[Tech] Problems with my graphics card

[Dragon]

Guys I've got a problem with my graphics card and even google can't help me (or I am to dumb to use it).

Now here's the problem:

I've got an ATI Radeon x1650 pro and the latest drivers installed.

But since I've installed the latest drivers some games (BF 2142, MoHPA, C&C 3 and Half Life 2 Episode one for Example) don't work anymore (at first I thought it was something about EA games but hten I noticed Spore works perfect while Half Life 2 doesn't). In specific: I can start the game, but as soon as it comes to any graphics (as soon as I join a server, as soon as I start a game in MoHPA C&C 3 as soon as the menu background in Half Life 2 has finished loading) my computer instantly reboots without any error message nor warning. But strangely other graphic intensive games like Portal, Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress 2, Bioshock etc work perfectly.

So I decided to install older drivers where those games still worked. But then I got some problems with newer games (e.g. no more glowing survivors when you play an infected) but I don't consider that a problem, as the games tell me to install the actual drivers which fixes the problems.

Any solutions?

 

[Ronin Storm]

It could be an issue with that specific release. Can you roll back just one version? Or perhaps roll forward and try a beta release?

Unfortunately, I use nVidia so I can't help much with the ATI cards.

 

[PsiSoldier]

My only advice would be to use driver cleaner, install the latest drivers, and just work backwards using driver cleaner to uninstall them until you find a version that works with the new games, and doesn't make the other ones crash.

Frankly, in the relatively short time I have had this ATi card, I have not been impressed by it. Numerous games require me to jump through hoops to get them working, and basically all of my older games completely refuse to run now.

 

[Dragon]

It could be an issue with that specific release. Can you roll back just one version? Or perhaps roll forward and try a beta release?

Unfortunately, I use nVidia so I can't help much with the ATI cards.

Unfortunately I only have the two drivers mentioned above

 

[Pingue]

The restarting automatically is probably Windows. Instead of showing a BSOD, the default is set to reboot without error messages. Showing the BSOD will at least give you a bit more information. To do this, right click on my computer on the desktop or start menu (I'm doing this in Vista, I think XP does the same), then Advanced Settings - Startup and Recovery, and uncheck "Automatically Restart". Then run a game and write down the error message shown, or try googling that
edit: have a camera or something to hand, it can sometimes be tricky to write down the error details while the screen lasts

 

[Dragon]

Ok Pingue, I did what you said and now I've finally got an error mesage, it stated the following:

I should update my drivers (but as I stated I've got the actual drivers)

I should deactivate the following functions in the BIOS-Memoryoptions: Chaing and Shadowing (what are those options good for)

and the error description:

*STOP: 0x0000008E ( 0xC000001D, 0xE3EF17C7, 0xA667688C, 0x00000000)

Can any of you help me? The problem is that I bought my computer with a preinstalled version of Windos XP Professional SP 2 and now I can't contact the support anymore as after a Windosupdate it wants me to reinstall Windows legally when I try to contact the support ( but I have it installed legally )

 

[Pingue]

Right - here's what Microsoft so uselessly has to say on the subject - http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms794023.aspx. There's no immediate solution there, as it can be caused by any number of drivers. Indeed, I think I've had this before with something else, but can't remember what.
If it was working once upon a time, then it may be worth doing a system restore back to when it was working (make backups first ).
If you feel really adventurous, then you can try installing the Windows Debugging Tools and having weeks of endless fun trying to decipher what it's telling you, though I very rarely manage to acheive anything useful with this.
Once my 2 deadlines have passed tomorrow, I'll look a bit further into it, but hopefully googling various things related to that error code and your drivers may help in the meantime

 

[Dragon]

If it was working once upon a time, then it may be worth doing a system restore back to when it was working (make backups first ).

The problem is: if I reinstall my old graphics driver some newer games won't work properly (which is pretty reasonable IMO) so this is no option, but keeping the new driver causes my Windows to crash in several games ... so thats no option either

And concerning that msdn link:

TBH thats all greek to me

 

[Traxata]

Are there any drivers between the ones you have, and the latest ones ?

 

[Iron_fist]

when you get the blue screen is there a file referenced something like ATI*something*.SYS or similar?

 

[Dragon]

when you get the blue screen is there a file referenced something like ATI*something*.SYS or similar?

Nope, nothing

and concerning the driver between my two versions:

I tried google, but I couldn't find any.

 

[thatbloke]

Go here and follow these instructions, to try a clean and then re-install of the drivers.

However if your system is not letting you update then you may have to re-activate windows in some way, not sure how without more info though.

I would also suggest making sure you have the latest verison of DirectX installed. For XP that should be 9.0c.

 

[Dr Drae]

Hey, if it's just turning off mid-stride, it could be a power shortage? My dad got this card that needed it's own power supply (I've got the same sort of card) and, when he tried to do anything that involved the graphics card, it turned off.

Probably something completely unrelated but there you go. I do find that for being cheap and performing well, the Radeons are great. X1950 PRO myself.

Ermm...Try removing it, using your MOBO's VGA, get rid of ALL the drivers for it, and then put it in and see if the fresh install helps?

Other than that, I've got no clue. Sorry.

 

[Dragon]

Hey, if it's just turning off mid-stride, it could be a power shortage? My dad got this card that needed it's own power supply (I've got the same sort of card) and, when he tried to do anything that involved the graphics card, it turned off.

Probably something completely unrelated but there you go. I do find that for being cheap and performing well, the Radeons are great. X1950 PRO myself.

Ermm...Try removing it, using your MOBO's VGA, get rid of ALL the drivers for it, and then put it in and see if the fresh install helps?

Other than that, I've got no clue. Sorry.

If it was a power shortage it would have started right away and not after updating the drivers, I guess.

And how exactly can this problem be related to my motherboard's VGA drivers? I just wanna make sure I don't do something very wrong.

Go here and follow these instructions, to try a clean and then re-install of the drivers.

However if your system is not letting you update then you may have to re-activate windows in some way, not sure how without more info though.

I would also suggest making sure you have the latest verison of DirectX installed. For XP that should be 9.0c.

I followed that instruction right away and updating the drivers is no problem. The only problem is to get customer support and updates from Microsoft. And I can't re-activate windows as I don't have a CD. I'm completely f*cked in that way ...

 

[thatbloke]

What seems to be holding you back is the fact that mickeysoft think you have an illegal version of Windows.

Get hold of whoever you got your PC from and talk to them. There is probably some way of restoring the Windows back to its original state (though it may require a full reinstall). There may be some kind of hidden recovery partition that is hiding on your computer somewhere or if not that then you should have been provided with some kind of restore disk so that you are able to restore the computer back to its factory state.

 

[Dragon]

What seems to be holding you back is the fact that mickeysoft think you have an illegal version of Windows.

Get hold of whoever you got your PC from and talk to them. There is probably some way of restoring the Windows back to its original state (though it may require a full reinstall). There may be some kind of hidden recovery partition that is hiding on your computer somewhere or if not that then you should have been provided with some kind of restore disk so that you are able to restore the computer back to its factory state.

But before I do that I must be sure that it is a windows problem. How can I become certain about it?

And furthermore, I don't have any proof that my Windows Version is a legal one I don't have the Serial Key anymore (new computer casing) a new harddrive and the shop that built my computer does not exist anymore ... any other ideas how I can proove that I have a legal copy?

 

[thatbloke]

Without the serial key you are screwed...

 

[Traxata]

But before I do that I must be sure that it is a windows problem. How can I become certain about it?

And furthermore, I don't have any proof that my Windows Version is a legal one I don't have the Serial Key anymore (new computer casing) a new harddrive and the shop that built my computer does not exist anymore ... any other ideas how I can proove that I have a legal copy?

Dragon, I'm one of these people that has an abundance of Windows Product Keys... Legit ones that is, not some giant list of all the cracked keys in the world, no... I've upgraded a fair few of the PC's in the house to Vista, so have accumulated various XP and XP PRO, XP Tablet Edition, XP Media Centre Edition keys, would you like to use one of them to help you re-active windows? I don't need all these keys All my machines have legit copies, and I still have more keys than Computers ( 8 PC's and 7 Laptop's at current count...)

 

[Dragon]

Dragon, I'm one of these people that has an abundance of Windows Product Keys... Legit ones that is, not some giant list of all the cracked keys in the world, no... I've upgraded a fair few of the PC's in the house to Vista, so have accumulated various XP and XP PRO, XP Tablet Edition, XP Media Centre Edition keys, would you like to use one of them to help you re-active windows? I don't need all these keys All my machines have legit copies, and I still have more keys than Computers ( 8 PC's and 7 Laptop's at current count...)

Thats an enormous amount of computers. I'd be really glad to use one of those keys, but how can I get hold of a CD of Windows XP? All of my friends have Vista only or only those "Backup-Windows" CDs you can't use to install a new version? (Is there a "downloadable Windows"?)

EDIT: I've had another look at themicrosoft validation utility and I think it actually is the CD-key that has become illegal in any way, since I bought my computer.

 

[thatbloke]

There is a way you can enter a new key for your XP install, so get the key off him and we'll go from there