fix: replace fire-and-forget async with safe InitializeAsync helper (CQ-M3)

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -6,6 +6,20 @@ adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [0.48.30] - 2026-05-18
+
+### Fixed
+- **ViewModelBase** — added `InitializeAsync` helper method that wraps
+  fire-and-forget async calls with structured error handling. Exceptions
+  from async initialization are now caught and logged via Serilog instead
+  of becoming unobserved task exceptions (CQ-M3).
+- **12 ViewModels** — replaced `_ = InitAsync()` fire-and-forget pattern
+  with `InitializeAsync(InitAsync)` in: AboutViewModel, BatteryHealthViewModel,
+  CleanupViewModel, DashboardViewModel, DeepCleanupViewModel,
+  PerformanceViewModel, ProcessManagerViewModel, ServicesViewModel,
+  SpeedTestViewModel, StartupViewModel, SystemHealthViewModel,
+  WindowsUpdateViewModel.
+
 ## [0.48.29] - 2026-05-18
 
 ### Changed

SysManager/SysManager/ViewModels/AboutViewModel.cs

@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ public AboutViewModel() : this(new UpdateService()) { }
     public AboutViewModel(UpdateService updates)
     {
         _updates = updates;
-        _ = InitAsync();
+        InitializeAsync(InitAsync);
     }
 
     private async Task InitAsync()

SysManager/SysManager/ViewModels/BatteryHealthViewModel.cs

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ public partial class BatteryHealthViewModel : ViewModelBase
 
     public BatteryHealthViewModel()
     {
-        _ = InitAsync();
+        InitializeAsync(InitAsync);
     }
 
     private async Task InitAsync()

SysManager/SysManager/ViewModels/CleanupViewModel.cs

@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ public CleanupViewModel(PowerShellRunner runner)
         _runner.ProgressChanged += OnRunnerProgressChanged;
         IsElevated = AdminHelper.IsElevated();
 
-        _ = InitAsync();
+        InitializeAsync(InitAsync);
     }
 
     private void OnRunnerLineReceived(PowerShellLine l) => Console.Append(l);

SysManager/SysManager/ViewModels/DashboardViewModel.cs

@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public DashboardViewModel(SystemInfoService sys, TuneUpService tuneUp, HealthSco
         _tuneUp = tuneUp;
         _healthScore = healthScore;
         IsElevated = AdminHelper.IsElevated();
-        _ = LoadHealthScoreAsync();
+        InitializeAsync(LoadHealthScoreAsync);
     }
 
     // ── Health Score ───────────────────────────────────────────────────

SysManager/SysManager/ViewModels/DeepCleanupViewModel.cs

@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ public partial class DeepCleanupViewModel : ViewModelBase
 
     public DeepCleanupViewModel()
     {
-        _ = InitAsync();
+        InitializeAsync(InitAsync);
     }
 
     private async Task InitAsync()

SysManager/SysManager/ViewModels/PerformanceViewModel.cs

@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ public partial class PerformanceViewModel : ViewModelBase
     public PerformanceViewModel(PowerShellRunner ps)
     {
         _service = new PerformanceService(ps);
-        _ = InitAsync();
+        InitializeAsync(InitAsync);
     }
 
     private async Task InitAsync()

SysManager/SysManager/ViewModels/ProcessManagerViewModel.cs

@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ public partial class ProcessManagerViewModel : ViewModelBase
 
     public ProcessManagerViewModel()
     {
-        _ = InitAsync();
+        InitializeAsync(InitAsync);
     }
 
     private async Task InitAsync()

SysManager/SysManager/ViewModels/ServicesViewModel.cs

@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public partial class ServicesViewModel : ViewModelBase
 
     public ServicesViewModel()
     {
-        _ = InitAsync();
+        InitializeAsync(InitAsync);
     }
 
     private async Task InitAsync()

SysManager/SysManager/ViewModels/SpeedTestViewModel.cs

@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ public partial class SpeedTestViewModel : ViewModelBase
     public SpeedTestViewModel(NetworkSharedState shared)
     {
         Shared = shared;
-        _ = LoadHistoryAsync();
+        InitializeAsync(LoadHistoryAsync);
     }
 
     private async Task LoadHistoryAsync()

SysManager/SysManager/ViewModels/StartupViewModel.cs

@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ public partial class StartupViewModel : ViewModelBase
 
     public StartupViewModel()
     {
-        _ = InitAsync();
+        InitializeAsync(InitAsync);
     }
 
     partial void OnHideWindowsEntriesChanged(bool value) => ApplyFilter();

SysManager/SysManager/ViewModels/SystemHealthViewModel.cs

@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public SystemHealthViewModel(SystemInfoService sys)
         IsElevated = AdminHelper.IsElevated();
         _runner.LineReceived += OnRunnerLineReceived;
 
-        _ = InitAsync();
+        InitializeAsync(InitAsync);
     }
 
     private void OnRunnerLineReceived(PowerShellLine l) => Console.Append(l);

SysManager/SysManager/ViewModels/ViewModelBase.cs

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 // License: MIT
 
 using CommunityToolkit.Mvvm.ComponentModel;
+using Serilog;
 
 namespace SysManager.ViewModels;
 
@@ -15,6 +16,27 @@
 
     private bool _disposed;
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Safely launches an async task from a constructor or non-async context.
+    /// Exceptions are caught and logged instead of becoming unobserved task
+    /// exceptions that could crash the application (CQ-M3).
+    /// </summary>
+    protected static async void InitializeAsync(Func<Task> asyncAction, [System.Runtime.CompilerServices.CallerMemberName] string callerName = "")
+    {
+        try
+        {
+            await asyncAction().ConfigureAwait(false);
+        }
+        catch (OperationCanceledException)
+        {
+            // Expected during shutdown — no action needed.
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex)
+        {
+            Log.Error(ex, "Unhandled exception in async initialization of {Caller}", callerName);
+        }
+    }
+
     /// <summary>
     /// Override in derived classes to release managed resources
     /// (CancellationTokenSources, event handlers, timers, etc.).

SysManager/SysManager/ViewModels/WindowsUpdateViewModel.cs

@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public WindowsUpdateViewModel(PowerShellRunner runner)
         _runner.LineReceived += OnRunnerLineReceived;
         _runner.ProgressChanged += OnRunnerProgressChanged;
         IsElevated = AdminHelper.IsElevated();
-        _ = InitAsync();
+        InitializeAsync(InitAsync);
     }
 
     private void OnRunnerLineReceived(PowerShellLine l) => Console.Append(l);