Old Laptop w/ Radeon HD 3870 x2 card, Freezes computer randomly

Iunnrais · 12 Apr 2016

I recently upgraded from Windows 7 to Windows 10 on my rather old and aging laptop. Doing so, I've developed a frequent but random problem where if my web browser loads or closes a tab that has a video embedded into it, it will freeze the entire computer-- no BSOD, just nothing moves, including the mouse. If sound was playing, it stays at a steady buzz. Once the system is frozen, the only solution is to hold down the power button on the laptop and hard reboot it.

This doesn't happen for every video, longer videos are more likely to freeze my system, but even long videos SOMETIMES work.

This never happened with Windows 7, and I highly suspect that it is the fault of the video drivers for my legacy ATI Radeon HD 3870 x2 cards. My driver version is 8.970.100.9001, which is the most recent driver available on the ATI webpage.

I've tried completely uninstalling my graphics drivers using Display Driver Uninstaller from safe mode, selecting the option to not allow the same driver to be reinstalled automatically upon reboot, however, on reboot, my system showed the exact same driver version, so I guess windows reinstalled the driver anyway.

Freezes are getting more common. Just browsing facebook is a minefield now, since if any videos are on my wall, just scrolling down might cause the entire system to freeze.

Does anyone have any suggestions for other things I could try? Is there some other legacy driver for my card that might work?

Night Hawk · 13 Apr 2016

Hello Iunnrais Welcome to the Ten Forums!

Sounds like it's time! Time for a full clean install that is! First you will want to look for at least 8.1 updates for the model you have there! When not finding any 10 drivers in general available the 8.1 are the closest to 10 compatibility wise and should work without problems.

Since you saw the upgrade from 7 to 10 turn out buggy as all too often being seen when jumping three versions newer the Clean Install after considering a total wipe of the old drive there if that is not seeing problems by the way would tend to insure the best working results.

On a HP laptop that came with the 32bit 7 Home Premium back in 2012 being upgraded to 10 there wasn't any hesitation on seeing the batched up upgrade immediately replaced by a second clean install! Following the second 32bit clean install that once the OEM stuff was nuked off entirely saw the 64bit 10 Home install go on! Unfortunately the drive and no longer seeing anything come up when powering it up on the display resulted in seeing a replacement Toshiba laptop with 10 already on ordered in January! Being only 3yrs. old and finding the drive was stuffed once it was later placed in an external usb enclosure is why a look at the drive would be recommended as well as seeing a nice clean install take place. :)

simon123 · 16 Apr 2016

possibly a VIRUS

Vince Massi · 16 Apr 2016

Lunn, this worked for me, although it doesn't work for everybody.

Go into Control Panel--Device Manager--Display Adapters, and click on your video card. It will probably tell you that it is working correctly, but click on the tab for "Events." Then make sure that your driver was installed completely.

Night Hawk · 16 Apr 2016

simon123 said:

possibly a VIRUS

Not so likely! Not ruled entirely but take a look at any upgrade to a version of Windows three versions newer and expect to see bugs! But that was the MS "Brainstorm" on how to get people to run 10 by the 10 app being pushed on everybody and initially requiring an upgrade rather then clean install of the new OS until the Threshold 2 update was seen in November as well as one or two previous Insider Preview builds also accepting the previous version's product key.

This is an option however to avoid the need to see an upgrade install which can often turn out buggy to start with besides entering the product key at this time being a second option. Clean Install Windows 10 Directly without having to Upgrade First - Windows 10 Forums