Vista and 7.3 Display driver atikmdag stopped responding error

CATALYSTCATCHER

What card might that be? What games do you play? Online multiplayer, or local single player? If you are forcing 100% fan, is the card actually heating up? What is the GPU temp before launching the game?

brain2burn

so has there being any fix for this or is it something to do with vista?

it only started to happen to me when i changed to vista, getting the same problem playing online games such as battlefield the screen goes blank and the fan starts to go mad for a few seconds after that it goes back to normal, when i come out of the game i get a few repeating messages.

"Display driver atikmdag stopped responding and has successfully recovered"

its very annoying!!!!!

dont know if the info below is usefull, but please sort something out or im chaning pci card being like this for the past few weeks!!!

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Operating System: Windows Vista™ Ultimate (6.0, Build 6000) (6000.vista_gdr.070627-1500)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU 6400 @ 2.13GHz (2 CPUs), ~2.1GHz
Memory: 2046MB RAM
Page File: 1903MB used, 2421MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 10
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 6.00.6000.16386 32bit Unicode

ATI Details

Driver Packaging Version 8.383-070613a-048645C-ATI
Catalyst® Version 07.6
Provider ATI Technologies Inc.
Direct3D Version 7.14.10.0503
OpenGL Version 6.14.10.6479
Catalyst® Control Center Version 2007.0613.1506.25058

Graphics Card Manufacturer Powered by ATI
Graphics Chipset Radeon X1300 Series
Device ID 7140
Vendor 1002

Subsystem ID 0920
Subsystem Vendor ID 174B
Bus Type PCI Express
Current Bus Setting PCI Express x16
BIOS Version 009.012.008.002
BIOS Part Number 11x-9C920CPB-002
BIOS Date 2006/06/02
Memory Size 1023 MB
Memory Type HyperMemory
Core Clock in MHz 635 MHz
Memory Clock in MHz 342 MHz
Primary Display Yes

CATALYSTCATCHER

Not to be critical, but if you were to read this thread, you would see that the message occurs regardless which graphics card you are using. Including graphics cards from all three major manufacturers.

The "KMD not responding" message is a feature of Vista and is similaar to a VPU recover from XP. The blank screen and mad fan are simply the GPU restarting as the message expains.

The real problem seems to be different in each case. Sometimes it is a PSU issue. Sometimes overheating. Sometimes overclocking the GPU or even the CPU aor system RAM. There is also the software issue with Riva Tuner and Punkbuster to add to the mix.

As a test (not solution) try using only a single core of the CPU. Apparently this may stop the "not responding " issue and provide a little relief for the frustration.

Essentially there is no magic fix that cures the problems for everyone.

Rockmunky1990

Radeon X800GTO
Well It applies to everything, online, offline, even google earth, sometimes videos.
Play things like CSS, GTR2, Live For Speed, and RACE.

The card does heat up a little bit. But it's usually around 48c before hand, i find it very difficult to get it any cooler.

What you just said about it could be overclocking... Is it worth putting my CPU back to how it was (ie, 1.6gHz?)

Karhis

I did some testing today, installed Windows XP MCE to my notebook (Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Xi-1546) to see whether crashing and "display driver stopped responding" was a problem of Windows Vista and Vista drivers, as I thought it would be. However, the notebook kept crashing in 3D Applications also in Windows XP. So in my case I think this "Display driver stopped responding" issue was caused by faulty (graphics?) hardware after all (as always with computers however, you never can be sure). I called Fujitsu-Siemens technical support and they told me to take the notebook to service. Now I have to hope the service doesn't take for ages

What I've learned from this episode is that hardware failure _is_ a possible cause, and everybody experiencing this issue should, if possible, test their hardware on different operating system, if installing latest Vista hotfixes and display adapter drivers does not help.

What I really would like to know is what could have caused this hardware failure, since the notebook was working properly in the beginning. Is Vista really pushing the system to its very limits which might cause overheating and component failure? Or was this just bad luck? Well, most likely I will never find it out.

CATALYSTCATCHER

Certainly, the first step of isolating the source of the problem is to return to the default speeds on anything that is being pushed harder than recommended. Yes, Intel CPUs are rated a little on the conservative side but the bottom line with computers is,

Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU 2.66GHz (2 CPUs), ~2.9GHz seems a bit extreme compared to 1.6


Faster = Hotter = More UNstable. (If this were not true then all CPUs and memory would be rated at 50 gigahertz :-)

The "not responding" message and many other problems could easily be the result of instability caused by over clocking. Shortened life or damaged components is also possible in the more extreme cases.

With overclocking your system must be 100% reliable doing all things to be a successful OC.
If not 100% reliable, slow it down until it is.

CATALYSTCATCHER

Actually, in a notebook environment where the manufacture provides all the parts the most likely causes could be overheating of something, (bad fan?) or perhaps a bad memory on the CPU or graphics side. Essentially, the bad luck scenario.

You would know if the laptop were getting very warm on the outside. And X1800 mobile graphics could be generating some heat. Make sure there is room for the air to circulate around the laptop. In mobile use, the laptop may remain in the carry case, and restrict the air flow.

As the problem also seems to occur in XP there is a pretty good chance the repair dudes will find some kind of hardware problem, let you know what it is and hopefully not charge to much for the solution.

Be sure to press for an explanation of whatever they find.

Good luck and keep your fingers crossed for a reasonable explanation

Rockmunky1990

I actually meant ot type 2.6, not 1.6. lol Silly me.

I'll give that a go though.

CATALYSTCATCHER

I thought it might be a typo as it is unlikely you can OC a CPU by that much. :-) Based on what I have been seeing around the net I am beginning to think that aside from some system specific causes for the TDR, that Vista is far more sensitive to OC conditions than ever XP was. No theory yet, but if this is the case you might also consider (as a test only) underclocking the CPU and memory to determine if the TDRs stop occuring. Same for the GPU and graphics memory.

What you (and everyone) needs to find is the condition that gives you a stable OS. Once stability is determined then you can experiment with individual changes and possibly, better determine which one leads to a TDR. Let's face it you know what does not work properly and the problem everyone has is not being investigated properly. Most people just assume the graphics driver is bad and simply wait for the next driver. Then start cursing when the next driver does not cure the problem. Last time I experienced an issue like this it was with OS2. It simply could not be reliably installed if the PC was running in turbo mode. Of course they explained that in the release notes, but I only read those after having problems doing the install and had plenty of time to read the notes :-)

Th3_VVr41th

With either a fresh install of vista, and just the video drivers (7.2's to 7.8's), or a fresh install with ALL updates available + the video drivers, the problem persists. No matter what program, including 3Dmk, is run, the ATIKMDAG appears as soon as the gpu temp increases enough (10°c if that much) to warrant a fan increase. As I stated before, even using the "auto clock config" feature in the CCP Overdrive section causes the error as soon as the temp steps up enough to trigger the fan. Problem here is the fan DOESN'T do anything except spin up for a brief second when the driver errors out (I believe that it's just the hardware resetting).
If left unattended, the gpu will reach "meltdown" stage since the fan doesn't spin fast enough even at idle to keep the gpu cool.

ATI Tool has been my savior for quite a while now, and it's either stick to using it, or go back to XP, which isn't an option.

P.S. As a further test of my hardware, yet again, I ramped up the clocks to the max CCP will let me and ran BIOSHOCK maxed out, not a glitch, not a hiccup, not a problem, so long as I keep ati tool running the fan. Can't even play the game without it with everything set normal... Driver craps out withing the first 30 seconds...

It's definitely a driver issue, not a hardware issue in this case. I just wish someone could figure out what was changed after the 7.1's, they didn't have the fan issue...(although they had many others...)

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CATALYSTCATCHER

Why does the same driver seem to work properly for me and I'd assume most everyone else, as only a small percentage of users are suffering the same problem.

Are you able to test the 1900 in another system?

Have you considered a fresh install of Vista rather than restoring the OS image?

(Sorry if I am thinking of someone else, but I am under the impression you are ghosting the OS image.)

xeav

does 7.9 fix the problem?

i also have the same issue using 3d aplications like maya, 3ds max or xsi- it doesn't matter if aplication uses opengl or dx, crashes anyway.

x1800 Iceq

Th3_VVr41th

I wish I knew what it was, I have installed vista fresh to many times to count (I do however also have Acronis images, but I don't use them to test out a new driver)

I just actually tried the 7.9's... They won't even install. Hangs at the 'detecting graphics hardware" screen and the bar only goes half way. Program itself isn't locking up, it just refuses to go past half way during the hardware detect. So 7.9's already have a bad mark against them from me...

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Slayer175

ATItool works quite well in my situation. My system is water cooled, so i dont worry about the fan being loud as hell, just set the "fan" to 100% and everything works great. Otherwise i have constant 'not responding' errors, even though the temps are quite low. The second mine crosses 40 it gets all *itchy. In my opinion there is some kind of issue regarding the fan controller conflicting with something, and wish the drivers would sort it out, rather than having to resort to atitool.

((PS, since its taking so long, maybe it's a not a driver issue, but a BIOS issue on the card, has anyone tried flashing theirs??))

~~
AMD X2 6000+ @ 2x4.0 GHz
ATI X1900 XTX
4Gb OCZ Reaper
4x500Gb HDDs
250Gb HDD
MX Revolution
2xSamsung 226BW
Danger Den Water Cooling
Antec P180
Asus M2N-Deluxe
Saitek Eclipse II
Vista Ultimate x86
~~

Th3_VVr41th

Interesting. How old is the card? what bios revision is it? I've been trying to find out how many, IF any, revisions there are of the bios for these particular cards, with no luck. Is it a Built by ATI card? Can you dump the bios and post a link, I'd like to compare it to mine. I have 2 cards, identical bios, both have the same problem. I doubt it's related to the bios, but you never know.

One last question... do you still have the same problem under XP? or does the card work fine?

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CATALYSTCATCHER

I will need to refresh my memory on bios revisions, but I believe you have the latest version. There were a couple of earlier versions but I don't know how many actually made it outside the building. For sure, many of the cards we have in QA are acquired early in the production cycle and may still use an older bios, however a new bios version will have gone thru an official qualification. Considering that we test "as built" versions of the card and the fact that 19xx does tend to get very hot, it does seem unlikely that we missed a fan issue. But, you never know, so I will check again.

>> Slayer175 << Please provide the bios version on your card. The CCC HW info screens provide such details and the info can be copied and then pasted to make life a tad easier.

Thanks

CC

Skeetz

I have had these problems for a long time now, and it is really getting bad now. I tried three different tuning tools to set the fan speed, and none detected my card's (VisionTek X1300 512MB) fan. I hope I don't have to d a reinstall of Vista, as I can't, because it came pre-installed on this PC. Also, my max resolution is set at 1024x 728.

Specs:

Windows Vista Home Premium 32 bit edition.
AMD Athlon 64 X2 duel core processor 5000+ , ~2.6ghz
VisionTek X1300 512MB
2 GB Ram
400MB hard drive

Slayer175

My info - by request



Graphics Card Manufacturer Built by ATI
Graphics Chipset Radeon X1900 Series
Device ID 7249
Vendor 1002

Subsystem ID 0B12
Subsystem Vendor ID 1002

Bus Type PCI Express
Current Bus Setting PCI Express x16

BIOS Version 009.012.005.002
BIOS Part Number 113-A52025-106
BIOS Date 2006/01/24

Memory Size 512 MB
Memory Type DDR3

Core Clock in MHz 500 MHz
Memory Clock in MHz 594 MHz

Primary Display Yes


~~Edit - the issues do occur in XP, albeit less severe. Also, only in vista do i get 'graphical distortion' (ie. a polygon stretched to infinity - hmm...need screenshot to better describe)~~

~Double Edit - I am using the danger den full coverage water block, keeping the card at a toasty 50*C at full load, or 30 Idle, and as far as i know, others have the card at ~70 without issues

Slayer175

Tried the 7.9s - no screen flashings so far (with atitool off) but i still get the stopped responding message when i close 3d apps



~~ EDIT - got another screen flashing......but seems less often this time around. still the second i cross 40*. And again, still the graphical distortions.

vf-

Have you installed the Vista compatibility fixes that has been posted earlier in this thread?

Slayer175

Sorry - feel like an idiot - installing it now ~~Will post results

Slayer175

No dice - if anything the graphical anomolies are worse

Th3_VVr41th

Well, Some good news, I got the 7.9's to install, (apparently had something to do with my recent MB Bios update...) I don't notice anything different as far as performance/graphics wise, and the fan problem still persists. So nothing to report there.

From what I know I'll be getting switched back over to a normal internet connection by monday (so they say), so that means I'll have my quick, stable connection back. (crossing fingers)

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CATALYSTCATCHER

Could be the system bios, but I can't imagine they changed anything that would affect install. It is possible that the system bios changed the bus numbering scheme of the devices on the mobo. In ancient history there were some systems where our install simply did not scan all address possibilities and therefore would not install. (It was a time concern, we only scanned the first few buses 0, 1, 2, etc) of a possible 64K or some similarly big value.) In any case if the bios changed something so defining for the mobo I would find that very strange. But hey, what do I know. If it works with the old bios, it works. :-)

Still can't fathom the fan issue. For 1900 there have been 3 or 4 bios updates. The fan table has not been touched. Although there seems to have been a few changes to the absolute max temp allowed on the asic. 120C in most cases, 105C in at least 1. The other changes had to do with changing clock values or supporting a different memory type. The 21-110 version is the latest for you card, and is the same as the 25-106 on Slayer175s card. This number 009.012.005.002 is the bios version.

eptag

I've been following this thread a while now, guess I'll add in my name too. I bought a Dell 531s Inspiron Desktop, came as is with the TDR issue. Graphics card I'm using is radeon x1300. I've been using SpeedFan app to keep an eye on temperatures and there does not seem to be any relation between the temperatures & the crashing. I've tried every driver (7.2-7.9), none of which have worked.

I even tried to install XP but it's proved to be very problematic (unrelated) so it's all very frustrating.

vf-

Weird. It seemed to have worked for me. Though when I had the MS Vista patches installed I never had any Catalyst's installed. Vista was just using whatever it came with. Then I installed 7.8 after that.

Th3_VVr41th

I'm at a loss to figure out what it could be, but I did come across something interesting. System information and Everest both report a ridiculously high number for an IRQ, AND, the number is different between the two (both running at the SAME time).



One other question I had that maybe an ATI tech can answer for me is this:

The fan uses a 3 pin rpm monitoring fan, if for some reason the RPM function had an intermittent signaling loss, would it cause to GPU to reset? Is there a hardware safety function tied into the fan controller that resets the GPU in the event of a fan failure?

I only ask because I've had problems before with RPM monitored fans where they would function fine, but the signaling went bad over time and caused system alarms and such at low RPM,(signaling would drop out, but would be ok once the fan was brought up to full RPM) just a theory really, but the fan does in fact idle slower in Vista...

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hp_laptop_with_ati_x2600

Great catch! I also see this IRQ 0xFFFFFFFE on my HP/Compaq 8510p laptop with a Radeon x2600 HD, 4GB RAM, Vista Business, dual monitors (main laptop screen is 1680x1050, secondary external display is 1920x1200 with DVI connection), running Catalyst 7.9. And of course I also get the crashes. I've already tried all the Vista hot-fixes, and there is no fan to control (the laptop doesn't seem particularly hot, so i doubt the graphics card is overheating).

The reason the number is different is that System Information must allow a 32-bit unsigned integer, and Everest is only allowing an unsigned 16-bit short. So whats really happening is that the IRQ is -2 for some reason, and then the two programs are interpreting the -2 differently.

But this must be a good clue to what is going on...

-Aaron

thirtyandover

Weird - my IRQ settings look normal. Maybe because I use AGP(not DVI)?

Besides, I haven't really had any crashes at all, since 7.3.
Seems my system has stabilized itself, although I hardly hear the card fan spin up.

vf-

You mean PCI-E?

I doubt its these IRQ numbers that are the issue, as I said before I stopped getting it when I installed those MS patches. Which obviously didn't sort Th3_VVr41th's problems.