PC back to crashing after resolving by updating BIOS

Question

Hello!

My Windows 11 PC was previously encountering frequent crashes following a Windows update. I asked a question here, and @Igor Leyko resolved it by suggesting I update my BIOS. Following this update, I didn't have any issues for months.

Recently, it started happening again, and it's been happening more frequently. I did a clean install of the latest NVIDIA drivers again, to no avail. The symptoms of the crash are identical to the ones from before, where the peripherals disconnect and I can no longer interact with the PC; sometimes it fully crashes, whereas sometimes the PC continues to "run" without outputting anything to the monitors/speakers or responding to the keyboard/mouse. It has happened to me both while playing RuneLite and while using Ableton Live 11.

I've attached the msinfo32 and eventvwr outputs like last time in the below OneDrive link. The latest ones are 2-24-second-crash-*: https://1drv.ms/f/c/235d03905c930a34/IgCOjua8ZxSLT4VQmdyZ9skFAV4Y0ctpBD1dAxJc-gTeb_Q?e=dZFjxd

Does anyone know what might be wrong? Thank you!

Answer 1

The dump shows corrupted NVidia driver. Please update this driver using third-party DDU tool.

Answer 2

Yes, force reboot causes Kernel-Power 41 error necessarily.

Please describe the detail of the crash. Do you have minidump?

Answer 3

Hi,

there were crash yesterday, system journal shows power fault. This may be caused by different reasons starting with bad contact at wall outlet and ending with problems with PSU or motherboard.

Can you replace power supply unit for checking?

And you may try to turn off all CPU power saving modes in BIOS (different C states) to check if the problem is in motherboard.

See some details at https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/troubleshoot-event-id-41-restart

Answer 4

It sounds like your PC is experiencing recurring stability issues after initially resolving them with a BIOS update. Given that the crashes are similar to those you faced before, here are some steps you might consider:

1. Check for Additional Updates: Ensure that your BIOS is still the latest version. Sometimes, manufacturers release multiple updates that address different issues. Check the manufacturer's website for any new updates.
2. Driver Updates: Besides the NVIDIA drivers, make sure all your other drivers (especially chipset and audio drivers) are up to date. Outdated drivers can lead to system instability.
3. Hardware Diagnostics: Since the crashes occur during resource-intensive tasks (like gaming and audio processing), consider running hardware diagnostics. Tools like Windows Memory Diagnostic can help check for RAM issues, and you can also check your hard drive's health using tools like CrystalDiskInfo.
4. Event Viewer Analysis: Review the Event Viewer logs for any critical errors or warnings that occur around the time of the crashes. This can provide clues about what might be causing the issue.
5. Power Supply Check: Ensure that your power supply is adequate for your hardware, especially if you've upgraded components. An insufficient power supply can lead to crashes under load.
6. Thermal Issues: Monitor your system temperatures to ensure that overheating isn't causing the crashes. Dust buildup in fans and heatsinks can lead to thermal throttling or shutdowns.
7. System Restore: If the issue started after a specific update or change, consider using System Restore to revert to a point before the problems began.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, you may want to consider seeking professional help to diagnose potential hardware failures.

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References:

• Bug checks (stop code errors)
• Advanced troubleshooting for stop code errors