Thanks Patio, Good Advice!
[size=16]IT DIDN'T WORK!!! [/size]
I installed the updated driver, NO CHANGE!
I'm ready to hurl this S.O.B. out the window!
The restarts, black screens, screen freezes, lost work, MORE LOST WORK, save work, STILL wind up LOOSING IT, unable to produce any income for TWO MONTHS NOW, it"s driving me crazy!!
Will somebody, PLEASE, JUST SHOOT ME! Put me out of this misery!
OK....I feel better now. Nothing better than a little screaming, whining and ranting to clear the head before getting down to business.
It seems that Microsoft was WRONG! I really hope one of you guys can help.
My OS is Windows XP
A couple of months ago my pc began restarting from time to time. After a while, in addition to restarts, the screen started just going black with no restart, forcing me to press restart button.
Each time upon rebooting I got a microsoft message saying something like:
"The system has recovered from a serious error". "A report of this has been made..blah blah..." Send Report Do Not Send Report.
I sent the report each time. Got message: "Error caused by a device driver", "No further info available". "Check newly installed hardware driver."
I had not installed any new hardware.
As time went on restarts became more and more frequent. Then after sending hundreds of these reports to Microsoft, one day instead of getting message that said: "Error caused by a Device Driver", It said: "Error caused by a VIDEO DRIVER"
It gave two fixes. #1:Install updated video driver.
#2. Move hardware acceleration to "NONE"
I opted for #2. and moved the hardware acceleration to none.
No change.
I began trying to find out who made my video card. After weeks of dead ends and much frustration trying to learn what chip set is and "North and South" and downloaded SIS SANDRA program which said it was made by VIA, went to VIA website, but driver KMM400 was not listed, told to download VIA "Driver Package" did that, installed "Driver Package" That didn't help! Checked Windows Updates several times, no video driver but Updated driver for Printer and cable modem. That didn't help.
Then I learned that the video driver is listed in Device Manager under display adapter. Found out that driver is VIA/S3G Unichrome ??something. Couldn't find it on VIA website. Finally found updated driver on HP site. Downloaded it, installed it yesterday. DIDN"T HELP!!!
I noticed a very strange thing a week or so ago. When I log on to Windows under MY NAME, and try to work. restarts, black screens and hang ups are almost continuos. Sometimes as many as 8-10 in 20 mins. time. HOWEVER, my wife logs on to Windows under HER NAME, and plays silly games UNINTERRUPTED for 2 or 3 HOURS!! Not a single restart! Not just sometimes, EVERYTIME! I started using HER name, for a while the restarts weren't as numerous, but now they are increasing, and are almost as bad as when I use my name.
I update and run AVG virus scan daily. I run SPYBOT and Ad-Aware on a regular basis. I have cookies set on "custom" to prompt before allowing, and always select DO NOT ALLOW. I delete temporary internet files regulary. I run microsofts MALWARE prorgam each time a new version comes out. I have Windows Updates set on Auto. I've got TONS of free ram, dram, memory, disc space..... both hands are now full of hair and my head hurts ........ a LOT!
ANYONE have ANY ideas? If not, anyone got a gun I can borrow!?