This AM, had to restart as machine was running the drive like crazy and was not responding at reboot message VMProtectSDK64.dll was not found

What program is this?
I have a mix of Sata SSD and regular spinners. My SSD is my primary OS drive and is in good condition.

And what was the PC going crazy with some spinner driver running like mad?
Why can't it do that in the middle of the night when no one uses PC for hours

This does not often happen; I have found the only thing to fix it is hold power button down as it refuses to shut down.
And of course the menu's don't respond as they just turn white when clicked.

The "VMProtectSDK64.dll" file is associated with VMProtect, a software protection solution. VMProtect is a tool used by developers to prevent unauthorized replication and reverse engineering of their software. Its primary function is to protect the code by adding an additional layer of encryption and obfuscation, making it challenging for hackers or malicious entities to understand or modify the underlying software.

The error message given by Liveupdate.exe which is installed on certain Asus laptops, this file automatically checks for updates to the bios, drivers, software, and hotfixes.

This program is not required to start automatically as you can run it when you need to.

PC has been running normally since that event.

it maybe worthwhile checking for updates to any AV software you have installed as this update seems to be upsetting most AV software. which is causing dll errors similar to yours as well.

best of luck, Steve ..

AV is windows AV. I agree with could be a failing spinner HDD. Mostly those dont get used. Maybe was doing a defrag?