and resolve the error without affecting system stability or user data.<\/p>
\n
Press Win<\/strong> + R<\/strong> to launch Run<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Type services.msc<\/strong> and click OK<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Go to Windows Event Log <\/strong>and Connected User Experiences and Telemetry<\/strong>, right-click and select Stop<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>
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Go to the following path in File Explorer: C:\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\Diagnosis\\ETLLogs\\AutoLogger<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
Delete all the .etl<\/strong> files and Restart.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
This will clear corrupted trace sessions that trigger the fatal error during startup.<\/p>
2. Disable Driver Signature Enforcement<\/h3>
When a driver fails a security check during startup, it can result in the EVENT_TRACING_FATAL_ERROR on your PC. Bypass this check temporarily to identify the issue.<\/p>
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Press Win<\/strong> + X<\/strong> and click Settings<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
Go to Update & Security<\/strong> > Recovery<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Go to Troubleshoot<\/strong> > Advanced options<\/strong> > Startup Settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Click Restart<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>
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On the Startup Settings list, press F7<\/strong> to Disable driver signature enforcement<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>
If your PC boots successfully after disabling driver signature enforcement, the issue is probably a faulty driver that needs updating.<\/p>
3. Update Critical Drivers<\/h3>
Since outdated drivers (mainly network, chipset, audio, and storage controller) are another big reason behind the unexpected EVENT_TRACING_FATAL_ERROR blue screen error, update them on priority to mitigate this issue.<\/p>
\n
Open Device Manager<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Scroll down to Network Adapters<\/strong> and expand the entry.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Right-click on the wireless adapter and click Update driver<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>
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Click Search automatically for drivers<\/strong> and let Windows install it on your computer.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/figure>
Similarly, update other concerned drivers and reboot your PC.<\/p>
4. Perform Windows Memory Diagnostic<\/h3>
Usually, driver-related issues are the main factor behind this error, but occasionally, a user or two may face it because of faulty RAM. Run the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool to quickly get past RAM related problems.<\/p>
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Press Win<\/strong> + S<\/strong>, type CMD,<\/strong> and click Run as administrator<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Type mdsched.exe<\/strong> and press Enter<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Click Restart now and check for problems<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>
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The PC will restart and automatically check for memory faults.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
Recover Lost Data After EVENT TRACING FATAL ERROR<\/h2>
Blue screens like the EVENT_TRACING_FATAL_ERROR can interrupt the file writing process on Windows. If the error occurred while you were still saving a document or transferring files, it can result in data loss.<\/p>
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