AMD bugs and glitches break OS

5thman · 03 Feb 2017

I swear my computers have both just decided to completely fall apart in the past two weeks, and I'm getting tired of it.

So I started getting that wonderful "hardware settings have changed, restart for changes to take effect" popup message for no reason, which I read has to do with AMD graphics software being utter crap all of a sudden. I read that the fix was to uninstall all AMD software and install an older version of the driver, which I did. The message persisted, as did the random graphical glitches such as my windows 10 display randomly blinking, or the fun event of today, the os simply freezing and refusing to refresh, where I had to hard reset. I don't know how to fix this so it doesn't happen again.

It's the same laptop as this thread. Do I need to post the usual info in the OP of this thread? Will it make a difference?

Caledon Ken · 04 Feb 2017

Yikes !!

First please confirm you have your data backed up, created a restore point and a recent Image of your system. I would also recommend you have bootable media should you get in trouble. I don't expect you will need any of this but better safe than sorry.

Next, I think you have to take control of driver updates if you haven't already. Very few if any need the latest and greatest drivers. So....

Windows + R keys
Enter Sysdm.cpl
Click on Hardware tab
Click on Device Installation Settings
Click on No
A menu appears (first time) click Never Install driver software.
You may get a warning. Click the option that says I’ll take care of it (not exact words)

The next step may not solve much but I'm beginning to believe it is also a periodic requirement, a complete shutdown of Windows by holding down the shift key and clicking shutdown. This starts a fresh copy of Windows.

Once up lets check your Update history and see if any updates are failing and if any drivers have been delivered in past three weeks. If updates are failing then

Type troubleshooting in the Cortana search bar, troubleshooting appears at top. Click it, window opens, lower right side "Fix problems with Windows Update", click. Window opens, click on “advance”, click on Run as administrator, click “Next”. Should run clean. If not run again.

Check your video driver again. It may be necessary to completely remove all traces of driver and then re-install. You will need tool.

Download Display Driver Uninstaller - MajorGeeks

Post back.

TairikuOkami · 04 Feb 2017

For the record, did you install APU Driver? Windows updates have tendency to install a problematic desktop driver .

Caledon Ken · 04 Feb 2017

Interesting. Just another reason to take control of drivers. Thanks for that information. Will be interesting to see what OP finds.

Gurn Blanston · 04 Feb 2017

@ 5thman,

Did you get the video drivers direct from ASUS? As this is a laptop, and OEM drivers are provided by the manufacturer, this would be the preferred place to get your drivers from. OEM laptop manufacturers often modify the hardware used in their machines to optimize things like heat dissipation and performance. It often makes the AMD/ATI drivers (as well as Nvidia) behave erratically.

5thman · 05 Feb 2017

Caledon Ken said:

Once up lets check your Update history and see if any updates are failing and if any drivers have been delivered in past three weeks.

This is the only failed update since january, which failed twice:

Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems (KB3194798)

And yes, the laptop came with the AMD driver. I tried uninstalling it manually and replacing with an older build like another forum suggested, but I still get the glitches and error message sometimes. I currently dont have any AMD software installed according to control panel, but i'll try using the tool you linked and see if that makes a difference.

I also ran the troubleshooter and it found and fixed four problems. We'll see how that affects it now.

5thman · 08 Feb 2017

I cannot BELIEVE this. The display just went black. The screen only displays the mouse cursor; the rest of the screen is black and I can't see or interact with anything, and it doesn't change no matter how many times I hard reboot. This is days after trying the removal tool linked in the thread, and after still getting that same hardware error message.

What the hell is going on with this laptop? I have to use it for my work!

TairikuOkami · 08 Feb 2017

I had the same problem, I had to use system restore, run from USB.
You better disable auto-downloading drivers or this will keep happening.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/...a.html#option2

Caledon Ken · 08 Feb 2017

Question, I'm not OP.
@TairikuOkami for my education I've been using the process I posted to Disable driver updates as it is quite reversible should someone have a change of mind and no downloads. (I used the downloads from forum and they are good, so not question that.)

The process in the tutorial actually alters the Registry, Is it doing something the GUI process I posted is not doing?

TairikuOkami · 08 Feb 2017

Caledon Ken said:

The process in the tutorial actually alters the Registry, Is it doing something the GUI process I posted is not doing?

It is a different one, but it should be doing the same, but some people say it works, some it does not. maybe it depends, if it is Home/Pro. April update will give users the ability to actually change it via Windows Updates, finally.