(Yet Another) New PC & SL CRASH Unsolved Mystery

Yet another post about problems with SL constantly crashing.

Yes, I've been reading through any/every thread here on the Forum looking for answers/solutions, etc. for over a week.

New custom-built PC crashes when attempting to run SL.

I've tried the latest SL 1.20.x version. I've also tried the prior version 1.19.5x(?).

I've tried using an Nvidia 8800 1GB GT Video Card (and trying various versions of Nvidia video drivers from the most current to version 169.25 that I saw someone commend that worked for them).

I've tried using an ATI 3870 512MB Video Card (currently using current ATI 8.8 version video drivers and also previously tried using 8.5 version drivers).

Same results with each video card (so apparently it's not related to one specific brand of card or driver).

Any & all other software (hardware intensive games included) run *perfectly* on this system. This includes leaving the PC running for 24 hours non-stop with a graphics-intensive game running. Overheating clearly doesn't appear to be the issue here with any of the hardware.

Note = none of the hardware is being overclocked.

SL is the *only* thing that is a problem on this new PC setup. *sigh*

System specs: (leaving out specs that would seem insignificant)

- OS = Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit (updated)
- Motherboard = Nvidia Nforce 780i Chipset (evga 132CKNF78A1)
- RAM = 4 GBs (2x2)
- CPU = Intel Quad-Core Q9300
- Sound Card - none being used due to using Bose "Companion 5" USB Speaker System (worked perfectly on "old" PC)
- Hard Drive (boot drive) = Western Digital Raptor-X 150GB 10K RPM
- Power Supply = Antec 650w
- Case = Antec P182 PSE (with 2 120mm case cooling fans added)
- Internet Connection = Verizon FIOX (30MB Down & 15MB Up) w/ Router
- Software Firewall & Anti-Virus = Kaspersky Internet Suite (updated)

* "Old" PC runs SL perfectly fine (1.20 version)
* Laptop PC runs SL perfectly fine (1.20 version with only 1 incident occuring just a couple of days ago with SL crashing with the exact same display-related message, but no problems <knock on wood> since that 1 and only incident)

Note = I've tried running SL with the Kaspersky Internet Suite (software firewall & anti-virus) disabled.

Any/all ideas will be certainly welcomed and greatly appreciated.
Many thanks in advance!

I think I know the error message you get...........something to the effect: "your graphics adapter has stopped responding but has recovered". I assume Windows did the recovering since SL is crashed and closes when you you click the okay button. I was getting that message on occassion......maybe once or twice a week and only when I was in world. That is when I thought it time to update my driver for my graphics card.........which I did and found that I could not log into SL at all afterward. BTW, I'm the one who keeps mentioning 169.25.

I don't remember the driver I was using when I updated.....the one that had the occassional error message/crash. But, I did upgrade to the latest driver which was 173.something.........that is the one that would not work at all. So what I did was go back version by version until I found one that worked (the 169.25 driver). It's tedious. To install any driver (not only video drivers) you should uninstall the old one first.......if you don't then you run a very good risk of having a corrupted driver which only complicates matters.

I think your problem is a graphics driver.......I know mine was. The problem you are up against is similar to the problem I had. You've installed several drivers and nothing improves....or even gets worse (like for me) and you get a little lost on what you've done and what you have not done. You need to start over...from the beginning. What I would do is uninstall all the nVidia drivers listed in your add/remove. Then, one at a time I'd download and save to disk the updated drivers. Install them after running your anti virus across the files. Install the new driver and check to see if things improve. If not, then uninstall that driver and go get the next most recent one........repeat until you find one that works. That's what I did and the 169.25 driver is the first one that worked for me........it won't necessarily be the one for your system.

I forgot to mention, but you seem savey enough to know.........don't let Windows install or even search for a better driver when you reboot after the uninstall. Just close the window and install from your downloaded file or go get the file. Your graphics will not be pretty but it will be functional.

My time I spent that night? Probably a little over an hour. I was getting frustrated but I got this attitude..........ain't no box full of plastic, silicon and metal is going to kick my ass!!

Good luck.

What exactly is the error message you get?

Here's one thing that's easy to try: right click the SL shortcut, select properties, and disable visual themes and desktop composition.

Hello. Ok i was having a similar problem. I let my hubby play around for awhile cuz noone on here seemed to be able to help. What ended up working is he Uninstalled Quicktime! and Voila i was on right away. Hope this helps you!

I just saw the uninstall qt tip in another crash thread.

If it does work with qt uninstalled, you could then try installing the latest version of qt. The other thread suggests it might work and then everything would be as it is supposed to be.

Many thanks for the replies.

Prior to reading the replies above... here's a follow-up status report...

- In my initial post I forgot to mention that I have everything running "stock" and *no* overclocking being done.

- To clarify the video card --- I tried Nvidia & ATI video cards in the new PC --- but I am currently using an ATI 3870 (512MB, PCI-Express 2.0) video card in the new PC.

- In my initial post I didn't mention that I had QuickTime installed.

I was able to load SL enough to get to the login screen... and actually get "in-world"... but I had NO sound at all.

My 1st step was to completely uninstall QuickTime. I then downloaded and installed a freeware alternative (basically looks like a clone of QuickTime) - QT v.2.60. I had this installed on both the "old PC" and the laptop --- which both ran SL 1.20.x just fine. I don't know if QuickTime itself was the problem or simply a file association issue. Regardless, this resolved the problem of getting no sound in-world.

I was able to run SL version 1.19.x (latest version prior to 1.20.x) reasonably well on the "new PC" --- several crashes, yes, but I did go for probably as much as 8 hours non-stop without any crash Friday night-Saturday morning.

- I just noticed that the ATI Video Drivers were apparently installed from the CD (Version 8.5x) and *not* the most current afterall. I just checked, and ATI just released updated video drivers on 8/20 --- Version 8.8 --- with Second Life mentioned in the driver release info as one of various 'games' that this v.8.8 driver supposedly helps.

So, I just finished uninstalling the older ATI 8.5 version video drivers and installing the new ATI 8.8 version video drivers.

I just finished doing a complete unstall of the older version of SL (version 1.19x), and I'm preparing to do a fresh install the current version of SL (version 1.20x)... and see if - fingers crossed - everything will work and play well together like it should.

I'll post a follow-up later after more testing... in case this thread ends up helping anyone with similar PC/SL issues that appear to relate to no sound, QuickTime, video/graphics issues, etc.

hi can anyone help I keep getting can't access GL rendering or something like that.

hardware options > opengl vertex shaders.

Here's a follow-up to this ongoing PC/SL crash problem...

* QuickTime = completely uninstalled

* QT Lite v. 2.60 = installed (I have this also installed on old PC & Laptop which both run SL without any problems at all)

* Windows Vista 32-bit OS = (Vista SP1 installed; Windows updated)

* Windows Vista = changed Windows Appearance (Personalization setting) from "Windows Aero" (disabled) to "Windows Vista Basic" (enabled)

* Second Life = Shortcut Properties --- settings changed to: "Run this Program as Administrator", "Disable Visual Themes" <checked>, "Disable Desktop Composition" <checked>

* I've tried running Second Life with the Kaspersky Internet Suite (software firewall & anti-virus) *disabled* --- no luck with SL working

* I've run the SL Test (forgot the name) that checks hardware for meeting the Minimum Requirements, etc. --- no problems, my system is at the far right extreme on meeting the Recommended Requirements

* DirectX Diagnostics (DXDIAG.EXE) = no problems ever reported (run many times)

* ATI 3750 Vdeo Card uninstalled -and- ATI video drivers uninstalled

* Nvidia 8800 GT Video Card installed (reinstalled yesterday) = Asus EN8800GT 1GB PCI-Express 2.0

* Nvidia 175.x video drivers (current certified version from Nvidia's website) tried (no luck with SL --- drivers uninstalled)

* Nvidia 169.25 video drivers (was the magic solution for Peggy Paperdoll) tried (I have these drivers still currently installed - but no luck yet with SL yet)

* SL v.1.20x client software --- tried --- no luck
* SL v.1.19x client software --- tried --- no luck

* SL Preferences --- Graphics Settings --- set to "Recommended" --- no luck; set to "Lowest" --- no luck

Second Life will "load"... but (after a fresh install of SL) SL hangs & then crashes when 1st "in-world" screen appears showing Avatar and notices, etc. --- with a message saying Media Streaming available followed by Music Streaming available (each requiring selecting "enable" or "disable" as I recall).

The one "off-the-wall" thought that I had to try (haven't tried it) was since SL 1.20x is running fine on my laptop PC, which has the exact same OS installed (except *not* updated to Vista SP1), and has dual Nvidia video cards in SLI mode, with the original Nvidia video drivers installed that came with the laptop (purchased last October, so these surely aren't updated video drivers)... is to find some way to locate what appears to be a "settings/configuration" file for SL (perhaps for each individual Avatar account), and find a way to copy that file to a USB Flash Drive and then copy it (overwriting) to the new PC. Finding these files in Vista, however, isn't as easy (to me, at least) as finding them in XP.

I thought I would post this follow-up in hopes that maybe someone might have a similar setup that they actually have working successfully somehow... before "waving the white flag and surrendering" (yes, I'm computer 'savvy' here, and I've never encountered any software/hardware situation that I can recall that has been this ridiculous in my 25+ years of computer experience, especially when talking about current hardware & current software that *should* be perfectly compatible).

Many thanks - again, in advance - for any/all help.

Latest status of my ongoing battle with trying to get SL to work - without crashing - on the new PC system...

I did a complete reformat of the hard drive (boot drive)... followed by a fresh complete install of Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit OS (which was updated following installation).

No anti-virus software installed at the moment to *completely* rule that out.

Using Windows Firewall... with SecondLife.exe allowed to pass through.

Nividia version 169.25 video card drivers installed.

SL version 1.20x client software installed.

SL is still crashing after getting "in-world".

Here's the latest error message --- appearing following a crash out of SL completely back to the Windows Desktop:

A popup window labeled "Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library"
Runtime Error!
Program: [path]\SecondLife.exe
abnormal program termination

Thoughts anyone???

Dear PelleLaccio,

when i got your right, you're trying to use a ATI 3870 Card (wich i had before buying a 4850 Card) recently. Read the following please

You probably updated your catalyst drivers to version 8.8, when i read your error description. read the following

I've been experianced strange behaviour like Textures mismatch, very slow rendering during Texture load and total SL Viewer crash, right after login with a ATI 4850 card, using the latest ATI Driver v8.8.
I've opened a JIRA issue, right here: http://jira.secondlife.com/browse/VWR-8717

Please login to JIRA, and VOTE for this issue, so it will become more & more importand to be fixed ASAP. This is the only way to get rid of this delayed attention of Linden Lab, to support ATI Cards PROPERLY in the SL Viewer!

This urgently need to be debugged and fixed by the LL developer team.
Hey Guys, since the ATI 4850 Card is so rockin' cheap while it bring's a tremendous boost to your PC, it'll be spread on the market rapidly during the next month. So this has to be paid attention...

If you VOTE for it, also WATCH this issue on JIRA, so LL will notice there's a lot Users out there, using a ATI Card and struggling with the SL Viewer (wich is btw the ONLY application/game nowadays, that has such problems with a ATI Card).

Thanks for your attention & voting for this, to help a lot of SL Residents, playing SL with a ATI Card, BETTER.

Cheers,
Dandare

After trying "everything in the book" (and then some) over the past 3+ weeks... I *finally* resolved my problems with getting SL to run (stable, no less!) on the new PC system!

So what was the problem with my setup?

I removed 1 of the 2 GB RAM modules... (dropping RAM down from 4 GBs to 2 GBs)... based on advice from some computer 'super-techies' that have seen many systems just not "happy" when running 4 GBs of RAM on a Windows Vista 32-bit OS setup. Bingo! Viola! Magic! Problem solved!

Sooo... I swapped out the 2 2GB RAM modules for 3 1GB RAM modules... and tried running that setup with SL for long stretches all weekend. No problems! So, for whatever reason, my setup just doesn't "like" 4 GBs of RAM, but does great with 3 GBs of RAM! I can live with that.

Problem solved... finally!!!