Solved 0x0000005c in most games and more!!!

[Rothko]

Hi there!

I recently upgraded almost all of my computer components and so re-installed Windows Ultimate. Since installing I started having black screen crashes (no signal to monitor) with looping sound that speeds up to a buzzing noise which leaves me not option other than to reset the computer. No BSOD or dumps were created in these crashes and they mostly happened when I was playing a game or watching a video. They occurred about every 30-60mins.

I replaced my video card (assuming that it was the problem) and reinstalled a few drivers and now the computer rarely crashes to the black screen/looping sound but now I have crashes to desktop at about the same regularity (30-60mins). The event viewer shows that all the crashes have the same error 1000 and code 0xc0000005 but this is all that is in common. (Please see attached)

So far I have ran Memtest twice over night 2 passes each time with no problems. I have tried to update all the drivers to the newest versions but I can't be sure that I got them ALL, certainly the main components.

I ran Driver Verifier which crashed when I tried to open any games with error C9 and something to do with HIDCLASS.SYS
It also crashed with error D1 and something to do with AFD.SYS (Please see attached)

Here is my computer spec:
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64Bit
Motherboard: Asus P8Z68 Deluxe
CPU: Intel i5 2500K
Heatsink: Kuhler H2620
RAM: Four sticks of A-Data DDR3 1600G 4GB
GPU: Sapphire Radeon HD6970
SSD(C): Crucial C300-CTFDDAC128MAG (Firmware version 1006) <-Windows is installed here
SSD(D): Crucial C300-CTFDDAC128MAG (Firmware version 1002) <-Games are installed here
HDD(F): Seagate ST3320620AS 320GB <-File storage
HDD(S): Western Digital WD10EARS 1TB <- Backup
PSU: KRPW-PS700W/88+
Optical Drive: LG HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GH24NS90
Mouse: Logitech M1000
Keyboard: Logitech Comfort Wave 450

I hope there is enough (and not too much!) information here to help me. Please let me know if you would like any more.

Your help will be very much appreciated.

Brad

 

[Rothko]

Oh, I forgot to add.

I was getting a Kernel-Event Tracing ID:3 error "Session "Microsoft Security Client OOBE" stopped due to the following error: 0xC000000D" so I uninstalled MSE and installed Avast instead. However, I'm still getting that same error and can't find any trace of MSE on the computer. I used Microsoft's tool to clean up after the uninstall.

Not sure if this is relevant but thought I had better include it.

 

[Rothko]

I ran Prime95 Blend test over night which failed after 2 1/2 hours with this error:

FATAL ERROR: Rounding was 0.5, expected less than 0.4 Hardware failure detected, consult stress.txt file. (See attached for full report)

The test carried on running for another 2 hours but then crashed the computer. I've attached the new dump file.

 

[writhziden]

stress.txt

stress.txt (Overclockers Australia Forums - View Single Post - Prime95 stress.txt file ???)

STRESS TESTING YOUR COMPUTER

BACKGROUND
----------

Today's computers are not perfect. Even brand new systems from major
manufacturers can have hidden flaws. If any of several key components such
as CPU, memory, cooling, etc. are not up to spec, it can lead to incorrect
calculations and/or unexplained system crashes.

Overclocking is the practice of increasing the speed of the CPU and/or
memory to make a machine faster at little cost. Typically, overclocking
involves pushing a machine past its limits and then backing off just a
little bit.

For these reasons, both non-overclockers and overclockers need programs
that test the stability of their computers. This is done by running
programs that put a heavy load on the computer. Though not originally
designed for this purpose, this program is one of a few programs that
are excellent at stress testing a computer.


RESOURCES
---------

This program is a good stress test for the CPU, memory, L1 and L2 caches,
CPU cooling, and case cooling. The torture test runs continuously, comparing
your computer's results to results that are known to be correct. Any
mismatch and you've got a problem! Note that the torture test sometimes
reads from and writes to disk but cannot be considered a stress test for
hard drives.

You'll need other programs to stress video cards, PCI bus, disk access,
networking and other important components. In addition, this is only one
of several good programs that are freely available. Some people report
finding problems only when running two or more stress test programs
concurrently. You may need to raise prime95's priority when running two
stress test programs so that each gets about 50% of the CPU time.

Forums are a great place to learn about available stability test programs
and to get advice on what to do when a problem is found.

The currently popular stability test programs are (sorry, I don't have
web addresses for these):
Prime95 (this program's torture test)
3DMark2001
CPU Stability test
Sisoft sandra
Quake and other games
Folding@Home
Seti@home
Genome@home

Several useful websites for help (look for overclocking community or forum):
Overclockers: The Performance Computing Community for Overclocking Hardware and How to Overclock Information
Ars Technica
HARDOCP - HardOCP Computer Hardware Reviews and News
AnandTech
Tom's Hardware: Hardware News, Tests and Reviews
PC Overclocking, Modding and Building | Sharky Extreme
Also try the alt.comp.hardware.overclocking Usenet newsgroup.

Utility programs you may find useful (I'm sure there are others - look around):
Motherboard monitor from livewiredev.com - dowload music Resources and Information.
Memtest86 from Memtest86.com - Memory Diagnostic
Cpuburn by redelm: http://pages.sbcglobal.net/redelm/
TaskInfo2002 from Iarsn - High Quality System Software


WHAT TO DO IF A PROBLEM IS FOUND?
---------------------------------

The exact cause of a hardware problem can be very hard to find.

If you are not overclocking, the most likely cause is an overheating CPU
or memory DIMMs that are not quite up to spec. Another possibility is
you might need a better power supply. Try running MotherBoard monitor
and browse the forums above to see if your CPU is running too hot.
If so, make sure the heat sink is properly attached, fans are operational,
and air flow inside the case is good. For isolating memory problems, try
swapping memory DIMMs with a co-worker's or friend's machine. If the errors
go away, then you can be fairly confidant that memory was the cause of
the trouble. A power supply problem can often be identified by a significant
drop in the voltages when prime95 starts running. Once again the overclocker
forums are a good resource for what voltages are acceptable.

If you are overclocking then try increasing the core voltage, reduce the
CPU speed, reduce the front side bus speed, or change the memory timings
(CAS latency). Also try asking for help in one of the forums above - they
may have other ideas to try.


CAN I IGNORE THE PROBLEM?
-------------------------

Ignoring the problem is a matter of personal preference. There are
two schools of thought on this subject.

Most programs you run will not stress your computer enough to cause a
wrong result or system crash. If you ignore the problem, then video games
may stress your machine resulting in a system crash. Also, stay away from
distributed computing projects where an incorrect calculation might cause
you to return wrong results. Bad data will not help these projects!
In conclusion, if you are comfortable with a small risk of an occasional
system crash then feel free to live a little dangerously! Keep in mind
that the faster prime95 finds a hardware error the more likely it is that
other programs will experience problems.

The second school of thought is, "Why run a stress test if you are going
to ignore the results?" These people want a guaranteed 100% rock solid
machine. Passing these stability tests gives them the ability to run
CPU intensive programs with confidence.


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
--------------------------

Q) My machine is not overclocked. If I'm getting an error, then there must
be a bug in the program, right?

A) The torture test is comparing your machines results against
KNOWN CORRECT RESULTS. If your machine cannot generate correct
results, you have a hardware problem. HOWEVER, if you are failing
the torture test in the SAME SPOT with the SAME ERROR MESSAGE
every time, then ask for help at mersenneforum.org - it is
possible that a recent change to the torture test code may have
introduced a software bug.

Q) How long should I run the torture test?

A) I recommend running it for somewhere between 6 and 24 hours.
The program has been known to fail only after several hours and in
some cases several weeks of operation. In most cases though, it will
fail within a few minutes on a flaky machine.

Q) Prime95 reports errors during the torture test, but other stability
tests don't. Do I have a problem?

A) Yes, you've reached the point where your machine has been
pushed just beyond its limits. Follow the recommendations above
to make your machine 100% stable or decide to live with a
machine that could have problems in rare circumstances.

Q) A forum member said "Don't bother with prime95, it always pukes on me,
and my system is stable!. What do you make of that?"

or

"We had a server at work that ran for 2 MONTHS straight, without a reboot
I installed Prime95 on it and ran it - a couple minutes later I get an error.
You are going to tell me that the server wasn't stable?"

A) These users obviously do not subscribe to the 100% rock solid
school of thought. THEIR MACHINES DO HAVE HARDWARE PROBLEMS.
But since they are not presently running any programs that reveal
the hardware problem, the machines are quite stable. As long as
these machines never run a program that uncovers the hardware problem,
then the machines will continue to be stable.

Hardware Compatibility:

We should check your hardware compatibility:

Download and install CPU-Z and Upload screenshots of the CPU, Mainboard, Memory, and SPD tabs. In the SPD tab, upload an image of each slot.​

 

[Rothko]

Thanks for your reply.

After getting the error I read through the text file but couldn't work out what to do about it or if the crashes are because of this hardware failure. I read some forums suggesting fixes by changing CPU/RAM voltages but these were mostly OC forums and (because of these crashes) I'm not OCing. BIOS settings are default except XMP mode.

Attached are the screenshots of CPU-Z

Thanks again!

 

[writhziden]

Alright, here is what I suggest. Run 8 GB and do another set of Prime95 tests. See if you still get those errors. Then run the other 8 GB and test again for the error. If both sets come back alright, I can probably help you set up the system to run the 16 GB of RAM together.

As you add and remove hardware, follow these steps for ESD safety:

1. Shut down and turn off your computer.
2. Unplug all power supplies to the computer (AC Power then battery for laptops, AC power for desktops)
3. Hold down the power button for 30 seconds to close the circuit and ensure all power drains from components.
4. Make sure you are grounded by using proper grounding techniques, i.e. work on an anti-static workbench, anti-static desk, or an anti-static pad. Hold something metallic while touching it to the anti-static surface, or use an anti-static wristband to attach to the anti-static material while working. If you do not have an anti-static workbench, desk, or pad, you can use your computer tower/case by finding a metal hold in it, such as a drive bay.

Once these steps have been followed, it is safe to remove and replace components within your computer.

 

[Rothko]

Thank you very much for the suggestion. I think it found my problem!

The first two sticks of RAM ran through 7 hours of Prime95 with no problems but when it came to test the second two the same error as before was found in under a minute.

Testing the second two seperately I found the faulty part.

It's odd that this error didn't show up in Memtest in either of the two tests I ran. That's what made me assume the RAM was OK.

It's quite ironic that I build this computer out of all second hand parts except the PSU and the RAM both of which turned out to be faulty. Quite lucky really since they are the only parts with a shop warranty!

Now I'm very hopeful that replacing the faulty RAM module will be the end of my three week struggle getting this machine running!

Thanks again!

PS I'm just going to run Prime95 overnight on the three RAM modules that I think are OK and (hopefuly) mark this as solved in the morning.

 

[writhziden]

Sounds like good troubleshooting steps. I am glad you have likely tracked it down. Let us know the results.

 

[Rothko]

I was pretty happy when I thought this had solved my problem and I suppose it had partly. I don't get the 0x0000005 errors any more but instead I'm back to the black screen crashes.

When playing games the monitor will loose signal and go blank and the sound from the game will loop for a few seconds and then turn into a buzz. It's odd that for the time that the sound is looping (before the buzz starts) I'm still able to speak to my friend on Mumble. When the buzz starts I have no option but to hard reset.

I tested a couple of Steam games (Borderlands and L4D2) and they both crashed. I've not fully tested any non-steam games since finding the faulty RAM but will get onto that today.

I have tested the GPU on OCCT and it ran fine for 5 hours (I thought I had set it for 1 hour and went to bed! Anyway, 5 hours no problems (looking at the graphs though, it may not have been pushing the system while the monitor was off. I've attached them anyway, in case they can help.))

Prime95 also ran fine for 6-7 hours although I did have some odd temperature readings. CPUTIN stays at 60 constantly and then suddenly jumps to 127 and usually back down to 60, sometimes not. I'm assuming that the sensor is faulty and it isn't actually reading the temperature of any component. This spike shows up in OCCT and CPUID along with some other very odd readings, please see attached.

Thank you very much for your help so far... can I have some more please?

EDIT: I thought I should add - there are no dump files or errors in Events from any of these black screen crashes

 

[writhziden]

There is a lot of noise in your sensors. I do not think that is a good thing. It may mean your PSU is not operating properly. It could also be electrical noise due to a motherboard issue. I would recommend opening up the system, removing all components, checking the CPU for any bent pins, making sure all dust is cleaned out (see my Dust Removal section), removing all power plugs, etc. Then replace everything carefully and make sure all power plugs are properly connected in the correct plugs on the motherboard and with the peripherals.

Dust Removal:

To remove dust, follow the subsequent general procedure. If you have a desktop bought from Dell, HP, Sony, Lenovo, etc. make sure removing the desktop casing will not void your warranty first. Call the company if you are still under warranty and ask if it is okay to remove the casing and blow dust out. The procedure described is fine for laptops; just make sure no stickers are on panels saying if you remove the panel it will void the warranty.

1. Shut down and turn off your computer.
2. Unplug all power supplies to the computer (AC Power then battery for laptops, AC power for desktops)
3. Hold down the power button for 30 seconds to close the circuit and ensure all power drains from components.
4. Remove the casing for a desktop, or remove any screwed on panels and disc drives for laptops.
5. Blow out the dust inside by using a can of compressed air or a low pressure compressor. You will want to put the computer on a desk or table so you can maintain the can in an upright position if using a can of air. Blow into all crevices on the motherboard, heat sinks, cards, modules, etc. for a desktop. Blow into vents, opened panels, disc drive areas, USB ports, and the keyboard if it is a laptop. You may also want to blow inside the disc drive by replacing the drive to the laptop, starting the computer, opening the drive, and then turning off the computer and removing all power as described above including the 30 second power button step. For a desktop, you may also want to blow inside the disc drive by starting the computer, opening the drive, and then turning off the computer and removing all power as described above including the 30 second power button step.
6. Replace casing for the desktop. Replace panels and disc drive (if you have not already done so) for the laptop.
7. Plug power supplies in. AC adapter for the desktop. Battery and then AC Adapter for the laptop.
8. Start the computer and see if performance is better.

Easier Laptop steps:

1. Get a can of compressed air...
2. Shut down and turn off your system...
3. Unplug the system from any docking stations...
4. Remove the AC Adapter and then remove the battery...
5. Hold down the power button for 30 seconds to ensure all power is drained from the components. This closes the circuit and allows any remaining power to dissipate; it also clears the temporary memory of corruption and resets hardware/software connections. No permanent changes are made to the system doing this step...
6. Use the can of compressed air to blow into every vent, crevice, keyboard key, USB port, VGA/monitor port, etc...
7. Replace the battery and then plug in the AC Adapter...
8. Replace the docking station...
9. See how the system runs after doing all these steps...

   Warning

:warn:WARNING: Never use a vacuum cleaner or hair drier to clean dust out of your system!!

As you add and remove hardware, follow these steps for ESD safety:

1. Shut down and turn off your computer.
2. Unplug all power supplies to the computer (AC Power then battery for laptops, AC power for desktops)
3. Hold down the power button for 30 seconds to close the circuit and ensure all power drains from components.
4. Make sure you are grounded by using proper grounding techniques, i.e. work on an anti-static workbench, anti-static desk, or an anti-static pad. Hold something metallic while touching it to the anti-static surface, or use an anti-static wristband to attach to the anti-static material while working. If you do not have an anti-static workbench, desk, or pad, you can use your computer tower/case by finding a metal hold in it, such as a drive bay.

Once these steps have been followed, it is safe to remove and replace components within your computer.

 

[Rothko]

Thanks again for the advice. I followed what you said, cleaned any dust and checked for bent CPU pins I couldn't see any problems and it hasn't changed the OCCT read-outs.

Now the machine has started failing the OCCT tests even though it was passing before. It also crashed over night while I was running Prime95, this time it left a DMP file (attached)

You mentioned that the power supply could be a problem so I tried an older PSU (Enermax EL620AWT) that runs OCCT without anomalies on another computer but I still get the same results on my computer (attached).

Does this mean that the Motherboard is to blame? Is there anything else I should try before trying to RMA this board?
(Sadly, I don't have another LGA1155 board or CPU for testing)

Thanks

 

[writhziden]

I have asked some other BSOD Team members to take a look and see if they have other recommendations in regards to the OCCT noise...

Your crash may indicate a problem with Microsoft Security Essentials. It could be corrupted. Try re-installing it:

1. Download a fresh installer from Microsoft Security Essentials - Free Antivirus for Windows...
   
   
2. Start Menu -> Control Panel -> Uninstall a program...
   
   
3. Install MSE with the fresh installer...

 

[Dave76]

Some monitoring software can have issues with new motherboards, have you check/verified the CPU temps with a CPU temp program?
Use Core Temp, to check the CPU temps when at idle, under load and/or testing.

Do you have any of the Asus utilities installed?
If you do, uninstall them for testing, these are known to cause several issues.

Can't really rule out a PSU issue, as neither brand is very high in the quality department.
Comparing the OCCT voltage graphs between the two PSUs do indicate a possible motherboard problem.
Let's check a few things before RMA'ing the motherboard.

Are you using the latest versions of OCCT and CPUID?
CPUTIN is CPU Temperature Input, may be due to a BIOS issue (if you are using the latest OCCT and CPUID versions), what BIOS version are you using?
Asus P8Z68 Deluxe
Latest BIOS is 3304 2012.05.09.
If you have an older BIOS version then update to the latest.

Last crash is: STOP 0x00000050: PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
Usual causes: Defective hardware (particularly memory - but not just RAM), Faulty system service, Antivirus, Device driver, NTFS corruption, BIOS

PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA (50)
Invalid system memory was referenced.
Arg1: fffffa900697a630, memory referenced.
Arg2: 0000000000000000, value 0 = read operation, 1 = write operation.
Arg3: fffff800033c6a4e, If non-zero, the instruction address which referenced the bad memory address.
Arg4: 0000000000000005, (reserved)
READ_ADDRESS: GetPointerFromAddress: unable to read from fffff800034c9100
GetUlongFromAddress: unable to read from fffff800034c91c0
 fffffa900697a630 Nonpaged pool
IMAGE_NAME:  Pool_Corruption
FAILURE_BUCKET_ID:  X64_0x50_nt!ExDeferredFreePool+192

This could be caused by hardware faults or bad drivers/Asus Utilities, we can do a few checks to help narrow things down.

Have you updated your motherboard drivers from the Asus site linked above?

If you are still using three RAM cards, remove one, leaving two installed. Check your motherboard manual for the correct slots.
Should be A2 and B2 the blue slots, slots 2 and 4 counting from your CPU.

Go to your UEFI/BIOS and post the DRAM and VCCIO voltages.
If they are on 'Auto' then select 'Manual' and you should get the voltage reading.
Then get the 'CPU Voltage' reading.

Confirm the current settings and then we can give them a bump and test for stability.

 

[Rothko]

Hi guys,

Thanks again for your help and advice.

Since my last post I have:
1) Returned the faulty RAM and received another faulty stick! (Tested all four in the same slot with the same program) That has been removed and, like the last time I found a stick was faulty, the Application Errors have stopped.
2) Uninstalled and reinstalled Microsoft Security Essentials.
3) Uninstalled AI Suite and all other Asus utilities bundled with that.
4) Put two RAM sticks into the slots you suggested.
5) Confirmed that the BIOS was up-to-date (It was)
6) Updated the firmware on the two SSDs (C300) as I read that there were some problems with the old firmware.
7) Checked voltages in BIOS Dram=1.5000...1.5003; VCCIO=1.050...1.062; CPU=1.152...1.158

Since making these changes I have had no problems at all and the OCCT scans show no (obvious) anomalies (please see attached). This is the first time for OCCT or CPUID not to have some very odd readings so I'm confident that progress has been made. I'm not celebrating yet though (I made that mistake before!).
I ran the PSU test for 20mins as this has (so far) been plenty of time for an array of strange readings to crop up. For your info, room temperature was 28°C at the time of testing.

Now and next:
1) I have put the other working stick of RAM back in the machine and tested OCCT and it seems fine.
2) I think a lot of these problems are down to bad RAM. This ADATA RAM I am using was a bit cheaper than the RAM I usually go for and so far 1 in 3 have been faulty. I don't really know ADATA but thought I'd give it a try but now I'm going to return all four sticks not just what was faulty and get some Corsair or Kingston.
3) Then I'll play some games (particularly those that crashed the system before) and see how it holds out now.
4) I'll report back to you tomorrow with the results (and hopefully mark this as solved... wow... I'm looking forward to that post!)

Thank you both

 

[Dave76]

You're welcome.
Good news, making progress and good feedback.

Testing each individual RAM stick will show you a faulty stick.
Corsair and Kingston are good brands, let us know which one you go with.
Motherboard utilities are known to cause issues with some boards.
SSD firmware updates can solve these type of issues.

Hope to hear some more good news.
Let us know the results.

 

[Rothko]

Hi again,

I traded the ADATA RAM in for Corsair Vengeance Blue.

But... ...it is still crashing.

The computer crashed playing Borderlands and Diablo 3. These aren't the 0x0000005c crashes; it is back to the black screen crashes that were happening before I discovered the faulty RAM (thanks to you two).

The crash is the same every time except once.

The screen goes blank as the monitor loses signal. I can still hear the sounds of the game and when playing online can still talk to other players for about 5-10secs but then the sound starts to loop, it seems to turn into a constant buzz and I'm forced to reset the machine. One crash instantly reset the machine.

Sometimes I can hear the GPU fan speed up after the screen has gone blank.

The crashes seem more frequent the longer I play games (which made me think it is a temperature problem but cannot find any other evidence of this and have tried running with the GPU fan fixed on maximum and had the same crash).

These crashes leave no Dump file nor event in the log. I can't record Hardware Monitor readings right up to the point of failure but in all other tests the temperatures seem reasonable. (There are still no/very few odd readings thanks to you guys)

I have a spare GPU so I'm going to try that in this computer tomorrow. If it is hardware I hope I can find which part...

 

[writhziden]

This sounds akin to a 0x116 crash. I have provided information about that particular BugCheck below.

Dave may also have some steps for you.

BugCheck 0x116

This crash is DirectX/graphics card related. DirectX comes installed with Windows, so this may indicate Windows corruption. It may also be that you have corrupted drivers or a graphics card hardware problem.

• If you are overclocking any hardware, please stop.
  
  
• Check Windows for corruption. Run http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html up to three times to fix all errors with a restart in between each. Post back if it continues to show errors after a fourth run or if the first run comes back with no integrity violations. Use OPTION THREE of http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html to provide us with the sfcdetails.txt file if errors occur.

Follow the steps for Diagnosing basic problems with DirectX. To re-install your display card drivers as outlined in the DirectX link, use the following steps.

1. Download the drivers you want for your display card(s)
2. Click Start Menu
3. Click Control Panel
4. Click Uninstall a program
5. For NVIDIA:
   • Uninstall the NVIDIA Graphics Driver (this should uninstall all NVIDIA software and drivers)
   • Restart your computer
   • Make sure NVIDIA 3D Vision Driver, NVIDIA 3D Vision Video Player, NVIDIA HD Audio Driver, and NVIDIA PhysX System Software are not still listed under Uninstall a program through Control Panel
   • If any remain of the above, uninstall one at a time
   • If asked to restart after uninstalling any of the above, do so, and continue uninstalling any remaining NVIDIA items until all are removed
6. For AMD:
   • Uninstall AMD Catalyst Install Manager if it is listed (this should remove all AMD graphics software and drivers)
   • If AMD Catalyst Install Manager is not listed, use the following method to uninstall the graphics drivers (this applies to onboard graphics, as well):
     1. Click Start Menu
     2. Right Click My Computer/Computer
     3. Click Manage
     4. Click Device Manager from the list on the left
     5. Expand Display adapters
     6. Do the following for each adapter (in case you have multiple display cards)
        • Right click the adapter
        • Click Uninstall (do not click OK in the dialog box that pops up after hitting Uninstall)
        • Put a tick in Delete driver software for this device (if this option is available, otherwise just hit OK) and hit OK
     Alternatively:
     1. Login as an adminstrative user
     2. Click Start Menu
     3. Click Control Panel
     4. Click Hardware and Sound
     5. Click Device Manager (the last link under Devices and Printers)
     6. Expand Display adapters
     7. Do the following for each adapter (in case you have multiple display cards)
        • Right click the adapter
        • Click Uninstall (do not click OK in the dialog box that pops up after hitting Uninstall)
        • Put a tick in Delete driver software for this device (if this option is available, otherwise just hit OK) and hit OK
7. Restart your computer after uninstalling drivers for all display cards
8. Install the driver you selected for the display cards once Windows starts

Remember to try multiple versions of the graphics drivers, download them fresh, and install the freshly downloaded drivers.

   Warning

Before you proceed with the following, answer these two questions: Are you still under warranty? Does your warranty allow you to open up the machine to check hardware? If you are unsure of the answers to these questions, contact your system manufacturer. :warn:WARNING: The steps that follow can void your warranty!!!

For 0x116 Video TDR Error crashes:

• 
  

  These are all stop 0x116 VIDEO_TDR_FAILURE conditions.
  
  It's not a true crash, in the sense that the bluescreen was initiated only because the combination of video driver and video hardware was being unresponsive, and not because of any synchronous processing exception.
  
  Since Vista, the "Timeout Detection and Recovery" (TDR) components of the OS video subsystem have been capable of doing some truly impressive things to try to recover from issues which would have caused earlier OSs like XP to crash. As a last resort, the TDR subsystem sends the video driver a "please restart yourself now!" command and waits a few seconds. If there's no response, the OS concludes that the video driver/hardware combo has truly collapsed in a heap, and it fires off that stop 0x116 BSOD.
  
  If playing with video driver versions hasn't helped, make sure the box is not overheating. Try removing a side panel and aiming a big mains fan straight at the motherboard and GPU. Run it like that for a few hours or days - long enough to ascertain whether cooler temperatures make a difference. If so, it might be as simple as dust buildup and subsequently inadequate cooling.

  
  The above quote was taken from http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-debugging/25912-bsod.html#post280172, which is linked to in usasma's thread about this error. Closely follow the first three posts of usasma's thread outlining http://www.sevenforums.com/crash-lo...op-0x116-video_tdr_error-troubleshooting.html and proceed through each step. Let us know if you need further help.

 

[Rothko]

Thanks for your reply.

I'm not overclocking at the moment. I will when it's stable at default settings but not until all these crashes are sorted.

I ran SFC /SCANNOW but it found no problems (I ran it a couple of weeks ago too and it found a problem but the fix didn't fix my crashes).

I have also tried a few different drivers with the card to no avail. Completely uninstalling the drivers each time and sweeping for any remnants of them.

On older systems I used to get those 'TDR' crashes a lot, both Nvidia and ATI, but I always got an error message. It's strange that I'm not getting any message; I suppose that "atikmdag" hasn't "successfully recovered" as it did before.

I will go through the usasma's thread and try each step but for now I'm waiting for a crash! I swapped GPUs with my fiancee and played 2x 2hour sessions of Diablo 3 with no problems at all. Not even a warning in event log.

I was kind of hoping that one of the computers would crash to tell me whether it is the GPU at fault but nothing. The GPU (that, although slow, is working fine in my computer) is an MSI Radeon HD 5830 using the newest 5800 series drivers from ATI.

My fiancee's computer set up is:
Asus P5K EPU (Tweaked BIOS to use AHCI)
8 GB (standard RAM) 2x2GB Geil, 2x2GB Patriot
Intel Dual Core E8400
OCZ (Sata2) SSD
Windows 7 Professional x64
(and now a Sapphire Radeon HD 6970)

Tomorrow I'm going to

 

[writhziden]

Your last sentence was incomplete...


You may also want to install your AMD drivers without the Catalyst Control Center/Vision Engine Control Center software. Download the version of ATI drivers that you want to install, and then do the following steps.

• Start the installation program to install your drivers and ATI software. When you get to the option to Express/Custom install, cancel the installation. Your drivers should now exist in C:\AMD\Support\xx-x_vista_win7_64_dd_ccc where the x's replace your version number of the driver software.
  
• Uninstall all AMD software related to your graphics card by uninstalling AMD Catalyst Install Manager in Start Menu -> Control Panel -> Uninstall a program
  
• If AMD Catalyst Install Manager is not listed, use the following method to uninstall the graphics drivers:
  1. Click Start Menu
  2. Right Click My Computer/Computer
  3. Click Manage
  4. Click Device Manager from the list on the left
  5. Expand Display adapters
  6. Do the following for each adapter (in case you have multiple display cards)
     • Right click the adapter
     • Click Uninstall (do not click OK in the dialog box that pops up after hitting Uninstall)
     • Put a tick in Delete driver software for this device (if this option is available, otherwise just hit OK) and hit OK
  Alternatively:
  1. Login as an adminstrative user
  2. Click Start Menu
  3. Click Control Panel
  4. Click Hardware and Sound
  5. Click Device Manager (the last link under Devices and Printers)
  6. Expand Display adapters
  7. Do the following for each adapter (in case you have multiple display cards)
     • Right click the adapter
     • Click Uninstall (do not click OK in the dialog box that pops up after hitting Uninstall)
     • Put a tick in Delete driver software for this device (if this option is available, otherwise just hit OK) and hit OK
• Restart your computer.
  
• Re-install your drivers from the C:\AMD\Support\xx-x_vista_win7_64_dd_ccc folder using a similar method to that in OPTION TWO of http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/98073-drivers-install-vista-drivers-windows-7-a.html

 

[Rothko]

Oops, I meant to write that I will fully test the GPU in my fiancee's computer and my computer with the spare GPU.

I did just that today. I installed the same drivers on the other machine and then played the games that had made my computer crash and everything ran fine. My computer with the spare GPU also ran fine. No warnings in Event Viewer on either machine.

After reading your message I checked to see what version of Catalyst Control Centre is on each computer and found that they differ.

When I put the GPU back into my computer I'll do what you said and try without CCC at all and then try the same version as the one installed on my fiancee's computer. I did try deleting all drivers and CCC and then installing the driver automatically through Windows Update rather than ATI but it didn't help. I will give your method a try though.

Is there anything I should check/test while the GPUs are swapped around?