ATI VPU error Tried EVERYWHERE and EVERYTHIN

[Moderator]

Have you sent an error report to ATI?

Ticket Summary
Ticket #:        737-968361
Status:        Resolved [FALSE]
Date Created:        2/5/2006 3:29 PM EDT
Date Updated:        2/19/2006 3:42 PM EDT

So yes,  i did Contact ATI technologies  Twice.   however,  upon reviewing their  "answer"  i noticed something in the link they gave me,  that i had previously overlooked,  because they start the page with stuff about updating drivers and chipsets,  so i assumed it went on about that and didn't pay much attention since that didn't hellp my problem.,   but recently i discovered that it mentions changing settings in the BIOS    here is the link for their help page

http://www.ati.com/online/customercare/solutions/oslockups.html

now i've looked at the BIOS options they recommend,  however the options in my BIOS are all completely different (which is not surprising, but i just don't know what TO change in my BIOS),  and i didn't change much.   I have an Intel® Desktop Board D915GAV,    
  i can give you my exact BIOS options later today,  but if you could look at that Page above  and let me know what you think,  that would be great!!

Thanks

[Moderator]

I can play games with no problem what-so-ever,   and high demand games at that!  Like Battlefield 2  and Star Wars: Empire at War  at Medium to High video settings.  These games run quite well with no problem,

so why does my Video Card insist on getting this VPU error  only when i run Simple programs like itunes and Firefox??

So what happens when you are not connected to the internet, does it lockup then?
Is the computer virus & malware free?  Guaranteed???

Put your bios back to the default or failsafe default for now, trying to tweak it will be a big headache.
We should rule out all other possibilities first.

As far as the Virus things go,  i suppose it is entirely possible,  because i only run  Ad-Aware SE and AVG  and Symantec .......  and as far as not connected to the internet, i can't say i have ever tried that,  or atleast,  i can't remember if it affected it or not.


i found this on the spyware virus portion of the forum  so i will try these,  unless anyone has an objection  :  

Next, run Ad-Aware. What's Ad-Aware? Please read this thoroughly: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial48.html
 
Then run SpyBot. What's SpyBot? Please read this thoroughly: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial43.html Note: I've had to run SpyBot several times in a row to completely remove some of the more stubborn varieties of malware. Also, remember to immunize your computer. Read the article and you'll understand.
 
Now run HijackThis. What's Hijack this? Please read this thoroughly: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial42.html Note: It is possible to do significant damage to your computer with HiJack This! Because of this, when you create a log file (Read the article and you will understand what a log file is) post it as an attachment to this message board. We'll help you through it. Also, the above article is rather lengthy. You really don't need to read it all, just the first five "chapters".
 
Next run Panda Software's free online virus scan: http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/activescanpro/ Note: The link for the free scan is rather hard to see. Its in the upper right corner just underneath the red rectangle that says "Buy ActiveScan Pro". The link says "Free Online Virus Scan". Click the word "Online". It *REQUIRES* Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher to run. It supposedly removes any viruses it finds, but you need to upgrade to the Pro version to remove spyware/adware. Don't worry, Ad-Aware, SpyBot, and HiJack This do just fine (and their free!!).

I will get back to you guys with the HijackThis log, after i have completed these steps.   however i will be out for a few days   :-/

I ran Ad-Aware, and Spybot,  (there was like 8 things on spybot that my other two missed,  not surprising)   i also ran hijackthis  and the log is attached below,  let me know how it looks. .  

  thanks again everybody  

I know you are all sick of this thread,  believe me,  there is nothing i want more than to leave you guys alone,   but  the fact is ,  my VPU error is still occuring,  although it has slowed down since the virus and malware scans with spybot and ad-aware,   but i still need a kind volunteer to read and interprate the hijackthis log attached above,   and maybe to come up with another solution,   thank you.   [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[Moderator]

We thrive on threads, I've just been snowed under with other commitments for the last few days.

Run the Panda online scan.
I find it interesting that your card is fine with demanding games but has a problem with lesser programs and (we think) internet related.
Can you give it a good workout while disconnected from the net?
I should get to your Hijackthis log today.

[Moderator]

Decide which antivirus you wish to use and disable the other one from within the program.
Reboot and test for video warning.

Re-run Hijackthis and mark the following for removal.
O2 - BHO: Viewpoint Toolbar BHO - {A7327C09-B521-4EDB-8509-7D2660C9EC98} - C:\Program Files\Viewpoint\Viewpoint Toolbar\ViewBarBHO.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Alcmtr] ALCMTR.EXE
O8 - Extra context menu item: &AOL Toolbar Search - c:\program files\aol\aol toolbar 2.0\resources\en-US\local\search.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Viewpoint Search - res://C:\Program Files\Viewpoint\Viewpoint Toolbar\ViewBar.dll/CXTSEARCH.HTML
Reboot and test for video warning.

Using msconfig>startup, disable diskeeper and memturbo.
Reboot and test for video warning.

Like everyone you have a lot of 'extra' stuff running on your computer but it's really a matter for you to decide if you need or want it.

How did you go while disconnected from the internet?

Ok here is the log  from Panda online Scan   i'm a little embarassed actually           haha

[Moderator]

They're only cookies, ccleaner gets rid of them quickly.
Any results on my previous post?

Ok,  so far. . .  I have not gotten around to running Hijackthis yet  because as you put it,  i'm am "snowed under"  with work and Calc. II at summer school,   but i will get to that tonight.       I have however,  run my computer not connected to the internet,  and disabled symantec,  (one of the two anti-virus programs i have),   I ran my computer,  but i felt i was not adequite in recreating the environment that the VPU error occurs.  Like it usually happens when i'm surfing the web as fast as the cable connection will let me.  like i'm clicking links before the page is even loaded,  while listening to itunes and what not.  i tried to do as much as i could,  but i don't think i was able to mimic the same activity as when i'm connected.

 also, i was under time constraints,  so i would have liked to tried longer  

 I will report back later tonight, with having run hijackthis,   and removing a few things from startup,  then testing thouroughly for the VPU recover error,    

thanks a lot for everything!

[Moderator]

Stick to just one antivirus program, running two together has been known to cause problems.

An update on my situation:    It seems things have changed,  over the weekend,  I gave my computer quite a workout, after i had completed all of the recomendations made by the preceding posts,   and the followin things happened.

At first,  all was well,  no VPU error,  i was able to surf the web as fast as ever,  scroll through my 4500 songs in itunes and skip around and everything like normal.  then,  after i had left my computer alone for a while, and it had gone into "standby"   i moved the mouse,  and it woke up,  and then when my screen came back,  i proceeded to access my firefox,  and then it locked up again,   the screen went blank,  but this time did not return with the VPU recover  error message,  instead it just stayed black,  with the monitor reporting that it had no signal.   I restarted and it ran fine till sunday.


Then  last night,  i was on my computer with a friend playing around with FL studio and then we ventured into auto-CAD to compare some projects we had done,  and upon viewing the 3D picture (which does take a bit of graphics power)  the screen froze,  then something new happened,  the blue screen of death.  with the stop error as follows:  
 
Stop 0x000000EA or THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER - A device driver problem is causing the system to pause indefinitely. Typically, this problem is caused by a display driver waiting for the video hardware to enter an idle state. This might indicate a hardware problem with the video adapter or a faulty video driver.

along with the message that my Driver was caugh in an infinite loop.  

upon restarting,   as windows XP loaded,  without touching anything,  i made it to the regualar screen,  and as my startup programs launched,   it happened again,  the same blue screen of death,  same error message,   and i had not touched ANYTHING.   upon restarting one last time,  it worked fine,  and the rest of the night went on without incident.

(NOTE:  when my computer is "awakened"  from standby.  it seems like things are overly active.  ex.   the fans all spin much faster,  and my activity light is on solid,  not just the normal flickering,  and the entire process lasts longer than what would be expected,  for about 30 seconds after my screen returns,  and if i touch anything during this time,  the VPU error is much more likely to occur.)

 it was a long weekend  :-/

[Moderator]

From the mothership....
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=293078&sd=RMVP

The bottom line....
Drivers.
Video card.
Hardware Acceleration.
Disable Write Combining. (Whatever the *censored* that is)
Symantec PCAnywhere has also been known to cause problems.

Firstly,   i can't thank you enough for all your hard work and research that you put into my problem.    so thank you.


but secondly,    does any one else think it's complete and total *censored* that in order to allow my video card to work properly i have to

lose some display functionality and performance

  *censored*   :exclamation   ATI   YOU CAN ALL SUCK MY LEFT NUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!   :exclamation