The only Windows issue I am experiencing is with PowerDVD. I never had any BSOD with any software I have been installing / using on this machine. I have been using this laptop for work for almost 4 months. I am a software developer. As you can imagine, as I always do when I get a new machine, I installed quite a few software, some commercial, some open source, some well-developed, some not so well, the only time I got a BSOD is when installing PowerDVD. Currently, according to Windows, the list of installed software is around 135 lines. A part of it is Dell or Windows components, but there are quite a few others. I have been using my laptop to develop software, browse the internet using 2 different browsers, listen to music, view videos and DVDs using 2 different softwares (although obviously not using PowerDVD), view and edit photos... I have plugged and unplugged the power at different stages, let my laptop go out of battery or on the contrary let it run on power adapter for days... Never have I had any issue, especially not BSODs.
The only previous software I apparently had issues with was PowerDVD version 19, but this is still an issue with CyberLink, isn't it? It is CyberLink's responsibility to ensure that installing a new version over an old one does not trigger unwanted (to say the least) effects. If the problem is that PowerDVD 19 was not correctly uninstalled, then please give me the means to uninstall it properly.
Dramatic manipulations such as reinstalling Windows are obviously not on my list. This machine is primarily for work, viewing DVDs is a bonus. Reinstalling Windows is a risk (and a lot of work). I am not going to risk the primary function (work), which is currently perfectly working, for the bonus. Rather, I will ask CyberLink to refund me, which I am still entitled to.
I have spent already hours and hours on this issue which should have been so simple, which is so simple with other software. I'll try a few more days. If I can't make it work before the end of the refund period, I'll ask for the refund. If some issue in my machine (ACPI or poor uninstall procedure) is indeed the cause of this, then I'll forget about PowerDVD and try some other software. Obviously, most of the software available are able to run without issues, and I can forget about the so-called ACPI problem since it never has any effect.
BTW, how come PowerDVD 19 never triggered BSODs? Why can't PowerDVD 20 be as tolerant as the previous version?