Win xp pro sp2(3) display/driver/boot inconsistancy

Ok, read through the sticky's, read through the other topics - none of mine. Figured I could get an all-in-one answer here, so here it goes:

Randomly, while playing World of Warcraft, my computer will bsod while teleporting to outlands. Without going into much detail into the game, I figured it was a display driver issue. However, I have the most current up-to-date drivers from nvidia. (I'll post my system specs at the end of this).

After the bsod crash, about 75% of the time, my computer will begin to load windows using the wrong monitor as a primary. (dual monitor setup). No idea what causes this, but when it happens, the driver "loads" but says it's in 8bit color. I do a system restore to any point in the previous day and bam it works again.

Using mozilla 3.0, anything animated/video will not display in the second monitor, or if it does, it's rediculously laggy. I've read that this is just a fault with nvidia drivers, but I'd not like this written off entirely.

System Specs:
Amd Athelon x2 4200+ (latest drivers)
GA-M55SLI-S4 Mobo (latest bios version)
4gb of 800mhz ddr2 corsair ram
nvidia 8500gt (512mb)x2
win xp pro sp2 (with all current updates, hence the "(3)")

modded boot.ini file to accept my 4gb of ram and allow full use.

Code:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /3GB /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

Also, something to note:
Was using windows fine yesterday, and all of a sudden, I'd minimize something and when I'd maximize it again, it'd fail to redraw completely. Not to mention sometimes it wouldn't redraw at all. Other times I could mouse over certain objects and it would halfway redraw them.

Well, I know that's a lot. Ask me if you need my dxdiag results. I'll be checking my stop error using the tool in the sticky for this section - if needbe I can post that too.

Thanks,
™

 

Sorry: XP Pro, you said. Actually Majorgeeks have a forum for especially for games. I think it would be a good idea if you also raised the question down there in a new thread. This is the link.

 

Actually, it's not for the game, it's just about the video issues I'm having. Was just giving some background =P

Also, turns out that it IS my nvidia drivers messing up for some reason.... NO idea how to fix it =-/

 

I mixed up 2 different threads, I'm afraid. And I'm sorry about that. Perhaps updating the drivers on nvidia's homepage could help?

 

lol np. My drivers are already up to date. I can't update them with anything.... Just curious if it's faulty drivers or something with windows itself :-/


P.S. It's screwing up again. I can't switch tabs in mozilla, or minimize/maximize. It won't fully redraw anything... I'd REALLY love this one solved xD

 

Well, generally speaking, - when a PC suddenly misbehaves like this the user should not only run all antimalware programs already installed. You should also run at least a couple of online scanners. More often that not some malicious software did it. And actually there is a virus that attacks the users of World of Warcraft but I don't know anything about it. This article here is Symantec writing about it - it's known as "PWSteal.Wowcraft.C" or "Infostealer.Wowcraft.C". Other malware issues could also be involved?

 

I appreciate the concern, but I don't download 3rd party programs (keyloggers). My computer is 100% virus free, it's just either between the OS or Video drivers methinks. If you like, I'll post up a HJT log.

HJT:

 

Well as an experiences user, you'll surely know that the only way to be malware free with certainty is to run some scanners. And if you state, that your PC is perfectly clean, it can only mean that you already did run all you security software as well as online scanners. So I'll choose to believe you.

 

You HijackThis log must go in here. Majorgeeks have a special forum for malware removal. Just follow these guidelines and upload the logs as attached files in a new thread.

 

Ah, thanks for the info - I'll edit it back out. =P

 

You're fast! You capture the quotes before I have finished editing my posts. :-D Only this time you're probably not fast enough. I believe your editing time is up? :cool

 

I try, I try :-D

I think it's to do with the nvidia control panel - an utterly useless clunky bit of software. Shame I have to have it >_> AHH the irony

Still not sure how to fix this btw. The minimize/maximize problem happens when one of my GPU's is under normal load (normal for gaming). I've got two cards, and each card is running a display....

Also, when I unlock my start bar (lcd monitor btw.) the start bar seems to not be docked to the bottom of the screen..

 

I know nothing about nvidia, I must confess. But I have of cause noticed that users have problems with the company's graphic cards. Gizmodo here wrote a blog post about it. Quote:

Apparently some previous-gen Nvidia graphics cards that shipped in "significant quantities" of notebooks are defective, built and packaged with "weak" materials that are leading to them to overheat and fail at a "higher-than-normal" rate. ​

By the way - Majorgeeks also have a forum for drivers here but I geuss you've already searched that.

 

PS: there is much more about Nvidia on Gizmodo if you search the blog. I believe that Nvidia have had more problems with others products as well..

 

I just searched Google for "nvidia 8500gt"+problems. You're not alone, it seems...