How to fi BOOTLOG_NOT_LOADED @hal.inf,%acpi_amd64.devicedesc%;ACPI x64-based PC on my Dell Laptop

Question

Laptop:

Dell Inspiron 14z-5423

Intel Core i7-3537U

Windows 10 Home version 10.0.18362 Build 18362

x64 based PIC

BIOS A16

Problem: Computer is passing BIOS, but then the display is turning off (backlight included). After a few seconds, the section of the computer around the processor gets very hot.

The computer has been able to boot into Safe Mode, both with and without Networking. It has failed to turn on network services several times, but those are maybe four times out of fifty.

On a fresh install of Windows, the computer seemed to work. I had it on for less than half an hour, though, so I can't swear that the error didn't reoccur.

I do have two complete images from the hard drive, one from 2021, and one from 2024 when this error started.

I would prefer to keep the 2024 image installed, rather than do a completely fresh install. For diagnostic purposes, I've been using the 2021 image as a Known-Good image.

Software fixes:

Startup Repair. No change.

• Ran Defender Antivirus scan via command prompt in Safe Mode.
  • No change
• chkdsk with /r and /f. A few files were repaired.
  • No change
• sfc /scannow. Found errors, fixed them
  • No change
• DISM /Online /Cleanup-image /scanhealth and DISM /Online /Cleanup-image /restorehealth
  • No change
• With a bootable Windows flash drive, tried the following:
  • -bootrec /rebuildbcd
  • -bootrec /fixmbr
  • -bootrec /fixboot
    • No change
• Ran a fixlist provided over on Windows Community
  • No change

Hardware fixes:

Tried running a minimal system (for this laptop, that means no WLAN, no battery, no CD drive, no Input/Output board, no NVMe RAID drive). No change.

Tried a Known-Good image on my hard drive. No change.

Tried a Known-Good hard drive. No change.

At this point, I'm concerned that it has to be hardware. I mean, if a Known-Good hard drive doesn't work, then there's something specific to the hardware. But what? If there was something catastrophically wrong, then it shouldn't be reaching Safe Mode at all. Something isn't playing nicely with Windows 10.

In the bootlog (ntbtlog.txt, attached), there are a ton of BOOTLOG_NOT_LOADED entries. The first one is always:

BOOTLOG_NOT_LOADED @hal.inf,%acpi_amd64.devicedesc%;ACPI x64-based PC

This implies that there is a problem with either the processor, or the ACPI. I've done two stress tests on the processor using the UEFI diagnostics, and both times they came back clean.

Is there anything to be done? Is the processor dead? If not, is there a way to fix the ACPI instructions, or any of the drivers to work properly?