Repeated, random Kernel 41 crashes

Hey Folks,

This thread was originally posted in the ASUS notebook forum. However, one forum member (who sells, builds, and repairs notebooks) suggested this issue is a software problem and that I should post it here. Pasted below is my original post. There is also a link to another post that has explicit details, error messages, repair attempts, and configuration attempts. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome. Since this post was made I've steered away from the direction of sending it to ASUS. I'm very, very close to scrapping the ASUS and moving onto greener pastures. I've been looking at different laptops and I'm very close to pulling the plug.

Best regards,

Phil


ORGINAL POST:

I stumbled upon this wonderful forum wondering if anyone in here owned a U56E and had this problem. The internet is full of these complaints about this particular machine. Since July of 2012 my laptop has crashed 81 times all resulting in this Kernel 41 error. In November the motherboard and RAM were replaced by an authorized ASUS repair center. It was ok for a couple months and then the same thing occurred (and is still happening). All drivers are up to date. The BIOS is up to date. Over the past week I've tried running HD diagnostics with Western Digital software and it failed miserable. So, now I need a new HD. In November the repair shop tested and it came back ok. I'm not sure if the HD is the cause of the issue or if the issue caused the HD problem. Regardless I called the local ASUS shop and they requested I send it to the regional repair facility in CA. I called ASUS CS and they asked me to send it in too. I already have an RMA# but now my laptop is out of warranty.

I'm hoping someone around these forums has FIXED this issue. Any help or advice with what to do would be greatly appreciated.

FYI, there are full details, including full laptop specs, other fixes I've tried, diagnostic reports, etc. here:

Intermittent kernel 41 power issues w/ NO BSOD - Windows 7


Best regards,

Phil

 

serious question (because I skimmed all of your posts/links and didn't see it addressed anywhere): how many times have you reinstalled windows since july '12?

Sent from my PI39100 using Board Express

 

Matt,

Only one time. I wiped the slate clean well before it ever went in for the motherboard and RAM warranty repair.


Phil

 

I would contact whoever sold the computer to you and see if they can get you a full refund or a differnet model of you choice. Your could also post here: http://rog.asus.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?107-NON-ROG-ASUS-Notebooks-and-Tablets and send personal messages to anyone who has @ASUS as part of their userid's
IS the computer plugged into a UPS?

 

Josea,

The laptop is about 16 months old so the retailer, Frys, won't take it back. Although the issues have been occurring since July of last year.

The laptop is NOT plugged into a UPS.

That ASUS board is worth a shot though. I've already found a thread where a couple people are having the exact same issue that I'm having.

Best regards,

Phil

 

Josea,

The laptop is about 16 months old so the retailer, Frys, won't take it back. Although the issues have been occurring since July of last year.

The laptop is NOT plugged into a UPS.

That ASUS board is worth a shot though. I've already found a thread where a couple people are having the exact same issue that I'm having.

Best regards,

Phil

 

While this is a wild guess, the BIOS can essentially shut the system down. This is usually the case where a temp monitor is at critical readings. The problem can lie with a bad sensor, temperature and/or power. If the sensor gave the bios a critical reading to shut down that same data may not even make it to windows before the shut down occurs. I doubt it but is there a way in bios to stop critical shutdown?

As a side note if there is a power issue where pulling a USB device under or over spikes a CPU this could cause a shutdown/reboot. This would definitely give you those errors. It could be as simple as a design error with an undersized capacitor. When this happens sometimes you just get some systems with issues as the CAPs all have a tolerance +- so some boards work where others do not..................

 

I updated the BIOS to the very latest version. I had a crash a few hours afterward however that was the last crash and it's been about 3 days since that happened. Could it be a coincidence or am I getting closer?

Regarding your theory about the USB ports, I've thought there could be a connection there too. No idea how to prove that though.

 

Sound like conflict drivers.

 

Merlin,

That has been mentioned before in other threads that other users suffering from this same issue have pontificated. However, there have been no confirmed cases where this has solved the issue. Several people have talked about potential conflicts with two audio drivers. I DO HAVE 2 audio drivers listed in device manager. They are: Intel display audio (listed first) and Realtek High Definition Audio (listed second).

I've toyed with deleting one but didn't want to cause further issues by messing with something that I wasn't sure about. FYI, I've included a screen cap of my audio drivers and a whole bunch of system device drivers. Advice, ideas?

 

I don't know what to tell you since I can't see the laptop. You might get a lemon. It is hard for me to tell you the right answer. I have the same audio drivers as you are, but I don't have any problems with my laptop. As other suggest, you might want to reformat your machine again. I mean don't use ASUS recovery option. Just completely wipe and install everything again. This is the best thing I can tell you, and I am sorry.

 

HAve you tried the typical first line ASUS support suggestion (from their script)? Use the Asus recovery program to return to factory specs --- JUST kidding. When you update your drivers do you use ones from the manufacturer's site where available (to ensure you have the latest)? For instance realtek, ATI or NVidia assuming you have a dedicated Video card.

 

If you have gone three days without a crash then it may have been the bios shutting the system down before the OS closed. Again the bios can do this to supposedly save the hardware but if there is a bug in the code or an awry sensor etc.................................

 

Hi Josea,

AHAHA! Yes, I've dealt with ASUS via email and phone support MANY times over the past 8 months or so. It lead me nowhere, then eventually an authorized service center, then to this potential RMA.

So, I DID use the ASUS recovery discs many months ago thinking this was the ticket to wiping things clean and restarting. But what I'm inferring from this forum is that this is NOT the thing to do. I don't have another Windows 7 disc to reinstall if I need to do a different reinstall. Suggestions on whether I should do that and how to do it without a Windows 7 disc?

Regarding the drivers, I just update them either through the ASUS updater (which pops up every time the machine reboots) or through the device manager.

Thanks!

One last thing! I've been trying to sign up for the Asus gaming site that you recommended but the registration form just HANGS when I fill out the form and press the send button! AHHHH...Asus hates me!

 

That is possible. And I have gone several days without crashes prior to the BIOS update. But I did have that ONE crash a few hours after the bios update on Saturday morning.

Phil

 

Phil,

Are you still having the crashes? I own an ASUS U56E-BBL6 that I purchased in Oct 2011 and it is having the same issues as you described. The restarts/crashes started in the fall of 2012 and occurred every so often. Now, it will restart/crash several times a day. I have updated the BIOS, reinstalled Windows (both factory reset and from a Windows 7 disk), and have used linux live cds. It does not seem to make difference as it will still restart/crash.

Ben

 

Ben,

I'm at a total loss, both figuratively and literally. The way it behaves right now (crashing randomly once or twice a day) it's worthless. It's a great looking, great feeling machine but it's totally form over function. I gave up late last week and bought a new notebook, which I'm typing on right now. I've tried so many 'fixes' with the ASUS, including what you did, and it just doesn't help. I'm finally coming to the conclusion that it's just a lemon. There's bad parts inside and at this point in time, no one can give me a solid answer as to which part and why it's causing the issue. So, I cut bait since any repair will be costly and will be a guess. Eventually someone WILL figure this out and have a definitive repair. When that happens I might just pull that old laptop out of the closet and fix it myself. In retrospect, I feel like the U56E model motherboard might be a lemon. When it was replaced under warranty it behaved well for a few months, no crashes. Then it suddenly started happening again. I can't prove it but that's as good as I can do at the moment.

So, thanks for your response. If I find a solution I'll post here. Please do the same.

 

If it is still crashing like then rug was just pulled out from under the system it is either a sensor causing a bios crisis shutdown or power loss to the CPU rail. If the power goes to far under spec to the CPU it will cause an immediate hard crash, just like there was no battery inside and someone pulled the power plug out of the laptop.

The later to me is highly suspect as you mention a new main board giving several months of good service. If this is the issue it will take some soldering work on the main and/or daughter boards. If this is the case ASUS will probably fix all the systems they can with new main boards until all warranties are expired. It is doubtful you will see a recall unless a severe majority of the systems fail.

Your only hope, and do this at your own risk, is to try a higher amp brick. Laptops, like desktop power supplies, split up the power going into the system. The reaction of the brick from different draws can lower the bricks output voltage. While your laptop was new and running all in spec these spikes and dips were tolerated by the CPU. An older main board my not be as able to tolerate these spikes. A quality higher amp brick SHOULD provide smoother and cleaner power and this MAY be your save grace.

I am not saying the above will work but might, so before investing see if a friend has a better brick to try out.................

 

Regarding the power deficiency to the CPU rail, I think you're onto something. This makes more sense than anything I've seen before. it almost seems as if when a new computer is used, or a new motherboard is installed, it works perfectly until enough heat builds and it loosens a connection. Subsequently once that happens you get the occasional random, hard crash because enough power is not getting to the CPU/Motherboard.

Regarding ASUS and their ability to recall or fix things, it seems like this is a widely reported issue but there are no recalls. If you do a cursory Google search for 'ASUS U56E crash' there are numerous message board posts. I think that model is just a lemon. I'm sure some folks have had great success with that laptop but many others have not.