Device and purchase
- Model: ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2025), GU605CR (GPU: RTX 5070 Ti)
- Purchased from: Best Buy
- Condition: Brand new, within 15-day return window
- Comparison unit: My 2024 Zephyrus G16 works flawlessly under identical software and usage
Symptoms
- Repeated BSODs and freezes, especially on battery
- Frequent unexpected shutdowns and auto restarts
- Occasional BitLocker recovery after restarts (on a different 2025 ASUS unit I tried earlier)
- System becomes unstable notably during startup/shutdown and when on battery power
Blue screen stop codes observed
- HYPERVISOR_ERROR
- UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP (0x7F)
- SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (0x7E)
- MEMORY_MANAGEMENT (0x1A)
- BugCheck event reported 0x000001AA in Event Viewer
Event Viewer highlights (multiple occurrences)
- WHEA-Logger Event ID 1: “A fatal hardware error has occurred”
- Kernel-Power Event ID 41: Unexpected shutdowns
- Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Boot Event ID 124: “Virtualization-based security enablement policy check … failed” with status 0xc0290122
- WER-SystemErrorReporting 1001: Bugchecks logged with minidumps saved to C:\Windows\Minidump\ (several timestamps on 8/19)
- EventLog 6008: Prior shutdowns were unexpected
Context and patterns
- Issues happen only on battery; when plugged in, far less frequent.
- Using the laptop on a soft surface can worsen heat, but crashes still occur on a hard, flat surface in battery mode.
- I used standard software setup comparable to my stable 2024 G16.
- I initially had Aura (AV/identity protection) and Fortect (optimizer) installed; I understand overlapping security/optimizer tools can contribute to instability. Disabling/removing them was considered as a test, but given the severity and VBS-related errors, I’m reporting to ASUS.
Actions considered/attempted
- Reviewed Event Viewer logs and identified the above errors.
- Discussed disabling VBS/Memory Integrity and virtualization features (VT-x/VT-d/SVM/IOMMU) for testing, plus checking BIOS/EC and chipset/storage/Wi‑Fi/GPU updates.
- Given the severity, frequency, and battery-only nature, I plan to return the unit within the window—but I’m submitting this ticket so ASUS is aware of the behavior on GU605CR.
What I’m requesting
- Confirmation whether these symptoms (WHEA fatal errors, hypervisor/VBS policy failures, BSODs on battery) are known issues on early GU605CR batches.
- Recommended remediation steps specific to GU605CR:
- Required BIOS/EC/ME firmware versions to address VBS/BitLocker/BSOD stability.
- Specific chipset, storage/NVMe, GPU, and Wi‑Fi/Bluetooth driver versions known to resolve battery-mode crashes.
- Any guidance on power profiles or BIOS settings (e.g., C-States, Fast Boot, VT-d) for interim stability until firmware fixes are published.
- If this is hardware-related (battery/VRM/mainboard), please advise on RMA vs. exchange.
Attachments available upon request
- Minidumps from C:\Windows\Minidump (dated 8/19)
- Full Event Viewer logs around crash times
- System info (msinfo32) and battery report
Notes
- I also briefly owned a 2025 Zephyrus G14 earlier this week and encountered repeated restarts and BitLocker recovery prompts; I returned it. My stable 2024 G16 suggests my software/setup is not the root cause.
Thank you for your help—happy to provide logs and try ASUS-recommended steps if needed.
