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Resolved Intermittent nviddmkm Error 14 issues

Discussion in 'Windows 10' started by PeteC, 2018/07/24.

  1. 2018/07/24
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff Thread Starter

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    For the past couple of months or so the computer freezes intermittently and the screen goes black. After ~30 seconds of HD activity the screen comes back up and all is well - until the next time.

    Have made several clean installs of the latest driver for the NVIDIA Geforce GT 740 graphics card, but the issue remains. Only software components installed are the driver, Geforce Experience & PhysX. I cannot recall exactly when the issue started and whether or not it began after a Windows update or software installation - as I recall the only recent software installed was Acronis True Image 2018 (previous versions have not caused any issues).

    Among other checks the Samsung SSD checks out OK with Samsung Magician as does the memory with Memtest (FWIW).

    I am thinking that a solution to the problem may be to change the graphics card for an ATI powered version.

    Any thoughts/suggestions or relevant experience appreciated.
     
  2. 2018/07/24
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    Sounds like the nvram is failing or else the power supply is not dishing out the required power to the card. Can also be caused by heat build up. AFAIK there's no thermal chip on that model. If there is, what is the temp?

    You could also remove all nvidia software and drivers and try a driver from a year ago when all worked well.
     
    Last edited: 2018/07/24

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  4. 2018/07/24
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff Thread Starter

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    Speccy indicates that current temp is 38 deg C (fan is running and is relatively clean) and that mobo voltages are fine (card is powered from PCIe slot)

    Following your suggestion have removed all nvidia software and drivers and installed the Jan 2018 driver only. Now it's a waiting game!
     
  5. 2018/07/24
    Bill

    Bill SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    If it happens again, I would swap out power supplies with a known good supply of suitable wattage. Since EVERYTHING inside the computer depends on good clean stable power, it is always best to ensure all your components are getting it.

    And don't forget the often overlooked obvious - make sure the video data cables are securely fastened on each end.
     
    Bill,
    #4
  6. 2018/07/24
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    Hopefully all will be well. I have not updated my nvidia driver in 3+ years. It just works and does all I need it to do. Most changes to video drivers, esp nvidia, are fixes for certain games. I'm not a gamer...
     
  7. 2018/07/25
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff Thread Starter

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    The issue has reoccurred, but slightly differently this morning in that the monitors blacked out for a couple of seconds without any noticeable hard drive activity.

    Event viewer no longer displays Error 14, under System ' Display Driver nviddmkm stopped responding and has successfully recovered' and under Application the info in the attached jpeg. Although the monitors blacked out on only one occasion there are multiple instances in Event Viewer for the jpeg report.

    @Bill - I don't have another power supply to hand, but the installed PSU is of premium quality - Corsair 750W CS750M - GOLD (FWIW) and video data cables are firmly ******* in. I may reseat the graphics card & RAM and would appreciate a comment on my thoughts of replacing the nvidia card with an ATI based card.
     

    Attached Files:

  8. 2018/07/25
    Bill

    Bill SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    Umm, please note the CS line from Corsair was the 2nd from the bottom of their 80 PLUS supplies - a long ways from their premium tier. In fact, they discontinued that line for the CX series because, it is said, it got a reputation for premature failures. Note this. I personally would not recommend the CX tier either. I would not hesitate to own an AXi, HXi, RMi, AX or HX, however.

    For sure, there was a time if it said Corsair on the supply, you knew it was of premium quality. But sadly, like so many companies, they started to live off their name, cut corners in quality control, and even changed OEM suppliers for many of their lower "entry" level supplies - and disappointed many buyers.

    But also note until Man can create perfection 100% of the time, even the top tier supplies from the most reputable company can experience units that don't perform as expected.

    So I sure would try to beg, borrow or steal a supply before spending money on a new graphics card - for no other reason than to eliminate your Corsair from the equation.
    I am not brand loyal. And IMO, it is just silly to say one is better than the other. Each make so many, it is just silly to suggest all offerings from Brand A would be better than all offerings from Brand B. So you need to pick a budget, then see what is available in that budget, then compare specific cards.

    One thing nice about changing brands completely is this forces a total reset of Windows. Too often, if you have problems with an NVIDIA (or AMD) card and you replace it with another NVIDIA (or AMD), because you essentially use the same driver bundle, your problems carry over to the new card.

    By switching from NVIDIA to AMD (or AMD to NVIDIA), this forces every Registry setting and driver setting to be rewritten. It is a trick I learned long ago with hardware to swap brands, install drivers, then swap back and had this fix the problem.

    I note you said "HD activity". What does that mean? Playing HD content (videos and Blu-ray movies) really takes little graphics horsepower compared to serious gaming.
     
    Bill,
    #7
  9. 2018/07/25
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff Thread Starter

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    Bill - I appreciate the breadth and depth of you response.

    Getting hold of another PSU, apart from buying a new one, is not on the cards. Looking at the current prices of those that you recommended they are extremely high, starting at £137, approx double the price I paid for the current PSU and double the price of an adequate AMD graphics card.

    My graphics requirements are very moderate - I do not play games, Blue-Ray videos, edit videos, etc. Apart from the usual surfing and basic use of MS Office and Works the main usage on the computer is Photoshop for which the current Nvidia Geforce GT740 is more than adequate. If the issue persists, as i expect it to :( I think an AMD card is the likely option.

    Hard drive activity. When this issue first raised it's ugly head after the screens went black the hard drive (SSD) would churn away for ~30 seconds before the screens recovered. Aurally it sounded like a reboot, but the screens were restored to the point before they blacked out. Today the hard drive activity was limited to a few seconds before the screens were restored.

    This evening I intend to remove the graphics card for a de-dust and contact clean to see if that has any effect.
     
  10. 2018/07/25
    Bill

    Bill SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    I was not recommending them, just saying I would not be hesitant to own them. Actually, my preferred PSU brands are EVGA Gold and Seasonic Gold.

    I would just hate for you to buy a new graphics card only to find out the problem is still there.

    That said, supplying clean stable power does take an investment. You would not buy a new Porsche then fill it up at the corner Tobacco and Bait shop.
     
    Bill,
    #9
  11. 2018/07/30
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff Thread Starter

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    Update

    Since removing the graphics card, de-dusting (very little dust) and refitting the card and also re-seating the RAM computer operation has been stable without any black screens, although Event Viewer continues to post the errors noted above several times a day.

    Will continue to monitor and do not propose to take any further action at present.
     
  12. 2018/08/03
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff Thread Starter

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    I spoke too soon :( Computer performance deteriorated over the past few days with the following issues .....

    Intermittent freezing in some programs sometimes with the message 'Not Responding'.
    Firefox freezing intermittently when scrolling and screen flashing intermittently
    Occasional blacking out of both screens.

    This morning I uninstalled all the nvidia software, removed all folders relating to nvidia as detailed in a Wiki-how article and cleaned the Registry of nvidia (and other listed entries) using CCleaner - a program I rarely use, removed the graphics card and plugged the monitors into the onboard Intel graphics.

    For the last 10 hours the computer has been 100% stable with none of the issues noted above although Event Viewer still shows an entry for the nvidia card and the nviddmkm errors are still being reported.

    The logical conclusion would seem to be that the nvidia card has failed, Could be a driver issue of course, but the older nvidia driver installed recently dated Jan 2018 caused no problems in the past. My dilemma is do I replace the nvidia card with a similar model or make the switch to AMD and AMD drivers? I've used nvidia cards in my builds for the past 20 years without issue until now. I could continue to use the Intel graphics, but would feel more comfortable with a dedicated card especially as the main use of the PC is image editing in Photoshop.

    Any advice most welcome.
     
  13. 2018/08/04
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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  14. 2018/08/04
    Bill

    Bill SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    My advice about PSUs has not changed.

    As for switching to AMD, I am not brand loyal in that respect. When doing a build, or an upgrade, I set a budget and look for the best card in that budget. Both AMD and NVIDIA make too many cards to declare all offerings from one brand is better than all offerings from the other.

    However, one thing I am sure most of us have noticed over the years is that uninstalling old graphics drivers is rarely ever a complete process. It is not uncommon for remnants of old drivers, files, and settings to be left behind. It is the latter that pertains to what I am going to say next.

    If possible, you might try borrowing an AMD card now (since you have an NVIDIA card in there now). Then install the AMD card and make sure it all works fine (this might help eliminate any potential PSU problems from the equation and get me off your back about that too! ;)). Then remove the AMD card and reinstall your NVIDIA card again and see what happens.

    Make sure you unplug from the wall each time (and touch bare metal of the case interior) before removing/inserting or even touching the cards.

    What changing GPU brands does is force the OS to totally reset (or totally orphan - and that's okay here) all graphics settings everywhere - and that's the key.

    I note that both AMD and NVIDIA use very comprehensive driver installation packages. That is, the same download and installer package is used for many dozens of their cards and the package determines what is needed when it detects the card.

    What I have found over the years, up to and including with W10, is sticking with the same GPU brand (even with different GPUs) some times results in the driver installer package simply checking to see if a file or setting is present and if there, skips overwriting it. The result is a possible corrupt file or setting remains corrupt. Overwriting all NVIDIA files and settings with AMD (or AMD with NVIDIA if going the other way around) forces Windows to actually reset all settings for the card and potentially fix an obscure corrupt file or setting.

    Ensuring you unplug from the wall (thus removing all +5V standby voltages in the process) helps ensure any potentially corrupt files or settings are released so they can be overwritten.

    Note this same practice used to work with stubborn NIC and sound card drivers/settings too (when they were typically separate cards). But integration with motherboards makes that need almost completely obsolete these days.

    It's a bit labor intensive but costs only a bit of your time.
     
  15. 2018/08/04
    ephemarial

    ephemarial Well-Known Member

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    Hi Pete

    Have 2 of those cards – Nvidia GeForce GT 740 (brand is EVGA) – 1 on win 10 other on win 7. Both work fine with no errors in event log and using latest drivers.

    What you’re experiencing was a known problem with nvidia 630,640 cards and some motherboards – had to use 3 year old drivers to somewhat mitigate the problem – finally replaced the cards with the 740 and problem went away.

    Like Bill have no brand loyalty. Have a mixture of nvidia, amd and even no cards on various computers. Depends on application, purpose and current pricing.

    I’d suspect your card has gone on holiday. But since it may be a combo of motherboard and latest operating system upgrades I’d replace it with a AMD card - that way 2 of the possibilities are covered– defective card or incompatibility.

    3rd possibility, as Bill has gone into, is the power supply. EVGA recommends at least 400 watt power supply with 20 amp on 12 volt rail. Not very much and that’s with card screaming. Still it’s a possibility that 12 volt rail waves bye bye under load.

    Outside of swapping don’t know of inexpensive way to check it.
    And – it’s easier to return a graphics card then a power supply.
     
  16. 2018/08/04
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff Thread Starter

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    Thanks for your replies!

    @ Tony T - thanks for the link - pretty heavy reading!

    @ Bill - thanks as usual for your comprehensive and in depth comments.

    I hear what you say re. PSU's, but am encouraged by the stability of the computer running on the onboard graphics (another full day without issues), so a replacement PSU is the last port of call. Unfortunately none of my friends who use computers build their own - in fact I am generally the first person that they call when problems arise, so I do not have the opportunity to borrow an AMD card.

    Interesting to read that a fresh driver installation does not necessarily overwrite files already present and presumably does not check for corruption.

    As a side note all mains wall sockets in the UK are 3 pin - +, - & earth. I ALWAYS turn off the power at the wall socket before opening up the case, but leave the mains plug in the socket to maintain an earth. Other normal precautions also followed including the use of a grounding wrist strap.

    One of the issues I have with a replacement graphics card is the requirement of a VGA output for my second monitor which severely limits the choice as many middle grade cards (under $100) no longer provide that facility and I would not want to replace the Geforce GT 740 with one of a lower spec. I am leaning towards acquiring an AMD card (Sapphire Radeon R7 250 2GB) although reading through the Adobe forums some posters note bugs in the drivers. Sticking with the Intel onboard graphics is not a long term option as several Photoshop features are unavailable, some of which I use from time to time.

    Incidentally I ran Memtest today and no memory errors were detected.

    @ephemarial - thanks for your input! The GT 740 is no longer available and the GT 730 is of lower spec, but would probably do the job although as I noted above my leaning is towards an AMD card.

    The PC has a 750W PSU so plenty of power when required given that it is operating correctly.
     
  17. 2018/08/05
    Bill

    Bill SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    That's great but remember onboard graphics tend to be the least demanding on the power supplies.
    That's fine but 2 points. (1) The most important thing to remember when digging around inside a PC is to put you and the computer "at the same potential" to prevent any static discharges (ESD) from destroying those ESD sensitive devices. You do this by touching bare metal of the case interior. You don't need to be grounded to Earth ground. But if you are, you need to be at the same Earth ground as the computer. So again, touch bare metal. And (2), do not assume those cheap, mass produced PSU power cords are in perfect condition and providing zero resistance to Earth ground.
     
  18. 2018/08/07
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff Thread Starter

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    Fitted a new Asus Radeon R7 250 OC 2 GB card this morning and so far no issues, but early days yet :)
     
  19. 2018/08/09
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff Thread Starter

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    No errors or glitches in the past 3 days so I am tentatively marking this thread as Resolved with thanks to all who responded with valuable advice and guidance. Seems almost certain that the nvidia Geforce GT 740 had failed.
     
  20. 2018/08/10
    Bill

    Bill SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    Let's hope you didn't just jinx it! ;)
     

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