topic Problem with NVIDIA driver in PCs & Accessories

Problem with NVIDIA driver

peachypear — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:11:27 GMT

Hi,

I have a VAIO VGN-FE41S, 32 bit, 4 years old, now out of warranty.

I have problems for a few weeks now with random crashes, so I updated a few things and since I did that my laptop crashes at every startup. I can only run now in safe mode with networking.

The `blue screen view` states that it is the nvidia driver causing it, even though when I try to update in device manager it is telling me it doesn`t need updating. The name of the driver is GeForce Go 7600, (file version 7.15.10.9746)

On the nvidia site it shows recommended driver for windows vista but underneath shows that some notebooks are not supported in this release, then when you look down the list it states : Sony VAIO notebooks (please contact the notebook OEM for driver support for these notebooks)

I`m confused. Any help would be so appreciated.

Problem with NVIDIA driver

rich912 — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 07:52:10 GMT

Hi peachypear,

Have you tried installing the updated driver (7.15.10.9813a) available from Support?

http://support.vaio.sony.eu/computing/vaio/downloads/updates/index.aspx?m=VGN-FE41S&l=en_GB

Full instructions on the install procedure are included.

Rich

Problem with NVIDIA driver

peachypear — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 08:45:16 GMT

Hi Rich,

Thanks for that, I was just looking at that half an hour ago and writing down the steps 1 to 20! I can`t print at the mo so I thought I would find it easier if I wrote it all down. Yes, you guessed it, i`m more than useless at technical stuff. I havn`t used this site in the 4 years i`ve had my laptop - so I guess that`s good really cos it`s all been fine until recently.

Rich will it download ok in safe mode with networking? I`m terrified that it all goes wrong and I make things worse.

I really appreciate your replying to my post, thanks.

Problem with NVIDIA driver

peachypear — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 08:47:52 GMT

Also does the download take minutes or hours, I have to go to work in just over an hour so i`m thinking I might do it tonight if it takes a while.

Problem with NVIDIA driver

rich912 — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 09:08:25 GMT

Hi peachypear,

Yes it should download and install in Safe Mode with Networking, but if you encounter problems then download from another computer and transfer the file to your notebook via a flash drive or similar.

Download speed will vary depending on your broadband connection speed but I have just downloaded the file in less than 3 minutes (300 Kb/sec).

Hope this helps,

Rich

Problem with NVIDIA driver

peachypear — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 20:38:45 GMT

Hi Rich, I encountered a problem as soon as I tried to extract the file, error message was:

The contents of this file cannot be unpacked. The executable you are attempting to run has been corrupted. Please obtain another copy of the file, verify its integrity, and try again.

Any way round this without using another computer?

Problem with NVIDIA driver

rich912 — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 21:09:13 GMT

Hi peachypear,

I would deleting the original download and then try downloading the file again as corruptions do happen on download, albeit rarely.

If this again fails to extract then downloading from another computer is the next option. Extract the file on the same computer to a know folder and then transfer the extracted files to a folder on your notebook and follow the instructions from Number 7 – as detailed on the support site.

If all else fails then a restore to factory defaults is an option or a recovery back to a date prior to the updating that you recently carried out. But let’s cross that bridge if and when necessary.

Rich.

Problem with NVIDIA driver

peachypear — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 22:54:03 GMT

Hi Rich

It seemed to work ok this time, though the wording on some of the prompts differed slightly but it did say it has installed. It still crashed on restart though.

Mini070611-05.dmp 06/07/2011 23:09:37 PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA 0x00000050 0x9fa0c030 0x00000000 0x82081928 0x00000002 nvlddmkm.sys nvlddmkm.sys+6bcd6 NVIDIA Compatible Windows 2000 Miniport Driver, Version 97.32 NVIDIA Compatible Windows 2000 Miniport Driver, Version 97.32 NVIDIA Corporation 7.15.10.9732 32-bit ntkrnlpa.exe+a9ff2 ntkrnlpa.exe+8fc44 ntkrnlpa.exe+81928 C:\Windows\Minidump\Mini070611-05.dmp 2 15 6000 134,816

I`m not sure but note the file version shown is 7.15.10.9732 and I thought I had downloaded the version ending 9813a

Time to go. Let me know if you have any ideas. I will come back tomorrow night. Thanks for all your time.

Problem with NVIDIA driver

rich912 — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 09:22:56 GMT

Hi peachypear,

I assume that you downloaded the file again and that this time it extracted to a folder named NVDVID-01193629-UN?

If the version (after install) is showing as 7.15.10.9732 (as opposed to 7.15.10.9813a) then this would suggest that the original drivers have re-installed.

When you say that “the wording on some of the prompts differed slightly” do you mean that they differed from the Download and Installation instructions you were expecting from the instructions given on the Support site?

The most important instruction is that you first remove the existing driver and then force an install of the updated driver by browsing to the location of the folder containing the extracted files (which will not necessarily be C:\Update). Make sure that you know the location of this folder before proceeding.

12. Right-click [Standard VGA Graphics Adapter] > click [Update Driver Software].
13. Click [Browse my computer for driver software].
14. Click [Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer].
15. Click [Have Disk].

Locate the folder NVDVID-01193629 and select nvsz.inf (Setup Information).

Continue from 17 through to 20.

Rich

Problem with NVIDIA driver

peachypear — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 11:48:01 GMT

Hi Rich

Delay is due to long working hours but I finally had time to try again today.

I am pretty sure I have done it correctly this time. In device manager it is showing the version of the adapter as

7.15.10.9813.

I restarted the computer but it firstly wouldn`t start up, no blue screen just black and nothing happening for about 10 mins. So turned it off and on restart had to use safe mode with networking again.

Not sure where to go from here, any ideas?

Problem with NVIDIA driver

rich912 — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:23:49 GMT

Hi peachypear,

Sorry for the late reply – it was a busy weekend.

You seem to have eliminated a corrupt nVidia driver as the cause of the problem.

Can you confirm that you are using the original Vaio 32bit Vista operating system?

As you are able to boot in safe mode it would suggest that either a corrupt or incompatible driver or malware is the cause of the problem at Startup.

I suggest that you first run a full virus scan. If that shows nothing then you will need to identify the driver that is causing the problem.

It is a bit of a long winded process but short of a system recovery that will return your computer to factory settings it is the best option.

1) Boot in Safe Mode and then click Start > Run and type “msconfig” (without quotation marks) in the dialogue box and click ok. Click Continue on the permissions window to open System Configuration. Go to the Startup tab and disable half of the startup items by unchecking, apply, and attempt to reboot without entering safe mode. If the machine boots correctly then open System Configuration and re-enable half of the items that you disabled, apply and re-boot. Continue this process until, hopefully, you find the culprit.

If however the machine fails to start correctly after disabling the first half of the Startup items then proceed as follows.

2) Re-boot in Safe Mode and enter System Configuration as detailed in 1). Re-enable those items that you disabled and disable the remainder. Re-boot, apply, and attempt to reboot without entering safe mode. Continue the process as in 1).

I would also suggest that you detach all peripherals (printers, USB devices etc.) prior to trying the above.

Good luck,

Rich.

Problem with NVIDIA driver

peachypear — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:06:34 GMT

Hi Rich,

When I check on computer > properties > system, it does state that the system type is 32-bit operating system.

Because I havn`t been very good at updating anything really, it isn`t until I have had these problems that I have discovered that there is a service pack 1 and now 2 that I have never downloaded. I tried the other day, and it took about 4 hours to try to load 1, then the computer spat out it`s dummy and undid it all again, taking several more hours! My own fault I know, it won`t do some things in safe mode with N.

Is there a particular malware program that is compatible with vista? I have had several over the years, some paid and some free. I loaded malwarebytes a few months ago, then took it off and used the microsoft security.

Also, if I do the system recovery does that mean that I will lose everything on the memory?

The only thing I have permanently plugged in is the lead for the wireless mouse.

Thanks again for all your input.

Problem with NVIDIA driver

rich912 — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 09:10:48 GMT

Hi peachypear,

If by “Microsoft Security” you mean Microsoft Security Essentials then this should be fine. Make sure that on the Home Page you check Full Scan. This will take some time.

For belt and braces you could also try a free anti-virus – Dr. Web CureIT.

http://www.freedrweb.com/cureit/?lng=en

This is not a resident program and requires no install.

A system recovery will return your computer to the state that it was delivered to you, so you will lose all personal data and third party software. It is therefore important that you back up all personal data to an external storage device. Any third party software will need to be reinstalled and Microsoft and Sony Vaio updates will need to be downloaded and installed – a time consuming process!

I personally would go the route of a virus scan followed by troubleshooting startup device drivers, but a system restore should be a sure fix assuming that there are no hardware issues.

I hope this helps,

Rich

Problem with NVIDIA driver

peachypear — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:30:27 GMT

Thanks for that. I really didn`t want to do a system restore unless it was the only option left to me. I have some older photo`s on a dongle but more recent stuff I havn`t been able to back up, I got an external hard drive recently but I can`t seem to get stuff on it so presumed it won`t work in safe mode.

Your other suggestion seems a better option but still sounds difficult to a novice like me! Just to clarify, are we not sure that it is the nvidia driver that is causing the problem?

I hope you don`t mind my asking questions, it is helping me understand how things work!

Problem with NVIDIA driver

rich912 — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:04:04 GMT

Hi peachypear,

No I don’t think that it is the nvidia driver as such that is the problem. I know that the mini dump indicated that it was but another driver or software could be conflicting with the nvidia driver. This theory is reinforced by the fact that you now have the updated graphics driver in place.

I may be completely wrong of course but eliminating other drives, as explained in my earlier reply, should confirm this one way or the other.