Display Driver nvlddmkm has stopped working and has fully recovered.

Hi,

For the past few weeks now, every time I try to run a game (example: world of warcraft), it plays for a good 10 or 20 seconds, then the entire screen blacks out and usually freezes my computer. When it doesn't freeze, it returns to normal and I'll only have about 5 seconds to exit the game before it freezes again. As soon as I exit, I get this error pop-up in the bottom right "Display driver nvlddmkm has stopped working and has fully recovered". I've been searching for a fix to this problem for a few weeks...I've tried re-installing the display driver and cleaning out my videos cards fan...still no luck. I'm hoping that someone here can aid me in this problem.

System stats:
Windows Vista 32-bit
2GB RAM
Video card: NVIDIA GeForce 8500GT

Thanks

Last edited by Astrobiologist on 1st January 2009, 7:27 pm; edited 1 time in total

Video card: NVIDIA GeForce 2500GT????? Not familiar with this one?

Anyway, have you updated with the latest available display driver for your card?

This is a WHQL-certified driver for GeForce 200-series, 9-series, and 8800-series desktop GPUs.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/winvista_x86_180.48_whql.html


Regards

Thank you,

Yes, I have also updated the latest display driver for my card, but it still didn't work.

I've also attempted to install the file you posted and I get this error:



I'm not really sure what this means...any help?

Forget that driver then......Here is a fix i found that seemed to work for your particular situation!

This is put as simply as i can, follow the steps and see if it works for you!

Running Vista.....

1. UAC was turned on. ZoneAlarm was running (FW/AV)
2. First thing, download DriverCleaner. More recent the revision the better. Install this app. http://www.brothersoft.com/driver-cleaner-71168.html
3. Remove the Nvidia display drivers.
4. Restart the PC into SM (safe mode) - (F8 at boot)
5. Login in while into SM
6. Run DriverCleaner. Choose the Nvidia option only.
7. Empty RecycleBin
8. Reboot Vista into normal mode
9. Using Explorer or open My Computer and browse C:\Windows\
10. Right-Click on System32 folder and click ‘search’
11. Enter NV*.sys
12. This will show you all the Nvidia system files in the folder. The ones we are interested in is the ‘nvlddmkm.sys’ and how many copies we have.
13. If you tried multiple install/uninstall you will a few copies of it. If you look at the location, they were all in the ‘FileRepository’ folder under different subfolder. Something like nv_as***, nv_io***, etc
14. Note down the name of the sub folders where the file is located, nv_as***
15. So we now know that we have X copies of the nvlddmkm.sys file and what folders they are located in under the FileRep folder. There might be one under the main system32 folder as well. Note it down.
16. Vista has a totally awesome function. ACLs for network geeks…Access-Control Lists or Access-Lists or whatever you want to call them
17. Browse to Accessories from the Start menu (win icon>all programs)
18. Right-Click on command and click ‘Run as Admin’
19. There are other ways 2 do the step above…I just got it pinned to my start menu or u can just press the win key on ur keyboard and type command
20. OK so in our Admin CMD window we type the following commands in sequence
21. takeown /f C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\*.*
22. The command above will give you ownership of all the files under the FileRep folder
23. cacls C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\*.* /G Username:F
24. Replace username with your windows account name or login name
25. Like magic we are done. Oh and if ur wondering…u cant do the above via GUI. Windows will give you permission but you would still not be able to delete anything 
26. Earlier we did the search for the nvlddmkm.sys under the system32 folder. Do that again. In the search results, select all the instances of the nvlddmkm.sys file and delete them. OK, next is a totally optional step but I did it to make 100% sure it was all gone.
27. We noted down all the nv_as**, etc folder which had the nvlddmkm.sys file in it, delete the folders and empty ur RecBin
28. Fire up your ForceWare drivers for the install. Disabled ur AV before hand, it does make a difference (git)
29. Restart, login, set ur resolution and enjoy the whole error-free nvlddmkm.sys effect.
30. Few notes. Make sure u can see the file extensions and system files are not hidden (blasphemous behaviour for techGeeks). Google search to show hidden window files and extension if u have no idea what to do

The whole procedure might sound like a really long way to get the problem sorted out buts its not. When u actually do it u will see that it actually should take around 15 mins to get the whole thing sorted out.

Good Luck and let me know how it goes!


Regards

Tried that whole procedure with no success. I still get the same error. This is really beginning to annoy me.

Oh, and my video card is an NVIDIA GeForce 8500 GT, not 2500 GT. Typo -_-

Download this:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/winvista_x86_178.24_whql.html

Yeah, this has been a major issue with many Nvidia users with your series card.

Basically, the problem is a crappy Nvidia driver version although they wont admit this.

Some of the suggested solutions around that you may also want to try include:

(a) Adjusting your refresh recycle rates.

(b) Running only one Module (stick) of RAM with this driver

(c) Others have had success reverting back to an older driver thats backwards compatible.

(d) Making a voodoo doll of Nvidia driver engineers and sticking it with lots of pins and burning its hair with a cigarette lighter!

By the way, what sort of motherboard & chipset are you running?


Regards

Astrobiologist, are you running a onboard graphics?

Nazzgull wrote:

Download this:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/winvista_x86_178.24_whql.html

That's the first thing I actually tried to fixed this problem with when it occurred. No success.

Digitalocksmith wrote:

Yeah, this has been a major issue with many Nvidia users with your series card.

Basically, the problem is a crappy Nvidia driver version although they wont admit this.

Some of the suggested solutions around that you may also want to try include:

(a) Adjusting your refresh recycle rates.

(b) Running only one Module (stick) of RAM with this driver

(c) Others have had success reverting back to an older driver thats backwards compatible.

(d) Making a voodoo doll of Nvidia driver engineers and sticking it with lots of pins and burning its hair with a cigarette lighter!

By the way, what sort of motherboard & chipset are you running?


Regards

Hmm, I'm not really sure how to find either of these out.

Doctor Inferno wrote:

Astrobiologist, are you running a onboard graphics?

Nope, I can remove my video card at will.

Astrobiologist wrote:

Hmm, I'm not really sure how to find either of these out.

Use this freeware program and post back your results: http://www.majorgeeks.com/EVEREST_Free_Edition_d4181.html

I'd be interested to know if its a Nvidia chipset on the mobo!


Regards