Aero and ATI Catalyst?

[trenzterra]

Hi all,

I recently changed my gfx card from a 7900GS to a HD 4870. However, one annoying problem I have been experiencing is with regards to Aero on Windows 7.

I noticed that when running certain programs, such as Firefox in particular, sometimes when I try to click a dropdown box or just access a menu very quickly, before the menu appears, there is a black thing appearing behind it for a split second, before it finally appears (i.e. something similar when you try to resize the services.msc window). This is especially apparent when I am multitasking, perhaps due to lag.

However, I did not get this problem with my 7900 GS before. I tried a reformat already but no use.

Today, I decided to install Windows Vista on another separate hard disk. I noticed that this problem does not occur in Vista.

I am using Catalyst 9.9 on both Vista and Win7. However, the problems with Aero only occurs on Windows 7 but not on Vista.

Does anyone have the same problem with ATI cards as well? Is this a driver issue due to the WDDM 1.1 model used in Win7 for Aero?

 

[Night Hawk]

Hello trenzterra Welcome to the Se7en Forums!

This is not any driver or hardware problem but part of 7's new process of reverting to the Aero Basic theme in order to conserve video memory for the program being run at the time. When opening up the application for a tv tuner card here the Start taskbar will suddenly revert from the trasnparent Aero theme there to a light blue color.

The same is eeen here running the older HD 2600XT model with the Cat. 9.9 on presently as well. Once the tuner card's app is closed the transparency returns as if the tuner card was never used. This was also seen with the previous catalyst versions as well not just the 9.9 presently the latest.

 

[trenzterra]

Hmm I'm sorry but I think you misread my question?

I do not have a TV tuner of any sort; the problem occurs in Firefox and Aero Glass is running the whole time; I do not see it reverting to Aero Basic at any point of time.

The problem I'm having seems to be sort of related to the menu transitions. Before the said menu in Firefox appears I am seeing a black box where the menu is supposed to be, but only for a few milliseconds before the menu actually appears. In pre-7 what I would see in this case, I guess, would just be nothing, i.e. I'd be waiting for the menu to actually appear.

 

[Night Hawk]

I've never seen any of that when having FF on previously and am running a fresh install now. When first finishing up the installation you have to figure how you want things like second windows opening in tabs or a new window instead.

With your mention of Aero the only thing seen here is when using the tuner card I have here not when opening up any browser. You could have a gltch with FF itself where a fresh download/install would clean it up for you. Which release are you running? The 3.5.3 now seen?

 

[trenzterra]

Yes, fresh install, latest Firefox versions.

I'm using a Core 2 Duo E7300 with 3GB RAM and Win7 RTM x32 if it matters. My Win7 version is from Microsoft Connect (I was a BETA tester).

Hmm, may I ask what graphics card you are using? 'Cos I'm experiencing it only with this ATI card.

 

[Night Hawk]

I have it listed right in my system specs but I presently have an MSI Radeon HD 2600XT 512mb card in on this build. The latest FF version out is the 3.5.3 beta there that went on the 64bit RC here without a hitch.

I'm one of those that will have to wait until 10/22 to get into the retail 7 Ultimate then while still keeping the RC on for some time in order to make a lengthy list of comparisons and take notes on the improvements and discovery of any problems that come up not seen in the RCs.

As far as the ATI catalysts and the Aero themes I've never run into any real issues since the 7.9 version included on the software disk for the card itself! The following updates have been going on ever since without problems. But your card is two model series newer and may simply need the 10.1 or going back to the 9.8 if you are seeing problems directly related to the 9.9 with the model you have there.

Another thing that may be a help for you is the form of update that works on both FireFox and Opera as far as a flash player. One thing that comes to mind about the popup that appears and vanishes is an update alert.

When you were mentioning problems with the Aero that's where I was referring to seeing it revert to basic here when going to use the tuner card as being normal. For any browser even FF the catalyst shouldn't have any effect while the flash players, for IE active x, plugins, and other things would be what to look at. Which version are you running?

The WDDM or HDMI driver for ATI cards usually is for the external output for audio/video when adding on a tv or other projection screen type display as well as a receiver for sound. That's a hardware configuration/driver issue unrelated to the browser as a separate item. You may have to go back and try out a Vista update for the 9.9 or 9.8 since that's part of the Catalyst update or separate drivers only option while at the support site.

 

[DeaconFrost]

Did you rerun the WinSAT tool once you updated the drivers for the new card?

 

[trenzterra]

Yeah I just did, but it didn't solve anything.


Processor 6.2
RAM 6.2
Graphics 7.5
Gaming Graphics 7.5
Primary HDD 5.2

 

[trenzterra]

I am running 7 32-bit though, could that be an issue?

 

[DarkXeno]

maybe i missed this but did you remove all the old drivers for the 7900GS?? Also checking in device manager to make sure its correct in there?

 

[SquonkSC]

Hi all,

I recently changed my gfx card from a 7900GS to a HD 4870. However, one annoying problem I have been experiencing is with regards to Aero on Windows 7.

I noticed that when running certain programs, such as Firefox in particular, sometimes when I try to click a dropdown box or just access a menu very quickly, before the menu appears, there is a black thing appearing behind it for a split second, before it finally appears (i.e. something similar when you try to resize the services.msc window). This is especially apparent when I am multitasking, perhaps due to lag.

However, I did not get this problem with my 7900 GS before. I tried a reformat already but no use.

Today, I decided to install Windows Vista on another separate hard disk. I noticed that this problem does not occur in Vista.

I am using Catalyst 9.9 on both Vista and Win7. However, the problems with Aero only occurs on Windows 7 but not on Vista.

Does anyone have the same problem with ATI cards as well? Is this a driver issue due to the WDDM 1.1 model used in Win7 for Aero?

I wouldn't be surprised if this is a catalyst bug.
It wouldn't be the first time this year they introduce new bugs.

Try the 9.6, 9.7 and 9.8 and see if any of those solves it.

Always uninstall the current driver first.

Good luck

 

[Night Hawk]

Generally problems with video drivers will more likely tend to see any browser windows freeze up rather then see any odd pop up appear. The possible leftovers from the previous card however is a good thing to consider since that could easily result in driver clashes if there any leftover registry entries still trying to see them loaded.

This reply is with the FF 3.5.3 beta still not running into any problems on the 64bit RC here. I suspect that 7 is seeing a popup notification if the item you are seeing is near the system tray at all. Have you checked for MS updates on 7 since you swapped cards out?

You could be seeing a prompt for some MS as well as the latest from ATI which you already have on. Depending on the updates setting that could be the notice that updates are now available for download. The popup only lasts seconds there.

 

[trenzterra]

I think maybe you have misread my question. My problem is something like the one here: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=494222

I did some further testing, and as it turns out, with older drivers that do not support WDDM 1.1, I do not have this problem.

I rolled back to the Catalyst 8.12 drivers and it ran like a dream, but of course I had to revert back to 9.9 since I wanted to play the latest games.

My question is, what could have changed in WDDM 1.1 to cause such a problem? Also, can I now confirm that the problem lies with the driver and not the hardware itself?

BTW can you guys run dxdiag and tell me what your WDDM version number shows? Thanks!

 

[SquonkSC]

I think maybe you have misread my question. My problem is something like the one here: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=494222

I did some further testing, and as it turns out, with older drivers that do not support WDDM 1.1, I do not have this problem.

I rolled back to the Catalyst 8.12 drivers and it ran like a dream, but of course I had to revert back to 9.9 since I wanted to play the latest games.

My question is, what could have changed in WDDM 1.1 to cause such a problem? Also, can I now confirm that the problem lies with the driver and not the hardware itself?

BTW can you guys run dxdiag and tell me what your WDDM version number shows? Thanks!

Why 8.12 ??? It's very old.

Try your way down from 9,8, 9.7, 9.6 and so on until you find one that works for you.

 

[stormy13]

It's too bad that only three of the people posting in that Mozilla link actually said anything about what video card they have; two were ATI and one was Nvidia.

You using any themes other than the Firefox default? Tried Firefox in safe mode (from the Start menu) to see if it happens with no extensions or customizations loaded?

Not that it helps resolve your issue, but I have sued nothing but Firefox and an ATI card since using 7, and have never had the issue you are describing.

 

[trenzterra]

The problem is more apparent for me considering that I have over a thousand bookmarks and I think installing the Flash plug-in seems to aggravate it further.

Well I used the default WDDM drivers that came with Win 7 RTM and it didn't solve the problem too. So I reverted to 8.12 since it was one of the last few drivers that didnt have the new WDDM model.

Yeah I agree this is a very weird problem. I don't know whether its really an ATI problem or not, since I believe WDDM 1.1 requires DX10 cards which my old card does not support?

BTW, it seems that perhaps Firefox's window drawing model is the problem? I have no such problems in every other app. In Windows Explorer, the most I see is a slight flicker in the Address Bar dropdown box whenever new suggestions are shown, but never the black boxes thingy.

 

[Night Hawk]

From everything you have described so far it continues to lead right back to a browser issue more then anything else. An addon clashing with the WDDM 1.1 or Catalyst 9.9 for some reason would something to consider since just about anyone else running FF as well as an ATI card hasn't been running into this.

At the top of thread there I was simply pointing out the only thing noticed with the Aero theme changing to basic was simply tuner card app related here while FF, Opera, Chrome, Safari even along with IE 8 have only run into lags or freeze ups or some other oddity due to some 3rd party option unless a display driver was knocked out somehow while trying something out.

If you could grab a screen capture right when this is seen that would give us something more to work with so we can see what you are running into. Faststone or another freeware would be good for this.

 

[trenzterra]

The problem is that it occurs too quickly that the FPS on video is too slow to record it.

Basically, the effect is something similar to this:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay-gqx18UTM"]YouTube - Windows 7 GUI slowness[/ame]

See around 0:20 of the video.

 

[Night Hawk]

Good Grief! Some XP fan boy apparently made that one up once he found something he could try to pass off as a fault only seen on 7! Actually the fluttering shown there was seen in XP here! while not in Vista and 7 and that was all on the same hardware.

 

[trenzterra]

Yep, I know, but the effect I'm getting in Firefox is rather similar, although not as severe.