Graphics Card Problems!

Zephyr1551 · 06-01-2008, 03:55 PM

Help! I have problems with my machines graphics card. I have the Sony VGN-AR605E, this machine has an NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GT, when I play Warcraft 3 my screen goes freezes, then goes black and then resumes gameplay. When I return to windows I get a popup message that says "Display driver nvlddmkm stopped responding and has successfully recovered."

I tried uninstalling deleting and reinstalling the drivers many times and even going into the BIOS and resseting it back to factory condition, yet the problem keeps coming up again and again. I've tried talking with sony about it through live chat yet they treat me like I'm an idiot, can anyone help me? Any suggestions on what to do?

ixidakonixi · 06-01-2008, 04:17 PM

My NVIDIA GeForce 8500 GT did that with wow occasionally suddenly it stopped doing it after i stopped playing wow.

Zephyr1551 · 06-01-2008, 04:32 PM

what did you do to fix the problem?

Teufelhund · 06-01-2008, 04:44 PM

has it ever worked? if so you should check to se if there is a system restore point for a time you know it worked. if not, try looking for a new driver set for your card. The manufacturer's website or nvidia's website would be an excellent place to look. Also make sure youre not using the built in drivers that windows comes with, especially if youre using vista.

Zephyr1551 · 06-01-2008, 04:55 PM

The graphics card still works, yet it fails every so often, The only restore availible is from today and the problem has been occuring longer then today. I tried installing the original video drivers the machine comes with, hopefully that'll work.

Pwnzilla · 06-01-2008, 06:20 PM

You may want to crack open your case and check the GPU heatsink/fan. It may be clogged with dust and creating a heat issue. Don't really know if that is the case, just something to check. The other suggestion is to verify you are using WHQL driver, but I am assuming that the Sony rep would have pointed you to the recommended driver. If you want to check for driver issues a good format is as follows:

Go to Guru3d and get Driver Sweeper

Driver Sweeper "no install needed"
Guru3D - Driver Sweeper (no installer) download from Guru3D.com

Open up your C drive and you should see the NVIDIA Directory "unless you told it to install some place else", open up the folder named WinVista64 or 32 "depending on your OS" and you should see a driver version folder "162.22 for example". Leave this window open.

Vista
1. Right click on Computer---->Properties
2. Click on Device Manager
3. Expand Display Adapters
4. Right Mouse Button over the Video card Name
5. Select Uninstall, Click Delete the driver software for this Device
6. Do not reboot
7. Now That Window I told you to leave open with the NVIDIA directory now Delete your Driver Version Folder "Example 162.22 then empty recycle bin."
8. REBOOT
9. Restart in Safe mode, Use the F8 key while your rebooting to do so select Safe Mode.
10. Preference is to use the Driver Sweeper that you just run the executable without an install
11. Make sure you tell it to Remove your NVIDIA Display Drivers, once it is finished
Reboot. once Vista reboots it will just reinstall a generic VGA adapter
12. Now install the latest Video Drivers for your card.

XP is about the same.

ixidakonixi · 06-01-2008, 09:54 PM

Not sure how it stopped ur fan may be clogged and its causing it to overheat

FluffyBunni · 06-01-2008, 11:10 PM

I agree with Pwn. Do an EXTREME driver clean and reinstall. Uninstall, run driver cleaner, follow ALL THE STEPS, then reinstall the drivers. If you have a corrupt file in your drivers and you just install the drivers over the old ones, or just do an uninstall/reinstall of the drivers, some of those files can be left over. I don't think it would be an overheating issue (although it could, but i would expect him to see some artifacting before it crashed). It is definitely software related imo.

Also, since you purchased the laptop from sony, try using Nvidia's drivers as well as sony's video drivers. (which MIGHT be identical but i doubt it)

Teufelhund · 06-01-2008, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ixidakonixi

Not sure how it stopped ur fan may be clogged and its causing it to overheat

even if that is the case, being a mobile device, its not exactly easy to access the fan. but from what i understand its not the card that stops working, it the driver which can be caused by an incorrect or corrupt driver being installed.

Zephyr1551 · 06-02-2008, 11:43 AM

Yea, thanks for the trouble shooting guys, I hope this works

06-01-2008, 03:55 PM	#1 (permalink)
Zephyr1551 Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Colorado Posts: 389 Blog Entries: 2	Graphics Card Problems! Help! I have problems with my machines graphics card. I have the Sony VGN-AR605E, this machine has an NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GT, when I play Warcraft 3 my screen goes freezes, then goes black and then resumes gameplay. When I return to windows I get a popup message that says "Display driver nvlddmkm stopped responding and has successfully recovered." I tried uninstalling deleting and reinstalling the drivers many times and even going into the BIOS and resseting it back to factory condition, yet the problem keeps coming up again and again. I've tried talking with sony about it through live chat yet they treat me like I'm an idiot, can anyone help me? Any suggestions on what to do? __________________

06-01-2008, 04:17 PM	#2 (permalink)
ixidakonixi Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 314	My NVIDIA GeForce 8500 GT did that with wow occasionally suddenly it stopped doing it after i stopped playing wow. __________________ Future Goblin Shaman!

06-01-2008, 04:32 PM	#3 (permalink)
Zephyr1551 Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Colorado Posts: 389 Blog Entries: 2	what did you do to fix the problem? __________________

06-01-2008, 04:44 PM	#4 (permalink)
Teufelhund the Soul Binder Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: <TDPOC> Posts: 160	has it ever worked? if so you should check to se if there is a system restore point for a time you know it worked. if not, try looking for a new driver set for your card. The manufacturer's website or nvidia's website would be an excellent place to look. Also make sure youre not using the built in drivers that windows comes with, especially if youre using vista. __________________

06-01-2008, 04:55 PM	#5 (permalink)
Zephyr1551 Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Colorado Posts: 389 Blog Entries: 2	The graphics card still works, yet it fails every so often, The only restore availible is from today and the problem has been occuring longer then today. I tried installing the original video drivers the machine comes with, hopefully that'll work. __________________ Last edited by Zephyr1551; 06-01-2008 at 04:57 PM.

06-01-2008, 06:20 PM	#6 (permalink)
Pwnzilla Putting the funk in dysfunctional Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Alabama, USA Posts: 1,218	You may want to crack open your case and check the GPU heatsink/fan. It may be clogged with dust and creating a heat issue. Don't really know if that is the case, just something to check. The other suggestion is to verify you are using WHQL driver, but I am assuming that the Sony rep would have pointed you to the recommended driver. If you want to check for driver issues a good format is as follows: Go to Guru3d and get Driver Sweeper Driver Sweeper "no install needed" Guru3D - Driver Sweeper (no installer) download from Guru3D.com Open up your C drive and you should see the NVIDIA Directory "unless you told it to install some place else", open up the folder named WinVista64 or 32 "depending on your OS" and you should see a driver version folder "162.22 for example". Leave this window open. Vista 1. Right click on Computer---->Properties 2. Click on Device Manager 3. Expand Display Adapters 4. Right Mouse Button over the Video card Name 5. Select Uninstall, Click Delete the driver software for this Device 6. Do not reboot 7. Now That Window I told you to leave open with the NVIDIA directory now Delete your Driver Version Folder "Example 162.22 then empty recycle bin." 8. REBOOT 9. Restart in Safe mode, Use the F8 key while your rebooting to do so select Safe Mode. 10. Preference is to use the Driver Sweeper that you just run the executable without an install 11. Make sure you tell it to Remove your NVIDIA Display Drivers, once it is finished Reboot. once Vista reboots it will just reinstall a generic VGA adapter 12. Now install the latest Video Drivers for your card. XP is about the same.

06-01-2008, 09:54 PM	#7 (permalink)
ixidakonixi Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 314	Not sure how it stopped ur fan may be clogged and its causing it to overheat __________________ Future Goblin Shaman!

06-01-2008, 11:10 PM	#8 (permalink)
FluffyBunni Banned Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Colorado Posts: 1,104	I agree with Pwn. Do an EXTREME driver clean and reinstall. Uninstall, run driver cleaner, follow ALL THE STEPS, then reinstall the drivers. If you have a corrupt file in your drivers and you just install the drivers over the old ones, or just do an uninstall/reinstall of the drivers, some of those files can be left over. I don't think it would be an overheating issue (although it could, but i would expect him to see some artifacting before it crashed). It is definitely software related imo. Also, since you purchased the laptop from sony, try using Nvidia's drivers as well as sony's video drivers. (which MIGHT be identical but i doubt it)

06-02-2008, 11:43 AM	#10 (permalink)
Zephyr1551 Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Colorado Posts: 389 Blog Entries: 2	Yea, thanks for the trouble shooting guys, I hope this works __________________

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