Graphics driver problems
March 9, 2014 5:14 AM Subscribe
After a blue screen, Windows no longer recognises my graphics card.
My PC blue-screened while watching a youtube video. On reboot my graphics card was not recognised: no monitors other than the primary one are usable, the screen resolution is stuck at 1280x1024, and the adaptor type is listed as "vgasave".
I've already tried restoring to last night's restore point, reinstalling the graphics drivers, uninstalling (first through Control Panel, and then with Display Driver Uninstaller) them and then reinstalling them again, and still I cannot get Windows to sort itself out. The adaptor is still "vgasave".
I've also pulled out the graphics card, checked there is no dust in the slot, and reinserted it. Both power cables are connected.
I'm on Windows 7 64-bit. I have an AMD motherboard and an Nvidia GTX560 graphics card.
My PC blue-screened while watching a youtube video. On reboot my graphics card was not recognised: no monitors other than the primary one are usable, the screen resolution is stuck at 1280x1024, and the adaptor type is listed as "vgasave".
I've already tried restoring to last night's restore point, reinstalling the graphics drivers, uninstalling (first through Control Panel, and then with Display Driver Uninstaller) them and then reinstalling them again, and still I cannot get Windows to sort itself out. The adaptor is still "vgasave".
I've also pulled out the graphics card, checked there is no dust in the slot, and reinserted it. Both power cables are connected.
I'm on Windows 7 64-bit. I have an AMD motherboard and an Nvidia GTX560 graphics card.
Googling "Nvidia code 43" gives a bunch of forum hits, so it's not just you.
Here's Microsoft's page about it: Code 43: Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems (short version: uninstall driver, then scan for hardware changes).
Try the above search for more suggestions.
posted by effbot at 7:01 AM on March 9, 2014
Here's Microsoft's page about it: Code 43: Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems (short version: uninstall driver, then scan for hardware changes).
Try the above search for more suggestions.
posted by effbot at 7:01 AM on March 9, 2014
Response by poster: No joy there.
I've also tried the same card in the other PCI-E slot, with the same result: Windows will happily let me (re)install the drivers, but nothing will persuade it to act as if there's a working graphics card there.
The card is quite old, and I suppose it's not an outside possibility that it has reached the end of its life; I would have expected a complete failure, though. I could steal my partner's GTX460 and see if that works.
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 8:11 AM on March 9, 2014
I've also tried the same card in the other PCI-E slot, with the same result: Windows will happily let me (re)install the drivers, but nothing will persuade it to act as if there's a working graphics card there.
The card is quite old, and I suppose it's not an outside possibility that it has reached the end of its life; I would have expected a complete failure, though. I could steal my partner's GTX460 and see if that works.
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 8:11 AM on March 9, 2014
The blue screen was probably a result of the card going bad in some fashion. Know anybody else with a PC you could stick the card in to test it out?
posted by rouftop at 8:30 AM on March 9, 2014
posted by rouftop at 8:30 AM on March 9, 2014
Response by poster: Yeah, I think after lunch we'll play magic roundabout with graphics cards and see what happens.
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 8:44 AM on March 9, 2014
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 8:44 AM on March 9, 2014
Response by poster: After swapping cards between PCs, it does indeed seem like the card itself is broken: a GTX460 in the same machine runs fine; the GTX560 in the other machine reproduces the problem exactly.
The card works well enough to display a Windows desktop; I assume there is no way to salvage any further functionality?
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 10:39 AM on March 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
The card works well enough to display a Windows desktop; I assume there is no way to salvage any further functionality?
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 10:39 AM on March 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
Try reflashing the GTX560 bios if the bios is available?
warning: might be a terrible idea
posted by yeoz at 11:53 AM on March 9, 2014
warning: might be a terrible idea
posted by yeoz at 11:53 AM on March 9, 2014
Response by poster: Also done. It's a Palit card, and there's only one Palit bios for a 1gb 560 I can find, and it's flashed, to no avail. The card has had voltage issues in the past (I had to bump it up a notch to stay stable at default clocks), so it's possible I could edit the bios to up the default voltages?
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 2:20 PM on March 9, 2014
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 2:20 PM on March 9, 2014
Response by poster: Just tried it. Shot in the dark. Nope.
Just getting another week out of the thing, to give us time to replace it, would be handy. Bleh.
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 2:31 PM on March 9, 2014
Just getting another week out of the thing, to give us time to replace it, would be handy. Bleh.
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 2:31 PM on March 9, 2014
Response by poster: Gave up on it. Ordered a replacement. Thank you for the suggestions!
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 2:15 AM on March 11, 2014
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 2:15 AM on March 11, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 5:23 AM on March 9, 2014