My Asus Vivobook S14 running Windows 11 has suddenly become almost unusable. It now only stays on when the charger is connected, and unplugging it causes an immediate shutdown. Booting takes around 15 minutes, followed by another 10 minutes of extreme sluggishness before the system crashes with the error "DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION (0x133)." I know driver updates are often recommended for this error, but the computer is so slow that I can barely open anything before it crashes. Could this be a failing SSD, battery, or another hardware problem, and what can I do to troubleshoot or repair it?
3 Answers
Don’t keep forcing normal Windows boots if the drive is failing. From another computer, create a Windows installation or recovery USB, start the laptop from it, and choose Repair your computer. Safe Mode may also let you remove a recently installed driver or update, but the symptoms point more toward storage or power hardware than a simple driver issue. Run the manufacturer’s hardware diagnostics if the BIOS provides them, especially the SSD and battery tests. If the SSD reports errors, replace it and reinstall Windows; if the battery is not detected or has no capacity, it will need replacement.
The 0x133 error can be caused by storage-controller or other drivers, but a system that takes many minutes to respond can indicate the drive repeatedly timing out. Check the SSD’s health from a bootable diagnostic tool rather than relying on Windows. Avoid repeatedly running repair scans until your important data is backed up, because a failing drive can deteriorate further. Also confirm that the charger is the correct one and inspect the battery status in BIOS, since the shutdown when unplugged is a separate warning sign.
The combination of extremely slow disk access, long boot times, and the watchdog crash makes a failing or badly corrupted NVMe/SSD a strong possibility. The battery may also have failed, since the laptop immediately powers off when disconnected from the charger. I’d prioritize copying important files off the machine before attempting repairs. If Windows is too slow to use, boot from a Windows installation or recovery USB and use the recovery environment to back up your data. You can also test the laptop with another known-good drive if one is available. Once your files are safe, try running `sfc /scannow` and then `DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth`, but those commands may not help if the physical drive is failing.
I can still reach Windows, but every click takes several minutes, so I can’t reliably open Command Prompt. I’ll focus on backing up my files and using a recovery USB instead.