Certain Steam game crashes (black screen / sound loop)

[Juckey]

Hi, I'm looking for solution to a problem, which occurs only in certain Steam games. For example in DX: Human Revolution and Tribes: Ascend, issue is totally identical: game freezes, and right after screen will turn to black and last sound starts to loop. No BSOD, no error notifications, just total crash. After resetting only message as follows will be logged in Windows Event Management:

- <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
- <System>
<Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power" Guid="{331C3B3A-2005-44C2-AC5E-77220C37D6B4}" />
<EventID>41</EventID>
<Version>2</Version>
<Level>1</Level>
<Task>63</Task>
<Opcode>0</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x8000000000000002</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2012-07-20T06:22:32.465603400Z" />
<EventRecordID>20696</EventRecordID>
<Correlation />
<Execution ProcessID="4" ThreadID="8" />
<Channel>System</Channel>
<Computer>Wintermute</Computer>
<Security UserID="S-1-5-18" />
</System>
- <EventData>
<Data Name="BugcheckCode">0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter1">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter2">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter3">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter4">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="SleepInProgress">false</Data>
<Data Name="PowerButtonTimestamp">0</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

There's numerous ways I've tried to deal with this: disabling Firewall / Antivirus software, Catalyst Control Center and so on. Tried to run as admin, in compatibility mode... Memtest is possibly the only option that I haven't tried, but as I said, this occurs only in certain _Steam_ games, so it can't be RAM..?

My assembly:

CHASSIS: Fractal Design Define R3 Black Pearl ATX-kotelo, BLACK
MB: Asus M5A97, AM3+, AMD 970, DDR3, ATX
CPU: AMD FX-6200, AM3+, 3.8GHz, 14MB, 6-cores
GPU: Gigabyte AMD Radeon HD 7850 OC, 2GB GDDR5, DVI/HDMI/2xMini-DP, PCI-E 3.0
RAM: 4x Kingston HyperX 4GB, DDR3 1600MHz, CL9
PSU: XFX 550W Core Edition ATX, 80+ Bronze
DRIVES: Kingston HyperX 120 GB SSD 2.5"
Seagate 500GB Barracuda, 3.5", Sata3, 7200rpm, 16MB
+: 6x 120mm fans (Fractal Design / Arctic Cooling)
CPU cooler (Arctic Cooling Freezer Xtreme Rev 2, LGA775/1156/1366, AM3/AM2+/AM2)
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit

Please help!

 

[DM186]

Well you have a good rig going on and that shouldn't be happening. Have you tried the Verify Integrity of Game Cache? I will post how to do it in case you don't. When you do it.

You should do it at least 3 times for each game. After doing all that and still happens then try uninstalling the games using a uninstall program and I don't mean the remove/change program in the control panel

Or the game's unintall program. When you use thoes programs they don't get all the files and when you reinstall the game you will most likely still have the problem. I will link you to revo a good program.

If you do have to uninstall the games and reinstall them use the Verify Integrity of Game Cache after each install. For some reason Steam has a problem with down loading all the files to your rig.

I don't know why but it happens to me just about every time I down load a game from them. Give what I have stated a try and let us know what has happened and good luck.

NOTE: When in Steam, left click on Games. Then left click on view Games Library. Right click on the Game. Then left click on properties. Then left click on local files. Then left click on Verify Integrity of Game Cache.

http://download.cnet.com/Revo-Uninstaller/3000-2096_4-10687648.html

 

[Juckey]

Thanks for the advice, I'll reply back, when I get these done! Guess I'll give a try for Memtest too, just in case 😀

 

[Juckey]

No, there's still problem and it seems that Tribes: Ascend crashes even without Steam... Do I really have format the whole ***? 🙁

 

[DM186]

Sorry I did not get back to you right away I am on vacation sort of speak. I don't think reformating your hard drive is going to fix the problem. The reason I say this is because some games just won't work with the new GPU's or other new hardware

For Example I have Age of Empires III and I down loaded it on my rig now and It would never run or work and I was so disappointed but when I down loaded it on one of my old Dells.

It worked just fine. So I took out the hard drive and hooked it up in my rig and the game works just fine. My point is with win 7 or even my hardware for some reason would not let the game fully down load.

So when I down loaded on to a system with XP and old hardware it worked but the hardware in my new rig wouldn't let it down load. As you can see what my rig is today.

There are some cases that some Steam games just won't play right no matter what you could try to talk to Steam or read their forum and even ask questions. But I am out of Idea's you have done a lot and got nowhere.

You would think you wouldn't have these types of problems but they are out there and I have seen a lot of people with these problems without any fix's. Maybe you could try on another PC with your game.

Then if it works and it is almost the same as your set up which by the way is a very nice rig, then that would tell you that either it is a hardware problem or you have malware issues.

Do everything possible before you reformat your hard drive. Then let us know if anything has changed. Good luck to and I hope it works.

 

[Guest]

I SOLVED black screen + jammed sound freeze about a month ago. Tried many things, but only one worked:

Download any program that allows you to clock your graphic card (I used nVidiaInspector) and underclock it a little.

I had often crashes in League of Legends, Diablo 3 and similar games, but since i turned both GPU and graphic memory 40 MHz lower, I never had even one crash, and the underclocking had no serious impact on fps. Seems like capacitors cant handle highest performance any more.

 

[Bratushka]

I SOLVED black screen + jammed sound freeze about a month ago. Tried many things, but only one worked:

Download any program that allows you to clock your graphic card (I used nVidiaInspector) and underclock it a little.

I had often crashes in League of Legends, Diablo 3 and similar games, but since i turned both GPU and graphic memory 40 MHz lower, I never had even one crash, and the underclocking had no serious impact on fps. Seems like capacitors cant handle highest performance any more.

Something else is still going on because I started having the same issue beginning about a month ago. I have had it happen with Deus EX Revolutions, Fallout 3 and New Vegas, FEAR games, Half Life games, sims like TestDrive Unlimited 2. It has happened in Arma 2 and ARMA series games, Call of Duty games and even a few simple Indie games like I'm Alive. It happens as quickly as under a minute in or hours in. It doesn't matter whether it's an action sequence like multiple melee combat or if my character is standing still in a bare desert.

When the crash happens I can't get control of my PC by 'ESC', 'Alt+TAB', or 'Ctrl', 'Alt', + 'Del'. The only way to recover is doing a hard reset with the power button. There's no BSOD or the message "Your computer recovered from a serious error..." message after it reboots but I do get the "Your computer shut down in an unusual way..." black screen from where I select 'Launch Windows Normally' An aside: I have multiple monitors and the other two will continue to show the desktop wallpaper, they do not go black when the error occurs. That tells me each video card is still presenting an image.

My rig is going on a couple years old and I haven't made any hardware changes and until a few months ago, there were no issues with any of these games. I have been a Steam user since at least as many years ago as Half Life 2 was released and required a Steam account to complete the game installation. I have never had issues with Steam games. Until recently. It may well be under-clocking is a solution and it really comes to 'whatever works' but if my stuff ran fine for 2 years, it isn't going to suddenly need video card reclocking.

But I'm not satisfied that's the real answer because it's happening with new games and older games. I have to I think newer ones push for designs to make use of hardware that's newer to showcase graphics quality so dialing back a GPU seems counterintuitive to me, especially if even older, less demanding, games crash. This problem is common from what I see. There has to be a solution that doesn't require a person to start mucking with over/under clocking because of the damage that can ensue from the uninitiated doing it. Beside I do NOT have this issue with Rise of Flight or any other non-Steam launched game.

I don't think my PC hardware is at issue. My rig:

Intel Core i7 6 core processor @ 3.33 GHz, liquid cooled, 24 GB RAM, GTX 580 video card X 2 (SLI), EVGA SLI3 MoBo, 1500 watt power supply, 240 GB SSD as primary drive (c which runs my OS, Windows 7 Ultimate 64,
1.5 TB standard drive as secondary where 98% of games and secondary applications are installed, Cooler Master full tower, and more

My drivers are current for my video card as are all things updatable on my PC. I run the 'Verify Integrity of Local Game Cache' several times and wait until it shows OK before I launch a game. Eventually, the crash happens. Whether it's a minute in or 4 hours in is just luck.

BTW: the OP said something about Catalyst Control Center so he/she is using an ATI based video card(s). nVIDIA utilities won't work since ATI is in the opposite camp. But on the plus side it shows it's not hardware specific to ATI or nVIDIA products.

 

[chrisjacks]

Im having the same issue with FEAR on steam and i have been able to play FEAR before. has a solution been found yet? i was going to play through all the FEAR series again but now cant

 

[Juckey]

Hi, I have to make a little update during the process of pinpointing this issue. It's been two years since problems started, and now with the latest ATI graphic driver update - everything went even worse. Games keep crashing normally - which is a very relative statement - plus there's some screen tearing detected when watching stuff from YouTube for example. All I can know think is that my graphic card is completely busted. Since I have some warranty left, I decided to send it back, hoping there's going to be new card to replace it.

Though I haven't any options left but this, I hope my fellow bros/sis in fate would find their solution with similiar issues. Good luck to you guys

 

[Azazavr]

After installing new nVidia driver (344.75) - the same problems begins. I have also update video card bios using ASUS UEFI utility. Nothing helped. I can't play some games (which works before updating drivers).
Reinstalling windows no longer helps. Some games works good, another like RUST, World of tanks, Miscreated - no longer works. Computer hangs with black screen. Only reset button can help. If Windows installed on SSD - no error reports available, but I have also tried to install Windows on HDD. If you run the game - computer hangs, but then it reboot itself, and error reports appear (video driver stopped working).

My specs: Intel i7 4771/ ASUS Z87-PLUS /16GB RAM (KHX2133C11D3/8GX * 2) / KINGSTON SV300S37A240G / ASUS GTX670-DC2-2GD5 / XFX PRO 750W PSU / Windows 7 SP1 x64 Build 7601

I have tested memory with Memtest, Tested Videocard with FurMark/3D Mark - everything good. The tempetarure is OK.

PS I have the same issue with "Life is feudal" game, but after turning VSYNC - ON in Nvidia CP - the game works good. Another games did not work even with VSYNC ON.
Roll back to previous drivers no longer helps (maybe because I have updated videocard bios).

 

[Bratushka]

Sorry it took such a long time to get back- my problem was caused by one of my video cards beginning to fail. It had always run hotter than I though it would but the custom PC manufacturer of my computer kept blowing it off saying it wasn't an issue. I even bought an extended warranty for parts and labor and he blew it off saying I needed to deal with EVGA warranty. My own research found that at a set temperature the circuitry on the video card slows clock speed down and speeds up the fan to cool the card. This was what was crashing the games. Because the card was failing it was reaching the safe point temperature at different times during my gaming sessions.

I installed Precision X for my EVGA branded GeForce GTX 580 cards so I could manually speed my fans up which did delay the inevitable but through the temperature monitoring capability I proved to myself that temperature was the issue. The card finally failed enough it began affecting everything so I pulled it.

Point is good card or not- when card temps get to the fail safe level the card shuts down to protect itself which crashes your game. I recommend a video card controller utility. I know about every card brand has an associated free utility that allows this. Since many of these provide ample opportunity to trash the card by overclocking and all that, limit yourself to manual fan speed control and you'll be fine. There are also free widgets that allow you to monitor video card temperature which makes it easier to track temperature related issues.

 

[Bratushka]

RE: V Sync- this isn't a setting that is optional- the game either uses it or not. If you turn it on and it isn't needed it can create stability issues. Same with if it's needed and forced off. I have seen few games that used it and those that do enable it so I never mess with it.