Win 7 x64 crashing my HD 5970

Hi,

A couple of days ago I build a new system with the following specs:
Intel Core i7 920
ASUS P6T Deluxe V2
OCZ Platinum XTC 6GB DDR3-1600 CL7 triple kit
Sapphire Radeon HD 5970 2GB
Western Digital Raptor 150GB
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Gamer Fatal1ty Professional
Thermaltake Armor SLI Black Window
Corsair HX1000W
Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme 1366
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit NL Upgrade

At first I thought the Graphics card was broken because it kept locking up the screen whenever I entered something 3D, but after days of testing and even buying a new PSU, I know it might be Windows 7 x64 causing a conflict.

I have done all the usual tests, memtest86+, reseating card, fresh windows install, windows updates, tried all graphics card drivers after driver sweeper, disabling windows aero and UAC, Giving the card more vcore, ddr3 on the proper voltage, flashed the bios to latest version, installed latest chipset drivers, ran everything in the system on stock speeds, temperatures are low. Everything in my computer seems perfect.

Here’s the scenario:
I run driver sweeper in Safe Mode, reboot;
I install the graphics card drivers, reboot;
I run benches and a game perfectly fine, maxed out, with the graphics card working on full load and both GPUs;
I perform a different task in Windows (like using IE or installing a program, no matter what task);
I can’t run a single 3D driven application, everything locks up, and the card becomes unusable;

This issue remains until I sweep the drivers again, and reinstall them.
Surely this must be a Windows problem, as the card with its drivers run flawlessly before I start using windows. There's not much to see in the Event Viewer as its a lock up, not a BSOD.

Danny welcome to the forums.

Are you using the driver off the cd or the latest Catalyst 9.12 from ATI? A better option might be to try if you haven't the catalyst 9.12 Hotfix driver,

http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/ATICatalyst912Hotfix.aspx

Also rumor has it that the Catalyst 10.1 is supposed to come out some time today, so maybe wait a bit and see if it does. When it does it will be posted here,

http://www.sevenforums.com/graphic-cards/1810-latest-ati-catalyst-driver-windows-7-a.html

shortly after release.

stormy13 said:

Danny welcome to the forums.

Are you using the driver off the cd or the latest Catalyst 9.12 from ATI? A better option might be to try if you haven't the catalyst 9.12 Hotfix driver,

http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/ATICatalyst912Hotfix.aspx

Also rumor has it that the Catalyst 10.1 is supposed to come out some time today, so maybe wait a bit and see if it does. When it does it will be posted here,

http://www.sevenforums.com/graphic-cards/1810-latest-ati-catalyst-driver-windows-7-a.html

shortly after release.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the welcome stormy

I have tried all available drivers after a driver sweep, and even after a fresh install, same outcome. Something corrupts the drivers perhaps, as they work without issues initially, until I do something in windows.

Hi, are you sure Windows is not reinstalling the Windows update drivers.

not sure if your problems are related to this, but its worth a shot...

''driver sweeper'' appears to be an issue while installing / updating 5 series ATI drivers.

ive had no end of weird issues while using it, i never even thought that was a factor, but after relaying my issues on various tech sites it seems the use of ''driver sweeper'' corrupts the drivers. :sarc:

here's the driver install process i was directed to use.

If you have been using Sweepers you've probably corrupted your Windows driver profile so you may have to reset it..... If that is the case then I would suggest its user error and the next driver set will have to same issue.

Try this to reset, if this fails a OS re-install may be the only way to correct the issue. I'm assuming you're using either Vista or Win 7.

Go to Control Panel - System - Advanced System Settings - Hardware (tab) - Device Installation Settings, choose "Never install a driver from Windows Update and apply.

Uninstall Driversweeper and slap your forehead.

Express uninstall all ATI software from add remove programs.

Reboot.

Let Windows install WDDM drivers automatically. (Its Sweeping during this process that potentially can cause major issues.)

Reboot if asked.

Go to device manager and remove your card from there selecting delete driver software from this pc as you go.

Reboot

If windows installs WDDM drivers again repeat above step until windows stops auto installing drivers and asks you for them instead.

This should reset your borked driver profile in Windows, and you should be able to install the 9.12's now.

Once you've done this you will find you can update drivers without uninstalling first with no issues. Every time you uninstall drivers now Windows will load in VGA mode and ask you for drivers which is how it should be. If you must use Sweepers then they should no longer cause issues.

Click to expand...

im just waiting on the new 10.1 cat's (which were due today) & i'll be giving this a shot myself....

jfar said:

Hi, are you sure Windows is not reinstalling the Windows update drivers.

Click to expand...

I have no idea, could you elaborate please?

skunksmash said:

not sure if your problems are related to this, but its worth a shot...

im just waiting on the new 10.1 cat's (which were due today) & i'll be giving this a shot myself....

Click to expand...

Interesting, but would a fresh windows install with newly installed drivers have to work? I have done that before.

The Device Installation Settings were set to automatically download drivers....

So could it be that when I install new drivers, windows messes with them because of this setting?

DannyHvE said:

skunksmash said:

not sure if your problems are related to this, but its worth a shot...

im just waiting on the new 10.1 cat's (which were due today) & i'll be giving this a shot myself....

Click to expand...

Interesting, but would a fresh windows install with newly installed drivers have to work? I have done that before.

Click to expand...

well TBH mate, nothing is for sure with ATI....... the plethora of different issues ppl see are just far too long to list.

i personally REFUSE to reinstall windows to get a driver working, if this is infact what i find to be the only way to get them working properly i shall be selling my card & heading back over to Nvidia.

it seems your issues are with 3D function, not 2D (which a lot of problems are related too)..... but i'd carry out the above install process (not the OS reinstall) & then at least you can rule out driver incompatibility as a factor..

Will do, thanks a lot for the info. I'll report back soon.

I'm gonna have to do a windows reinstall, because the ati manager is corrupted, it won't deinstall, even after reinstalling it.

For me this means first installing windows XP, then the win 7 upgrade, will take about 2-3 hours total. And I don't like this either...

hm.................. did you try the ati uninstall?

DannyHvE said:

I'm gonna have to do a windows reinstall, because the ati manager is corrupted, it won't deinstall, even after reinstalling it.

For me this means first installing windows XP, then the win 7 upgrade, will take about 2-3 hours total. And I don't like this either...

Click to expand...

see.. its this type of thing that really annoys me about this company.

its a struggle to do anything, that's why im currently putting up with my poor performance until the new driver revision comes out....

the last time i had to uninstall the driver i got a BSOD & had to run a ''system restore''

DannyHvE said:

For me this means first installing windows XP, then the win 7 upgrade, will take about 2-3 hours total. And I don't like this either...

Click to expand...

No you don't,

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31402-clean-install-upgrade-windows-7-version.html

stormy13 said:

DannyHvE said:

For me this means first installing windows XP, then the win 7 upgrade, will take about 2-3 hours total. And I don't like this either...

Click to expand...

No you don't,

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31402-clean-install-upgrade-windows-7-version.html

Click to expand...

Thanks for this.

skunksmash said:

DannyHvE said:

I'm gonna have to do a windows reinstall, because the ati manager is corrupted, it won't deinstall, even after reinstalling it.

For me this means first installing windows XP, then the win 7 upgrade, will take about 2-3 hours total. And I don't like this either...

Click to expand...

see.. its this type of thing that really annoys me about this company.

its a struggle to do anything, that's why im currently putting up with my poor performance until the new driver revision comes out....

the last time i had to uninstall the driver i got a BSOD & had to run a ''system restore''

Click to expand...

I have always been with nvidia, but that can be a nightmare too.

Ok so here's what I did:

• Did a fresh install without updates like from the tutorial.
• I can't uninstall the standard VGA adapter, as it just pops up again when I remove it, if thats what you meant though. I tried 5 times.
• Installed the 9.12 Hotfix drivers and furmark to test if everything works properly.
• The HD 5970 works perfectly.
• I install a NOD32 (could be any random install of anything or activity within windows)
• The HD 5970 locks up upon entering 3D, and that won't stop until I reinstall the drivers. I tried removing the virus scanner just to be sure, but that didn't help.

So to rule any 3rd party software conflicts out I had to reinstall.

This however does mean that there's something in windows messing up my ATI drivers, and it kicks in doing about anything other then starting up furmark or a game.

Hi, try this.
Stop Auto install of Drivers.

Open the Control Panel, type "a" into the Search, top right.
Click on Devices and Printers.
Right click on the icon for PC
Click on Device Installation Settings.
Click on, No let me choose what to do.
Click on Never install driver software from Windows Update.
Go to the Device Manager, find your Device, right click on it and select Uninstall, and click the box that says
Delete this Driver, Select OK, close all windows and Shut Down, Then start your machine up again.
Install the Driver that you have.

jfar said:

Hi, try this.
Stop Auto install of Drivers.

Open the Control Panel, type "a" into the Search, top right.
Click on Devices and Printers.
Right click on the icon for PC
Click on Device Installation Settings.
Click on, No let me choose what to do.
Click on Never install driver software from Windows Update.
Go to the Device Manager, find your Device, right click on it and select Uninstall, and click the box that says
Delete this Driver, Select OK, close all windows and Shut Down, Then start your machine up again.
Install the Driver that you have.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info, but my windows settings were already on never installing driver software from windows update. I made that so when I was installing windows. So windows didn't install anything for me.

Ok, if you just reinstalled the new operating system, you will have to go to the Motherboard site and install all the chipset, and other drivers also.

jfar said:

Ok, if you just reinstalled the new operating system, you will have to go to the Motherboard site and install all the chipset, and other drivers also.

Click to expand...

I'm 100% sure thats not it. I will do this though.