Question Problems with GPU drivers ?

[Martin54]

I am commissioning a new build and have trouble with the GPU drivers. I have tried many driver versions from the manufacturer's website (AMD). I have even tried the driver files only and drivers with the software. I always end up with "Device not started" in the Events table and " {Device} had a problem starting" in the information table in the device manager. I have also let MS Windows load the driver with the same result. The GPU appears to be working, making me wonder whether or not there is a problem? All of the different versions of the driver are those listed for my GPU. I am apprehensive about continuing beyond this point until I am reasonably sure that this is not a major issue. Any thoughts?

 

[Tac 25]

writing more information would allow more people to help.

what's your motherboard, cpu, ram, gpu, and what power supply?

 

[Viking2121]

Short answer, sounds like the GPU is dead, If MS was not able to install a drive that it found for it, I'd say it's dead or something is not right with it.

What GPU is it?
What Version of Windows do you run?

You can try to run DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) and maybe you'll get lucky.

1) Download DDU and extract it https://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html

2) Download the newest driver from AMD's website, Do not install them yet https://www.amd.com/en/support

3) Disconnect from the internet, either physically unplug the ethernet cable or disable the ethernet port or wifi, whatever you use.

4) Start your PC in safe mode, Search for Run and type in msconfig and it should pop up a new window.

5) In the boot tab, check the Safe Boot box and make sure it says Minimal

6) Reboot in safe mode and now run DDU, select AMD in the drop-down, and click on Clean and do not restart, and let it remove everything related to AMD

7) Search for Run again and type in msconfig and in the boot tab, uncheck Safe Boot and restart

8) Go ahead and install the AMD drivers that you downloaded, and reboot when it asks, if it doesn't ask, reboot anyway and then connect back to the internet.

disconnecting from the internet prevents windows from trying to do windows things, it'll try its hardest to reinstall a driver which would fail anyway but Windows.

Good Luck

 

[Martin54]

Short answer, sounds like the GPU is dead, If MS was not able to install a drive that it found for it, I'd say it's dead or something is not right with it.

What GPU is it?
What Version of Windows do you run?

You can try to run DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) and maybe you'll get lucky.

1) Download DDU and extract it https://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html

2) Download the newest driver from AMD's website, Do not install them yet https://www.amd.com/en/support

3) Disconnect from the internet, either physically unplug the ethernet cable or disable the ethernet port or wifi, whatever you use.

4) Start your PC in safe mode, Search for Run and type in msconfig and it should pop up a new window.

5) In the boot tab, check the Safe Boot box and make sure it says Minimal

6) Reboot in safe mode and now run DDU, select AMD in the drop-down, and click on Clean and do not restart, and let it remove everything related to AMD

7) Search for Run again and type in msconfig and in the boot tab, uncheck Safe Boot and restart

8) Go ahead and install the AMD drivers that you downloaded, and reboot when it asks, if it doesn't ask, reboot anyway and then connect back to the internet.

disconnecting from the internet prevents windows from trying to do windows things, it'll try its hardest to reinstall a driver which would fail anyway but Windows.

Good Luck

Viking 2121 .... I have performed most of what you have suggested ... the GPU is not dead. I said it appears to function correctly after any version of the drivers are loaded. GPU-Z reports all the information correctly. Twice I downloaded the complete Adrenaline software with the driver. The software worked as it should and reported all the info correctly ... and even allowed the GPU to be OC'd. I'm merely wondering if the information I'm getting concerning the state of the install might be erroneous or of no consequence. I am not planning to install the software permanently; only the driver because this will be used for professional photo editing, not gaming.

I thank you for your detailed reply.

 

[Viking2121]

Viking 2121 .... I have performed most of what you have suggested ... the GPU is not dead. I said it appears to function correctly after any version of the drivers are loaded. GPU-Z reports all the information correctly. Twice I downloaded the complete Adrenaline software with the driver. The software worked as it should and reported all the info correctly ... and even allowed the GPU to be OC'd. I'm merely wondering if the information I'm getting concerning the state of the install might be erroneous or of no consequence. I am not planning to install the software permanently; only the driver because this will be used for professional photo editing, not gaming.

I thank you for your detailed reply.

A dead GPU can still output a picture is the thing, and GPU-Z and other software can still report and allow for overclocking, but that doesn't mean it's good or stable at doing anything, If you have a driver that does work, stress test it with something like Heaven benchmark, yes its 3d, a game related benchmark, but professional photo editing will also use the 3d clocks and other parts of the GPU just like a game would, if it's not stable to run a game, then it's not going to vary stable running your professional tasks.

For example, I have a few GPUs that do almost the same thing, I have a 6990 where the driver will install, but anything 3d it won't work, go back to Windows XP, 3d applications will run for a period of time but eventually fail with a crash, forget anything more modern than Windows 7 on that card.

I have a GTX 580 as long as you run 2d like desktop, web browser, nothing that ramps the clocks up, its 100% stable, drivers do install just fine, and I can overclock it to the moon, but that moment you run a heavy youtube video, it crashes and won't recover.

GTX 1660, The card is probably the more similar to your issue, where I can get some drivers to install, and even 3d benchmarks can complete sometimes, but something is flaky with the card where most games or anything that pushes it, it crashes, but I can not for life of me get the newest drives to install, I've tried everything, even making windows think its a Quadro and install studio drivers, it's just not stable. Yet everything reports it as fine, it works.

Point is, if it's displaying a picture, and software reports the correct info, and even can get some drivers to sorta install, doesn't;t always mean the card is 100% functioning.

The only thing I can say is you can try is install the card into a different PCI-E slot, and see if it acts the same, if it does, try it on another system, or unplug your OS drive and use a spare drive and reinstall windows and see if the card improves.

Judging by how the card is behaving, I'm still leaning towards the card being dead for the most part, that's a pretty common thing for a failing GPU to do, could be a chip on the card itself dying, a broken solder joint, never know, million different things can make a card act weird.

Good Luck to ya!