Event ID: 41, Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Sometimes my computer freezes.

Sometimes my computer has been having problems loading up. It will be incomplete - not all icons will be in the Sys Tray . . . so I do a Restart, it looks like it’s going, but stops, and gives me a black screen . . . I re-try 2 or three times, and it comes back . . . It seems like it would be the hard drive, but I have Crystal Disk Info running, and it’s always saying that the status of the drive is “Good.”

I disabled Avast, and did all of this:

1.) C:>chkdsk c: /x /r
2.) C:>dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
3.) C:>sfc /scannow
4.) Disk Cleanup
5.) right-click on HD / Tools / Error checking
6.) scan for malware and viruses
7.) check for updates
8.) powercfg /restoredefaultschemes

. . . and nothing unusual shows up

It’s a “critical” error, as I see in the Event Viewer:

Log Name: System
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
Date: 12/01/15 8:17:41 AM
Event ID: 41
Task Category: (63)
Level: Critical
Keywords: (2)
User: SYSTEM
Computer: Home
Description:

The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.

. . . lost power unexpectedly . . . ? . . . No, there was no power loss, and I have the thing on a UPS.

I re-enable Avast, and go to do an Avast update. I see the word “kernel” fly by . . . update the “kernel driver?”

So, I notice the word “kernel” . . .

Could Avast be causing this? Is there a fix?

Other ideas:

Check your audio drivers in Device Manager - If you have more than one, disable one at a time, and try to cause the crash

[disabled] NVIDIA Virtual Audio Device (Wave Extensible) (WDM)
[disabled] Realtek High Definition Audio
[enabled] SB X-Fi Surround 5.1

Operating System
Windows 8.1 Pro 32-bit
CPU
Intel Pentium 4 521
Prescott 90nm Technology
RAM
2.00GB Dual-Channel DDR2 @ 332MHz (5-5-5-15)
Motherboard
Hewlett-Packard 09F0h (XU1 PROCESSOR)
Graphics
HP 2311 (1920x1080@60Hz)
512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT (Undefined)
Storage
149GB Seagate ST3160815A ATA Device (ATA)
233GB Maxtor 7L250S0 ATA Device (SATA)
Optical Drives
HL-DT-ST DVD-RAM GH22LP20 ATA Device
Audio
SB X-Fi Surround 5.1

2

This forum is for help with Avast Free/Pro/IS/Premier

3

I figured it out

I had a couple of external IDE backup drives, that I left connected to my desktop via USB, all the time . . . When I wanted to make a backup, I would power them on.

If I keep them disconnected, I never get the above issue when booting up the desktop.

Today, I only connect the external drives, and power them on, when I want to make a backup. When done, I power them off, and disconnect them.

I thought it was something with Avast, because of the error message - something in it looked like it was related to Avast.

4

Can be couple things…if old computer / old O/S (eg. XP) it can have problem mapping USB drives…
However, my other/better guess is if these USB HDDs are being power only from the USB cable…in other words you do not have power cords going to them, then your PC’s USB ports are not giving enough reliable power to them as they spin up on a boot. PCs…as matter of fact a lot of hardware…cheap out on the USB power circuit…it can be 500mA up to 2A but many times a lot of these ports are not even “individual” ports but rather shared/expanded within the internal PC chipset. Bottom line, PC companies cut corners everywhere they can…USB power is one of those areas. As you mentioned just leave them powered off until you want to use them and power them on…one at a time…after the PC is up and running. Another good reason for this as well is from an A/V standpoint if you ever get hit by a crypto virus it will not only encrypt everything on your local HDD but any USB or network drives that are active. Thus, having an external USB HDD that is power down, even disconnect cable, it really good practice for many reasons.