Guild Wars 2

Your graphics driver is crashing:

Module: nvd3dum.dll <—- Nvidia graphics driver

You mentioned about 30 minutes of play happens before the crash. Sounds like your graphics card is overheating and causing the crash. Another possibility is that the card is unstable – “right on the edge” – which can happen with factory overclocked GPUs (I don’t know if yours is or not).

Please provide CPU and GPU temperatures while running the game. Download and run Hardware Monitor, which can be found at the website below:

http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html

Reborn.2934’s post details a few problems that you should fix that may solve the problem:

1. Your SIS SATA PnP drivers need to be installed.

2. Disable Windows Defender – provided that you are using a separate anti-virus program – the two usually conflict with each other.

3. Disable MVPControlPanel.exe from running at startup.

A good thing to try would be to disable ALL unneeded start up programs. On Windows 8 you can press CTRL-ALT-DEL and do this from Task Manager.

More info here:

http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/windows-8-tip-manage-startup-applications

Those are game updates. I believe the installer will skip installation of outdated files and go straight to downloading and installing the updates.

You just have to let it finish.

Sounds like packet loss to me.

In addition to what Kyllaa said, please also post the results from a Game Advisor report, which you can download here:

https://help.ncsoft.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/7386/~/game-advisor-diagnostic-report

The highest usage I’ve seen from GW2 is roughly about 3 Gigs and that is with all settings at max. Lowering graphics settings will (of course) lower RAM usage.

As someone else asked – Did you disable your page file?

No matter what some [dubious] sources on the internet say – you should NOT disable the page file or set it less than the amount of RAM. Windows is designed to use the page file and it is always being used – even when there is plenty of memory. In fact, some programs won’t work properly with the page file disabled.

He didn’t say it was a bluescreen error. Event viewer would help, in that case.

It really sounds like a bad power supply; but other defective hardware could cause this.

“Also,don’t simply “redo thermal compound”….ONLY do it if you know How to do it,and ifyoure not sure how to do it properly,then let someone else do it.”

Right you are. If you aren’t comfortable doing this, have someone else do it. It’s important to do it properly. It’s not difficult to do, but you do need to be careful and not rush through it. There are two important rules that you must follow to avoid causing damage to your motherboard, CPU, CPU cooler, etc.:

1. Do everything possible to avoid static electricity. If you have a grounding strap, use it. If your computer is plugged into a switched outlet strip – you can leave it plugged in, just make absolutely sure to turn the power switch OFF on the outlet strip. This will leave your PC grounded while still completely removing power.

2. Do NOT use metal objects to clean [scrape] the CPU or CPU cooler. It’s vitally important that both surfaces be as smooth as possible.

Your CPU cooler will probably be different, but that shouldn’t be a problem. Anyway, here is how I do it for my PC (about once a year). First picture corresponds to #1, etc:

1. Unplug your CPU fan. Remove the screws holding the CPU cooler on. Gently and slowly rotate the CPU cooler to loosen the grip caused by the thermal paste (or pad). Don’t lift the cooler off unless it is moving freely. You can see my CPU cooler below rotated about 45 degrees.

2. Use a small amount of rubbing alcohol and a soft rag to clean the surface of the CPU. Wrap the rag around your finger and gently clean in a circular motion until the surface is completely clean. Avoid touching anything other than the CPU surface.

3. Do the same for the CPU cooler.

4. Place a small dot of Arctic Silver 5 in the center of the CPU. Don’t spread it around, leave it exactly as shown in the picture.

5. Gently lower the CPU cooler down onto the CPU (centered). Press down on the CPU cooler lightly to flatten out the thermal paste. Slowly rotate the CPU cooler 180 degrees clockwise, then back to center. This will spread the thermal paste into an even circle.

Now, replace the CPU cooler screws, but keep them loose. Tighten them a little bit at a time while switching screws. This will provide even pressure as the CPU cooler is fully mounted.

Plug the CPU fan back in and you are finished – make absolutely sure to NOT forget this step!

Your CPU is actually a couple of degrees over max temperature. Probably a good idea to redo the thermal compound between the heatsink and CPU.

It may not be the cause, but once you start going over max temperature strange things can happen. Let’s start there.

Anyway, the max for that CPU (case temperature) is 62 degrees:

http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K10/AMD-Phenom%20II%20X6%201100T%20Black%20Edition%20-%20HDE00ZFBK6DGR%20%28HDE00ZFBGRBOX%29.html

Edit: Your GPU is a bit hotter than I would be comfortable with though it’s probably still in spec. You may want to set up a fan profile or (like me) just set it so it runs at 50 or 60% all the time.

Here’s the suggestions forum:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/suggestions

Let’s take a look at your temperatures (after running the game for a while). Please download Hardware Monitor and post a screenshot after playing the game for 30 minutes or so:

http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html

Another option for 32 bit OS users would be to lower the graphics settings. Lower settings will result in less RAM usage for GW2. I know some people probably don’t want to do that; but I think (at least for now) that less detailed graphics is better than crashing.

As I mentioned in the other thread, please run Game Advisor and post the results. It does a tracert (trace route) to every A-net server node. Packet loss will show up clearly.

Get Game Advisor here:

https://help.ncsoft.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/7386/~/game-advisor-diagnostic-report

Is your video card a factory overclocked one?

If so, try lowering the clock settings. Depending on the manufacturer there should be a utility that will allow you to do this; for example, EVGA cards use a program called Evga Precision.

MasterYoda.8563:

abomally.2694:

OP – Do you live in right next door to A-net’s servers?

Because; if not – the problem could be anywhere in the chain of 10 to 30 network nodes between your ISP and A-net’s. It could even be a problem with your network security software.

Also, a DNS server problem won’t cause lag in the game.

In addition, pinging your ISP’s server is useless – you need to do a tracert to A-net’s servers to see if there is packet loss. One way to do that is to run Game Advisor and post the results in this thread. You can get it here:

https://help.ncsoft.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/7386/~/game-advisor-diagnostic-report

No one said DNS servers will cause lag in game. 2nd you don’t know what you’re talking about pinging ISP’s server being useless. Pinging your ISP’s servers is a very valid troubleshooting step to do for few different reasons, thus the reason why I suggested it to the OP. Pinging ISP’s servers help determines if the OP has any packet lose between him and his DNS servers, OP said no so that helps to rule out possibilty of the issue OP’s pc or router and modem. Sure a tracert wouldn’t hurt.

Do you even know what a DNS server is? I’ll wait while you go look it up - since you evidently don’t realize that it has nothing to do with packet loss to A-net’s servers!

BTW, the ISP’s internet server is what actually connects to the network nodes that connect to A-net’s servers. Once again – the ISP’s DNS servers have nothing to do with that. They perform ONE function, which I hope you have looked up by now.

You can even use the internet WITHOUT a DNS server, although it would be a massive pain. I’ll let you figure out why.

As far as pinging a server while troubleshooting this issue, I would start with A-nets servers. But maybe that’s just me.

Yeah, it could be using an Intel GPU. If only we had the full model number…

OP – Do you live in right next door to A-net’s servers?

Because; if not – the problem could be anywhere in the chain of 10 to 30 network nodes between your ISP and A-net’s. It could even be a problem with your network security software.

Also, a DNS server problem won’t cause lag in the game.

In addition, pinging your ISP’s server is useless – you need to do a tracert to A-net’s servers to see if there is packet loss. One way to do that is to run Game Advisor and post the results in this thread. You can get it here:

https://help.ncsoft.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/7386/~/game-advisor-diagnostic-report

Did you update your graphics driver?

Find it here (scroll down):

http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/windows/Pages/radeonmob_win7-64.aspx

I read that as “alienate half the player base!”

Not gonna’ happen. It would require a rewrite of the game engine.

It has to be the fan. There is absolutely nothing else that can make that type of sound on the card. The only noise capacitors make is hissssssssssss….POP…when they explode.

However, as MasterYoda.8563 posted – it’s probably an issue with that particular brand of card.

Edit: Removed bad suggestion that won’t help.

If I remember correctly, you hold SHIFT and right-click on the skill to toggle auto-cast.

I always disable UAC because, as a “security” feature it’s a joke. If Microsoft had done it properly, it would function the same way Linux security works.

Of course, that’s just my opinion

Give this a try:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c02035108&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

You can stop the message by disabling UAC (User Account Control). It’s in the Control Panel > User Accounts. You’ll need to reboot.

Thanks for the video.

Here’s my theory:

When you use an ability, your graphics card draws more current (depending on what’s happening on the screen). If your power supply is behaving strangely, the [switching] noise on the 12 volt rail may be increasing to the point that the fan is affected – which produces a rapid ‘stuttering’ sound in the fan itself.

It’s also possible, instead of the noise (also known as ripple) that the 12 volt rail is rapidly dropping and increasing – in tune with the onscreen effects – as current is rapidly increasing and decreasing. A voltage monitoring program probably won’t pick this up because it happens too quickly.

If possible, switch to a different 12 volt connection to the video card. If you aren’t able to do that or if it doesn’t solve the issue – substitute a different known, working power supply.

Of course, if you happen to have an oscilloscope you could scope the 12 volt rail to see if this is what is happening.

If the sound is not coming from the speakers/headphones, I would bet that it’s actually your hard drive making the sounds and not your graphics card – especially since you tried two different GPUs.

Just so you know, Dynex power supplies are junk and not a good choice for a gaming machine.

Also, if possible, could you record the sound you are hearing? It might help us to determine what’s causing it.

Chaba.5410:

abomally.2694:

Irrelevant.

If hardware can’t handle 100% usage, it isn’t the game’s fault.

Irrelevant to the ORIGINAL point that software can place greater demands on hardware.

What, exactly; is the point you are trying to make? Obviously, software can place a “greater” load on components that are operating below 100% and UP TO 100%.

I’m really not seeing what is so difficult to comprehend about this.

Taiance.6213 -

Yours looks like a RAM problem. The crashes always happen at different memory addresses, which indicates that your memory is unstable or you may have a bad stick.

Those of you on 32 bit operating systems can try adding the 3 gig memory switch. I don’t know if this works on Windows 7, but it will on XP and Vista. I have no way of knowing if this will solve your GW2 ‘out of memory’ issues, but it [theoretically] will.:

http://www.vfxpedia.com/index.php?title=FAQ/3GB_Switch

Edit: Ignore the stuff about “DFX+/Fusion cache limit” it has nothing to do with GW2.

Irrelevant.

If hardware can’t handle 100% usage, it isn’t the game’s fault.

The game has to reinitialize the hardware because the configuration has changed. It can’t do it when the game is running. This is normal.

It’s a hardware problem with your CPU cooling.

Yes, the GW2 code has changed and is now using more of the CPU than it did before – at least on my dual-core AMD.

Before the patch, CPU usage was (roughly) 60-80%. After the patch, CPU usage ranges from 87-92% with my character just standing there. It varies between 96% and 99% in small PvE combat on my system.

These numbers are approximate and taken from the readout on my G15 keyboard.

Your CPU should be able to run at 100% indefinitely without overheating.

Chaba.5410:

As a computer technician for 30 years, you have an understanding that one of the first questions you ask is “What changed?”. When it is the game alone that has changed, especially when there are changes to how the game deals with graphics, the typical canned technical support responses cannot be taken seriously.

And why the talk about HP laptops? The OP said he has an ASUS gaming laptop and cleans his fans regularly. Somehow the reported facts are being ignored.

My point regarding HP laptops is that many of them (at least in the past) were poorly designed, resulting in overheating and failing GPUs.

Of course one question I ask is “what has changed?”, but I never assume that that is the only thing related to the problem. In fact, it would be poor troubleshooting practice to do so. The nature of electronics is such that things can change without (apparent) reason. Just because an electronic device worked properly yesterday, doesn’t mean that it won’t fail today or even six months from now.

I said before, if hardware can’t run at 100% loads for any reason without overheating – it is either improperly designed OR malfunctioning.

Obviously, I’m not referring to programs that are intended to modify hardware settings in such a way that could cause overheating (such as EVGA Precision or MSI Afterburner). That is a design decision made by the hardware manufacturer and they are aware that changing certain settings can be risky. They didn’t even have to make those settings changeable. That, of course, is by design.

Speaking of the Asus laptop in question – how exactly are the fans being cleaned? I’m curious because most laptops need to be completely dissassembled to do that properly.

Edit: Lol thanks Kyllaa.

SolarNova.1052 IS absolutely correct. It is (or should be) designed to run at FULL loads for indefinite periods of time – that means 100% loads on all CPU cores and 100% load on the GPU, as well as other components.

Laptops can do this IF properly designed (I’m looking at you HP); but they tend to build up dust much quicker than desktops (smaller area and less airflow). When using any laptop (especially for gaming) you should be using a laptop cooler. There are many out there.

Think about it…wouldn’t it be kinda’ stupid to design a piece of electronic hardware that couldn’t be operated by certain types of software without overheating?

Edited to add: I have been an electronics and computer technician for over 30 years (yes, I am that old).

Windows XP 64 bit…really? Wow.

Anyway, please post the Game Adviser report when you can.

It’s possible that some background program is interfering with GW2. Have you tried using MSCONFIG to disable unneeded start up programs?

Here’s how to do that:

http://netsquirrel.com/msconfig/msconfig_win7.html

• Crash <—*
  Exception: c0000005
  Memory at address 6956375b could not be read
  App: Gw2.exe
  Pid: 7324
  Cmdline:
  BaseAddr: 00400000
  ProgramId: 101
  Build: 21480
  Module: ntdll.dll

Unfortunately, it’s an NTDLL.DLL crash, which can be caused by just about anything:

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixtheproblem/a/ntdlldll.htm

I did notice that it shows as an Access Violation error and the crash address is the same everytime:

• Crash <—*
  Exception: c0000005
  Memory at address 6956375b could not be read

Bad memory will cause this as well as a malware infection. We really need to see the Game Advisor report to get a better idea of what is going on.

At this point, I would say that you have a defective power supply. Coolmax is not a good reliable brand to be using and is probably shutting down before it should be.

“Also thermal shutdown is higher than 70c, he’s already hitting 74c right now without even throttling down. Not sure what the exact number is though but its normally 90-100ish C”

Not for an AMD FX series it isn’t. Going 5 degrees above max on that CPU series will usually cause crashes and freezes.

Either way, it’s still too hot.

That particular CPU has a power rating of 125 watts (that’s what will give you an idea of how much cooling you really need – the power dissipation). My Athlon FX (a much older model) is also rated at 125 watts, though I have a small overclock so it’s probably closer to 130 watts. I have a great Zalman cooler, but I’ll still hit about 60 C with both cores running at 100 % for a while.

[Note] The case temperature is what’s important here, not the core temperature shown in utilities such as Hardware Monitor. Core temperatures are actually calculated and will be higher than the case temperature.

I don’t know if the MSI Afterburner overlay still causes a crash with GW2, but it may be the issue here (I don’t use it).

Anyway, this appears to be the file and location:

C:\Program Files (x86)\MSI Afterburner\Bundle\OSDServer\RTSS.exe

You can disable it using MSCONFIG, or as a test you can kill the process in task manager. Give it a try.

It’s showing that the graphics driver is crashing:

nvd3dum.dll <—- Nvidia graphics driver file.

The crash is an access violation (0×00000005); but there can be many causes for this error.

I noticed something that shows up in the memory dump. The following text:

“rtldecodepointer”

It may mean that there’s a software conflict or a malware/virus/rootkit infection. It may actually be a separate issue from the GPU driver crash, but it’s a good idea to check anyway. Run full virus/malware scans. You can check and remove rootkits with Kaspersky’s TDSS Killer, which can be downloaded here:

http://support.kaspersky.com/5350?el=88446

(click on “How to disinfect a compromised system”).

Those are updates. The DVD does have the game, but MMO’s always make numerous updates and changes after release.

This game takes up about 16 gig.

Sunfury.8750:

Sunfury.8750:

Thank you for the fast reply
Anyway… i’ve bought this one
http://www.amazon.it/Cooler-Master-Hyper-TX3-EVO/dp/B005HIRDUA

Ok i’ve re-applied the past… but i’ve got this….
http://i39.tinypic.com/xehag5.jpg
74°C…
I have a little fear….
What i can do? Can anyone help me pls?…

You used fresh thermal paste, right? It looks like something went wrong.

I can’t seem to find the max case temp for that CPU, but I’m willing to bet it’s 65-70 C (which is typical for the FX series).

As far as I know it doesn’t use it, but I haven’t tried disabling it and running the game.

Yeah, it should be fine.

We need more information. Please post the GW2 log, which is found in the Guild Wars 2 folder in your Documents.

That error is usually related to a “Mass Storage Device” driver OR a hard drive problem.

Try this (works for XP, Vista, 7 – not sure about Windows 8 ):

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/433-disk-check.html

This is supposed to be the correct driver for your system (320.49):

http://www.nvidia.com/object/notebook-win8-win7-64bit-320.49-whql-driver.html

Sounds like a router configuration issue to me. Check your router settings – things like “Access Restrictions” (on my Linksys).

Sounds like a power supply issue, although Seasonic seems to be a decent brand.