"nvlddmkm Display driver stopped responding and has recovered."

[BigJerm]

Alright, I realize a lot of people here are having this problem, and I searched the forum and couldn't find a centralized thread concerning this extremely annoying problem. So I started to experience this somewhat recently when I started playing the Orange Box. Periodically, with no pattern at all, Team Fortress 2, or even Episode 2 will lock up. It takes about 20 seconds for the driver to recover, and once it does it's back to normal withing a couple of more seconds. This problem is quite annoying, especially when playing TF2.

I have been searching Google in hopes of finding some miracle cure, but I have so far found the same thing, over and over.

"1. Control Panel=>Windows Update=>Change Settings=>"Download updates but let me choose whether to install them".

2. Download the latest driver from the nvidia website. http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp

3. Go to Device Manager, select your display adaptor, and uninstall it, choose to also delete drivers when prompted.

4. Reboot computer into safe mode by pressing f8 when the computer boots, when prompted to install new display driver choose "never install a driver for this device"

5. Navigate to c:\windows\system32\drivers\ and rename the file nvlddmkm.sys to nvlddmkm_old.sys. Take note of the date of this file

6. Navigate to c:\windows\system32 and rename any other file of the same date as nvlddmkm.sys which begins with the letters 'nv'

**ADDED FOR CLARITY***

For examples:

nvcplui.exe become nvcplui_old.exe

nvd3dumx.dll becomes nvd3dumx_old.exe

etc..etc..etc..Repeat for all files with the same date as the file you found in step 5, they begin with the letters 'nv'

If it is too tedious to rename all the files, you can simply delete them, or move them to a different folder.

*********************

6a. For 64bit Vista, repeat step 6 in c:\windows\sysWOW64

7. Reboot to normal Windows, if prompted again to install a driver choose "never install a driver for this device.

8. Install the driver which you downloaded from the nVidia website."

I read this over, and this will not solve my problem, due to the fact that all my nVidia based files in the Drivers folder are up-to-date. Other than the above suggestion, I have found nothing. Although my specs are listed in my User Info I'll just list them here for convenience.

Dell 1520

Intel Core 2 Duo (2.00GHz)

2 GB RAM

256 DDR nVidia GeForce 8600M GT (Overclocked with Riva 610/1220/515)

120GB HDD

Vista 32Bit

If anyone can shed any light on fixing this that would be most appreciated. If anyone else has the same problem, please post your current hardware, and any other information that would help in determining the problem. Thanks.

[Garandhero]

Why not just detanator destroyer or w/e and delete all the old nv files.. then re-install the new driver... Am I missing something

[BigJerm]

I have already tried that, and it's till crashing. I have no idea what is causing it, could it be the OC'ing? I can't see that making any sense, because both my GPU and CPU temps are perfectly stable.

[Guest pio]

Hi,

I'm experiencing the same problem...I have seen the message popup, but when I updated the drivers to 167.45 it still crashes exactly the same but the error message is not dispalyed anymore - weird as if nVidia was trying to cover that bug...anyway on the other hand Im pretty sure it's due to OCing...i run my 8600M GT 610/1220/500 - and it crashes really rarely but when I OC teh mem to 510 - it crashes a lot more often.

Peace

[fahd03]

Bug? Problem? Its not nvidia fault lol.. it is because ur card stop functioning to prevent damage... If the msg appear..it has some problem wif ur over overclock or the voltage didnt seem can go along wif the oc freqs!

Ur card cant handle certain frequency..u cant oc ur card from 500mhz to 1000mhz juz because the heat didnt get higher! A graphic card also got limit when handling freqs...even ur card at minus 50 degrees!!

IT'S NOT JUST THE MATTER OF HEAT WHEN U COME TO OVERCLOCK!!

[BigJerm]

Bug? Problem? Its not nvidia fault lol.. it is because ur card stop functioning to prevent damage... If the msg appear..it has some problem wif ur over overclock or the voltage didnt seem can go along wif the oc freqs!

Ur card cant handle certain frequency..u cant oc ur card from 500mhz to 1000mhz juz because the heat didnt get higher! A graphic card also got limit when handling freqs...even ur card at minus 50 degrees!!

IT'S NOT JUST THE MATTER OF HEAT WHEN U COME TO OVERCLOCK!!

I know that, and as you can see from my original post, my OC is not to high. 610/515 is by no means to high, and people who don't even have an OC'ed card are experiencing this. I obviously know that you cannot simply overclock your card to oblivion, just because the temperature permits.

Edited December 19, 2007 by BigJerm

[fahd03]

I know that, and as you can see from my original post, my OC is not to high. 610/515 is by no means to high, and people who don't even have an OC'ed card are experiencing this. I obviously know that you cannot simply overclock your card to oblivion, just because the temperature permits.

If u know this. Then u should know that your card cant handle 610/515. For example, a member here cant even oc over 575/500 wif the same 8600m gt..then he ask Dell to change the card and now he can oc to 625/525(not max yet). So, your card got a bit low limit. As for the people experienced this problem even w/o oc...it's same problem..the card itself. Some thing wrong when factory released those card.

[BigJerm]

If my card has this limit, why do I still get this error when I am playing underclocked, at standard frequencies?

Edited December 19, 2007 by BigJerm

[fahd03]

Sure ur card got problem... Sorry to say this but u got the unlucky batch of product released.. Contact Dell to replace with a new one...

[Guest fr0st]

If my card has this limit, why do I still get this error when I am playing underclocked, at standard frequencies?

Im getting the same crash with the same exact laptop, 4 gigs pc5300 8600GT m 256mb and core duo 2.0ghz with 160g 7200 HD let me know if you find a fix(my card isnt OC'd)

a friend with an alienware setup has similar problems when trying to run SLi on some games as well

[fr0st]

Im getting the same crash with the same exact laptop, 4 gigs pc5300 8600GT m 256mb and core duo 2.0ghz with 160g 7200 HD let me know if you find a fix(my card isnt OC'd)

a friend with an alienware setup has similar problems when trying to run SLi on some games as well

^Dell Inspiron 1520 as well

[fr0st]

I OC'd my card to 625/1250/511 and it ran fine all day, didnt crash but had some times when it froze for a few seconds

[Guest Mr. Bass]

What driver are you using, fr0st?

[Guest fr0st]

What driver are you using, fr0st?

I was using 169.04, I actually turned down the memory clock to 500mhz and the short freezes stopped.

benchmarked in 3dmark06 and got 37XX marks, going to tweak it a little more and run it again on 169.28

[Guest guest]

This problem has nothing to do with overclocking.

I've been experiencing it aswell and it's strictly a driver issue.

Some drivers give it to me more often and some less often.

It's just some trial and error between finding the right driver that gives you the fewest problems.

Vista, Nvidia drivers and 8x00M cards just don't mix that well yet, get used to it.

[Guest Karrde]

This actually might be a tie in to the paged pool memory error that seems to occur on source based games, especially TF2. You get looping sound in this deal?

[Guest AEngland]

Ive got the same exact problem on my Asus. It doesnt happen a whole lot.. but it sure is annoying, especially with running TF2 oblivion WoW css etc.. Hopefully a fix will come soon. Great machine to run games on or anything you want. I am not overclocking either

Asus F3sv

Intel core 2 duo 2.0ghz

2gb ram

256mb Nvidia 8600m GS

160gb hdd

32 Vista premium

[Guest Skawt]

I'm having the same problem with my Dell Inspiron 1520 with Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT. Has anyone found a resolution yet, or is it really a problem with the card that can't be fixed? If so, a free replacement should be in order right?

[Guest Rafael]

Well, I used to have this same problem with the same computer (dell inspiron 1520, 8600M gt, etc) when playing The Witcher. Apparently it was a problem with the game itself when running under Vista, I followed the solution stated below and it worked:

http://alfred.co.in/how-to/witcher-vista-crash-fix-how-to/

Hope it works.... I've heard the IncreaseUserVa 2800 or 3072 solves this problem for some other games as well...

[Guest angry about this]

Hey guys,

I am a fellow VICTIM of the Dell Inspiron 1520, Nvidia Geforce 8600M GT. Running Windows XP.

My search began when I experienced repeated Oblivion crashes.

I have searched a plethora of sites for answers concerning these, and similar, problems. This site, however, seems to have the best idea:

.....MAKE DELL REPLACE THE MALFUNCTIONING GRAPHICS CARDS!....

I'm in. So, now, how do we go about CLAIMING our replacement?

Has anyone successfully done this yet? I would just LOVE, I mean really, really LOVE to know how this was accomplished, as I will be quick beyond all belief to follow in your footsteps. > :)

(What happened to the Good Ole Days when Nvidia had a Driver Site that was easy to navigate through, had no pushy adware/forceware BS in it, and contained their nifty little "Universal" drivers that worked for a huge portion of their cards? Man, I miss those days. I have been an outspoken advocate of Nvidia for years, and I still am, as there is no competition even close, but this experience has left me a bit "shaken". Tested my faith just a little bit. Oh, plz don't go downhill Nvidia, plz don't go downhill Nvidia, plz don't go downhill Nvidia...)

Any tips on the most effective way to acquire a free replacement for this dog would be greatly appreciated.

Good Luck and Good Gaming!

[damstachizz]

If u know this. Then u should know that your card cant handle 610/515. For example, a member here cant even oc over 575/500 wif the same 8600m gt..then he ask Dell to change the card and now he can oc to 625/525(not max yet). So, your card got a bit low limit. As for the people experienced this problem even w/o oc...it's same problem..the card itself. Some thing wrong when factory released those card.

You idiot.

I can run the clocks over there (<-) without issues unless i go about 50 higher on each.

the OP's clocks are SLOW when compared to what these cards can do, so it's OBVIOUSLY not overclocks.