Guild Wars 2

I have been getting frequent BSODs/freezes/crashes since I started playing the game a few weeks ago.

Since my motherboard bios and directX drivers are all updated to their latest versions, I decided to try updating my Nvidia graphics card driver from known stable version 314.22 to the latest 331.82.

Note: Recommended Nvidia driver settings from forum stickies have been applied (power management, anti-aliasing, vertical sync, etc) and similar stuff is done for in-game settings as well. Avast Anti-virus shields are completely disabled and silent/gaming mode is checked.

A BSOD/freeze came up within a few minutes of gameplay and so I quickly performed a clean uninstall using Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) from the Nvidia forums. Reinstalled 314.22 and gameplay experience is back to how it is now – frequency interval sbetween each BSOD/freeze/crash occurrence is stretched much longer compared to any of the post 314.22 drivers.

Hope I can get to resolve such problems soon.

My PC build:

AMD Phenom II X4 945 Processor
Biostar A880G+ motherboard
4GB DDR3 RAM
Palit Nvidia GTX 460 768MB graphics card
Windows 7 64bit Service Pack 1

yea, when the BSOD comes out scrambled like that. It means your GPU is fried. a BSOD is a kernel mode crash and does not require any drivers or software to display it correctly. Its the same as booting your PC into safemode.

With it scrambled like that picture was, means you simply need a new GPU.

GW2 seems to be very unforgiving with marginal power supplies and defective memory. I had an instance about a year ago where I was seeing only GW2 cause issues (BSOD, lockups, etc.) and even tho every memory test program I ran checked out, replacing a DIMM completely cleared up the problem. (I.E. Memory test programs are not infallible).

Just for a quick sanity check, have you reseated your memory and / or video card? I’ve seen that fix more than a few similar issues on various tech support forums.

It would be more useful if you could include the BSOD stop code and failing module. that would tell us a lot more about your crash then anything else.

Point in fact, a game cannot directly cause a BSOD (kernel Panic). Its going to be an underlying issue with your system (IE, Hardware or Driver Component). One thing I have seen in the past are hidden rootKits masking as a NIC driver, causing BSOD’s for MMOs and other Online Games.

@Brother Grimm.5176 – have you reseated your memory and / or video card?

Have yet to do so, will try it out later. As a note, before I started playing GW2, I have tried reseating memory or video card before, but they didn’t work out. Probably, it could be some other problems.

@sirsquishy.8531

These 2 BSODS came up yesterday.

==========
Dump File : 121413-15771-01.dmp
Crash Time : 14/12/2013 4:50 AM
Bug Check String :
Bug Check Code : 0×00000117
Parameter 1 : fffffa80`0469a4e0
Parameter 2 : fffff880`049872b0
Parameter 3 : 00000000`00000000
Parameter 4 : 00000000`00000000
Caused By Driver : amdppm.sys
Caused By Address : amdppm.sys+f2f8a0
File Description : Processor Device Driver
Product Name : Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
Company : Microsoft Corporation
File Version : 6.1.7600.16385 (win7_rtm.090713-1255)
Processor : x64
Crash Address : watchdog.sys+a577
Stack Address 1 :
Stack Address 2 :
Stack Address 3 :
Computer Name :
Full Path : C:\Windows\Minidump\121413-15771-01.dmp
Processors Count : 4
Major Version : 15
Minor Version : 7601
Dump File Size : 431,558
Dump File Time : 14/12/2013 4:50 AM
==========

==========
Dump File : 121413-16567-01.dmp
Crash Time : 14/12/2013 1:57 AM
Bug Check String : UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP
Bug Check Code : 0×0000007f
Parameter 1 : 00000000`00000008
Parameter 2 : 00000000`80050031
Parameter 3 : 00000000`000006f8
Parameter 4 : fffff880`04a0ce72
Caused By Driver : nvlddmkm.sys
Caused By Address : nvlddmkm.sys+197e72
File Description : NVIDIA Windows Kernel Mode Driver, Version 314.22
Product Name : NVIDIA Windows Kernel Mode Driver, Version 314.22
Company : NVIDIA Corporation
File Version : 9.18.13.1422
Processor : x64
Crash Address : ntoskrnl.exe+75bc0
Stack Address 1 :
Stack Address 2 :
Stack Address 3 :
Computer Name :
Full Path : C:\Windows\Minidump\121413-16567-01.dmp
Processors Count : 4
Major Version : 15
Minor Version : 7601
Dump File Size : 291,672
Dump File Time : 14/12/2013 1:58 AM
==========

2 probably related screen pics attached.

How hot is that GFX card getting, I can understand a BSOD with an error, but your screen is scrambled with it, it could be the GFX driver crashing, but id be more inclined to say that your GFX card was overheating/faulty, espically given your screen shot from ingame.

Open your computer up and blow the dust out. Or if it’s overclocked take it down a bit.

@Ok I Did It

Normal PC usage (internet surfing and word processing) would give GPU temps hovering within the range of 40 – 50C as monitored by GPU-Z (sometimes would get 50 or 53, but would drop back to fluctuating from 40 to 43).

@himself and @Brother Grimm.5176

I have reseated my memory and graphics card. Dusted off my graphics card heatsink and fan, reapplied newly purchased thermal paste for both GPU and CPU and everything seems fine other than GW2 in-game crashes.

Update: Continuously crashes to HTSFE (hyper transport sync flood error) when playing for about 20 minutes or more. This is after repairing client and updating to latest Nvidia beta driver, 331.93.

Im afraid it looks like your having a hardware fault. Those two pictures suggest to me a failing GPU, since the graphical corruption carried over to the BSOD event page. Temps look fine generally but that “fritzing” effect is generally indicative of a graphics card on its last legs. Ive seen it many times myself with Nvidia cards that bite the dust, graphical corruption when stressed followed by system crash/BSOD.

If you have an onboard GPU its worth the effort to test it with GW2 to see if it has the problem. It would point directly to the card if the onboard ran fine.

@Lexandro, sirsquishy

Thanks for making this issue easy to understand for me by sharing your experiences.

Mentally, it’s just hard to rationalise why a failing GPU would continue to work fine as long as I’m not playing GW2. Playing free MMORPG games were fine. I had thought it was mainly due to an overheating issue, so I dusted off vents and fans and reapplied thermal paste. I even played GW2 with one side panel taken off, hoping that the crashes would go away. But they didn’t. I have one front bottom intake and one top rear exhaust by the way.

This morning, I had a few BSODs while playing GW2. One of them caught my attention: DRIVER_VERIFIER_DETECTED_VIOLATION

This is a new BSOD for these series of in-game crashes. Have never come up before until this morning. There was even a loud buzzing noise coming out from my speakers I think. Any idea what this might point to?

As a last resort I would try out the onboard GPU. Would update again.

Update: onboard DVI and VGA ports are not working.

Xymas.8102:

Update: onboard DVI and VGA ports are not working.

You may have to turn those on in the BIOS or physically remove the other card.

Xymas.8102:

Update: onboard DVI and VGA ports are not working.

Many BIOS/EFI’s will auto disable onboard video when the PCI-E Video slot is populated with a graphics card. Just pull the card and it should enable it automatically. Otherwise jump into the BIOS/EFI and enable Surround (AMD) or Multi-Display(Intel).

But the speaker sound just means your HDMI drivers attached to the GPU are crashing as well, and taking down the Sound Bridge, which will play a ‘sound’ or ‘noise’ during the crash through the default system device. Nothing to worry about there.

But I would just consider getting a new GPU. You are just going to frustrate yourself trying to fix/solve the current issue when I know its just fried.

The onboard graphics worked after I pulled out the card. Noob me had thought both onboard and dedicated would be active side by side just by plugging off the dvi cable from one and plugging on to the other.

Thanks all for your attention and patience. It’s my 1st time experiencing GPU failure (RMAed my mobo a few months ago). Asked IT repair professional (without bringing down my pc) and he too ruled out overheating and psu / motherboard failure when I merely told him I had BSODs when playing GW2.

Thinking of getting either GTX 650 or 660 now.