Hyper-V VM repeatedly crashes with SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION (0x3B)

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A!

Thank you for providing the crash details and dump information.

Based on the information you've shared, the issue does not appear to be caused directly by the guest workload. The dump indicates a SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION (0x3B) with 0xC0000005 (Access Violation) occurring within hvsocket.sys, a core Hyper-V component responsible for communication between the Hyper-V host and virtualized environments.

Since the crash is occurring at the same faulting address on multiple occasions, this suggests a persistent underlying issue rather than a one-time or random memory corruption event.

To help isolate and resolve the problem, I recommend the following troubleshooting steps:

1. Install the latest Windows updates on both the Hyper-V host and guest VM

• Hyper-V, VMBus, and HvSocket fixes are frequently delivered through cumulative updates.
• A number of Hyper-V-related bugchecks have been resolved through servicing updates rather than configuration changes.

2. Verify system file integrity

Run the following commands on both the host and guest:

sfc /scannow
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

These checks can help identify and repair corrupted operating system or Hyper-V components.

3. Check for mismatched or partially updated Hyper-V components

There have been cases where hvsocket.sys and related virtualization components became version-mismatched after a failed or incomplete update, resulting in Hyper-V socket-related crashes. Make sure Windows Update has completed successfully on the host and that there are no pending servicing or update operations.

4. Review Hyper-V event logs

Check the following logs for warnings or errors that occur immediately before the crash:

• Applications and Services Logs → Microsoft → Windows → Hyper-V-VMMS
• Hyper-V-Worker
• System

These logs may provide additional clues about what triggered the bugcheck.

5. Update firmware and hardware drivers on the host

Ensure the host is running the latest available:

• BIOS/UEFI firmware
• Chipset drivers
• Storage drivers
• Network drivers

Outdated platform drivers can sometimes contribute to Hyper-V stability issues.

6. Test without third-party virtualization-aware software

If installed, temporarily disable or update any backup software, security products, monitoring tools, or VM management solutions that interact with Hyper-V. These products can occasionally trigger faults within Hyper-V communication paths.

7. Analyze the full memory dump

Collecting and reviewing a complete kernel memory dump may help identify the root cause. The following WinDbg commands can be useful:

!analyze -v
lmvm hvsocket
kb

If the problem continues after completing the troubleshooting steps above, I encourage you to open a Microsoft Support case through your organization's support channel. A support engineer can work closely with you to collect and review additional diagnostic data, including memory dumps, Hyper-V logs, and system traces, to better understand the cause of the recurring crashes.

Should further investigation be required, the support team can engage the appropriate product team for deeper analysis and clarification. This can be especially beneficial when troubleshooting recurring failures involving core Hyper-V components such as hvsocket.sys.

Additionally, you can consider submitting feedback through the Windows Feedback Hub. Providing detailed feedback, along with relevant diagnostic information, can help bring visibility to the issue and provide valuable input to the engineering teams for further investigation and future product improvements.

Reference: Bug Check 0x3B SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION - Windows drivers | Microsoft Learn

If you find it useful, please click Accept Answer.

Thank you for choosing Microsoft Q&A.