I experienced a system crash with an NMI_HARDWARE_FAILURE bluescreen after plugging a USB cable into my computer. I was trying to connect my microphone, but nothing was connected at the time. I've been having persistent issues with Windows 11, and I'm worried this is serious. Are there any ways to prevent this from happening again or any fixes I should try?
4 Answers
First things first, it sounds like you might have a hardware issue rather than just a software one. Check your error logs to see if there are any clues; something as simple as reseating your RAM or SSD can sometimes do the trick.
If plugging in a cable (with nothing on the other end) crashes your system, it could mean one of three things: the USB port is faulty, the cable itself is to blame, or it was just a freak coincidence. Try testing with another cable or port to see if the crash happens again.
From your description, it sounds like the port might be damaged since this has happened before. It's working fine after a restart, but if you switch USB ports, be cautious. You can definitely use a USB hub to add more connections, just make sure it’s reliable!
Definitely check your dump files for more info. If you’re unsure how to access them, try using BlueScreenView to analyze the crash logs—it can help pinpoint the issue.
I checked, and I found a WHEA error log right at the time of the crash, but nothing else caught my eye.