ASUS TUF laptop randomly rebooting Kernel-Power Event 41

Zaineb Ismail 0 Reputation points
2026-08-18T11:20:47.52+00:00

Hi Microsoft Community,

I’ve been experiencing instant/random reboots on my ASUS TUF PC for about a week. The computer suddenly restarts without any warning or a proper shutdown.

When I checked Event Viewer → Windows Logs → System, I repeatedly found Critical: Kernel-Power, Event ID 41, indicating that Windows was not properly shut down before the restart.

The issue started before I updated my BIOS and AMD chipset drivers. I updated both afterward, but the random reboots are still happening.

I have also disabled “Automatically restart” in Advanced System Settings, but the issue continues.

Some relevant details:

ASUS TUF PC

Random instant reboot with no warning

Kernel-Power — Event ID 41 (Critical)

Windows reports that the previous shutdown was not clean

BIOS and AMD chipset drivers are updated

The problem existed before those updates

The PC has been in use for around 2 years

no memory errors was detected too

Could someone help me determine whether this is more likely to be a Windows/software issue, driver issue, power issue, or hardware problem? I’d also appreciate guidance on what Event Viewer logs or diagnostic tests I should check next.

Thank you.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Sleep and Power on, off
0 comments

2 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Hendrix-V 18,515 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-08-20T04:20:13.1033333+00:00

    Hi Zaineb Ismail,

    Since the reboots began before the BIOS and chipset updates and continue afterward, the Event ID 41 entries are mainly confirming that Windows detected an unexpected restart rather than identifying the root cause itself.

    To narrow this down, I'd focus on checking for underlying hardware stability issues:

    1. Open Reliability Monitor (perfmon /rel) and look for any hardware, driver, or application failures that occur at the exact time of a reboot.
    2. Run Windows Memory Diagnostic (mdsched.exe) to rule out intermittent RAM problems.

    If no software or driver errors appear before the unexpected restarts, the issue is more likely related to hardware stability, power delivery, thermals, or a component beginning to fail, especially on a system that has been in service for a couple of years.

    Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

    Was this answer helpful?

  2. Thoura Sopheak Nanta 655 Reputation points
    2026-08-19T02:57:07.6033333+00:00

    Hi @Zaineb Ismail

    If your PC randomly shuts down or restarts with a Kernel-Power 41 error, follow these steps to identify and fix the cause, starting from simple checks to advanced diagnostics.

    If your PC randomly shuts down or restarts with a Kernel-Power 41 error, follow these steps to identify and fix the cause, starting from simple checks to advanced diagnostics.

    Open Event Viewer by pressing Windows + R, typing eventvwr.msc, and pressing Enter.

    Go to Windows Logs > System and filter for Event ID 41 to confirm the shutdown events.

    Check for related errors (e.g., WHEA, Disk, driver faults) within 5 minutes before the shutdown.

    Update your GPU drivers using the latest version from the manufacturer; use DDU in Safe Mode for a clean install.

    Update your motherboard BIOS using the vendor’s official method (e.g., Q-Flash for Gigabyte boards).

    Install the latest chipset drivers from your CPU manufacturer’s website.

    Disable Fast Startup in Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do.

    Set your Windows power plan to High performance.

    Power off and unplug your PC, then reseat all major power cables (24-pin ATX, CPU 8-pin, GPU PCIe) and RAM sticks.

    Check PSU adequacy using an online power calculator; ensure voltage stays between 11.8–12.2V under load in HWInfo64.

    Stress test components individually: Prime95 for CPU, FurMark for GPU, OCCT for PSU, MemTest86 for RAM.

    If instability persists, reset BIOS to Optimized Defaults and disable overclocking or XMP profiles.

    Test with minimal hardware (one RAM stick, no extra drives, integrated graphics if possible) to isolate faulty parts.

    If available, test with a known good PSU rated 850W+ Gold to rule out power issues.

    As a last resort, back up your data and perform a clean Windows installation.

    These steps help pinpoint whether the issue is due to PSU strain, driver/firmware bugs, unstable overclocking, or faulty hardware.

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.