BSoD

[Clown]

Why oh why.

I get a jumbled up BSoD whenever I try and play BF:V, and only BF:V.
The whole screen is blue and filled with jumbled up letters, over each other and stuff. It stays like this for about 2 seconds and then the computer reboots.

I'm guessing that the video card is broken somehow, but this only happens with this one game. What the fuck?

So, erm, my system.
Athlon XP-M 2500+
1GB PC3200 GeiL RAM
ATI Radeon 9800 Pro

This problem didn't happen before Friday, it just happened in a match that day, out of the blue. The CPU is overclocked to 2400MHz and before Friday, I would have said that it was stable. I'm not so sure now. Everything is suspect and I suspect everything to be broken.

Should I RMA the video card first?

 

[SheepCow]

Start + Break -> Advanced -> Startup & Recovery -> Settings -> System Failure, uncheck Automatically Restart.

Then you can find out what the error is. Try checking event log as well, could be overheating, buggered RAM, damaged card, bad drivers, bad patch (there's a bug like this isn't there)?

 

[Clown]

Even if I did turn off automatic rebooting, then I would just have a screen full of jumbled white letters, on top of each other, not even making enough sense for me to write it on paper, on a blue background

Why would this 'overheating, buggered RAM, damaged card, bad drivers, bad patch' only affect one game? Trust this to happen to the game that I have clan games in.

 

[Ardrias]

Friend of mine had similar issues, game was Mohaa tho. Had to set agp speed to 4 instead of 8. Hardly a noticeable difference in performance anyhow.

Might be worth a try!

 

[Clown]

I would have thought that BF:V requires a lot more juice than MoH tho?

Thanks for the suggestions guys, keep 'em coming in

 

[SheepCow]

What does the event log say?

 

[Clown]

http://forums.viaarena.com/messageview.cfm?catid=31&threadid=54557
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS TO MEEEEEE!

Event log:
Event Type: Warning
Event Source: SAVRT
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1005
Date: 06/06/2004
Time: 15:15:20
User: N/A
Computer: CLOWN
Description:
Symantec AntiVirus Auto-Protect could not scan file C:\WINNT\System32\ativvaxx.dll for viruses due to low kernel stack.
Data:
0000: 00 00 00 00 02 00 4c 00 ......L.
0008: 00 00 00 00 ed 03 07 80 ....í..€
0010: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0018: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0020: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........

 

[Cask]

wc3?

 

[Clown]

Doesn't happen in that either.

 

[Cask]

No problems then

 

[Catsby]

Catsby recommends always turn of norton before playing games.

 

[Clown]

I only installed Norton to see if a virus was causing this. Happened before I even had Norton, and I don't have a virus.

 

[.Wilier.]

Catsby recommends always turn of norton before playing games.

Surely a slightly retarded thing to do, paticularly if your playing on-line?

 

[Xavier]

Yes, but MrMo.. I mean Catsby is only capable of single-tasking and thus believes his PC has the same limitations.


Xav

 

[Escape]

Don't just turn off NortonAV... uninstall it and format your hardrive then re-install windows. Infact, do the same if you have any Norton software installed.

Use NOD32 instead of NAV
Use Zonealarm instead of NortonIS

Surely a slightly retarded thing to do, paticularly if your playing on-line?

I've played online for over 2years without anti-virus software and was never infected by a virus. If you go online, you need a firewall which is more important.



Clown, check for similar problems in the official forums, or Google it.
Quit overclocking and return everything to stock speeds. If that's not the problem, re-install the game and look for new game patches, reinstall directx, motherboard and graphics card drivers. Start on your hardware next, replace your 9800 with any other graphics card you can get hold of. If you have more than one RAM chip, remove them and try one piece at a time.

 

[Clown]

Listen. I only installed Norton AFTER I was getting these problems. I wanted to rule out the possibility that it might have been a virus. I scanned, and found out I didn't have any viruses! I don't get viruses. I had that RPC exploit thingy and that more recent one on the other computer, but I've never been properly fucked up by a virus.

I'm always online too. I use a router/firewall thing but even when I had just a modem, I didn't come across any problems with any 'internet' problems.

I DID put the CPU and RAM back to stock settings and the problem was still happening. I tried locking the AGP port to 4x and turning off fast-write. I've tried re-installing, with newest patches and DX. I've already got latest drivers for everything except my SATA controller. The problem is not my RAM because I tried other chips.

This blue screen bullshit only happens to one game, and it happens to be the game that requires the most power. I'm guessing the card is overheating, so I'll have to do an RMA thing. I hate RMAing stuff. Why don't people make stuff that doesn't break.

<edited>Clown, if you want to bring something to my attention then use the PM function, otherwise keep it to yourself.</edited>-Xav

 

[Xavier]

Just a thought clown, but have you updated yer bios and reset the cmos to defaults among all this?

Xav

 

[Escape]

At what point do you get the BSoD?
If it happens when you load the game, it won't be an overheating problem. But if you can access the game menu, start playing and a few seconds later it crashes... you can assume overheating.

 

[Clown]

At what point do you get the BSoD?
If it happens when you load the game, it won't be an overheating problem. But if you can access the game menu, start playing and a few seconds later it crashes... you can assume overheating.

I can actually start the game and get into the menu. But when I actually get into the gameplay where I can start shooting and stuff... I'd give it 2 minutes

Xav, my BIOS is the latest version, and I can try and default EVERYTHING. I'll see if this helps. And editing my post... Consider that my point. Or do you want me to pm that to you?

 

[Clown]

Default BIOS settings didn't help.

 

[Escape]

So it's safe to assume overheating is the cause.
Lower the game resolution and detail settings(even experiment with underclocking your 9800), see if you can play longer before the BSoD. If you have another graphics card lying around, that would be the best way to eliminate your card. Alternatively, you could buy a VGA Silencer for your 9800, which will cool it better than the standard fan. Only do this if you can't RMA the card, because fitting one of these will void the warranty.

Also, check your CPU temp while you run the game... shouldn't rule it out either. Check your case temps too... do you have enough fans and empty space around the case for air circulation?

 

[old.user4556]

Clown,

Just something I felt I should share with you. My BF1942 crashed repeatedly within minutes of playing, and I trawled the web and came across many different solutions including BIOS updates, driver updates, soundcard problems, config tweaks etc etc.

I checked my CPU temp, and it was around 60 degrees idle, so as a long shot I removed the heatsink; cleaned the crap off and re-applied thermal paste/re-seated the heatsink. That totally solved my BSoD with BF1942.

Just an idea and something to bear in mind? That's as good as my advice gets .

G

 

[Xavier]

So it's safe to assume overheating is the cause.

No it isn't, not unless Clown can observe temperatures well in excess of safe operating levels.

Clown, have you tried running your system with the case off and touched the VGA fansink/ram to see how warm it's getting?

After a crash, what temperature does your processor report in the BIOS?

Xav

 

[Clown]

~48 degrees CPU, ~35 degrees case.
And MBM says the same thing when I ALT+TAB out.

Also case runs hotter with the side off, although the CPU runs cooler. Does that make sense?

 

[Catsby]

Yes, but MrMo.. I mean Catsby is only capable of single-tasking and thus believes his PC has the same limitations.


Xav

Catsby points out that cpus are only capable of single tasking (unless you count the hyperthreading as "dual processors"), they just do it very quickly and chop each process into tiny pieces, allowing it to appear it is doing two things at once.

Catsby knows that reducing the amount of background applications frees up both memory and cpu cycles, hence allowing Catsby to play with more fps than before.

 

[old.user4556]

~48 degrees CPU, ~35 degrees case.
And MBM says the same thing when I ALT+TAB out.

Also case runs hotter with the side off, although the CPU runs cooler. Does that make sense?

Doesn't sound heat related then.

Have you tried some BF:V specific forums clown? They might be able to shed more light on the issue.

 

[Escape]

CPU sounds ok... underclock your graphics card, turn down the resolution/detail etc and see if you can play for longer before the BSoD.

The last time I had BSoDs it was down to my PSU overheating. The 9800 needs a 300W power supply and mine was 230W. When I opened it up to replace the fan, some of the components were burnt at the top and marked with brown stains oO

Not likely to be your problem as I'd expect you have at least a 300W supply.

No it isn't, not unless Clown can observe temperatures well in excess of safe operating levels.

If the game loads and crashes after a few minutes of play, it's certainly safe to assume overheating is the problem. That's not the same as saying overheating is the problem.

 

[Ch3tan]

The last time I had BSoDs it was down to my PSU overheating. The 9800 needs a 300W power supply and mine was 230W. When I opened it up to replace the fan, some of the components were burnt at the top and marked with brown stains oO

Not likely to be your problem as I'd expect you have at least a 300W supply.

Not true, I ran a 9800 pro and a p42.6c just fine off a 220watt psu and now a 250watt psu. I have no problems with BSoD's with the latest games. I think you could assume that your power supply was faulty or poor quality, but you dont need the 300watts plus recommended by the card manufacturers.

 

[Jupitus]

Have you tried enabling punkbuster?

 

[FuzzyLogic]

Just noticed this thread, I have similar problems with my 9800 pro in planetside, and only planetside. Although rather than give the BSoD, it just crashes and locks up. Everyone on ts is usually given my rant on it crashing then i just drop randomly not to return that night (mostly due to sheer annoyance). I'm in a bit of a rush right now but i can post details of me spec later tonight. I thought it was due to the card overheating too, wrong no less.


afaik i have a 300w psu.