Needing help - ALL games crash with XP

[TheEnder 0]

I have just installed Windows XP pro on my machine (Abit KT7, Athlon TB 1GHz, 256Mb, GeForce 1) and it globally runs fine, but ALL the game make XP crash, and always in the same way: when i launch a game, the computer immediately freeze (no mouse, no CTRL-ALT-DEL, ...) during about 20 seconds, then a blue screen appears during less than à second, and the computer restarts. And when i have restarted, XP says that the computer crashed because of an error in the video driver, that it was a big error, and wants me to send reports to Microsoft

I have tried 3 games and they all crash in that way. Unreal Tournament crashes just after the 3D device selection, Quake 3 crashes just after the console, and Sacrifice crashs juste after launching the game. Dxdiag also makes the computer crash in the same way (but i don't think it's a D3D-related problem since Quake 3, that use OpenGL, doesn't work either). More strangely, the computer also crashs in that way when i try to read video files (MPEG or DivX).

I have tried all the three Windows XP compatible Detonator drivers for the GeForce (21.81, 21.83 and 21.85), the two latest versions of the VIA 4-in-1 (1433 and 1434), but it changed absolutely nothing. I also tried tweaking in the BIOS Setup and in the display properties without any changes. I ran Windows Update, but it found nothing to update.

Please help!!! I really don't know what to do. Windows XP seems excellent, but if i can't play games it won't stay on my HDD for long...

[TheEnder 0]

I don't know if it matters, but i have a SB Live! (that works perfectly in WIndows and to read MP3s)

[oribiasi 0]

New drivers maybe?

 

Try DetonatorXP drivers...altho some have said they sort of are "bad" at times...

 

http://www.nvidia.com

 

They have em...as if you needed the link...

 

-oribiasi

russo939@duq.edu

[rolsen 0]

oribiasi, did you not notice that he said he's already tried the DetonatorXP drivers? TheEnder, said he tried 21.81, 21.83, and 21.85. Just thought I'd point that out. As to your problem Ender, I'm stumped. Hoppfuly someone will respond that knows of a solution.

[TheEnder 0]

Running Unreal Tournament in Safe Mode doesn't help, the computer still crash in the same way. But when i run Windows XP in safe mode, the problem is fixed. UT runs (it is unplayable of course but it runs), Quake 3 doesn't run since it needs hardware acceleration but doesn't make the computer crash any more (it just says that it can't load OpenGL), and i can read my video files normally.

But since i don't want to run XP in safe mode forever, i still wonder what is the cause of the problem...

 

Here is my complete configuration:

-Mobo Abit KT7 with VIA 4-in-1 1434 (also tried 1433, no changes)

-Athlon TB 1GHz

-256Mb RAM PC133

-GeForce 1 SDR 32Mo from Hercules with Deto 21.81 (also tried 21.83 and 21.85, no changes)

-iWill SCSI adapter with a Yamaha 4416S CD recorder on it (only SCSI device on the system, others are IDE)

-2 HDDs (4.3Go and 15Go)

-Pioneer DVD drive

-SB Live! (with default windows XP drivers; no compatible Live!Ware yet )

-Realtek RTL8029 10Mb Ethernet card

 

Thak you for helping me!

[TheEnder 0]

I don't know why, but now all work fine. I managed to launch Dxdiag and to perform all the tests, and after now i can run my games and videos

 

Thank you for having helped me

[oribiasi 0]

Good for you -- what did you end up doing?

[TheEnder 0]

I don't really know what solved the problem. I tried tu run UT in safe mode but it made nothing. I had installed the 14.61 Win2k drivers, but according to the test i did it made nothing either. I then ran Win XP itself in safe mode, and everything worked but DxDiag that crashed (it crashed itself when i tried to run it but did not crash the computer). But when i retried to run the games/videos in normal mode it still crashed. A little time after, i retried to run DxDiag and it didn't crash but it showed me several popups asking if i would to skip tests. I answered yes everywhere and i was able to perform all the tests i could access to without crashing. But i noticd than several options like D3D test were unavailable. I rebooted and ran DxDiag again, and then there were no popups. I was able to run ALL the tests (even D3D) and from there everything worked well

[Brian Frank 0]

You don't need the 4-in-1's for XP. I didn't install them when I tried XP in Beta 2 and RC1; didn't need 'em anyway. The 14.40 Dets worked well in XP, so you might wanna try those.

Just to see if it does anything, pull out the BSLive! while you're at it. May work for you, may not--wouldn't hurt to check.

[TheEnder 0]

Anyway my computer works now. I am still under the 14.61 for Win2k and everything work well. I will retry the 21.xx later. The SB Live! has caused absolutely no problems - it has been detected automatically by XP and work fine with the default drivers (but i'm still waiting for a Live!Ware).

[El Mariachi 0]

I was gonna say maybe its a juice/heat problem going to the video card, but I don't have that problem with my abitkt7raid 1ghz tbird. But, whats your power supply?

[TheEnder 0]

250W. I know it's theorically too weak for an Athlon but it hasn't caused me any probs (or maybe only a little general instability with all games - the system sometimes locks).

But anyway, everything works well now.

[Brian Frank 0]

Hmm...with the GF256 in there, that 250 watter is probably around it's maximum capacity. SCSI, Athlon...that's pushing your luck, there. If you add another drive, go to at least a 300 watt PSU. Actually, it would hurt to go beyond that, but I'd get a bigger power supply before upgrading anything else.

[TheMadScot 0]

>The Ender

 

Out of curiosity, was this a fresh install of XP or did you perform an upgrade installation?

[TheEnder 0]

I first tried an upgrade but it didn't work at all, so i formatted and made a clean install.

[TheMadScot 0]

Well, there goes my one theory for what might have been the cause ;(

[TheEnder 0]

The week passed without any problem, and suddenly, on friday evening the same bug is back...

Globally, it's the same bug: anything that uses 3D make the computer crash. From Unreal Tournament to Quake 3 or Oni. Even the Windows flag screensaver crashs!

There are just a few difference. I can run Dxdiag, it doesn't crash, but when i want to perform the D3D test (the spinning cube) it immediately crash (the cube sometimes spins during about half a second before crashing). The DirectDraw test runs fine.

I can play normally all my MPEG videos, but DivXs are slow (although i have installed the brand new 4.02 codec) and end up with crashing after a few minutes.

Unreal Tournament runs in safe mode but not in normal mode.

I insist on the fact that i have absolutely not altered my computer's configuration. Thursday everything worked, and Friday everything crashed, without any obvious reason. I have not changed any drivers or critical 3D option, i haven't tweaked anything, i haven't changed anything in the bios. The only thing i did (apart normally using my computer - playing Oni, surfing the web and using ICQ, mainly) is installing the 4.02 DivX codec!

I have tried all that i had done last week to try to solve the problem (read my first post), but i didn't managed to. This problem really annoy me because i have absolutely no idea of what causes it. It seems to pop up randomly and to disappear as suddenly as it came.

 

If you have any idea...

[TheMadScot 0]

Go to the run option on the start bar and type msinfo32. Once it's loaded, save the file (call it TheEnder.NFO for example) then email it to me at themadscot@hotmail.com

 

I'll take a look at it and see if there's anything that sticks out as an obvious problem..

 

Also, could you include in with your email the BIOS settings you are using? Might be something in that..

[lsmeg 0]

Do you have a 200mhz front side bus or 266mhz? If it's 200mhz, try limiting your ram speed to 100mhz in the bios. I've known people with the older 200mhz FSB Athlons who had lots of crashing problems when trying to use ram at 133mhz. Going down to 100mhz solved their problems. Might be worth a shot...

[DosFreak 2]

Let me guess, these are the symptoms:

 

1. System performs fine in 2D tasks.

2. Upon launch/exit or even during a program that executes D3D/OGL functions the computer will hard-lock. Depending on how long you wait a BSOD will pop up declaring an infinite loop in NV4_DISP.

 

 

I too have experienced this problem. My system is 100% stable under Windows 2000. I have brought all of my considerable knowledge to bear to try to fix this issue in XP but with no luck. If he is getting the same error as am I then do not bother bother to post. This is not something simple and is most likely a major bug in the OS. I've seen this a couple of times around on the net and so far it seems to only occur on VIA chipset. It really makes you wonder WTF Microsoft does. All XP betas all the way up to RC2 ran fine (well for XP that is....) until the Final. The Final crashes all over the place. Guess Microsoft need's to redefine RC. Mabye they were confused and the Beta's were RC's and the RC's were betas? ;(

[hoho 0]

I have the same problem as you. XP and 2k freeze whenever video comes into play. Neither games nor movies work in either OS. When I tried to load a game/movie, the screen goes black and 2 pixels appear in the upperleft corner of the screen. When I restart XP, I get a message stating there's an error with my nvidia drivers. I tried installing all the different drivers there are for XP and it still happens. I have a 600mhz duron, abit kt7-raid, geforce 2 mx, and soundblaster live!. There's seems to be a problem with the nvidia drivers and the NT kernel. Also, If I try to use DxDiag, an error pops up saying there's a problem with my DirectDraw.

[TheEnder 0]

Hoho and Dosfreak -> This is exactly my problem (i had noticed the two pixels in the upper left corner but i forgot to mention it). It's a shame that Microsoft let such bugs in the final version of his OS. I'm used to minor bugs and instability but this kind of problem is simply too big to be ignored.

 

I have fixed the problem by swapping my video card with my brother's (a Winfast GeForce 2 Pro 64Mo, mine is a Hercules 3D Prophet SE (GeForce 1 32Mo SDR)) and then putting back my 3D Pophet, but i fear that the fix is only temporary. I will wait till the 25th or so (official release date) to see if MS release a fix, but if neither MS nor nVidia (the Detonator drivers seem to be implied in the problem, even if changing the version doesn't help) nor Via (if you say that this problem only occurs with Via chipsets) care, i will go back to Win98SE That would be really bad, apart this problem and one or two minor bugs (ICQ sometimes has weird display bugs, Download Accelerator doesn't work, ...) this is a great OS!

 

TheMadScott -> if the bug returns, i send you the Msinfo stuff. About the bios config, i will post more detailed infos if the bug comes back, but i can say that i have AGP Aperture seize to 128Mo (half the RAM, i have already tried to lower it), RAM to 133MHz (i will try to set it to 100, i haven't touched to the CAS/RAS/wait states), AGP 4X off and all other advanced video features (Sideband, fastwrite, ...) off.

 

Thank you for your support!

[hoho 0]

I figured out what the bug is, Directx 8.0a. I just formatted and installed Win2k PRO again but this time, I didn't install 8.0a. All my games and movies work now and I don't get any directdraw errors. It seems that Directx 8.0a doesn't like Via Chipsets and the NT kernel.

 

edit: I just tried this fix for XP and it works fine. I also installed directx 7.0 and all games work

[TheEnder 0]

But WIndows XP comes with DX 8.1 installed! And of course it is impossible to install any older version instead. And i think it wouldn't be a good idea to remove DX manually (with DirectX Uninstaller) since DxUn is not (yet) compatible with WinXP and anyway, i don't know if XP would work with a too old version.

[hoho 0]

Damn, I'm all out of answers then. Either get a really old build like I did or just install Win2k.