AMD display driver keeps crashing and recovering. Please help!

[Guest]

I've just recently started to experience random display driver crashes and recoveries. Today the AMD display driver has crashed and recovered 4 times, 3 of which have been in the last 2 hours.

Here's my systems specs:

Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
MSI 970A-G46 AM3/AM3+ Motherboard
ASUS AMD Radeon HD 6770 1GB GDDR5 Graphics Card
4GB (2 x 2GB) G.SKILL Ripjaws X-Series DDR3 1333MHz RAM Kit
1TB Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM SATA Internal Hard Drive
1TB Seagate GoFlex USB External Hard Drive
Corsair TX-950 950W 80 PLUS Bronze Power Supply

CPU's temperatures for all 4 coures are fine, 30 degrees celsius at idle, no more than 50 degrees celsius when gaming
GPU's temperatures are also fine, 36 degrees celsius at idle, 50-57 degrees celsius when gaming
CPU's active voltage fluctuates between 1.1 volts and 1.5 volts, which is a safe operating voltage range for my particular CPU from what I've researched.

What are the most common reasons for AMD display drivers crashing and recovering?

 

[hero1]

It might be due to your OC if yo have it OCed. And if not then try and update the driver. And maybe it's time you also upgrade. I mean your GPU is alright and I hope it gives you what you want but if I were you and I'd look to upgrade it to 7850 2GB version or 7870 LE.

 

[Guest]

It might be due to your OC if yo have it OCed. And if not then try and update the driver. And maybe it's time you also upgrade. I mean your GPU is alright and I hope it gives you what you want but if I were you and I'd look to upgrade it to 7850 2GB version or 7870 LE.

Nothing is overclocked.

 

[poetrygrl]

Hello,

What version of the CCC are you running? When did you last update it please.

Regarding your Win install, are you running the latest Service Pack and updates?

 

[Guest]

Could it be because I've installed both legacy and current AMD drivers and software, without uninstalling either of them or anything like that?

I first installed legacy drivers and software for an old AMD card, and then when I got my HD 6770, I never bothered to remove/uninstall those legacy drivers and software. I just simply installed more current drivers and software.

 

[poetrygrl]

Could it be because I've installed both legacy and current AMD drivers and software, without uninstalling either of them or anything like that?

I first installed legacy drivers and software for an old AMD card, and then when I got my HD 6770, I never bothered to remove/uninstall those legacy drivers and software (I could not as I do not have integrated video). I just simply installed more current drivers and software.

Hello that could contribute to the problem you are having. Though Windows Device Manager by default will detect the new adapter, remove the old and install a new driver. That is what I experienced. However, once this occured, I did the following:

1. Downloaded the latest CCC package from ADM to my Downloads directory
2. Went to Control Panel
3. Ran Add/Remove programs and removed the CCC
4. I choose the third option to remove everything associated with the install
5. Rebooted my PC
6. Ran the CCC package, it updated/replaced the native Microsoft driver

I haven't read through the AMD documentation. However, given the behavior of the none-buggy CCC install, they have built in a bit of backward compatibility in the install to deal with legacy (e.g. HD 2400 Pro) adapters.

 

[bgunner]

Download Driver Fusion and uninstall all display drivers for AMD. Driver fusion will remove all bits of the AMD drivers including registry entries. This will insure a clean install of new drivers. Then re install AMD display driver 12.8. Do not install 12.10 as this driver is known to have major issues with the 5770 and 6770 series cards causing it to crash just as you describe. I have not tried the 12.13 driver yet on these cards so I'm not sure if they are prone to the same issue.

http://treexy.com/products/driver-fusion

edit: max 1.5v for 3.4GHz on an Phenom II x4 965 is high. I was able to get mine stable at 1.38V max at stock settings. I run 1.5 for 4.0GHz overclock stable.

 

[Guest]

Most of the time my Phenom II X4 965 BE stays at between 1.1v and 1.3v, and it only shoots up to 1.5v on occasion, and it's never constant. Almost everything I've read about the Phenom II X4 965 BE says that anything lower than 1.5v at stock speed is safe and stable, especially if the temperatures are low, which they certainly are in my case.

Yeah, I think I may just run a clean install of the drivers and software. It seems to be the only thing that I can think of that would be causing the problem.

 

[bgunner]

actually 50°C is a bit high for a 3.4 even with stock cooling. Yes it is well with in its range of 62°C but heat is a major killer of electronics. The cooler your cpu runs at the longer life it generally will have. I only hit 52°C under Intel burn test and during gaming I average 38°-44°C. But this is way off topic.

Back to topic. I honestly believe that it is your drivers giving an issue. Using the 12.10 driver a friend and I both had the same issue as you describe. Let us know if it works by doing a fresh install of drivers.

 

[satyamdubey]

CCC 13.1 is available now and it's a great driver. Install that and you'll be good to go.

 

[dudewitbow]

Use the amd catalyst uninstaller from this point on when changing drivers


with an amd card. its generally better to install form scratch. AMD cards are more sensitive to misusing old files than nvidia cards are, as nvidia has a function on their installing to clean install. Itll also prevent you from accidently deleting AMD cpu drivers that Driver Sweeper/Fusion would probably check off.

 

[bgunner]

Use the amd catalyst uninstaller from this point on when changing drivers


with an amd card. its generally better to install form scratch. AMD cards are more sensitive to misusing old files than nvidia cards are, as nvidia has a function on their installing to clean install. Itll also prevent you from accidently deleting AMD cpu drivers that Driver Sweeper/Fusion would probably check off.

The new Driver Fusion lets you pick what you want to install unlike the old Driver Sweeper which had less options. The selections specifically say AMD Display so there is no mistaking what you want to uninstall. The 965 does not have IGP on the die so there is no way the program will uninstall CPU drivers. AMD's driver uninstall wont get rid of registry entries like Driver fusion will.