Windows 7 - BSOD with atikmpag.sys (STOP 0x116)

[JoeJoe]

Spec: MEDION AKOYA P7705 D MD7632, Core i7-2600, ATI Radeon HD 6870, 8GB
RAM. Running Win7 64bit Home Premium. Monitor is a Samsung SyncMaster T220HD

Machine has been rock solid for the last couple of years - never any
hardware/software issue.

Out of the blue (...) I started to get BSODs, initially only once a week
or so, but now the machine simply won't start and goes straight to BSOD
(I'm in Safe Mode now).

A quick search suggests that it is pretty common, and that a solution is
very hard to find.

What I have tried so far (with no luck)
- Uninstall Display driver through Device Manager and let Windows find a
new one - no joy.
- Download the driver from ATI's website using their auto-detect tool
and install.
- Download and run ATI's Catayst Display Driver
(http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/windows/Pages/radeonaiw_vista64.aspx)
which supposed to put everything in order.
0 Run DriverSweeper to remove all traces of the driver and supporting
files, and then install all above possibilities.

No hardware changes made in last year (or more), and only software
changes I can think of were the usual Win7 updates and possibly (can't
recall) Java and Flush updates.

I am not sure, but have a feeling that most crashed occurred during web
browsing (Flush?). Also, I sometime get "Driver crashed during
operation, but managed to restart successfully" message several time
before a BSOD.

Any idea how to get around this?

[Bob H]

Well it seems most likely to be a driver of some description which is
causing the problem and as you have said atimpag.sys in the subject, it
can only be that.

I have just put that in google and it has come up with loads of results
so I would suggest that is where you start looking.

Here is the link for you:

http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=atikmpag.sys+%28STOP+0x116%29&oq=atikmpag.sys+%28STOP+0x116%29&gs_l=hp.12..0i22i30.213781.213781.0.216273.1.1.0.0.0.0.255.255.2-1.1.0.les%3B..0.0...1c..6.psy-ab.V56VFqQnL-k&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.43828540,d.d2k&fp=affc7ca80fb63726&biw=1358&bih=952

[JoeJoe]

Thanks for that - these are the exactly the same search results that
I've been working through for the last few days without any luck...

One thing I have managed to establish is that it is probably unrelated
to Flash. Had it and all its components installed, and the BSOD persisted.

I just tried the beta driver from ATI (same place as above) - very
recent so I hoped that it was related, but still the same problem...

Any more thoughts?

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el art�culo <FPKdnW2srsgA09nM...@brightview.co.uk>,
JoeJoe <n...@mail.com> escribi�:

>Any idea how to get around this?

Is the fan on the video card working?

Given you say that the machine was initially working OK and has started
crashing more and more frequently, that would tie in with the video card
fan running slower and slower and finally gumming up altogether.

Also check the caps on the card (if fitted).

--
(\_/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

[JoeJoe]

On 16/03/2013 13:27, Mike Tomlinson wrote:
> En el artículo <FPKdnW2srsgA09nM...@brightview.co.uk>,
> JoeJoe <n...@mail.com> escribió:

>
>> Any idea how to get around this?
>
> Is the fan on the video card working?
>
> Given you say that the machine was initially working OK and has started
> crashing more and more frequently, that would tie in with the video card
> fan running slower and slower and finally gumming up altogether.
>
> Also check the caps on the card (if fitted).
>

Cheers - worth a shot I suppose. Reason I haven't opened the case yet is
because the GPU card is reporting temperature of only 38c-40c.

[David.WE.Roberts]

Can you just roll back to the previous working one?

I have a couple of systems on (driver -1) because a driver update caused
BSOD.

NVidia drivers in my case IIRC.

Cheers

Dave R

[Philip Herlihy]

In article <FPKdnW2srsgA09nM...@brightview.co.uk>,
n...@mail.com says...

>
> Spec: MEDION AKOYA P7705 D MD7632, Core i7-2600, ATI Radeon HD 6870, 8GB
> RAM. Running Win7 64bit Home Premium. Monitor is a Samsung SyncMaster T220HD
>
> Machine has been rock solid for the last couple of years - never any
> hardware/software issue.
>
> Out of the blue (...) I started to get BSODs, initially only once a week
> or so, but now the machine simply won't start and goes straight to BSOD
> (I'm in Safe Mode now).
>

Depending on the exact situation, this utility from Nirsoft can help you
pin down what's going on:
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/blue_screen_view.html

Or you could go deeper and try downloading the Debugging Tools for
Windows from MS, but that's hard work...

--

Phil, London

[Jane Sheales]

Being of the old school, I always start at hardware and work upwards, if you haven't already try re-seating vid card. IF you have access to another compatible card try that as well.... If you have on board video take out the card and see if it still BSOD's... hope this helps

Jane

[JoeJoe]

On 16/03/2013 13:27, Mike Tomlinson wrote:

> En el art�culo <FPKdnW2srsgA09nM...@brightview.co.uk>,
> JoeJoe <n...@mail.com> escribi�:
>
>> Any idea how to get around this?
>
> Is the fan on the video card working?
>
> Given you say that the machine was initially working OK and has started
> crashing more and more frequently, that would tie in with the video card
> fan running slower and slower and finally gumming up altogether.

Fan seems to be spinning happily.

> Also check the caps on the card (if fitted).

Everything visible look fine.

[JoeJoe]

On 16/03/2013 17:52, Jane Sheales wrote:
> Being of the old school, I always start at hardware and work upwards, if you haven't already try re-seating vid card. IF you have access to another compatible card try that as well.... If you have on board video take out the card and see if it still BSOD's... hope this helps
>
> Jane

Well, problem I have is that there doesn't seem to be a problem when in
Safe Mode, which, if my reasoning is correct, suggest that the driver or
software is the culprit.

I have just updated the bios, but the problem hasn't gone away.

[John Jordan]

On 16/03/2013 21:05, JoeJoe wrote:
>
> Well, problem I have is that there doesn't seem to be a problem when in
> Safe Mode, which, if my reasoning is correct, suggest that the driver or
> software is the culprit.

Safe mode uses the video card so lightly that it usually works fine even
with obviously failed video cards.

If you've got a spare disk/partition, you can do a scratch install to
prove whether it's a software problem or not. I'd lean strongly towards
hardware on current evidence.


--
John Jordan

[AC]

JoeJoe wrote:
> Spec: MEDION AKOYA P7705 D MD7632, Core i7-2600, ATI Radeon HD 6870, 8GB
> RAM. Running Win7 64bit Home Premium. Monitor is a Samsung SyncMaster
> T220HD
>
> Machine has been rock solid for the last couple of years - never any
> hardware/software issue.
>
> Out of the blue (...) I started to get BSODs, initially only once a week
> or so, but now the machine simply won't start and goes straight to BSOD
> (I'm in Safe Mode now).
>

This to me sounds like hardware. If it got more and more frequent over
time, getting worse, then I don't see how it can be a driver. They
either work or don't, they don't fail over time. Drivers tend to fail
straight after an update. Unless you can identify a cut off point, then
I dont think its drivers.

If you like, remove the driver in safe mode, and reboot. Windows, IIRC,
will fire up using a very basic driver and then you can download an
older driver to see if that helps.

My bet though is a failed card. The error even looks like the driver or
OS reporting a card failure somewhere.

--
AC

[JoeJoe]

On 16/03/2013 10:51, JoeJoe wrote:

I updated the bios to the latest version, reinstalled the driver, opened
the case and gave the inside a very good (and well overdue...)
vaccuming. Started the machine, it crashed with the usual BSOD once,
restarted, and has been fine since for he last 12 hours or so!

Could I have been the dust?

Anyway, hopefully this is the end of it.

Many thanks for everyone for the usefull advice.

[Harry]

"JoeJoe" wrote in message
news:C86dnec9v8P-6tjM...@brightview.co.uk...

It could simply have been a loose cable but the best answer on this thread
was to get yourself the free debugging tools its very simple you just start
the program and load the minidump file from c/windows and it will tell you 9
times out of 10 exactly which driver/hardware is giving you the bsod

its a damn site quicker than wading through google etc

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/gg463009.aspx