Something is seriously jacked up with my video

Edit: Come on guys, almost 40 views and no posts? I need help please

Happened to me several times, and I've tried reinstalling Windows 7 several times to fix it, but it doesn't work. I guess you can see my specs in my profile, and understand that I care much about this. Playing LFD gives me these really messed up graphics, and the same with Napoleon : Total War, and some other games. But it's strange because a game, Amnesia : The Dark Descent (scary ) works perfectly fine. When the graphics messed up in LFD2 I took a screenshot with Fraps, and then went to my camera and took a physical picture of the monitor screen. As you can see by the below.

That was with the camera, which is what I'm seeing ingame. The next picture is with Fraps which I guess is what the computer is seeing ingame.

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I install DirectX via Steam, by opening Steam, going to the Steam Menu, then using the "Check for Video Driver Updates..."

Also I get these weird, messed up graphics on my screen periodically. (taken with my camera)

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The conclusion I've come up with is that my monitor is jacked up, which is EXTREMELY preferable to my 5970 being jacked up. But hopefully a 2nd opinion that is smarter in computers than I can help me. Do you think that installing my drivers via Steam is the problem, and that I should go directly to AMD like this?

ATI Radeon

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First thing that I would start with is: Have you updated the graphics driver lately? If not try updating the driver. If you have try going back to the last know good driver that was working for you. Next would be; have you messed with in of the settings the CCC panel. If so, reset everything back to the default settings. Next big thing is your GPU temprature, is it running a little hot, is it getting enough cool air The next thing would be that the games themselves might have gotten corrupted some how or an update that didn't play nice with that game(s). Try uninstalling games giving you the problem and reinstalling them. I was having some issues with L4D(2), crashing to desktop, I ran around like a chicken with it's head cut off trying to fix it, trying all the above and come to find out.....I uninstalled L4D(2) and reinstalled w/updates and all better now. Go figure.

Computer Junkie said:

Amnesia : The Dark Descent (scary ) works perfectly fine.

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That and the fact that FRAPS isn't capturing any corruption makes this one interesting indeed.


Amnesia uses OpenGl - all the others you mentioned use DirectX.

But the Desktop corruption is interesting as well.


Also as BF suggested, revert to a known working driver version. Don't let STEAM update your drivers - grab them directly from AMD and don't forget the application profiles.

To rule out corruption - I'd suggest a complete driver uninstall and clean using DriverSweeper in safemode.

Manually create a restore point first.

Then uninstall "Ati Catalyst install manager" through Control panel / Programs> Uninstall a program

Reboot into safe mode, run Driver Sweeper to analyze and Clean the ATI entries.

Reboot normally and install the drivers yourself. I have a 5970 as well and use 10.5a + profiles on one installation or 10.10e in another - I haven't tried the latest versions.

(I don't play the games you mentioned, so I can't recommend the 'best' version for you. The 5970 can be 'picky' with different games and drivers.)


I'd also check that the cable connection to both the card and the monitor is secure and has not come loose. If you have a spare cable, use that instead.

I shall do all those things tomorrow and see how it pans out. Thanks for the replies and I shall get back to you guys soon with results.

I don't think it has something to do with the card temps because I'm hearing-impaired and run my fans at what I guess other people consider "extremely loud and annoying".


The OpenGL thing was interesting because I checked and the games that I play that use OpenGL are the ones that play perfectly, so it's probably a DirectX problem. Do you recommend me try the latest drivers (Catalyst 11?) or go back to 10.5a or 10.10e (which do you recommend). Also, what are the "application profiles" that you mentioned? Is it something I can find in the CCC? The driver I have right now is Catalyst 10.12, so tomorrow I'll try the safe mode stuff with Driver Sweeper like you recommended and try 11, 10.10e, then 10.5a and see which one works best for me.

Hope to talk to you guys soon with results.

The application profiles are a separate download to the main drivers. Essentially they are 'separate fixes' that aren't included in the WHQL (official) drivers.



Your best bet is to check out Rage3D forums - they have links for all sorts of versions of drivers. (you may have to search)


For the Application profiles: Official Catalyst Application Profiles FAQ! - Rage3D Discussion Area

And links:

Rage3D



Supposedly, the fixes are cumulative, but there are so many different driver versions - that it's easier to install the profiles separately just to be sure.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I can't recommended a particular version for your needs since I don't play the same titles you do.

I use 10.5a for a few titles because 10.6+ onwards either gave me BSOD or weird flickering that's not solved by vysnc options. For those titles, they still weren't fixed by 10.10e and I'm over trying out crap drivers

I've stayed at 10.10e on my main installation because they work OK with the titles I'm currently playing. I've bypased the last 3 'official' releases and the 'hotfixes', so I can't say for sure whether the latest 11.1 will fix your issue or not.

At the moment, the focus of the driver team is on the 6xxx series. 10.11, 10.12, 11.1, 11.1a may be fine for you - but I have not personally tried them.

I tried the driver sweeper in safe mode and uninstalling 10.12 stuff and put 11.1 on it, but it didn't work. Actually seemed worse so now I'm going to try 10.10, then 10.5.

Is it possible its not a driver issue?

EDIT: I tried the 10.10 drivers, no luck.

Computer Junkie said:

Is it possible its not a driver issue?

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It is. It could be the card, the monitor cable the power supply etc


How old is the card / system?

Is it a recent occurrence or has it been happening since day one?

I believe that it has been happening since I reformatted and reinstalled Windows 7 on my computer.

The card/system is from December of 2009 (Christmas present to myself) and turned it on about New Years. So its just a little over a year old. I really really hope it's not the graphics card (ATI 5970), and this week I shall get my dad to bring over his work monitor/cable and see if its an issue with the monitor or cable.

Seems strange that the games that use DirectX are all messed up, but my OpenGL games are working okay which compels me to believe it could be a problem with DirectX, therefore driver?

I really don't know.

It looks like the card's ram has overheated at some point. I remember that wierd pattern from when I messed up my 9800AIW many years ago.. I cooked the ram and the result was pretty much what I'm seeing in those images in the first post.

If it's that new the card is still under warranty. Depending on company returning it could be anywhere from a piece of cake to a drawn out process. Just in case it is some weird monitor reaction it wouldn't hurt to just plug the system into a different monitor and check to be sure before going through the pain in the backside that is RMA.

Okay after a bout of serious desktop corruption I got bluescreened. And it seemed that the matter was with what I think it said was "atipmdag.sys". Either today or tomorrow is when I'll try the monitor stuff.

AMD Game Forums - atipmdag.sys (bsod)

That guy had a similar problem and apparently the fix provided worked for him.
It's the only suggestion I have right now. He wasn't complaining of image corruption but it was the same blue screen.
I hope it is just a driver issue, it will save you a lot of trouble.

I just kind of ignored it for a while, but it's still not working. I still get corruption in game and on desktop. Occasionally my screen will freeze, turn black, then come back and a little message near the clock will say that the driver stopped working and recovered.

I've tried 10.5 drivers and even 10.1 and it won't work.

you could try manually updating the .net framework on your system. I know ati and nvidia drivers both use it. Though in what way exactly I don't know.
You can also grab up the latest direct x redistributable and install that.
The only other thing that occurs to me is that the power supply could be failing and when it sends the incorrect power to the card the result is a driver based crash.

So what about something along the lines of:

Backing up some crucial stuff on my computer to external and completely reinstalling Windows, along with formatting the hard drive during installation. (again -.-). Then install latest version of just about every driver possible, the direct x stuff, all Windows 7 updates, the whole shebang.

Then see if anything works then?

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Also I had another idea. I could do the above stuff, but I know where I can get my hands on an Nvidia 9500GT, could I potentially drop that in there and try out my games and stuff to see if it's a problem with the cards? Then I can also try out that other monitor/cable I got and try that? Then if it's not that, could I assume it's a problem with my power supply?

Infact, what about not bothering with the 9500GT (its a computer that I built for my grandmother, and I'd like to not bother her) and just take out the 5970 and use the onboard graphics?

Or maybe it's a conflict between the 5970 and the onboard graphics I have?

So many questions, the same problem, and no answers

Actually yes, looking back at your original pics it may be burned out ram on the card. So if you have another graphics card handy I would suggest that path first.
You should be able to manually disable the onboard graphics in the bios. You want it completely out of the equation.

If that's not already the case give that a go.