Windows 7 - AMD Radeon Mobility 5000HD/6500HD - driver problems I think

[uanaka]

Computer Type: Laptop - Lenovo Y460P

GPU: AMD Radeon Mobility 5000 HD Series / 6500 HD Series (more explained later)

CPU: Intel i7 - 2630QM - 2.0 MHz - not overclocked

Motherboard: Not sure from Device Manager

RAM: 8.0gb RAM

Operating System & Version: I.E. Windows 7

GPU Drivers: Alternates between 5000HD and 6500HD depending on the install I pick. The legacy driver gives me 5000HD, but the Auto-Detect gives me 6500HD. I've only tried the CCC, and not the beta Crimson software.

Chipset Drivers: Latest Intel has given me, used with Intel Driver Update Program Background

Description of Problem: Just some backstory: Had problems, wiped laptop with new Windows 7. Had no drivers, installed what I could. Graphics Card problem with BSOD. I think all of my other drivers are fine, downloaded them from the Lenovo page for that laptop.

tl;dr Originally BSOD from the amdkmpfd.sys or atikmdag.sys that was with 6500HD, with 5000HD I can't even get past Login, blank black screen. I hear the audio that I logged in successfully, moves around for a bit and then lags and is stuck.

Troubleshooting: From what I remember my laptop had a AMD Radeon Mobility 5000 HD Series card, old from a while back. I know it's been pushed into legacy, when I was first updating graphics I kept getting pushed into the Radeon 6500 HD, which is what I thought was the problem. I would be able to log onto my desktop and for a bit until I get a BSOD with the amdkmpsag and its variation errors. So I downloaded the legacy CCC + Driver, and now I can't even get to the login page because after the Windows logo, it gets stuck on a blackscreen... sometime there are pixels, screen tearing etc.

I've run /r/TRONScript , DDU, legacy drivers and most other options. Not really sure what is left to do, just 1.5 week ago it was running fine, until I decided to do the stupid decision and accidentally wrote over Windows OS with a Linux distro.

I did have minidump files, but I guess when I restarted my computer it cleared those files, but it did confirm that they were caused my graphics card, there was also mention of system kernel, but I think it was the graphics card that caused that.

 

[CircuitDaemon]

I've had tons of issues with my laptop that has a similar combination of i7 + AMD Graphics. We got them before they made a standard out of switchable graphics. In my case, it's the same processor but with a HD 6770. This are the drivers I use: Catalyst_14.2_Beta_v1.3_UnifL

They are from an independent developer who modified the original AMD drivers for users with switchable graphics like us. This is his website: http://leshcatlabs.net/

Try the version I said, as a more recent one will give you problems because they discontinued support for our series after this version.

 

[uanaka]

I've had tons of issues with my laptop that has a similar combination of i7 + AMD Graphics. We got them before they made a standard out of switchable graphics. In my case, it's the same processor but with a HD 6770. This are the drivers I use: Catalyst_14.2_Beta_v1.3_UnifL

They are from an independent developer who modified the original AMD drivers for users with switchable graphics like us. This is his website: http://leshcatlabs.net/

Try the version I said, as a more recent one will give you problems because they discontinued support for our series after this version.

So would I go through the same as Safe Mode -> DDU uninstall -> Install the new driver from leshcat?

 

[uanaka]

@CircuitDaemon

Hmm I tried it, but it says I don't have the minimum requirements?

 

[imrazor]

According to the Lenovo spec sheet for the Y460P, it comes with a Radeon 6550M, which means that the HD 6500 driver is probably correct. You might want to try downloading the official Lenovo video driver here:

http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/products/laptops-and-netbooks/ideapad-y-series-laptops/ideapad-y460p?beta=false

 

[uanaka]

@imrazor

Well I tried that, but I'm getting BSOD's still. I tried the AMD legacy driver as well as the AMD Autodetect. My BSOD errors from the minidumps are pointing out:
1. atikmpag.sys
2. dxgkrnl.sys
3. dxgmms1.sys

I've looked them up, but it seems that the primary problem is still the atikmpag.sys. I thought it could be hardware failure since this is an old laptop, but I was using it perfectly fine last week.

 

[imrazor]

According to my research, the Y460P has switchable graphics. If you go into your BIOS, do you have an option to disable the AMD graphics and just use the Intel iGPU?

 

[uanaka]

@imrazor

(are those even notifying you?) But nope, I guess I have a generic BIOS? Even before, I never had the option to switch between AMD and Intep GPU?

 

[imrazor]

Ah, according to this
https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Lenovo-P-Y-and-Z-series/Do-Y460P-have-switchable-graphics/td-p/387331
CircuitDaemon and I are incorrect and the GPU is not switchable. Have you already tried reinstalling Windows?

 

[uanaka]

@imrazor

Ah ok, I was confused by that because i've had the laptop for close to 4-5 years and I never even knew about that. I've reinstalled it once, but now that I was able to find a driver for a clean install, I'll try a Windows reinstall and see if that can help it. I've used that DDU application a few times, but I just think that I must have broken some other driver along the way since I'm also getting those direct x BSODs as well? And well I guess if that doesn't work, then it really must be a faulty GPU hardware... which is surprising since it was working perfectly fine before.

I did open it up a while back to clean it, but all I did was spray with compressed air

 

[imrazor]

I do suspect that you are running into a hardware problem, but it's a good idea to try the Windows reinstall to rule out possible registry or driver corruption. If that doesn't work, then I'm afraid you're probably left with a hardware problem. A long shot is that your power supply may be faulty. Do you have another one you could try? I wouldn't buy a spare unless you have one already; probably not worth it.

 

[uanaka]

I do suspect that you are running into a hardware problem, but it's a good idea to try the Windows reinstall to rule out possible registry or driver corruption. If that doesn't work, then I'm afraid you're probably left with a hardware problem. A long shot is that your power supply may be faulty. Do you have another one you could try? I wouldn't buy a spare unless you have one already; probably not worth it.

Interesting, if so well that's a shame. I might have to get a new laptop then... but yea I'll try the reinstall and if it doesn't work, gives me a reason to buy a new laptop for upgrade . I mean it's a laptop, so I'm not sure it's the powersupply... but it might make sense? Even when I was using it and I was playing a game, sometimes the entire laptop would just shut off and crash. It never had any error messages or BSOD, and it wasn't that it was overheating since I did have a laptop cooler and feeling it wasn't as hot as it could have been. So maybe it is a battery/power supply problem but I didn't think too much of it other than the fact it shut off even with it being plugged in.