Possible nvidia driver problem?

[Standpoint]

Thought I'd post here and get some thoughts about an issue I am having on my PC in sig.

Basically, I have started having apps and games crash to desktop, usually w/ no error message, no system freezing, audio looping, or anything like that. Basically the program just closes instantly, and system is back to running normally. This has happened in Dreamweaver 8, Left 4 Dead, and Demigod so far, though I suspect it would happen in other games and programs, too.

I am using Vista Ultimate 64bit, install isn't too old, and have recently updated my vid card driver to the newest, 190ish I believe. I'm thinking it may be the problem, though the way the error happens makes me think that it is a memory problem. If it was a vid driver issue, why would it crash in Dreamweaver? The other thing w/ this issue, is that all the crashes may be unrelated? Dreamweaver is an older version, I have recently thrown mods at my L4D install, and Demigod has always been crash prone, though I thought it was fixed after the last update.

I ran memtest overnight on my system and it came up empty, so probably not a RAM issue? Also, I'm going to roll back to an earlier nvidia driver and see if the problem persists. If the problem continues, I may wipe my system and install Win7 64bit Pro, but I was hoping to put that off for a bit.

Any thoughts or ideas would be welcome,

 

[Dangman]

[Testing the Hard drive]
Download the CD image of Hitachi Drive Fitness Test, burn the ISO file to a CD, and then boot from it, just like you would do with the XP/Vista install CD. Test the hard drive and see if any problems are found. DFT will run on most manufacturers' hard drives. Alternatively, you can use Seagate's SeaTools for DOS to test a Seagate or Maxtor drive. For a Western Digital drive, you could use Data Lifeguard Tools for DOS to test a Western Digital drive.

[Testing the CPU]
Use Prime 95, OCCT, Orthos or Intel Burn Tool to stress test the CPU.

[Testing the GPU]
Use Furmark or ATI Tool to stress test the GPU. If you see any artifacts, the GPU could be overheating, too overclocked, or faulty.

[Testing the PSU]
Buy and use a digital multi-meter to monitor the voltages coming from the PSU. Follow the instructions for "Using a multi-meter to check voltages":
http://www.bfgpower.com/troubleshooting.html#DMM

 

[Standpoint]

Thanks for the reply. I've already tried a gamut of testing tools, ie Memtest, Seatools, HotCPU, and the system is passing.

I'm thinking a driver or OS prob? Your post makes me think that you think it is a hardware problem. Why?

 

[Dangman]

I'm thinking a driver or OS prob? Your post makes me think that you think it is a hardware problem. Why?

I'm just trying to help you rule out any hardware issues before going troubleshooting a software issue.

 

[Standpoint]

Well, I've reverted my nvidia driver back to 182.50, and was able to play L4D, Demigod, w/o a crash. Hopefully that was the fix, though I don't know what the problem my system has w/ the new nvidia driver.