It's dead Jim: Am I hosed? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Phaenx · 10-06-2003, 04:09 PM

For a while now whenever I reboot I get problems on startup with my video card. Every time I start it up I get infinite loop error and crash.

I can fix this by rebooting in safe mode, uninstall/reinstall the drivers and boot back into regular startup but the next time I need to reboot, infinite loop.

I'm starting to think my card is hosed and I should buy a new one, what do you think I should do?

Windows XP Home
AMD Athlon Xp 2100+ 1.74ghz
512mb DDR
nVidia GEforce 3 ti200

GakFace · 10-06-2003, 04:46 PM

Did you install any new updates Recently? I'd say to restore to last best setting (i can't remember EXACTLY what it says, but you know what i mean), but seeing how you've uninstalled and re-installed.. doing so won't fix any.

If you can get it to run in Safe mode... There's gotta be a way to run it in normal. Maybe you updated something thats conflicting with it. Perhaps there are new drivers that will fix this as well. Also while in safe mode, I would go run a virus scan. I would suggest www.antivirus.com and go to free tools and do the free scan. I dunno, but maybe there's something in there thats aimed at GF3's.. As of right now, I'm just not sure..

GakFace · 10-06-2003, 04:56 PM

Hmm... I think I found something for you to check out. Now I'm not positive, but I think this is what you want.

Solution to the Loop!

Quote:

Staying out of the Loop

First published 21 December 2001. Updated 11 March 2002.

If you believe your system is experiencing the loop error, to understand this issue properly, it is recommended that you read this entire article before making any changes to your system.

Introduction

There has been a technical issue which has been discussed at length in the VIA Arena forums and in many other forums for a few months now, often known as the Infinite Loop or NV Loop/BSOD error.

What is the loop error?

The loop error is how Windows XP describs a critical error related to the graphics card. The loop error can and has been been reproduced with any video card and any chipset. It is by no means a new problem. Windows XP has just given it a name. If you were to plug in a faulty video card and plugged it in to any motherboard using WinXP, it will reproduce the loop error. That doesn't mean that the loop error is always caused by a faulty video card though.

What causes the loop error?

There is not one single factor or issue which causes the loop error. As mentioned, this issue has been discussed at length in the VIA Arena forums and the biggest problem has been that almost everyone, myself included have been desperatly looking for one single cause and fix. The loop error is a critical halt error that prevents you from using your mouse, keyboard or anything else on your PC apart from the reset button - just like a typical blue screen of death or hard lock up in Win98/ME. When your system locks up, it cannot process information from either the CPU or video card or both. If the CPU is locked up, the video card will continue to send information across the bus. The information is then bounced back to the video card because the processor has stopped responding. OR, if the video card has locked up, the processor will try to return the video information and it will bounce back. The information gets stuck in a loop bouncing back and forth between the CPU and video card. This can be caused by either the video card or CPU locking up, when either one cannot process the display data. And presto - we have the infinite loop. The lock up may be shown on a system in a variety of ways such as:

WinXP: 3D or 2D applications - system will lock and and then automatically restart. This is a feature of XP and not part of the issue. The automatic restart simply saves you from having to press the restart button.

Win2K: 3D or 2D applications - system will lock up and then present a blue screen error reporting an infinite loop

WinME/98: 3D or 2D applications - system will lock up, requiring you to reset the system with either the reset button or power button. Ctrl-Alt-Del will not work.

The "loop error" is in essence just a name that Microsoft has given to this type of error which can not be recovered from by using Ctrl-Alt-Del. Windows cannot give more detail in the error message because of course, when this type of error occurs and the PC is locked, there is no way for the OS to receive and process more information from the system on what may be going wrong. There is not one single cause and the issue must be looked at on a system by system basis.

How can you identify if you are getting the loop error?

If you have WinXP, the system should automatically restart when ever you experience a critical stop caused by the video card. When your computer reboots, if you have a default installation of WinXP (with no settings modified) you will be asked to send an error report to Microsoft. Click send or cancel. To view a copy of the report that was generated, open it from the following directory - c:/windows/logfiles/watchdog/ The file will be a .wdl file. This can be opened in notepad. The file will contain a report which would look like this:

//

// Watchdog Event Log File

//

LogType: Watchdog

Created: 2001-01-01 12:25:17

TimeZone: 480 - Pacific Standard Time

WindowsVersion: XP

EventType: 0xEA - Thread Stuck in Device Driver

//

// The driver for the display device got stuck in an infinite loop. This

// usually indicates a problem with the device itself or with the device

// driver programming the hardware incorrectly. Please check with your

// display device vendor for any driver updates.

//

ShutdownCount: 16

Shutdown: 0

EventCount: 2

BreakCount: 2

BugcheckTriggered: 1

DebuggerNotPresent: 1

DriverName: nv4_disp

EventFlag: 1

DeviceClass: Display

DeviceDescription: NVIDIA GeForce3 Ti 500

HardwareID: PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0202&SUBSYS_2863107D&REV_A3

Manufacturer: NVIDIA

DriverFixedFileInfo: FEEF04BD 00010000 0006000D 000A0907 0006000D 000A0907 0000003F 00000008 00040004 00000003 00000004 00000000 00000000

DriverCompanyName: NVIDIA Corporation

DriverFileDescription: NVIDIA Compatible Windows 2000 Display driver, Version 23.11

DriverFileVersion: 6.13.10.2311

DriverInternalName: nv_disp.dll

DriverLegalCopyright: Copyright © NVIDIA Corp. 1996-2001

DriverOriginalFilename: nv_disp.dll

DriverProductName: NVIDIA Compatible Windows 2000 Display driver, Version 23.11

DriverProductVersion: 6.13.10.2311

The only difference will be the video card and driver information as per your setup. This can be reproduced with any video card and is not Nvidia GeForce 3 specific.

Under Win2K, a similar message to the one above will be reported in a blue screen message, not in a text file.

This is but the first page of four. So make sure to go and check it all out! Hope this help, Phaenx

Phaenx · 10-06-2003, 05:01 PM

Hmm, not sure about the updates but I'll check and see if system restore works.

Lasereth · 10-06-2003, 06:22 PM

You need to upgrade, anyway. Go and buy a 64 MB GeForce 4 TI 4200. You'll get at least 9,000 on 3d Mark 2001 with it, and it only costs like $70-80. It's a fast, cheap solution until you want to throw down big bucks for a high performance card.

-Lasereth

GakFace · 10-06-2003, 08:43 PM

I dunno, I kinda like the GF3.. If he needs to upgrade for a game, its probly better to just save up now and continue with the GF3.

I shall quote something from the document I provided.

Quote:

This can be reproduced with any video card and is not Nvidia GeForce 3 specific.

So who's to say he won't get this issue again?

Phaenx · 10-06-2003, 09:42 PM

It's dead, Jim. I just formatted because I couldn't restore back far enough. No dice.

I think I'll have to buy a new card in a month or so, no jobby right now.

GakFace · 10-08-2003, 01:04 AM

so my linky was of no help? I searched google for GeForce 3 Infinate Loop, and that was a result... did It have completely no relevance?

10-06-2003, 04:09 PM	#1 (permalink)
Phaenx The Northern Ward Location: Columbus, Ohio	It's dead Jim: Am I hosed? For a while now whenever I reboot I get problems on startup with my video card. Every time I start it up I get infinite loop error and crash. I can fix this by rebooting in safe mode, uninstall/reinstall the drivers and boot back into regular startup but the next time I need to reboot, infinite loop. I'm starting to think my card is hosed and I should buy a new one, what do you think I should do? Windows XP Home AMD Athlon Xp 2100+ 1.74ghz 512mb DDR nVidia GEforce 3 ti200 __________________ "I went shopping last night at like 1am. The place was empty and this old woman just making polite conversation said to me, 'where is everyone??' I replied, 'In bed, same place you and I should be!' Took me ten minutes to figure out why she gave me a dirty look." --Some guy

10-06-2003, 04:46 PM	#2 (permalink)
GakFace Go Ninja, Go Ninja Go!! Location: IN, USA	Did you install any new updates Recently? I'd say to restore to last best setting (i can't remember EXACTLY what it says, but you know what i mean), but seeing how you've uninstalled and re-installed.. doing so won't fix any. If you can get it to run in Safe mode... There's gotta be a way to run it in normal. Maybe you updated something thats conflicting with it. Perhaps there are new drivers that will fix this as well. Also while in safe mode, I would go run a virus scan. I would suggest www.antivirus.com and go to free tools and do the free scan. I dunno, but maybe there's something in there thats aimed at GF3's.. As of right now, I'm just not sure.. __________________ RoboBlaster: Welcome to the club! Not that I'm in the club. And there really isn'a a club in the first place. But if there was a club and if I was in it, I would definitely welcome you to it.

10-06-2003, 05:01 PM	#4 (permalink)
Phaenx The Northern Ward Location: Columbus, Ohio	Hmm, not sure about the updates but I'll check and see if system restore works. __________________ "I went shopping last night at like 1am. The place was empty and this old woman just making polite conversation said to me, 'where is everyone??' I replied, 'In bed, same place you and I should be!' Took me ten minutes to figure out why she gave me a dirty look." --Some guy

10-06-2003, 06:22 PM	#5 (permalink)
Lasereth Knight of the Old Republic Location: Winston-Salem, NC	You need to upgrade, anyway. Go and buy a 64 MB GeForce 4 TI 4200. You'll get at least 9,000 on 3d Mark 2001 with it, and it only costs like $70-80. It's a fast, cheap solution until you want to throw down big bucks for a high performance card. -Lasereth __________________ "A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert

10-06-2003, 09:42 PM	#7 (permalink)
Phaenx The Northern Ward Location: Columbus, Ohio	It's dead, Jim. I just formatted because I couldn't restore back far enough. No dice. I think I'll have to buy a new card in a month or so, no jobby right now. __________________ "I went shopping last night at like 1am. The place was empty and this old woman just making polite conversation said to me, 'where is everyone??' I replied, 'In bed, same place you and I should be!' Took me ten minutes to figure out why she gave me a dirty look." --Some guy

10-08-2003, 01:04 AM	#8 (permalink)
GakFace Go Ninja, Go Ninja Go!! Location: IN, USA	so my linky was of no help? I searched google for GeForce 3 Infinate Loop, and that was a result... did It have completely no relevance? __________________ RoboBlaster: Welcome to the club! Not that I'm in the club. And there really isn'a a club in the first place. But if there was a club and if I was in it, I would definitely welcome you to it.