The Death of Me: nvlddmkm.sys Error (Help!)

[Bastinka]

Hello all,
It pains my heart to see the day where I finally receive a problem where it actually ends up being hardware related.

This is the exact error I now get ( Note: This picture was taken from google images. ):
http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/5309/img0768y.jpg


I have tried countless fixes posted by other users, yet none seem to end this plague my computer is infested with. I'm completely certain it's not a Virus and definitely not the GPU Overheating. (Recorded temperature for ~10 minutes and stayed at 48° - 55° C the entire time)

For further details, this started with Dragon Age: Origins breaking after a long time of playing it. First it started to only choose some specific areas to do it, mostly in conversations, but then the nature of this beast became worse and worse and now finally I am unable to play the simplest games without my computer freezing then finally committing suicide with a BSOD outro. Also, I am running on an Nvidia Geforce 9800 GT. It has never had any problems up until now.

P.S. Please do not even consider posting about updating my drivers, for I already have tried it many times even down-grading.

Any suggestions at all, would really be appreciated,
-Bastinka

[Maniac]

Hi everyone! first post here! I have been experiencing pretty much everything that all of the forum members have experienced! Earlier today I spent over 2 hours with microsoft technical support! off course they were not able to find a fix for the famous "nvlddmkm.sys" . So I didn't give up and finally was able to "bypass" this freaking error by installing an earlier nvidia 174.51 driver! I'm including the link for the driver here (http://www.start64.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1997&Itemid=105) , be sure to only install the driver in SAFE MODE ALONE (no safe mode with network) after a reboot you should be okay! I've ran several games afterwards! so far no problems whatsoever! here's a quick spec of my rig:

Vista Home premium 64bit
Asus Geforce 9800 GX2
Asus P5Q SE/R mobo
Corsair XMS2 4GB
Audigy 2 ZS SC

Hope this helps!

taken from here
http://www.driverheaven.net/windows-7-vista-nvidia-display-drivers/152790-how-solve-nvlddmkm-sys-2.html

[Limited]

Okay so it only happens in 3d games? Does it ever happen when your just browsing internet generic usage?

[Jelly]

The message "Attempt to reset display driver and recover from timeout failed" really points to a driver issue or an operating system issue. It might be a regression from previous driver versions which would explain why downgrading by a limited number of versions has not helped. Try the driver linked in Maniac's post and see if it helps or changes the BSOD message at all.

You've probably been asked this before, but can you remember making any changes to your system just before this problem occurred? I remember there was a problematic windows update for vista a while ago which caused apparently random BSODs, but this may or may not be related.

[k4is3rxkh40s]

Hello all,


For further details, this started with Dragon Age: Origins breaking after a long time of playing it. First it started to only choose some specific areas to do it, mostly in conversations, but then the nature of this beast became worse and worse and now finally I am unable to play the simplest games without my computer freezing then finally committing suicide with a BSOD outro. Also, I am running on an Nvidia Geforce 9800 GT. It has never had any problems up until now.

P.S. Please do not even consider posting about updating my drivers, for I already have tried it many times even down-grading.

Any suggestions at all, would really be appreciated,
-Bastinka

Don't remember the exact error I got, but I fixed my problem with games BSODing by flipping the switch on the back of my PSU

[Bastinka]

Theres 2 switches, one which controls the voltage ( 110V - 230V ) and an On/Off switch. Also I tried what maniac suggested though the driver he linked just returned a 'Software can't find a driver that it supports' error. Though even in Safe Mode, after telling Vista not to, it automatically installs the latest version of the driver. This is really starting to piss me off as I have no control of it even when browsing through the settings and having made sure it's not supposed to automatically install or update.

I guess I'll probably end up getting a new card or something seeing as the problem just came to be after fair usage of the graphics card without any changes to the hardware or software, though I really wouldn't like to as I don't have any money. :(

EDIT:
Also Limited, it only does it during 3D games.

[Maniac]

http://www.driverheaven.net/windows-7-vista-nvidia-display-drivers/152790-how-solve-nvlddmkm-sys.html

maybe that helps?

[Cortexian]

That BSOD message (nvlddmkm.sys) is referring to your Nvida graphics card drivers, try reinstalling them, upgrading them, completely removing them (driver cleaner and such) and reinstalling them.

[Maniac]

Its more than that, by reading the link in my last post.
It can be related to a few different things.

[Bastinka]

Yeah, I think my actual card has gone bad due to what I stated above. I use a different form of cooling, but I don't think that it caused any damage to my card:
http://www.productwiki.com/arctic-cooling-accelero-s1/

Some Questions:
Can I install the driver software without the card plugged in, and then plug it in later?
Is there any way, without using another computer, to test if a graphic card has gone bad?

[Cortexian]

Some Questions:
Can I install the driver software without the card plugged in, and then plug it in later?
Is there any way, without using another computer, to test if a graphic card has gone bad?
Yes.
No.

[Bastinka]

Meh. It all just seems to point at the fact that the graphics card's day has come.

[Bastinka]

Double post, but im now Stuck on my iPod because they wanted to Look at my Computer so i have to find a Time killer. Plus theres private Info on there so its also Making me nervous. Either Way if its Not fixed by tomorrow im taking it back :maddowns:

[Needles]

Double post, but im now Stuck on my iPod because they wanted to Look at my Computer so i have to find a Time killer. Plus theres private Info on there so its also Making me nervous. Either Way if its Not fixed by tomorrow im taking it back :maddowns:

I'd wait...
Better to wait a few days if you have to then to have to get a new graphics card, or to spend lots of time trying to fix it yourself.

[Bastinka]

A friends coming over tomorrow with his graphics card so I can test it to see if it is truly the card I have, so with that proof I can return to the store and show them they just need to give me a non-defected card.

[Bastinka]

I now have a replacement Geforce 9600 GT, from my Uncle who doesn't need it, and discovered it was really my other graphics card. Alas I am able to play games, and it seems the Heatsink cooling I used on my 9800 GT either burned the card or some aluminium thing got too hot and melted on the circuit which broke it. Either way with obvious physical damage I can ensure an exchange with the warranty I still have.

Great! :rolleyes: