Black screen on boot when AMD drivers are installed

[TheYonderGod]

tl;dr: Black/white stripes, then fresh Windows 7 install; nothing but drivers and Chrome installed. Boots fine until I install AMD drivers, then its just a black screen. Tried both 14.4 and 14.9.

 

 

 

A couple days ago (approximately Sunday/Monday) I was having no problems with my graphics. I decided to re-install Windows to try to fix a mouse issue, hoping it was a driver or software issue instead of a broken mouse (it is the mouse). I'm not sure if I installed 14.4 or 14.9 this time, it came out on the day or the day after I installed. Everything was fine the next couple days until yesterday when I was playing League of Legends a black and white striped screen flashed for a moment. It wasn't even a full second, so I assumed it was just a game glitch or something, nothing else happened for hours. Then I was watching a Youtube video (It was a LTT video so, Linus, you broke my computer!) and the same black/white screen came up, but this time it didn't go away. I could still hear the video, but could see nothing for at least 10 or so seconds, then nothing.

I found a thread on another forum with a picture of what it looked like: http://www.eightforums.com/bsod-crashes-debugging/16656-weird-bsod-vertical-black-white-stripes.html

 

I restarted my computer, and after the windows loading screen, where the login screen should be, it was just a blank black screen. Booting into safe mode worked fine, so first I tried to uninstall my AMD drivers (it said I couldn't run the uninstaller in safe mode, so I followed the guide on OCN: http://www.overclock.net/t/988215/how-to-remove-your-amd-ati-gpu-drivers/0_20 ). That did nothing, still the same black screen. I also tried typing in my password and listening to see if it was booting with no video, I didn't hear anything.

 

So then I said screw it and re-installed Windows again. Installed chrome, chipset and sata drivers, and restarted. Everything was fine so far. Then I installed the latest AMD drivers (14.9) and rebooted, and got the same black screen. doh.gif

Repeated the same process with 14.4; same result.

 

 

And now I'm here. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

 

 

 

One more thing just came to mind, I am using a custom "minimal" Windows 7 installer. It's never caused any problems before, but I'll try 1 more time with the official installer... and not even install chrome or chipset drivers first. ONLY AMD drivers. Edit: still doesn't work. 

[Cheddle]

It may be coincidental and unrelated to the driver update - what are the temperatures on the card reaching? a vga and mouse issue makes me think its mobo related??

[TheYonderGod]

It may be coincidental and unrelated to the driver update - what are the temperatures on the card reaching? a vga and mouse issue makes me think its mobo related??

But on a completely fresh install just using the basic Windows VGA drivers, it works fine. As soon as I install the AMD drivers and reboot, I get a black screen.

The mouse issue turned out to be the mouse itself. (I also tested it on my brother's computer to make sure)

I can't check temps without the drivers installed. I do have a laser temperature sensor I could use to get the temp of the back of the card, but I have nothing to compare it to. I checked the fans, they are spinning freely. 

[Cheddle]

But on a completely fresh install just using the basic Windows VGA drivers, it works fine. As soon as I install the AMD drivers and reboot, I get a black screen.

The mouse issue turned out to be the mouse itself. (I also tested it on my brother's computer to make sure)

I can't check temps without the drivers installed. I do have a laser temperature sensor I could use to get the temp of the back of the card, but I have nothing to compare it to. I checked the fans, they are spinning freely. 

 

This might sound odd but I had a similar problem with 14.9 but this was a ULPS (ulta-low-power-state) issue related to crossfire - turning off ULPS with MSI afterburner resolved my issue being black screens and lock ups. 

 

Update the BIOS in the video card - the MSI website should have a guide / utility for doing this - failing that next do the BIOS on the motherboard (just to be sure)

 

the black screen issue is a problem that some people face when trying to flash a 290x bios onto a 290 so given that a bios related issue can cause a black screen on boot its entirely possible

 

its even possible that the standard VGA driver dosnt clock the card past its idle speed and its a power delivery issue so for idling its fine but when it goes to ramp up and suck in more juice its having a bad time... check the power supply cables to the card and try a different PSU just to be safe (if you have one nearby)

 

I know im stabbing at the dark here but if you keep approaching specific aspects of this problem you will uncover the culprit

[DirtySHISNO]

This might sound odd but I had a similar problem with 14.9 but this was a ULPS (ulta-low-power-state) issue related to crossfire - turning off ULPS with MSI afterburner resolved my issue being black screens and lock ups. 

 

Update the BIOS in the video card - the MSI website should have a guide / utility for doing this - failing that next do the BIOS on the motherboard (just to be sure)

 

the black screen issue is a problem that some people face when trying to flash a 290x bios onto a 290 so given that a bios related issue can cause a black screen on boot its entirely possible

 

its even possible that the standard VGA driver dosnt clock the card past its idle speed and its a power delivery issue so for idling its fine but when it goes to ramp up and suck in more juice its having a bad time... check the power supply cables to the card and try a different PSU just to be safe (if you have one nearby)

 

I know im stabbing at the dark here but if you keep approaching specific aspects of this problem you will uncover the culprit

This. I've had problems with MSI afterburner interfering with new drivers - usually when its set to "apply overclocking at system startup". Both monitors would go dark green around 10-15 seconds into desktop and not recover. The best way around it was to uninstall afterburner then re-install nvidia drivers, then finally afterburner again.

 

Sounds slightly unrelated, but may be of use. Took me a while to identify which program was causing it.

[TheYonderGod]

I found out I can boot using my onboard GPU -

I plugged my 2nd monitor into onboard, rebooted, and got a blue screen with white vertical lines on my main monitor (on GPU). Restarted and set primary display adapter to onboard, now I can boot into windows on my 2nd monitor. Main monitor on GPU is still blank though. 

GPU-Z, MSI Afterburner, and Catalyst Control Center now detect that I have a 7800 series GPU, but no info (clock speed, temp, bios, etc) about it.

http://imgur.com/KqZNNMO

http://imgur.com/btf6g1V

http://imgur.com/sj1sMjT

Also, CCC crashes a few minutes later.

-----------

I tried turning off ULPS, the box is just un-ticked again when I open the settings.

MSI Live Update doesn't detect a GPU bios update.

That did remind me that my GPU has 2 BIOS, switching changed nothing though.

------------

I guess I'll go tear apart my brother's computer to test his GPU in my computer and vice versa, and maybe his PSU in mine, but it's only 430w so it might not be enough. He's not going to be happy

Update: Put my brother's GPU in (6870), and it boots up fine. Time to RMA I guess. UGHH

I put my GPU back in 1 last time before I cry myself to sleep, and now it's not completely black. Now it has horizontal artifacts, until a few seconds after I log in; then it's a just a blank blue-ish grey. http://imgur.com/13TfwpB http://imgur.com/UqL5OVQ http://imgur.com/wSqHyT4

Now THIS looks like it could be just a cable issue. I wish it was. I already tried both DP and DVI.

I also put it in my brother's computer and it does the exact same thing.

Thanks for trying though, Cheddle and Shisno.

[Timopomer]

I found out I can boot using my onboard GPU -

I plugged my 2nd monitor into onboard, rebooted, and got a blue screen with white vertical lines on my main monitor (on GPU). Restarted and set primary display adapter to onboard, now I can boot into windows on my 2nd monitor. Main monitor on GPU is still blank though. 

GPU-Z, MSI Afterburner, and Catalyst Control Center now detect that I have a 7800 series GPU, but no info (clock speed, temp, bios, etc) about it.

http://imgur.com/KqZNNMO

http://imgur.com/btf6g1V

http://imgur.com/sj1sMjT

Also, CCC crashes a few minutes later.

-----------

I tried turning off ULPS, the box is just un-ticked again when I open the settings.

MSI Live Update doesn't detect a GPU bios update.

That did remind me that my GPU has 2 BIOS, switching changed nothing though.

------------

I guess I'll go tear apart my brother's computer to test his GPU in my computer and vice versa, and maybe his PSU in mine, but it's only 430w so it might not be enough. He's not going to be happy

Update: Put my brother's GPU in (6870), and it boots up fine. Time to RMA I guess. UGHH

I put my GPU back in 1 last time before I cry myself to sleep, and now it's not completely black. Now it has horizontal artifacts, until a few seconds after I log in; then it's a just a blank blue-ish grey. http://imgur.com/13TfwpB http://imgur.com/UqL5OVQ http://imgur.com/wSqHyT4

Now THIS looks like it could be just a cable issue. I wish it was. I already tried both DP and DVI.

I also put it in my brother's computer and it does the exact same thing.

Thanks for trying though, Cheddle and Shisno.

RMA TIME /o/

[Cheddle]

I found out I can boot using my onboard GPU -

I plugged my 2nd monitor into onboard, rebooted, and got a blue screen with white vertical lines on my main monitor (on GPU). Restarted and set primary display adapter to onboard, now I can boot into windows on my 2nd monitor. Main monitor on GPU is still blank though. 

GPU-Z, MSI Afterburner, and Catalyst Control Center now detect that I have a 7800 series GPU, but no info (clock speed, temp, bios, etc) about it.

http://imgur.com/KqZNNMO

http://imgur.com/btf6g1V

http://imgur.com/sj1sMjT

Also, CCC crashes a few minutes later.

-----------

I tried turning off ULPS, the box is just un-ticked again when I open the settings.

MSI Live Update doesn't detect a GPU bios update.

That did remind me that my GPU has 2 BIOS, switching changed nothing though.

------------

I guess I'll go tear apart my brother's computer to test his GPU in my computer and vice versa, and maybe his PSU in mine, but it's only 430w so it might not be enough. He's not going to be happy

Update: Put my brother's GPU in (6870), and it boots up fine. Time to RMA I guess. UGHH

I put my GPU back in 1 last time before I cry myself to sleep, and now it's not completely black. Now it has horizontal artifacts, until a few seconds after I log in; then it's a just a blank blue-ish grey. http://imgur.com/13TfwpB http://imgur.com/UqL5OVQ http://imgur.com/wSqHyT4

Now THIS looks like it could be just a cable issue. I wish it was. I already tried both DP and DVI.

I also put it in my brother's computer and it does the exact same thing.

Thanks for trying though, Cheddle and Shisno.

sad times... shopping time?

[TheYonderGod]

sad times... shopping time?

haha, good joke. Yeah, I wish. I'm gonna have to use onboard while I wait for the RMA. At least I should get playable frames in League though.

edit: Sorry if that came out a little rude. I'm a student, living with parents, with no job. I built this PC 1 part at a time saving pennies and gold farming... I have no money for a new GPU

[TheYonderGod]

UPDATE: 

 

I sent the RMA a couple weeks ago, and I just got an email from MSI. They say they are out of stock of suitable or comparable replacements, and want to give me $95 instead.

 

Ummmm BULLSHIT?!! I bought it for ~$250 and for comparable performance from this generation I would need at least an r9 270, which is at least $150 ($180 for the MSI model) 

 

Edit: emailed them back that it wasn't acceptable, then they said they did have one, just not the same model (R7870-2GD5T/OC instead of the Hawk I had), so I took it.

[TheYonderGod]

Soo I got the replacement for this issue on October 27th. Now, less than 2 months later, the replacement card died. I was working on something in Sony Vegas Pro, and all of the sudden; grey screen with white vertical lines again. 

FUCK THIS

[Acerpwns]

Soo I got the replacement for this issue on October 27th. Now, less than 2 months later, the replacement card died. I was working on something in Sony Vegas Pro, and all of the sudden; grey screen with white vertical lines again.

FUCK THIS

NVIDIA FTW... Jk lel im probably gonna piss someone off

Tough luck about your replacement mate, looks like you should contact MSI again because that seems just unacceptable

[BobbyG2]

PSU killing cards?

[TheYonderGod]

PSU killing cards?

I guess it's a possibility, but I've never had a problem with it or anything else in my system. There's no way to test this theory, is there?