Artifacts/Driver stopped responding errors with 8800GTX

[silico]

I was playing Fallout 3 and it has run fine for the last year or so, i played all the expansions except Anchorage, i installed it and got to the point where you go into the simulator and then it started stuttering and artifacts start appearing on the screen. it crashes and i Ctrl+alt+del to desktop.

Up to this point i have had this happen before.

Then on the desktop i get a pop up about the driver stopped responding and has recovered, never happened before. I reload the game and it does the same thing.

So i checked my drivers and i was on 190.something and the newest is 260.99. i uninstalled the old drivers, rebooted, installed the new drivers, rebooted. Sorted right? no.

I run the game this time i dont even get in the simulator and load the alaska level before it starts jumping and massive lines and grey blocks appear. then the computer locks up and i have to manually restart.

I tried it in other games and it runs for a minute or so then does the artifact, lock-up, ctrl+alt+del, desktop & message thing again. Also i sometimes happens when im simply on the internet and the screen flashes and i get the message again in the corner.

Is this a sign that i need to get a new card or do the new drivers simply not work and the card cant play that level of fallout and i should have just left it?

So what should i do??? :huh:

Thanks in advance!!!!

 

[Windows i7 920]

Have you tried updating / reinstalling DirectX? I've had issues with that before.

 

[silico]

Have you tried updating / reinstalling DirectX? I've had issues with that before.

I havent but i will looking into that as i have never had too...

 

[silico]

Right i reinstalled DriectX alright, but it is still the same. artifacts then crash to desktop with not responding driver message. then artifacts whilst on internet or anything and then blue screen.

I did get a new error message though. "D3DERR_LOSTDEVICE" ???

It seems to be getting worse. im going to try and work my way back through the drivers and see if its just that. i really dont have the money for a new graphics card.

 

[TVeblen]

except Anchorage, i installed it ... and then it started stuttering and artifacts start appearing on the screen.

My guess is that Anchorage made settings or device changes to the video card.
Uninstall Anchorage.

Have you tried doing a System Restore to a point before Anchorage was installed?

It may be necessary to completely remove, clean, and reinstall the video drivers.

• Go to the nVidia website and download the most current known good driver.
• Now go into Windows Explorer and in the C: drive find the nVidia folder (inside will be Drivers > your driver version) and delete it (the whole folder).
• Go into Start > Control Panel > Remove a Program and uninstall all programs for the video card. For nVidia, do PhysX and Stereoscopic 3D first, then the driver. The control panel will uninstall with the driver. Do not restart the computer at this time.
• Run DriverSweeper to uninstall all video remnants http://downloads.guru3d.com/Guru3D---Driver-Sweeper-%28Setup%29-download-1655.html .
• restart the computer.
• When it reaches the desktop Windows will find new hardware and will install it's own WDDM1.1 driver. Let it. You will be asked to restart. Do it.
• Once back on the desktop you can now install the nVidia driver package for your card.

Some links that talk about your condition:
persistent D3DERR_DEVICELOST problem [SOLVED] - GameDev.Net Discussion Forums
D3DERR (Windows)
when i need to Reset Device ? - GameDev.Net Discussion Forums
Handling Alt-Tab in Direct Draw? - GameDev.Net Discussion Forums

Maybe the above will help one of the gamers here to see what is going on. I know not about the "Reset Device" bit.

 

[silico]

TVeblen what a very in detail post! Thank you! sorry it took me a while to try everyhting you suggested.

I uninstalled anchorage, nothing changed.

I then tried a system restore from the windows repair boot menu thingy. It rolled back my drivers to 191.07 i think [might be 190.07].

Then it seems to work alot better, but not the same as before. in fallout Npcs kept losing their textures and just be all black, and when i logged on to windows it would be the mouse with a black screen for about 45 seconds where as before becuase i strip all the start up programs out it starts really fast.

I was about to try clean installing the new drivers again but it became really unstable to the point where even at log in i would get artifacts and i couldnt have the PC on for more than about 2 minutes before it would blue screen. :shock:

I am using my netbook to write this and i am useing safe mode to copy all my files that i need. then im going to nuke the pc and re-install windows 7.

You think this is a good course of action?

Thanks again!!

 

[yowanvista]

driver stopped responding and has recovered

This is a TDR error related to your GPU/RAM

Causes: bad RAM/GPU, overheating, bad PSU
Test your RAM: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105647-ram-test-memtest86.html
Or get a new card

 

[silico]

driver stopped responding and has recovered

This is a TDR error related to your GPU/RAM

Causes: bad RAM/GPU, overheating, bad PSU
Test your RAM: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105647-ram-test-memtest86.html
Or get a new card

I'm starting to suspect hardware problems. But what makes you so sure its not the PSU? its the same age as the card.

 

[TVeblen]

Very often we see these TDR errors and it is always a problem with drivers or a problem with hardware. Yowanvista is just stating the prime suspects and is correct.

What made me decide not to assume a "normal" TDR complaint and solution is your statement that everything was cool for a while until you installed the one game. That makes me think that the game has changed some settings for the video card that is not playing nice with the driver.

There is always the possibility that the video card was on shaky ground anyway and the game, the setting change, or just coincidence tipped the video card over the edge and now it is toast.

See what a clean install of the drivers and memtest will do before you start buying parts!

 

[silico]

[FONT=&quot]I see.

Big problems now however.

I was in safe mode and I downloaded memtest and tried it, then uninstalled the nvidia drivers to do a clean install after restart. Then after restart and into safe mode the screen was a stupidly tiny resolution and the colour scale was maybe 5 different colours. it was barely readable. Did the same thing in normal and safe mode, before and after clean install of new drivers which was hard as i could barely make anything out.

I have since then taken the card out and am using my friends old card that has driver issues but gets to desktop ok. I think it i need a new card but I can’t test that theory because the 8800GTX is ridiculously long for a GRFX card and it won’t fit in anyone else’s case!!!

Also this card is only 1 six pin so the power requirements are not the same so I can’t tell if it’s the PSU wattage slowly dying. But I really think it’s the card, shame really I loved my 8800 it was the best card I ever had [/FONT]

 

[TVeblen]

One last thing to try is to reset the cards defaults to see if any changes were made by Anchorage.

With your card installed with the latest drivers go to the NV control panel and you'll see the "restore defaults" (hard to spot) in the upper right corner of the main part of the nvidia control panel window.

 

[silico]

thanks TVeblen i will try that, however i am now pack and going home for the weekend so i am going to take my card with me to my uncles and let him try it. i will suggest what you said there and see if it works. Report back soon!