What you need to know
- Some HP computers are experiencing BSODs.
- A conflict between Windows Defender and HP software updates is thought to be the cause.
- A patch from HP is rolling out to address the problem.
HP released an update recently that appears to fix an issue that caused several severe errors on a variety of devices. HP users on a range of devices recently saw the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) and boot loops on their machines. While reports with those types of errors appeared before the May 12 Patch Tuesday update, the issue seemed to increase in frequency in conjunction with that update.
Now, an update is available from HP titled "HP Software Component 4.1.4.3079. The update appears to fix the "KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED" error that accompanied the Blue Screen of Death.
The issue seems to be caused by conflicts between Windows Defender and HP software updates. It's unclear how widespread the issue was but affected systems had serious issues. Some systems saw boot loops and couldn't boot into safe mode, according to Windows Latest. If you did manage to boot up your affected PC, you could fix the issue by performing a System Restore. While it doesn't illustrate how widespread the issue is, our executive editor, Daniel Rubino, ran into the issue over the weekend.
Welp, slow ring just nuked my gaming/work rig. Can't uninstall any updates, can't repair. Gotta reinstall Windows 🤦 pic.twitter.com/1iww7ShwfdWelp, slow ring just nuked my gaming/work rig. Can't uninstall any updates, can't repair. Gotta reinstall Windows 🤦 pic.twitter.com/1iww7Shwfd— Daniel Rubino (@Daniel_Rubino) May 21, 2020May 21, 2020
Woody Leonhard spotted the HP update and shared the news on Twitter. If you are on an HP device, you can go to Settings and perform a system update to receive the fix from HP. Neowin points out that the fix is rolling out gradually, so you might not see it at this time. The fix doesn't seem to specifically mention fixing this issue, so there's a chance that you could experience the issue after this update. People have reported that the update addressed the issue, though. If you are still concerned, you can follow our guide on how to perform a System Restore.
