Probook 460 G11 randomly crashing

[Matt_G11_460]

Hello HP Community,

Late last year I acquired a HP Probook 460 G11 Notebook.

I'm having an issue whereby it randomly crashes often when connected to either one of my universal docking stations or alternately an external monitor (with no docking station).  Sometimes it will go for hours before crashing, sometimes it'll go for an hour...

Once it crashes, the only way to resume using it is to force it to shutdown via power button & restart.

I have ensured that all drivers & the system BIOS are up to date.   Also, I have run DISM to Check & Repair the Windows Image and SFC /Scannow several times in an effort to stop this occurring.

The Event Viewer Error message I get after a crash reads as follows:

Failed to process session change. System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
at HP.Watcher.WatcherEngine.FireEnrollmentCheckIfPresent()
at hptpsmarthealthservice.hptpsmarthealthservice.OnSessionChange(SessionChangeDescription changeDescription)
at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase.DeferredSessionChange(Int32 eventType, Int32 sessionId)

Has anyone had this issue before or knows a solution?

Cheers. 

[Dragora]

Hi Matt_G11_460

The culprit is a proprietary HP background software component called HP TechPulse (tied to HP Insights / HP Smart Health).

The exact failure is a coding flaw (System.NullReferenceException) triggered within hptpsmarthealthservice.exe. This telemetry service relies on tracking user logins, logouts, or session switches. Every time you connect or disconnect your docking station or external monitor, Windows triggers a brief "Session Change" behind the scenes to recalibrate display scaling, user context, and security per-device rules.

When your external display setup triggers this window state event, the background HP app attempts to run a cloud enrollment check (FireEnrollmentCheckIfPresent()), completely crashes, and locks up the Windows kernel. Because it is a system-level service failing on a session switch, it entirely freezes your interface, leaving a forced hard-reboot as your only escape.

Since your Windows image (DISM) and system files (SFC) are already healthy, the following targeted steps will stop the crash.

Solution 1: Disable the Broken Service (Quickest & Safest Fix)

Since HP Smart Health/TechPulse is a corporate telemetry and monitoring tool (used to report hardware health to IT administrators), disabling it will not affect your laptop's day-to-day performance or capabilities.

1. Press the Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.

2. Type services.msc and press Enter.

3. Scroll down the list until you find HP TechPulse Service or HP Smart Health Service (it may align perfectly with the log name: hptpsmarthealthservice).

4. Right-click the service and select Properties.

5. Change the Startup type drop-down menu to Disabled.

6. Click the Stop button to kill the active process immediately, then click Apply and OK.

7. Close the Services window and restart your computer.

Try plugging/unplugging your dock and monitors. The freeze should no longer trigger.

Solution 2: Completely Remove HP TechPulse / Insights

If you own this device personally (meaning it isn't managed by an corporate enterprise IT department that strictly requires telemetry), you can safely remove the software suite causing the issue.

1. Right-click the Start menu and select Installed Apps (or Apps & Features).

2. Look through the list for any of the following names:

   • HP Insights

   • HP TechPulse

   • HP Smart Health

3. Click the three dots next to the software and choose Uninstall.

4. Once removed, restart your laptop.

Solution 3: Reinstall clean via HP Support Assistant (If you need the telemetry)

If this is a corporate-deployed device and your IT department flags missing health services, the application must be updated to patch the bug.

1. Open the HP Support Assistant application pre-installed on your ProBook.

2. Search for updates specifically under the Software & Utilities section rather than standard drivers.

3. Look for an updated payload targeting HP Insights, HP Client Security, or HP TechPulse.

4. Installing the latest build will rewrite the broken .dll parameters handling that OnSessionChange script, safely preventing the crash when an external monitor or dock forces a layout state change.

I hope the above is helpful

If this helped you solve your problem, please mark my answer as the solution. Thank you.

[Matt_G11_460]

Hi Dragora,

Firstly, thanks for your reply.

Based on your advice, I have Disabled the Service named 'HP Insights Analytics' (HP Tech Pulse Service nor HP Smart Health Services exist).

I will see in the next couple of days whether this resolves the issues experienced & revert.

Cheers.