Quite a few users experiencing BSOD's due to graphics drivers

Hello all!

Recently, I have noticed quite a few users reporting BSOD's due to problems with graphics drivers. I am one of them and have updated my NVIDIA drivers but it didn't seem to cure the BSOD's. It only altered the error message after the BSOD.

I have changed neither hardware nor software and the computer ran flawlessly (100% stable) until april last year when it started BSOD-ing some six months after a clean install of XP with SP2 slipstreamed.

I have been pulling my grey hair trying to figure out why ...... ...... but the only thing I have achieved is a bald spot. It seems like it is randomly generated based on hardware configuration and possibly the update status of Windows XP.

If I am not totally off track, these things do not start happening all by themselves but something triggered it. The question is what ...... ...... or rather which update to Windows XP?

Thanks for your time,
Christer

 

Have you searched the MS Knowledge Base for the Stop 0x000?? error codes?

 

Yes, from the drivers installed with XP SP2 to 81.95 ForceWare (WHQL) from the NVIDIA website.

Yes, there have been various error codes to search but no conclusive information. It is a "needle in the haystack" situation and the common denominator being "a faulty hardware driver" but no specifics.

I have also updated the motherboard (VIA) drivers but not to the most recent. It was recommended by VIA to use an earlier release for my "ageing" chipset.

One file that has been mentioned in the BSOD is nv4_disp.dll which lead to the display drivers. A more recent version was included in 81.95.

Right now, I am waiting for the next BSOD and after that one, I will update the sound drivers. The final thing will be to update the network drivers, if any are available. I am, sort of, taking it step by step.

Christer

 

Good morning Dennis!

I have several Images of the system. The first one with XP SP2 only and then another five created at different stages during the installation on 30 september 2004. I have rolled back to #6 several times, reinstalled all updates to XP and AV/FW but the result is the same. I did not install any drivers at all since those provided with XP SP2 worked well ...... ...... until april last year.

I have mentioned this in other treads but - the BSOD is always accompanied by a relocated pagefile. Restoring a Ghost Image puts the pagefile towards the front of the partition but after each BSOD, it has been relocated, not to the exact same position every time but towards the middle. Maybe that's related to the driver "accessing a too high IRQL" (or whatever it said on the BSOD).

When I have exhausted all possible driver replacements, I will try to re-seat all add-on cards to see if that helps. I think that I can borrow a graphics card to test but since I try to do things step by step, that would come as a last attempt.

However, this surge of reports of BSOD's from different users indicate that the problem might be "global ". It affects certain hardware combinations and I believe that any of the updates to Windows may have had an impact.

Christer

 

Dennis, I forgot:

The first BSOD error message pointed at the pagefile but the next few BSOD error messages pointed at nv4_disp.dll by actually naming the file.

The graphics card works well apart from that.

Christer

 

Whiskeyman,

I have read it now but that procedure is only a statement, no one confirms that it worked. I am (almost) convinced that the NVIDIA drivers installed by the XP SP2 installer were tested and verified to work with XP SP2 but that some update to XP has messed things up. If nothing else works, I will try that route.

These folks are using much newer graphics cards than mine (GeForce2 MX 100/200) and are referring to specific games. NVIDIA release notes are full of fixes for specific games on specific cards. They (the users, not NVIDIA) report that it happens a few minutes into a game and I have not once in my life played a game ...... ...... this happens when working in Office or with the computer idling! After restoring an Image, it can then be run for 2-4 weeks before it BSOD's again.

Dennis,

I have not yet checked your search results but I have done a bit of googling myself and came to the same conclusion - the problem is "global" and I'm not alone.

I don't think my soon five years old BOAC (Box Of Assembled Components - 1GHz/266MHz Athlon with 2x256MB PC133 SDRAM) will handle Vista very well. When I decide to migrate to Vista, I will also get new hardware.

If I had two computers, I would roll back this one to Image #6 and run it off line without any updates to Windows. I would place a high bet that it would run flawlessly.

Christer

 

By the way, I have also played with the thought of Ghost being the culprit. When restoring an Image, Ghost puts the pagefile towards the front of the partition as opposed to the Windows XP setup which puts it after all system files.

However, it has worked for years, first with SP1, then SP2 and why should XP suddenly object to that by BSOD-ing and relocating it?

The only answer is that an update to XP has introduced something to upset the video drivers which in turn create the pagefile symptom.

To rule out Ghost as the culprit, I have thought about not restoring an Image after a BSOD but only clean up and defragment to see if it happens even when XP has put the pagefile "where it wants it to be ".

(Speculative mode is now OFF ...... ...... )

Honestly, I don't believe in the Ghost theory and it all starts to resemble a classic witch hunt including the burning at the stake and all!

Christer

 

Had another BSOD today and the message indicated:

win32k.sys - Address BF804996 base at BF800000, DateStamp 43446a58

A Google search came up with one hit ...... ...... in spanish which was of no help.

(This coincides with WARNING - WinFixer - ErrorSafe - ALERT but I don't know if there is a connection. I will go Google on it later.)

Christer

 

I went google myself and (probably) found the same results. The thread at Annoyances.org has been posted to from september 2002 to december 2005. It accentuates that the search for the possible cause is a "needle in a haystack" effort and it also indicates that it may not have anything to do with any update to XP. However, the files mentioned in the error messages have been substituted in several updates to XP.

Since there seems to be a connection between the errors and AMD/GeForce (which I have), there is probably no point in updating anything but motherboard and graphics drivers. I have installed the (at the time) most recent NVIDIA drivers but VIA recommended an earlier release for my ageing chipset. Maybe I should ignore that recommendation and install the latest.

Another connection is RAM. There is one significant difference between my system and those in that thread: Their systems BSOD very often (every few minutes to every few hours) but my system BSOD every two to four weeks. Is it possible that a bad RAM module can run for weeks and then produce errors?

I have restored the Gost Image created after the january batch of updates to XP and will continue running in that condition until the next BSOD. Then, I will update to the most recent VIA drivers and make another "session ".

When (not if ...... ......) it BSOD's again, I will revert to the drivers originally installed by default (XP SP2), re-seat all cards and RAM modules, make sure that all heat sinks and fans are clean and work properly to see if that makes a difference.

I want to pursue the software before starting on hardware, though. If not, I will not know what helped and what didn't.

Christer

 

Zander,
I have clean installed the following operating systems on the same hardware:

june 2001 - WinME
may 2003 - WinXP SP1 (RTM + SP1)
february 2004 - WinXP SP1a (RTM + SP1a)
september 2004 - WinXP SP2 (SP2 slipstreamed)

There was not a trace of this issue until april 2005 and I suspected (still do to some degree) that an update to XP is the culprit but it may also be ageing hardware that need a simple fix like re-seating.

I'm running at "Load Optimized Defaults" but maybe a change to "Load Fail-Safe Defaults" would be better. In addition to that, I have disabled on-board sound and increased the AGP Aperture Size (from 64 MB to 128 MB) according to the recommendations in AIDA 32 (yes, it's that long ago). I don't remember when I did the change to AGP but it didn't immediately trigger the issue.

It has happened when the computer is idling too!

Not likely since it worked well for almost four years. Possibly low quality and a symptom of ageing.

If my computer would BSOD every few minutes or hours as some people have reported, then I wouldn't be as relaxed about this. Every two to four weeks and a restart is the fix is annoying and I really have to remember saving my work quite often.

One thing to try is to not restore an Image after a BSOD, just leave the pagefile in the new location and do a cleanup/defrag. Will it happen again? I think so!

Christer

 

You should Follow these instructions & post a Dump Data Log.

Maybe cpc2004 can point to any problems, if not, get into contact with MS Support & start troubleshooting...

 

I have set it to "full memory dump" and will copy memory.dmp to D: the next time ...... ...... before letting Ghost loose on C:

Christer

 

Trouble shooting is picking up speed ...... ...... !

Today I had a BSOD with a totally new message:

BAD_POOL_HEADER

STOP: 0x00000019 (0x00000020, 0xE19FF000, 0xE19FF100, 0x0C200400)

The attached debuglog-060203 is from a full memory dump ...... ...... if someone has the time to take a look.

Thanks,
Christer