[SOLVED] System Freezing

[atticus_maytrap]

Hi there,

so i've been having a strange issue.

I use 3 monitors for work (architecture), but then switch that back to only one screen for gaming.

Just after the most recent Nvidia update, my system froze up just after i'd switched the 2nd and 3rd monitors off. I didnt think much of it, hard boot, then normal shut down.
Next day, exact same thing happened again in the same spot. Used the machine completely as normal, all 3 screens running, no problems, and then as soon as i switched it back to
a single screen after working, another system freeze.

Is this a problem with the latest Nvidia drivers? Do i have to reinstall my graphics card drivers all together?
I ran a windows system scan from the cmd prompt as per a forum post here, and it reported back finding a file in error and repairing it.
I've not had long to see if the problem persists, but what are the chances that this was the issue?

update: problem has now evolved and am now getting random system freezes, even post system scan and supposedly repaired error

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

my first try would be wiping ALL graphics drivers and settings via DDU.
then reinstalling the latest Nvidia package again.

 

[atticus_maytrap]

my first try would be wiping ALL graphics drivers and settings via DDU.
then reinstalling the latest Nvidia package again.

Yeh that was to be my next step, but sadly now the machine wont boot, or at least theres no signal being sent through the graphics card to the monitor. I think maybe its burned out, MSI 1080Ti bought in November of 2017, been used for gaming, rendering and VR pretty solidly in that time. Is there i can do before taking it to a professional to see of it's cooked?

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

when you boot up is it to a single display and then the others are manually powered on later?

try booting with each port on the GPU separately with a single display attached; HDMI and each DP.

also try another display, like a tv or a monitor that wasn't previously connected.
there's always a slight chance a surge may have damaged your three previously connected ones.

i would also try re-seating the card.
and clearing the motherboard CMOS \ resetting the BIOS.

if you have an integrated GPU, try that.
if it works than it's definitely an issue with the dedicated card.

 

[atticus_maytrap]

when you boot up is it to a single display and then the others are manually powered on later?

try booting with each port on the GPU separately with a single display attached; HDMI and each DP.

also try another display, like a tv or a monitor that wasn't previously connected.
there's always a slight chance a surge may have damaged your three previously connected ones.

i would also try re-seating the card.
and clearing the motherboard CMOS \ resetting the BIOS.

if you have an integrated GPU, try that.
if it works than it's definitely an issue with the dedicated card.

i always - or at least try to - boot up to a single display, and then turn on the 2nd and 3rd as needed.
i just connected the central monitor directly to the motherboard connection and it booted up fine, so the problem is definitely the graphics card
is it def. a hardware issue or could it just be bad drivers that need to be reinstalled?

 

[atticus_maytrap]

when you boot up is it to a single display and then the others are manually powered on later?

try booting with each port on the GPU separately with a single display attached; HDMI and each DP.

also try another display, like a tv or a monitor that wasn't previously connected.
there's always a slight chance a surge may have damaged your three previously connected ones.

i would also try re-seating the card.
and clearing the motherboard CMOS \ resetting the BIOS.

if you have an integrated GPU, try that.
if it works than it's definitely an issue with the dedicated card.

Hey man, just wanted to say i was able to follow your original advice with DDU scrubbing out the old drivers, reinstalling in safe mode etc. and my system is back up and running
thank you so much for your help boss, you're a legend

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

Hey man, just wanted to say i was able to follow your original advice with DDU scrubbing out the old drivers, reinstalling in safe mode etc. and my system is back up and running

you can mark the best solution by selecting the trophy icon on the left side of the particular comment.

 

[atticus_maytrap]

you can mark the best solution by selecting the trophy icon on the left side of the particular comment.

just a quick update, while i was able to get the system working again with new drivers, even played a round of BFV with marked performance increase, no problems - but then as soon as i plugged my extra monitors and VR headset back in (i had them all unplugged when i shifted back to the mobo) the system froze once again. This was just plugging them back in and having the system recognise them, not actively turning on the 2nd and 3rd displays.

Could there be an error in the latest Nvisia drivers with regard to multiple displays or is my card just showing its age?

 

[atticus_maytrap]

just a quick update, while i was able to get the system working again with new drivers, even played a round of BFV with marked performance increase, no problems - but then as soon as i plugged my extra monitors and VR headset back in (i had them all unplugged when i shifted back to the mobo GPU to get the system booted up) the machine froze once again. This was just plugging them back in and having the system recognise them, not actively turning on the 2nd and 3rd displays.

Could there be an error in the latest Nvisia drivers with regard to multiple displays or is my card just showing its age?

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

maybe take a look around Nvidia forums(and\or general Google searches) for others complaining about similar issues with the latest batch of drivers.

i've currently got my main monitor attached via DP & my TV via HDMI and they both still work fine together on driver package 461.72.

it could just be something with the card not being able to handle the large output anymore.
have you tried just 2 displays to see if it could handle that?

 

[atticus_maytrap]

maybe take a look around Nvidia forums(and\or general Google searches) for others complaining about similar issues with the latest batch of drivers.

i've currently got my main monitor attached via DP & my TV via HDMI and they both still work fine together on driver package 461.72.

it could just be something with the card not being able to handle the large output anymore.
have you tried just 2 displays to see if it could handle that?

i put a post up on Nvidia today, saw a few people that are also having system freezes since the update last week but nothing quite as specific as how mine started.

i thought that aswell, about the age of the card and the output, but the funny thing is that it only ever freezes when i have just the main screen running, never when ive had all 3 going
does switching between configurations - changing from 3 screens down to 1 - in the display settings put strain on the GPU perhaps?
That was originally my thinking since it only ever happened at that point, but then it progressed to random freezes - again, only ever with one screen

 

[stylinspeak]

If people are experiencing similar issues since the latest update, use the same procedure above to remove the driver pack with DDU and install a previous version to see if the issue persists. If that fixes the issue, the new update broke that specific functionality and hopefully it'll be fixed in a future update.

 

[atticus_maytrap]

If people are experiencing similar issues since the latest update, use the same procedure above to remove the driver pack with DDU and install a previous version to see if the issue persists. If that fixes the issue, the new update broke that specific functionality and hopefully it'll be fixed in a future update.

i just booted it up this evening and watched some tv and then gamed on it for the better part of an hour. I dont think the card is dying on me, the temp never gets above 65 whilst gaming, and never above 45 with 3 screens running (one of those screens usually has a movie running).
The performance increase with the clean driver install is very noticeable so im happy with that, ive not moved it into multiple screens just yet though.
Also unplugged some USB stuff i wasn't using (gamepad, guitar lead) on the advice of another thread

 

[atticus_maytrap]

hi again, just an update to this issue, i rolled back my drivers (442.74) and it had been working perfectly since then (3rd of April), but then last night as i was finishing up work for the evening, turned off the 2nd and 3rd monitors and BAM, another system freeze. This is after 2.5 weeks of very normal use, work and gaming, switching between monitor setups as needed.

Could this be a power supply issue? Or would that be a more omnipresent problem and not so situation specific?
It feels as though moving from a state of high power usage to a lower one is triggering the graphics card freeze. The other more random freezes from a month ago all happened post-gaming in idle, never during