BIOS F.26 incompatible with Windows 11 26H2 - S0ix (Modern Standby) causes Kernel-Power 41 crashes

[y_terry]

• After upgrading to Windows 11 26H2 on Oct 21, my Pavilion 15-eg1xxx (BIOS F.26) began hard-rebooting (Kernel-Power 41, BugcheckCode 0) whenever the system attempted to enter Modern Standby (S0ix).

• The OS upgrade seems to have changed the ACPI power transitions, which your current BIOS cannot handle, resulting in an instant power cut.

• Forcing S3 sleep via the registry fixes the stability, but we need a BIOS update (F.27+) that is fully compatible with the new Windows 26H2 power models.

[Deep_World]

Hi  @y_terry
 
Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

I understand that your notebook is unexpectedly restarting when entering sleep, and I appreciate the time you've taken to isolate the issue and test different power configurations.

To help us better understand the situation, could you kindly confirm the below details :

• Does the restart occur every time the notebook enters Sleep mode, or only after a certain period of inactivity?
• Have you tested the notebook while connected only to battery power and only to AC power?

In the meantime, kindly try the following steps:

1. Check for  Intel Management Engine, and graphics driver updates  

Open HP Support Assistant and install all recommended chipset, Intel Management Engine, and graphics driver updates.

2. Run HP Hardware Diagnostics

1. Shut down the notebook.
2. Turn it on and repeatedly tap F2.
3. Run: 
   • System Tests
   • Memory Test
   • Extensive Hard Drive Test

Kindly let us know if any failure IDs are reported.

Helpful HP Documents : HP PCs - Troubleshooting sleep and hibernation issues - video reference - Click here
 

A Kernel-Power Event 41 with BugcheckCode 0 generally indicates that the system lost power unexpectedly or restarted without completing a normal shutdown process. Since forcing traditional S3 sleep appears to improve stability, the behaviour could be related to how the current BIOS version interacts with Modern Standby after the operating system upgrade.

I hope this helps. 

[y_terry]

Hi @Deep_World,

Thank you for the quick reply and for looking into this. I appreciate the help.

To answer your questions:

1. When does the restart occur? It occurs every single time the notebook attempts to enter Modern Standby (S0ix). This happens both when I close the lid, and when the notebook is left completely idle on the desk for a few minutes (even with the lid open).

2. Power Source: Yes, I have tested this. The crashes occur while plugged into AC power.

Regarding your troubleshooting steps, I have already performed the following before posting here. All drivers are now fully up to date:

• BIOS: F.26 (Installed manually)

• Intel Management Engine: 2406.5.5.0 (Installed manually)

• Intel Graphics Driver: 32.0.101.7092 (Installed manually)

• Intel RST VMD Controller: 20.2.4.1019 (Installed manually)

• HP Support Assistant shows zero pending updates.

Crucial Finding:
I have traced the timeline. My laptop was 100% stable until October 21st, when Windows Update installed the Windows 11 26H2 Feature Update (along with an Intel Extension Driver). Immediately after this OS upgrade, the Kernel-Power 41 (BugcheckCode 0) crashes began.

(Please see the attached screenshots below: The first two images show the Event Viewer crash details with BugcheckCode 0. The last one shows the Windows Update history proving the 26H2 update was installed on the exact day the crashes started).

I have confirmed this is an S0ix issue: By adding the PlatformAoAcOverride registry key to force legacy S3 sleep, and setting the lid close action to Hibernate, the crashes have completely stopped. The system is now rock solid.

I will go ahead and run the HP Hardware Diagnostics (F2) including the Memory and Extensive testswhen I have some free time, and I will report back if there are any Failure IDs. However, since forcing S3 sleep completely fixes the issue, this strongly points to a firmware compatibility bug between the F.26 BIOS and the new Windows 26H2 power models, rather than failing hardware.

Please let me know if there is a beta BIOS available for testing, or if I should just wait for a future release.

[Deep_World]

Hi @y_terry,

Based on the information shared, this appears to be related to the interaction between Windows 11 26H2 Modern Standby (S0ix) and the current BIOS F.26 firmware, Since the issue persists after updating the BIOS, Intel Management Engine, graphics drivers, and storage drivers, and because the system is stable when Modern Standby  is disabled, this may require further check . 

I recommend contacting HP Phone Support for further assistance to review the logs, verify whether there are any known firmware updates  and perform a deeper assessment of the issue.

1) Click on this link—    https://support.hp.com/contact

2) Add or select the product, and change/select your region.

3) Enter the serial number of your device or select Let HP detect your product option.

4) Choose "other" option from the list

5) Select continue to contact option

You should see the HP phone support number or Chat option listed.

They will guide you further.

Or, You may also visit the nearest HP authorized service center, the service team will check and assist you.

Kindly follow this link to locate the nearest HP service center:    https://support.hp.com/us-en/help/service-center

(Select the country from the dropdown menu and enter the city name or pincode)

Have a wonderful day!

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Regards,

Deep_World