Crashes to desktop in games

[Tallpaulos]

I'm really struggling with this and cant seem to find a fix - games keep crashing to desktop, although technically they're not crashing as I can return to the game again. It's every 5-10 mins and driving me nuts. I ran the memory diagnostics and it is fine.
I get the same problem using the AMD CCC drivers 13.1 and 13.2beta.

Any ideas?

 

[vanthus]

Someone else posted the same problem the other day,stopping programs from starting up and running in the background seems to have worked for him,so worth a try.
In windows 7 (type msconfig in search box)/click on startup tab/untick everything except antivirus program,apply,then restart computer.
For windows 8,open task manager,then click on "startup" tab,disable programs from here to stop them starting up and running in background.
https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?22911-Ctd&p=190868&viewfull=1#post190868

 

[Tallpaulos]

Thanks for that mate, I'll have to wait till tomorrow night to try it now, I'll update with the result. At one point I thought it was specific to online games, until I played Far Cry 3 offline and it kept doing it.

I did search the forum but didn't manage to catch your previous advice....

If I disable some on the list, will I not have problems!? Like 'THX audio', 'windows host process (Rundll32)', 'btmshellex' and 'synaptics touchpad enhancements'? This might be a nooby question...

 

[Pagey]

THX audio is frankly useless imo, best to not even have it on the computer. XD

 

[vanthus]

Thanks for that mate, I'll have to wait till tomorrow night to try it now, I'll update with the result. At one point I thought it was specific to online games, until I played Far Cry 3 offline and it kept doing it.

I did search the forum but didn't manage to catch your previous advice....

If I disable some on the list, will I not have problems!? Like 'THX audio', 'windows host process (Rundll32)', 'btmshellex' and 'synaptics touchpad enhancements'? This might be a nooby question...

Sometimes especially with a laptop,there are programs that you may need or want to run in the background,so you could first try to disable obvious ones you know you don't require,if it solves the problem you could then do as I suggested in post 10 on the other thread and re-enable them one at a time to establish the offending startup item.That way you will at least know what caused it and makes it easier to deal with one way or another if it happens again.

 

[simper]

Windows 8 is just bad, real bad, everytime I see a problem thread like this it usually contains a Windows 8 OS

Maybe I am being paranoid but that OS scares me

 

[UK x Fallz]

To me, it sounds like a software clash.

Im no expert, but I have experienced games crashing randomly quite a bit, and usually it was just down to a service such as BitComet running behind the scenes which clashed with Steam, causing steam and my game to quit. You are running Windows 8, and, without being too critical of it, it is a new OS, so expect some bug.

 

[Tallpaulos]

Cool, turning everything off seems to stop the returns to desktop, however, now with extended play time (10-20mins) in Far Cry 3, I get proper crashes where it goes to windowed mode and freezes, or freezes completely so I have to hard reset! Seems a bit unstable to me. I'll have to test a few more variables.

Going to test a few other games.

Anybody know why I have nvidia settings installed & coming on at startup?!

 

[vanthus]

If you haven't already seen it this sticky from TomDWC might help.
https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/foru...s-January-2013&p=188196&viewfull=1#post188196

 

[Tallpaulos]

If you haven't already seen it this sticky from TomDWC might help.
https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/foru...s-January-2013&p=188196&viewfull=1#post188196

Haha, yeah I've looked at that at least 20 times, I have tried CCC 13.1 and 13.2beta5. I know Far Cry 3 has lots of issues anyway, so i'm not expecting miracles using windows 8, with crossfire 7970m's, and working-but-dodgy drivers (annoyingly, MSI afterburner and fraps are known to conflict with FC3 too). I even saw something that said FC3 can have issues running off a secondary hard drive, don't know if that is logical.

Saints Row 3 and Deus Ex:Human Revolution work well and seem stable now - thanks to shutting down programs running in the background. I still haven't worked out which one was causing the problems, it could even have been Bullguard security.

I could start a whole thread of little problems solved (or still remaining!). I'd also love to see some benchmarks from someone else on these forums with the single and/or crossfire 7970m's for comparison.

 

[Tom DWC]

Haha, yeah I've looked at that at least 20 times, I have tried CCC 13.1 and 13.2beta5. I know Far Cry 3 has lots of issues anyway, so i'm not expecting miracles using windows 8, with crossfire 7970m's, and working-but-dodgy drivers (annoyingly, MSI afterburner and fraps are known to conflict with FC3 too). I even saw something that said FC3 can have issues running off a secondary hard drive, don't know if that is logical.

Saints Row 3 and Deus Ex:Human Revolution work well and seem stable now - thanks to shutting down programs running in the background. I still haven't worked out which one was causing the problems, it could even have been Bullguard security.

I could start a whole thread of little problems solved (or still remaining!). I'd also love to see some benchmarks from someone else on these forums with the single and/or crossfire 7970m's for comparison.

I'll run a benchie (FC3) in a bit and post fps and settings so you can see what you should be getting on a single card, then you can use that as a comparison.

 

[Tom DWC]

*Settings*

Resolution: 1920x1080
Windows Mode: FULLSCREEN
V-Sync: 1 Frame
GPU Max Buffered Frames: Off
Widescreen Letterbox: Off
DirectX: DirectX 11
MSAA Anti-Aliasing: 8x
Alpha To Coverage: Enhanced
SSAO Method: HDAO*
FOV: 74.25

Overall Quality: Optimal
Textures: High
Ambient Lighting: High
Shadow: Ultra
Post FX: Ultra
Geometry: Ultra
Vegetation: Very High
Terrain: High
Water: Very High
Environment: High

(Max Settings)

120 sec Min: 33 Max: 56 Avg: 44.375

via Fraps.

*AMD's implementation of HBAO.

From some fairly intensive gameplay... firefight, grenade, explosion of car and grass fire from molotovs. And a parachute off the edge of a cliff with lots of landscape on display at once.

A single card should be getting something very similar with the latest drivers if everything is running okay. Crossfire should of course be higher not accounting for any problems/bugs.

 

[Tallpaulos]

Ace, thanks for this, this is exactly what I've been wanting, to see if I'm getting what I should from the GPU(s). I'm running late tonight due to the footy, but I'll get back asap.

What with the sticky, I'm assuming you are also running CCC 13.2beta5?

 

[Tom DWC]

Ace, thanks for this, this is exactly what I've been wanting, to see if I'm getting what I should from the GPU(s). I'm running late tonight due to the footy, but I'll get back asap.

What with the sticky, I'm assuming you are also running CCC 13.2beta5?

No probs.

Yeah 13.2 BETA 5.

 

[Tallpaulos]

OK, couldn't resist.

I get nowhere near the same performance as you with a single or both GPUs. I most definitely cannot use DX11 with 8x MSAA. I replicated your settings. First thing to note is that what is labelled as my optimal settings are way lower than yours (with one or two cards). Your optimal settings are the same as the ultra settings. Mine are somewhere between medium and high. With a single card it supposedly moves from 30-45FPS (stays around 40 a lot), but on screen is awful. Massive stutters, GPU usage shoots up to >95% and the temps start to shoot up.

It runs really well using the same settings as you but DX9 (so no MSAA or HDAO etc) and BOTH cards (one card sees a performance drop again). But this is as far as I can push it. What am I missing?! I just tried installing the latest CAP but that made no difference. Shall I clean out the drivers, or perform a full windows 8 re-install?!

Is Far Cry 3 on your SSD or HDD? Also, I can't remember seeing whether you are Windows 8 or not.

 

[Tom DWC]

OK, couldn't resist.

I get nowhere near the same performance as you with a single or both GPUs. I most definitely cannot use DX11 with 8x MSAA. I replicated your settings. First thing to note is that what is labelled as my optimal settings are way lower than yours (with one or two cards). Your optimal settings are the same as the ultra settings. Mine are somewhere between medium and high. With a single card it supposedly moves from 30-45FPS (stays around 40 a lot), but on screen is awful. Massive stutters, GPU usage shoots up to >95% and the temps start to shoot up.

It runs really well using the same settings as you but DX9 (so no MSAA or HDAO etc) and BOTH cards (one card sees a performance drop again). But this is as far as I can push it. What am I missing?! I just tried installing the latest CAP but that made no difference. Shall I clean out the drivers, or perform a full windows 8 re-install?!

Is Far Cry 3 on your SSD or HDD? Also, I can't remember seeing whether you are Windows 8 or not.

Right ok.

I'm on Windows 8, running all games on the secondary HDD as my OS and programs fill the SSD.

You don't need the CAP with the latest BETA driver as it's already included in versions 13 and above.

I'm honestly not sure what else to suggest, being that it's two cards I can't try anything myself. A re-install of Windows would be the best way to be absolutely sure any old driver conflicts aren't the issue. You would have to make sure Windows Update doesn't install any versions of the driver once it has a connection (the basic Windows graphics drivers will be enabled but this okay) and then try installing the latest again from the website.

Alternatively you can try running Driver Sweeper in safe mode, remove all traces and try again, but it has been known to cause blue screens and can occasionally stop the system from booting which is why I removed it from my guide as it shouldn't be required anymore. But it is one sure way to remove all instances of any old drivers. Make sure you have a restore point and if this does happen, hold down shift and repeatedly press F8 during the Windows 8 boot cycle. If it can't fix itself it will restore the system automatically.

 

[Tallpaulos]

Right ok.

I'm on Windows 8, running all games on the secondary HDD as my OS and programs fill the SSD.

You don't need the CAP with the latest BETA driver as it's already included in versions 13 and above.

I'm honestly not sure what else to suggest, being that it's two cards I can't try anything myself. A re-install of Windows would be the best way to be absolutely sure any old driver conflicts aren't the issue. You would have to make sure Windows Update doesn't install any versions of the driver once it has a connection (the basic Windows graphics drivers will be enabled but this okay) and then try installing the latest again from the website.

Alternatively you can try running Driver Sweeper in safe mode, remove all traces and try again, but it has been known to cause blue screens and can occasionally stop the system from booting which is why I removed it from my guide as it shouldn't be required anymore. But it is one sure way to remove all instances of any old drivers. Make sure you have a restore point and if this does happen, hold down shift and repeatedly press F8 during the Windows 8 boot cycle. If it can't fix itself it will restore the system automatically.

OK, so I deleted CCC 13.2beta5, deleted related folders, restarted, ran driver fusion (not in safe mode, no need apparently), deleted all AMD drivers (lots were still there), restarted, resolution dropped to the lowest, re-installed CCC 13.2beta5, made no difference to Far Cry 3 or my stuck brightness problem. I also tried deleting all drivers via driver fusion, but that made no difference & I system restored back just in case.

I tried dropping all FC3 settings to the lowest in DX11 and msi afterburner tells me i'm getting 50-60fps, but on screen is still awful. Could it be something to do with dx11!??! Or memory?

Saints Row 3 works OK on DX11, but its nowhere near as good as it should be. Why your detected settings in FC3 are higher than mine confuses me.

 

[Tallpaulos]

Seems I'm not the only one:

http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?p=4468752

 

[Tom DWC]

Why your detected settings in FC3 are higher than mine confuses me.

Because the game just assesses your graphics hardware and for whatever reason it isn't taking full advantage of it.

As useless a benchmark as it is, what's your WEI scores for graphics and gaming graphics on Windows 8? It should be around 7.4 for both (single card) with the latest drivers, so crossfire should be better.

Seeing whether Windows is also getting a lower score will determine whether it is just a game specific issue or a universal one with the driver.

This brightness issue, can you not change it anywhere, not even power settings in control panel?

Have you gotten in touch with PCS support yet at all?

Sorry I can't be more help here, problems with laptop graphics can be infuriating because it's such a niche market and there's so little support out there. Officially a lot of games will declare no support for laptop GPUs if you read the small print. For example, I can't run Crysis 2 on ultra settings with the DX11 patch and HQ Textures. Even though it plays perfectly it crashes frequently because of a problem with the game which requires the voltages to be increased on the card. Fine for a desktop but not so easy on a laptop. Infuriating but one of those things.

That said I do get the impression yours isn't a title issue and more of a widespread one, benchmark I mentioned will confirm.

 

[Tallpaulos]

Processor = 7.9
Memory = 7.9
Graphics = 8.0
Gaming Graphics = 8.0
Primary hard disk = 8.1

So would this suggest it is Far Cry 3 or DX11? Another thing I keep thinking is the step for the intel HD drivers that's mentioned in your sticky. I know if you have crossfire it isn't possible, but....it's a difference. I think I need another DX11 game to benchmark too...unless you have a graphics benchmark program (that I could get hold of). Thanks for this it's much appreciated, I've not played a game properly yet, I'm obsessing over this.

p.s. yes PCS told me to run driver fusion (see the other thread), didn't work, it's 100% due to the AMD drivers and/or windows 8, although less bothered about this at present!