How to fix Kernel-Power Critical error

What is Kernel-Power Critical error

Kernel-Power is an unexpected error displayed in Windows Event Viewer as critical. Windows describes this error as a result of your system being rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. It also states that this error may be associated with system crashes, loss of power, and other unexpected problems erupting for unexplained reasons. In log details of the error, users can see a number of metrics helping to pinpoint the problem. The Kernel-Power issue has Event ID 41, which means there is a problem of incorrectly shutting down your system. It usually pops when Windows cannot finish the session correctly and forced to restart after the last shutdown. As a rule, such problems emerge when there is an improper power supply. This can be related to hard disks, memory, and other additional devices that have destabilized power supply. In order to fix it, there is a couple of basic solutions that helped a lot of people resolve the problem. Follow our detailed instructions to do them below.

1. Alter Power Settings

The most advisable thing to fix the Kernel-Power issue is tweaking power settings. Because you can change how Windows delivers power to each of the devices, that is one of the ways to get rid of the problem. Below, we are going to show you the changes that should be done to prevent your system from shutting down like mentioned.

1. Type Power & Sleep settings in the search bar next to the Start Menu.
2. Open it up and go to Additional power settings.
3. Locate your selected plan and click on Change plan settings.
4. Now click on Change advanced power settings.
5. Find the Hard Disk option. Click on it and then choose Turn off hard disk after.
6. Change both On battery and Plugged in options to Never and save changes by clicking Apply.
7. Finally, you should repeat the previous step with Sleep after. You can find it by expanding the Sleep section from the list.

2. Update or Rollback drivers

Drivers that have not been updated for too long can be part of the problem. Because of new hardware and software updates, old drivers become obsolete and no longer compatible. Sometimes drivers can be installed new but malfunction due to bugs and glitches that developers could not forecast before the release. If enabled, Windows can update drivers automatically and inform users in the notification bar. Whatever the case, you can update drivers or roll them back in case the error popped up after a sudden update. You can do it manually, however, if you are not willing to do it yourself, you can appoint this task to IOBIT Driver Booster, which is a popular utility specifically designed to install and replace faulty drivers automatically. Here is the link to download it.

Driver Booster start screen

Driver Booster scan results

Driver Booster tools section

To update drivers manually:

1. Right-click on the Start Menu button and select Device Manager.
2. In the opened tab find the malfunctioned driver (marked with a yellow triangle) and expand a drop-down menu.
3. Locate the driver, right-click on it, choose Update Driver and follow the on-screen instructions. Alternatively, you can choose Properties and click Roll Back Driver to return the previous version.
4. Windows will start searching for available updates and automatically install them on your computer.

3. Turn off duplicate audio drivers

Another frequently seen reason for Kernel-Power errors is having identical audio drivers working at the same time. Some users said that disabling ATI High Definition Audio Device can work out eventually. To learn whether you have such duplicates or not, follow the steps below.

1. Just as we did above, open Device Manager.
2. From the list, find Sound, video and game controllers section.
3. Expand it and check if there are identical audio drivers installed.
4. If this is the case, you should right-click on one of them and choose Disable.
5. According to some people, you should no longer be facing the error after performing these steps. If there is no change after running this method, go further to explore more solution options down below.

4. Disable Fast Startup

Fast Startup is a Windows feature that comes pre-enabled for each system user. It is really useful as there is a time reduction for the start of your system. In other words, with this option turned on, users are able to boot up their PC faster than usual. When such a feature is switched on, Windows does not shut down completely but floats around the state between hibernation and shutdown. Thus, in case Fast Startup is enabled, it can cause improper communication between some devices. This does not mean that all users have to turn off this feature. As we mentioned, it is not intentionally harmful to your system, yet there are some PC configurations that cannot get along with it. If you continue to stumble into the Kernel-Power error, this method is definitely worth trying. Here is how:

1. Go to Power & Sleep settings and Additional power settings as we did in the very first method.
2. Click on Choose what the power buttons do.
3. Just above Power and sleep button settings, choose Change settings that are currently unavailable.
4. The window will be refresh and allow you to tweak the necessary values.
5. Uncheck Turn on fast startup (recommended) and click Save changes.
6. As soon as these steps are done, restart your computer and check if Kernel-Power persists.

5. Upgrade BIOS

BIOS is a motherboard chip that stores configuration settings. Such things as Power supply, RAM, and CPU are managed correctly thanks to the BIOS settings. In other words, it is responsible for the proper hardware performance. Unfortunately, sometimes BIOS configuration may become destabilized leading to various problems. To fix it, users are advised to update the BIOS. This can be done by visiting your motherboard manufacturer page and downloading updates from it. Note that it is an advanced procedure, requiring attention and skills to perform. Make sure to follow the update manual attached to the manufacturer’s websites. If you have not done it before and still not ready to test out your skills updating BIOS, we recommend you to use the professional help of qualified people.

6. Check hardware for physical problems

Sometimes errors are unreal to solve just using software solutions. We recommend you to make sure all parts of your hardware are properly connected to the PC. Such pieces like RAM, CPU, GPU and other important stuff may be poorly cabled to necessary outputs. Also, the problem may occur due to the dust accumulated over hardware components. Strong layers of dust and other elements can sometimes block hardware from working correctly. Therefore, it is worth cleaning your PC from dust if you have not done it for a very long time.

Another big thing to mention is temperatures. If there are high temperatures bombarding your hardware, Windows might be compelled to fall into emergency shutdowns. This is done to prevent possible damage that could be imposed on hardware components. You can check whether it is your case by downloading utilities that monitor temperatures whilst using your PC or playing video games. Great and free programs to do this are Open Hardware Monitor, AIDA64 Extreme, and many more that can be found across the web.

In addition to that, there is a thing called PSU (Power Supply Unit). Apparently, it is meant to deliver power to internal components. In some cases, users found their PSU oxidated, which prevented the unit from working duly. Therefore, it is worth consulting with a PC specialist that will identify the problem and hopefully fix it. Rather than fixing, in most cases, users simply replace their old PSU with new as it is the easiest way to resolve the issue.

Summary

Kernel-Power (Event ID 41) is quite a serious problem indicating power-related issues. Whilst sometimes they can be solved by tweaking certain settings, in other cases, such errors may actually push you out of your comfort zone. There is no way to predict such errors appear someday in the future. The most important is how you react to these issues once they emerge. We hope you have managed to solve the error and now feeling a bit more composed. If none of the steps helped out, you can also scan out your PC for malware as it may also affect such changes.