Kernal Power Event

[BarkingGhostar]

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H55-UD3
* Configured to not reboot after power loss
CPU: Intel Core i3 1st gen stock/retail no OC
RAM: OCz DDR2 1600, but I think running at 1333
HDD: West Digital Green 500GB SATA2
Video: Intel integrated in i3
Case: Antec Sonata 3 with included Antec PSU
OS: Windows 7 Professional w/all updates

While in the adjacent room last night I was playing on the Xbox. I heard the HP Scanjet sound off like it does whenever you boot the PC cold. The PC had been sitting in idle (but On) condition for approximately two hours. After playing, I decided to have a look at the Event log (about 20-minutes had passed).

I had to log back in, which initially I thought maybe a Windows update rebooted the PC, but upon inspection of the Event log found Kernal Power event had taken place.

I have nowhere else to begin. The BIOS is configured to not reboot the PC upon external power failure. I am thinking the ~18 month old Antec power supply or the motherboard.

Ideas where to go beyond this? I didn't think to go deeper in the investigation last night so I do not know how many other times this has happened.

 

[Bubbaleone]

Might be a good place to start: Windows Kernel event ID 41 error in Windows 7

 

[BarkingGhostar]

After reading that I know this wasn't a case of someone pushing the power button on the PC. No power loss, or even a brownout, took place. I'm left thinking that something might be wrong, physically, on the PSU/mobo trail. Nice, this POS computer has given me more hardware troubles since its inception than all the other PC's I've built in the past two decades.

 

[Bubbaleone]

After reading that I know this wasn't a case of someone pushing the power button on the PC. No power loss, or even a brownout, took place. I'm left thinking that something might be wrong, physically, on the PSU/mobo trail. Nice, this POS computer has given me more hardware troubles since its inception than all the other PC's I've built in the past two decades.

I just remembered, several years ago, diagnosing a problem for a customer whose PC had always had a problem with intermittently restarting. This occured both when in use as well as just sitting idle. My trusty Fluke 187 located a lead coming from the front panel header on the PCB where the actual circuit had unbonded from the phenolic. With a jewlers loupe I could see a minute fracture in that lead. I'm guessing that depending on temp/load the lead could carry current. I RMA'd the board for him...problem solved. If you have a good multimeter you might want to take a look for something similar. Just an idea.

 

[Billb2]

The BIOS is configured to not reboot the PC upon external power failure.

Have you checked that that setting didn't somehow get changed?