Wow, I really need some help with this one...

[chedrz]

Alright folks, here's the situation. Today I randomly encountered an nvlddkm.sys BSOD while web browsing. I restarted my PC and as soon as I logged on, I got the BSOD again. I started looking around the web on my netbook to find a solution, and it seems there's no one solution unfortunately. I rolled back my video card driver in safe mode, but that didn't help. I rearranged my hardware configuration to increase airflow to my graphics card, but again nothing happened. At this point, I don't know where to go next to fix this problem and need some advice.


Hardware:
ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe mobo (nForce 570 SLI chipset)
AMD 5000+ BE (not overclocked)
4GB Corsair DDR2 RAM at stock speeds
Nvidia 8800GT @stock
Thermaltake Toughpower 700W PSU

Cliffs:
-nvlddmkm.sys BSOD after having no previous issues in Win 7

 

[Billb2]

Set the boot device (in the BIOS) to be the device (drive that has the OS you want to boot) from which you want to boot.

There's usually two settings, one for the type of device and another for which device (of that type) to use.

 

[chedrz]

Ok, found the hard drive boot setting and I can get Windows to load again. Thanks Billb2. Now I need advice on how to troubleshoot the nvlddmkm.sys issue. Anybody have any ideas?

 

[mfenn]

nvlddmkm.sys is the Nvidia driver module. Try uninstalling it completely with driver cleaner.

 

[chedrz]

nvlddmkm.sys is the Nvidia driver module. Try uninstalling it completely with driver cleaner.

Should I uninstall just the graphics driver or every Nvidia driver I have?

Also something interesting: after getting Windows to boot today, I'm not stuck in my constant BSOD loop. I'm actually able to do stuff for once.

And one more question: could an overheating graphics card cause that issue? I noticed my 8800GT was really, really hot. I'm talking touching the cooler nearly burned my fingers hot.

 

[mfenn]

Just the graphics driver. Then reinstall with the newest version from the Nvidia website.

Yes, an overheated graphics card could cause the issue. However, just because a card is too hot to touch doesn't mean that it is too hot to operate.

I now see that you have an 8800GT. You might be witnessing the early stages of the classic G80 and G92 bad solder joints death spiral.

 

[chedrz]

mfenn: alright, I'll give that a shot. It might take me a while, so I'll update this thread when I can. I live in the middle of nowhere and have satellite internet with a 200MB/day download cap. It's pretty awesome.

 

[chedrz]

Alright, here's a bit of an update. I've cleaned out the old driver and installed the new one. I'm going to let my computer just sit at the desktop for a while, maybe do a little web browsing, etc. That alone was causing crashes earlier, so I'll start small.

Here's what I noticed this morning. When I first started my PC, everything acted fine. After about 10-15 minutes, the display driver crashed and recovered. About 5-10 minutes after that, it crashed/recovered again. The intervals kept getting smaller, and around the 4th or 5th time it happened, the driver crash started happening in a continuous loop, leading to a BSOD. All of this happened in about a 30-40 minute period. That's also kinda making me question if this is a heat-related failure. I'll watch it for the next hour or so and post any updates.

 

[chedrz]

And another update: the display driver is still crashing. Ideas? Dying card?

 

[mfenn]

Sounds like heat. Try taking the side panel off and aiming a desk fan at it.

 

[chedrz]

Ok, I'll give that a shot. I might take the card apart & reseat the heatsink with some AS5 I have here. That way I can make sure the heatsink & fan are nice and clean while I'm at it.

 

[chedrz]

No real improvement from increased airflow. As soon as there's any stress beyond 2D, it crashes to a BSOD. I cleaned all the case filters, I put a fan right on the video card. The same trend just continues.

 

[mfenn]

What are the temps (use GPU-Z)? Do the shoot up really high? If the temps are fine (<85C or so) then it could be bad solder joints.

 

[chedrz]

Temps aren't getting over the low 60s. I guess it's bad solder.

 

[mfenn]

Sounds like it. Some have had success by baking their cards. Google around for instructions.

 

[chedrz]

Alright, thanks for the help. I wasn't really expecting this computer to last a whole lot longer, so I'll probably just pick up a cheap card to hold me over for a while if nothing else works.

 

[mfenn]

No problem!

Let us know if you want some advice on a new card.

 

[chedrz]

Well, considering the age of my computer and the possibility of getting a new one for a college grad gift next May, I'm not going to spend too much. I'll probably pick up a 5550 or 5570 tops. I haven't been doing nearly as much gaming lately, so that would suit my needs pretty well.

 

[mfenn]

Yeah, if you don't need to game, pretty much anything will do. You might want to pick up a cheap Nvidia part so that you don't have to reinstall drivers.

 

[chedrz]

I just ordered a HD 4670. I figure that way I can completely remove the Nvidia drivers as possibly causing the problem. I've never owned an ATI card, but it was pretty hard to pass up for the price.

 

[chedrz]

Just thought I'd update to say the new video card fixed the problem. Thanks again!

 

[mfenn]

Just thought I'd update to say the new video card fixed the problem. Thanks again!

No problem; we're here to help!