DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE, what needs to be replaced?

Title: Troubleshooting DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE Errors on Custom-Built PCs: A Comprehensive Guide

If you’ve recently assembled a custom PC and are experiencing recurrent crashes with the DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE error, you’re not alone. This issue can be quite perplexing, especially when it occurs unpredictably and hampers your workflow. In this article, we’ll explore common causes, diagnostic steps, and effective solutions to resolve this frustrating problem.

Understanding DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE

The DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE error (STOP code 0x9F) typically indicates that a device driver is failing to respond correctly during power state transitions, such as sleep, hibernate, or shutdown. This can be triggered by incompatible drivers, hardware conflicts, or power management settings.

Case Scenario Overview

A recent case involved a newly built PC crashing at random intervals—sometimes within 5 minutes of booting, other times after 30 minutes. Demanding tasks appeared to trigger the crashes more frequently. The system displayed a blue screen with the error: DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE. Analysis with Windows Debugger (WinDbg) pointed to the failure bucket ID: 0x9F_3_ACPI_IMAGE_pci.sys, implicating the PCI Express component, possibly related to power management or device drivers.

Troubleshooting Steps Undertaken

The user attempted several standard troubleshooting methods:

• BIOS Update: Updated motherboard firmware to ensure compatibility and latest feature set.

• Driver Updates: Updated all device drivers, including chipset, graphics, and peripheral drivers.

• System Scans: Ran sfc /scannow, DISM, Windows Memory Diagnostic, and MemTest86—all reported no errors.

• Hardware Inspection: Noted an “Unknown USB Device (Descriptor Request Failed)” in Device Manager, indicating potential USB device or controller issues.

Persistent Issues and Clues

Despite these measures, crashes persisted. The “Unknown USB Device” message suggests a problematic USB device or controller. Since the build uses integrated graphics (iGPU) and no discrete GPU, other hypotheses include:

• Faulty USB controller or connected devices.

• Power management settings causing devices to fail during sleep or power state transitions.

• RAM incompatibility or faults (though memory diagnostics suggested otherwise).

Potential Causes

Based on the symptoms and analysis, possible causes for DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE in this scenario include:

1. Faulty or incompatible USB devices or controllers.

2. Outdated or incompatible motherboard chipset drivers.

3. Power management settings improperly configured.

4. Hardware conflicts, such as unstable