nVidia driver error...supposedly

[hitchface]

Hey folks,

I finally have computer trouble of my own! And this time, it is a bit of a doozy. I saw a thread posted here in 2009 with similar conditions, but the situation isn't the same.

Hardware:

Motherboard: Asus M2N4-SLI
CPU: AMD Athlon X2 6000+
GPU: nVidia (XFX) GeForce 9800 GTX+
PSU: PCPnC Silencer 750
RAM: 2x1 gigs Corsair DDR2-800
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio
OS: Windows 7 x64

Yesterday night, while playing DiRT 2, I got some screen artifacts followed immediately by a BSOD with the following code: 0x00000116. It pointed to "nvlddmkm.sys". Booted into safe mode (which I'm typing this from right now) and updated the nVidia drivers as well as the Creative ones (they seem to cause a whole world of problems), booted like normal and...crash. Every now and then I get lucky and the driver recovers (thank you Windows 7), but after repeated attempts it eventually reboots.

So far, aside from updating the drivers, I've cleared the CMOS, rolled back drivers to a much earlier iteration, ran Memtest and passed, checked PSU voltages under load (c'mon, it is a PCPnC unit...rock solid), dusted out the video card and set more stringent fan/temp monitoring requirements on it via Riva Tuner (installed only after the driver failed) and NOTHING. Everything checks out with my hardware. I even did a full video driver cleanup before I installed the new ones.

Not a single part on this computer has undergone any overclocking or voltage changes (save the fans, of course). It has been running as slick as snot on teflon for 4 years, including the migration from XP to Windows 7 several months ago. Every hardware and software upgrade has been flawless.

Reading the forums around teh w3bZ, it seems that this is a relatively common problem with no surefire solution. Is this just a case of my video card dying and being incredibly deceptive about it?

[David M]

Check the voltage at your graphics card.

Try substituting in another graphics card if you have one or try your card on another computer.

[glc]

Try doing a system restore back to before the first crash.

[hitchface]

I'm gonna try the system restore in a bit here, but I think it is worth mentioning that I don't think it is a strictly hardware issue because I can run in safe mode until the cows come home, give birth, die and their kids come home.

EDIT: Just did the system restore to the point where I installed a Java update a few hours before the first crash. Now I can't log in normally. I get past the main login screen, and I get a black screen and a mouse. Repeatable. Booting into safe mode still not an issue. Startup repair from the Windows 7 DVD had no effect.

Guess the only thing left is to swap video cards.

[glc]

HMMMMMMM..........

That Java update may have screwed up a friend's machine too. I was on the phone with him for an hour last night. He uses Eudora for e-mail, and last Saturday it all of a sudden wouldn't let him access ONE of his accounts. This guy is very computer-savvy, in fact he used to work help desk at Earthlink before they outsourced it. He did a Java update last Saturday. System restore back to Friday night fixed it. Note that he didn't call me till he gave up. He tried all kinds of things, including uninstalling Eudora and reinstalling several different versions. It finally got to the point where Eudora wouldn't even completely reinstall. I don't have a CLUE why he didn't think about system restore, but he's fairly new to Windows 7.

Does Windows 7 have the option to boot into VGA mode? If so, try it. If it doesn't work, there's something else in the startup that's messing it up.

[kilgoretrout]

I don't think it is a strictly hardware issue

I don't either. In fact, it's most likely a driver issue or some system change interacting badly with some driver. I'm kind of puzzled why the system restore didn't work better, however.
If you want to test out your current graphics card you could try running a linux livecd, one that includes the proprietary nvidia driver like PCLOS:

The feisty, upwardly mobile distribution » PCLinuxOS

Just try running from the livecd for a few hours. PCLOS should run pretty painlessly on your hardware.

[hitchface]

Ok, back at this again.

I am in the process of swapping the video card out and sweeping the nVidia drivers. The test card is an ATi HD4350. Not the greatest specimen, but it's what I've got. I still don't think this will resolve the issue, but I am just going through the paces. Although, it is worth noting that I am logged in normally with the new card.

EDIT: I just ran DiRT2 with the ATi unit (talk about a slideshow) and no crash. The thing was chugging, so it was under heavy load. This still doesn't tell me what I need though, since the nVidia drivers are completely swept.

W7 does have a VGA mode, but can you explain what exactly it does? Is it basically a super basic driver with no fancy gizmos? Can a DVI-only card run in VGA mode?

I'll try the PCLOS shortly.

Thanks so much for the help so far. At least I know that with every item I check off of the list, the closer I get to a solution. I'd really like to keep this video card, since the HD4350 ain't exactly glorious.

EDIT2: I wiped the ATi drivers from the system, so there were no ATi or nVidia drivers anywhere. I just plugged in the 9800 again, and everything booted up like normal. The real test will be to reinstall the drivers, delete Java (at least to check it off the list) and run DiRT 2 again. I am using that game in particular because I know it will recreate the driver failure if the problem persists. No waiting about for it to fail on its own

EDIT3: Looks like it didn't need any help. The driver hasn't failed (because there isn't one), but I am typing through all kinds of screen artifacts. Yipee.

EDIT4: New drivers and a restart did away with the artifacts, so I ran DiRT 2 again. Got a totally different BSOD. 0x0000001E. Still not making much headway. In Safe Mode...again.

[DSCHIEF]

Here's a link for MemtestG80; from the stanford Folding site. It's a mod of the original Memtest that checks video memory. I've run it on my 9800GTX+'s & GTX275.

Folding Forum • View topic - Tools list

You might do some preventative maintenance & blow out the card, with a can of compressed air. dust bunnies have a habit of taking up residence inside cards

[hitchface]

Already dusted. I'm pretty religious about keeping my PC in good working order, including dusting. I'll try that Memtest mod though...hopefully that turns up SOMETHING.

[hitchface]

Well, I couldn't seem to get the modded memtest to run, but I am running that ATi card right now with zero issues. I guess that still leaves me wondering if the nVidia drivers were going crazy or if the card was dying, but I really don't know how to solve this one.

[glc]

I'd look at it as an opportunity to upgrade your video card. The 9800's are getting a bit long in the tooth. Now that you have Win 7, why not get a DX 11 card?

I may have overlooked it, but have you tried the 9800 in a different computer?