How do I get rid of an amddvr error on startup?

[M-train]

I've got an AMD RX580 card in my computer for which I've had for over a year now, running Win7.

I used to run two Nivida 460 cards, and when one card went bad I simply upgraded to the 580 card.

The card worked fine with all of my games old, and new [newest was Wolfenstein Colossus. Well, after a few months the newer games started to lag, as in the keyboard inputs would take a moment to respond [as in depress a key, then wait a second, then the command is realized on the display].

So, I recently used DDU to get rid of any remaining Nivida drivers.

After doing the uninstall, I get the amddvr error [unable to open]. Is there a way to get rid of it, as I understand it, the command isn't needed? Thanks.

 

[COLGeek]

Have you tried re-installing the AMD drivers (or upgrading to the most current)? That should clear up the issue.

 

[M-train]

Yes, I've installed all of the latest drivers, BUT you do hit on something.

Since I know the card did work fine last winter, I've been tearing up the house to find the original AMD installation disc, with no luck.

In all of my reading on this subject I think I read where some of the AMD driver updates actually didn't work out so well.

 

[COLGeek]

The original driver disk is unlikely to help. Reinstalling your motherboard chipset drivers may help. What is the make/model of your motherboard?

 

[M-train]

I think the motherboard is part of the problem from what someone told me as its not an AMD motherboard.

OS Name Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Version 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601
Other OS Description Not Available
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name MIKE-PC
System Manufacturer Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
System Model Z97MX-Gaming 5
System Type x64-based PC
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4690K CPU @ 3.50GHz, 3501 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date American Megatrends Inc. F6, 9/18/2015
SMBIOS Version 2.7
Windows Directory C:\Windows
System Directory C:\Windows\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.1.7601.17514"
User Name
Time Zone Central Standard Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 32.0 GB
Total Physical Memory 16.0 GB
Available Physical Memory 11.0 GB
Total Virtual Memory 32.0 GB
Available Virtual Memory 26.2 GB
Page File Space 16.0 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys

 

[COLGeek]

Go here and install the tool to allow your system to be scanned for updated drivers. After all are current, reinstall the most current video drivers from AMD.

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/

 

[M-train]

Sorry for getting back so late. Since you mention drivers again, I noticed that on the uninstall program there was also listed an "intel" driver.

Should that driver be uninstalled as well as the Nivida drivers I uninstalled?

Also, here is something someone on another forum mentioned, quote;" I finally read a post somewhere that mentioned testing your main memory to see if it was bad. The normal windows test stated that the ram was okay so I decided to try memtest86 and on the 2nd pass the ram started showing errors. Normal pc work was fine as long as the memory wasn't stressed but once a game like rainbow 6 or even payday was tried the entire pc locked up. I was using a R9 285x with 3GB and figured the card should have handled all of the needed video memory but it was still relying on the main 16GB memory which had enough errors to cause the massive lagging until it finally started blue screening."

 

[COLGeek]

Defective memory is indeed a problem, but not the cause of the driver issue. The Intel driver you noted is related to the integrated video adapter built into the CPU. Also not the problem.

You seem to have two issues here. Possibly defective memory and an AMD driver issue. Did you update the motherboard chipset drivers as previously suggested?

 

[M-train]

Sorry, not yet. I had to paint a bumper yesterday, and re-installing it was way more than I had thought it was going to be [I've been painting cars for years now, as well as many '60s restorations].

So, I'm a bit beat, but tomorrow is supposed to rain all day so plenty of time for working on the PC [wife wanted to watch Netflix tonight so I didn't want to take a chance on making an error, and having my PC down for the rest of the night].

I will do the drivers update like you recommended first, then if there is no change I will find my jump drive, and download the memory test, and report my findings.

 

[M-train]

Ok, I just ran a system scan on all of the drivers on my computer. The only needed update was for the Intel graphics adapter so I did the update.



While I was doing that I was checking something in the control panel, and clicked into, /system, and security/ system/



Then I clicked on "view amount of ram".



Its shows 32gb of ram with only 16gb usable. Is that normal that its only showing half my ram as "usable"?

 

[COLGeek]

Nope. Not normal. Flashing/updating the mobo BIOS can help with that sometimes. Also, double check that they are fully inserted into the slots.

 

[M-train]

Ok, good answer. That would explain why the newer games worked without lag last year when I first played them. Then, after almost a half of a years passed, and I went back to those games, I got the lag.

 

[M-train]

Well, with your help I finally figured it out.[and a lot of research]

The problem was Win7 HOME EDITION. This limited the amount of RAM to only 16gb.

I upgraded to Win7 Pro, and now the system shows my RAM to be 31gb................thanks again. I hope this helps others.

 

[M-train]

Annnnnnnnnnd, its still got the lag.


This is interesting, the lag is now infecting my old Left 4 Dead 2 game, for which has always run just fine.


Its so annoying, hitting a key, then wait, then your character actually moves.


Here is the strange part, the rest of the characters, ie zombies, NPC's move normally with no lag, or studder whatsoever.


There is only a lag on the keyboard inputs. The problem is really bad when starting a game, any game. Then after playing the game for about fifteen minutes, or so, the input lag gradually catches up with the action, and is usually gone by the time I finish the game [ie around an hour in the case of L4D2].


I would suspect the wireless keyboard, but again, by the end of the game the input lag is gone.

 

[Peter Martin]

Clean install th os

 

[COLGeek]

I agree with Peter. Back up your files and then perform a full, clean install. That is going to give you the best shot at stability and overall success.

 

[M-train]

Thanks.

I've done a restore back to a certain point in time [lets say resetting the computer back to a week before], but Its been a long time since I've done a full system restore/recovery using the original disc.

I have an external SSD drive that I use for system back up, and to save files that eat up memory on my rather spares main drive, which is backed up once a week. Would I disconnect this drive when doing a full system restore, and I'm guessing I can use that drive to restore all of my files, and programs?

Also, would I use the original Win7 CD to do this, or is there a way to do it without the disc? Also, I just upgraded to Win 7 Pro [from Home Premium} would this total restore drop me back from Win7 Pro back to Home Premium?

Sorry for my ignorance on all of this, but the last time I did a full reset using the original disc was about ten years ago.

 

[M-train]

I thought I would update this thread as the problem has vanished.



To recap, the last thing I tried to do was a total system restore to factory default. I couldn't get the mouse keyboard to work on the factory reboot so I did some research, and found that I needed to move my wireless mouse/keyboard to another USB port.



So, I moved around a few things I had plugged into the USB ports, one of them being my external hard drive. I tried again to do a reboot, and the system still wouldn't find the kb/mouse, so for the moment I gave up. I had some things to take care of on my computer so I just forgot about the reboot for a while.



Well, later on I decided to play L4D2, and to my surprise, there was no lag at all. I decided to go for broke, and try GTA5, and guess what...........NO LAG AT ALL!



The only thing I can think of that corrected this was moving the external SSD to another, slower USB port. This would explain why the newer games worked without lag earlier this year [around Jan 2018], and then began lagging as I had, at some point, plugged the USB of the SSD into another port. [most likely when I took my computer to the garage to clean it out with compressed air, as I have to unplug everything, then plug it all back in when I'm finished].



I cannot tell you "why" this worked, but that it was the solution which may help someone else in the future. In the journey I did find out I wasn't using all of my installed RAM as Win 7 Home will only support 16gb of sdram, where as when I upgraded to Win 7 Pro, it can support all 32gb of sdram. [for which its important to know that even being able to use all 32gb of ram the game still lagged, until I did the USB port switch on the external SSD].



Thanks again for all of the advice, and help. Problem solved.