Vista+ATI=Unhappy Max

[LA_MERC_MadMAX]

Does anyone here have an ATI vid. card and run Vista?

I had this issue in the past, but I was hoping it had been resolved via driver update since the last time I tried running Vista, but alas, it has not.

Basically - driver loads fine - Aero runs, but randomly, Aero will crash - my screen will "blink" and I'm staring at the Vista Basic interface - likewise, I can be in a game (any game) and the screen will freeze, the sound will stutter, the desktop will (briefly) flash and then the game will (sometimes) resume, and/or crash. If the game DOES resume, I can go back to playing (after I recover from being killed in game b/c my computer was freaking out for about 30 seconds), or if it crashes, I'm at the desktop. When I get out of the game (either from leaving on my own, or b/c the game crashed), I'm greeted with endless popups telling me that my VPU stopped responding, but recovered - I get the same message when Aero freaks.

Anyway - I was hoping a driver update had fixed this in the last 3-4 months or so, but it hasn't. I've had the same thing happen w/ both the x86 and the x86_64 versions of Vista. Just wondering if anyone had an idea.

For now I'm just gonna run Win XP x64, cause this is driving me nuts. Also note I have zero issues in XP, XP x64, or various Linux distro's.

[LA_MERC_th33_r00k]

Yes sir, but nothing taxes your GPU like VISTA. Have you tried with aero turned off?

[LA_MERC_Dirge]

Have you checked the knowledge base for a solution?

I run vista with nvidia and no problems.

[LA_MERC_MadMAX]

Yes sir, but nothing taxes your GPU like VISTA. Have you tried with aero turned off?
Actually, Aero doesn't tax the GPU very much at all, especially compared to the GPU workload a game is going to have...but yes - same issue, even setting the desktop in "Classic" mode it happens. Besides, Aero gets disabled when you go into a game anyway, and I have more trouble in game than I do on the desktop. However, if I couldn't have Aero, I wouldn't want to run Vista in the first place.


Have you checked the knowledge base for a solution?

I run vista with nvidia and no problems.

Also running Vista + Nvidia Quadro here at work with no issues.

Whose KB? ATI's? Microsoft's? I've done many Google searches - I've found people with similar problems, but no resolutions. I had no problems with my Nvidia 7900 either, however it bit the dust, and this card was on sale cheap - performance is fine, I'm happy with the card otherwise, It just doesn't seem to want to work w/ Vista.

If I can't get it to work, it's no big deal - I'm happy enough w/ XP x64 - it used to be a pain to get set up, but things seem to have really smoothed out for it - probably due to Vista x64 being out - XP x64 is fast as hell on my machine anyway, so I may just forget about Vista and leave it alone w/ that.

I'd just like to know why it isn't working - stuff like this bugs me :)

[LA_MERC_th33_r00k]

I've found people with similar problems, but no resolutions. I had no problems with my Nvidia 7900 either, however it bit the dust, and this card was on sale cheap - performance is fine, I'm happy with the card otherwise, It just doesn't seem to want to work w/ Vista.

That may be why it went on sale cheap. ATI radeon 9200 series cards had similar issues and ATI NEVER threw out a patch or driver to fix those cards. It could be a card hardware flaw they cannot remedy.

[LA_MERC_Andyconda]

Have you checked the knowledge base for a solution?

I run vista with nvidia and no problems.

Same here, Vista plus Ultimate 64 Vista = no problems.

Now if I had a legit key and didn't have the hax stuff pop up all the time it would really be nice.

[LA_MERC_MadMAX]

Same here, Vista plus Ultimate 64 Vista = no problems.

Now if I had a legit key and didn't have the hax stuff pop up all the time it would really be nice.

You Nub! I gave you a legit Business key ages ago - you never used it?

[LA_MERC_Andyconda]

You Nub! I gave you a legit Business key ages ago - you never used it?


Will a Buisness Key work for Ultimate 64 bit Vista. If so do you still have it.

[LA_MERC_MadMAX]

Do you mean, can you use the same DVD as ultimate and put in the Business Key? If so, yes - the ISO's are all the same.

Check your PM's for the key.

[LA_MERC_M@lACHi]

But when he does this, he will lose the functionality that differs between Business edition and Ultimate.

[LA_MERC_Spark]

ATI is your problem.. junk.. drivers suck.. product sucks.. just an opinion, but I have about 60 ati cards sitting in a box next to me.

[LA_MERC_MadMAX]

ATI is your problem.. junk.. drivers suck.. product sucks.. just an opinion, but I have about 60 ati cards sitting in a box next to me.

I'm going to agree w/ you on this one - for real!

I never updated here, but the drivers wound up blowing up w/ XP 64-bit too - I was digging around in some of the options in the ATI control center, and all of a sudden I get the XP "error sound", and I can't click any thing - NOTHING, but discover I can at least tab to "Ok" (nothing else) - go back in, immediately get the "error sound" and same thing (and it's on the page of the CCC I got stuck at). Reboot. Same thing, same tab. Uninistall and re-install drivers - same thing, upgrade to newer version of driver that came out that day - same thing - completely uninstall, remove everything ATI related and re-install, and control center wont even run.

To heck w/ it all! I'm running regular 'ol XP until I can afford a new card - no probs though, XP runs fine...but...yeah, ATI sucks some major, hairy, sweaty balls!