Error: Nvlddmkm - Display Driver Stopped Working

Jacez44

Limp Gawd
Joined
May 9, 2007
Messages
417
Everytime I play a 3D game, after 15 seconds - 15 minutes, the game freezes and I get a black screen. Sometimes I manage to exit to the Desktop, which is where I see the "Nvlddmkm - Display Driver Stopped Working and Has Recovered" error after the game crashes.
It happened when I was using drivers 169.25, so I updated to 169.44 and then 171.20. With the latest, it no longer turns black when I'm just on the desktop, but in games the issue remains.

I've heard that this has been as issue for a while, in Windows Vista, but from what I've read, I can't seem to find a solution and it's been going on for a while, so it seems.
I currently have a single 8800 GTS 512 (two installed but missing a bridge) on Windows Vista 32-bit (will install 64-bit later this week).

Thank you for any help. While this is going on, I literally cannot use my graphics card or my computer for the main purpose for which I built it, and that is gaming.
 
Well I was in the same position as you while playing World in Conflict. Running an 8800 GTX and Vista 32bit on a fresh install. Did some research and was directed to this hotfix:

Vista Hotfix KB940105

Totally reduced the amount of crashes that I had. I still have a few playing that game, but its nowhere near as bad as it was. Try that and good luck.

BTW: I was and still am running the WHQL 169.25 nvidia drivers.

Also, if your not running SLI you may want to pull out a card. Dunno if running them without the SLI bridge with em both in there will hurt them, but Id either put the bridge back on or take one out.

Found this page as well:
Nvidia Vista Hotfixes
 
I was getting similar errors very often...even when just sitting at the vista desktop. What ended up fixing mine was I just took the card out and reseated it. Haven't had a problem since.
 
Had that anoying thing before but ont anymore. For me it was memoryheat related and only an FC-block solved that and no hetsink could deal with it.
 
Well I was in the same position as you while playing World in Conflict. Running an 8800 GTX and Vista 32bit on a fresh install. Did some research and was directed to this hotfix:

Vista Hotfix KB940105

Totally reduced the amount of crashes that I had. I still have a few playing that game, but its nowhere near as bad as it was. Try that and good luck.

BTW: I was and still am running the WHQL 169.25 nvidia drivers.

Also, if your not running SLI you may want to pull out a card. Dunno if running them without the SLI bridge with em both in there will hurt them, but Id either put the bridge back on or take one out.

Found this page as well:
Nvidia Vista Hotfixes

I downloaded and installed all the fixes and yet nvlddmkm still crashes randomly all the time.
I don't know what else to do.
 
that is really annoying. If you have your card or even your system overclocked, try and back off a bit and see what happens. I had a stressed NB/RAM cause this issue even when my video card itself was fine. After stabilizing my overclock I no longer see this issue. Instead a see a different one now lol.

In Bioshock, whenever I exit the game I am greeted with a bioshock.exe has encountered an error and needs to stop message. The faulting module according to event view is nvwgf2um.dll ???
 
I set everything to stock and it doesn't change anything. I'll try and take out the second 8800 GTS 512, but it doesn't seem like something that should fix the problem.

EDIT: Yeah, it did nothing. Damn you, nvlddmkm!
 
bah, now I am feeling your pain. It has been a long while since I have seen this error but it just popped up again playing Bioshock. I just formatted 2 weeks ago and have a fresh Vista X64 install with SP1 RTM. I also have latest bios, chipset drivers, sound drivers, ageia drivers, network drivers, raid controller drivers etc installed and still I get this error. I am currently running Omega 169.25. I am going to try other drivers later though with no official releases since December I really don't want to muck with which of the 100 released betas is going to be best. I have ran OCCT/Prime95 for soo many hours on end without errors it isn't even funny. I am running ATITool artifact scanner YET AGAIN with the sensitivity slider set to most sensitive and even after 4-5h straight it comes up with no errors. I am really at a loss as to what could be causing this.
 
What fixed my problem was uninstalling the driver, restarting into safe mode, and then running driver cleaner. Haven't had this error since then and that was at least 3 months ago.
 
Dont need to restart in safe mode, no problems if you dont do it.

I had the same prob and uninstalled drivers, rebooted and ran nastydrivercleaner and reinstalled latest drivers. My problem was windows kept dling a driver from back in dec through vista update...so i had mixed drivers..
 
I think I fixed it somehow...

I clocked the card @ 530/1796, using nTune, since Riva Tuner stands reluctant to detect my clocks.

Now everything works fine and it hasn't crashed in a week!
 
I used to have this error all the time. After i installed Vista SP1 it went away completely. I didn't get this message in couple of days now, so i guess i was lucky in that regard.
 
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