MSI Afterbuner stopped working / monitoring / connecting to update server - 780 lightning now loud as a jet turbine

[RichardSchwager]

Good evening tech community,

 

 

 

first off, I am not a native speaker, please go easy on my spelling/grammar/etc mistakes.

So I've had this issue, that I will come to later, for a while now. This morning I was close to killing myself over it, until this "5K Imac" video of linus released decent amounts of adrenaline to keep me from ending my life - and also brought me the idea to give the community a shot, that linus admire so much. 

 

 

1. This is what happened

To start things off, my system specs:

• CPU: i7-4770K                   
• GPU: MSI 780 Lightning  
• PSU: Corsair RM 850W
• MB:  MSI Z87 MPOWER      
• RAM: 16GB Corsair Vengeance Black (running XMP)
• Storage:  128GB Samsung 830 SSD, 1TB WD
• OS: Windows 7 64 Bit Service Pack 1

The Computer has been running in this configuration for at least 6 Months (Stable, no crashes / errors / issues whatsoever). No changes in hardware have been made whatsoever. However it should be noted, that the harddrives (and os) are from a previous build which used an i5-3550 and a asus gtx 660. This previous build was stable for almost a year, until I upgraded everything but the harddrives. Although online folks told me differently, I could just plug in the harddrives and boot into windows with all my old folders / layout / data without any issues. Once again: NO CRASHES for at least 6 months straight.

I used MSI Afterburner 4.0 with my MSI card. Also installed the MSI VGA Fan Tool which was made for the 780 Lightning, mainly to control that noisy ass fucking useless middlefan. Good knows why there is a fan in front of a metal plate with no cooling fins.

Everything worked flawlessly.

Then, about 4 Weeks ago, Afterburner suddenly told me it couldn't connect to the update server (See attachments). It also stopped recognizing my GPU and Gpu driver along with all temperature checkpoints on the card. It only showed Windows Ram usage. MSI VGA fan control didn't pop an error message, but also managed to stop working . Neither afterburner nor vga fan control can be adjusted anymore (see attachments).

Fuck. Now the middlefan ramps up like a little b**** when playing games. What used to be my beloved near silent 1500€ killer gaming/edeting/working machine turned into a damn jet turbine. Could've had this much cheaper. 

Then I tried out EVGA Precision x16. Surprisingly, It worked. It showed some graphs regarding the gpu (I am not sure if power consumption and gpu clock are the only two that can be displayed, or if the others are hidden in some submenu). The fan control regulates one fan controller (The two big fans on the left and right), however not the second one (The yellow noisy middlefan). This smaller one still turns up like hell in video games. 

Precision x16 gave me an error this morning saying it couldn't connect to the internet. It could again after a reboot - afterburner still denies its services.

 

2. This is what I've done so far

• as mentioned, installed precision x to see if it might be due to gpu (but it is prooven that it isnt, right?)
• reinstalled EVERYTHING MSI related 
• (tried to) reinstall everything nVidia related (after reboot, an old driver automatically installed itself .. dont know how that happened. maybe the pc took it from the downloads folder?)
• Just for the heck of it and in between steps rebooted the pc millions of times
• contacted MSI support twice: 

1. First guy told me to dump my pc and buy a new desktop from the MSI website (S***er) :angry:  :angry:
2. Second guy was a lot nicer. Told me to reinstall stuff, update stuff, clean regestry, and then to reinstall windows
   • I did everything he said but to reinstall windows. I even used a regestry cleaning tool, although internet told me otherwise (I is said to be really unsafe). However, I dont feel like I did it properly.

• searched the web forever, however no one seems to have my certain issue
• updated everything (got my hands on afterburner 4.1 just today, same result : "can't connect to update server")
• "downdated" everything, used most older versions - still, all tell me they cant reach the update server#

 

3. Conclusion (about the question)

I need to control the noisy middle fan. It is jus not necessary for it to run at 45% since booting (it always did that, and I always turned it down).

I dont feel like its a Windows or GPU problem. Why would a problem randomly accur after over six months of problem free use without hardware changes? This doesnt make any sense to me.

I think that something is preventing Afterburner from working - in the sense like afterburner needs (at least once maybe) a connection to the internet to varify (that I am not some spammer or anything?), but as it cannot establish a connection, the program locks itself and doesnt work? I mean why else would Precision x work? What could be hindering Afterburner?

I really dont want to reinstall Windows. This would mean so much work for me as I really costumized my desktop and OS and file management etc.

As I know the least about the regestry, and the nice MSI guy talked about it and cleaning it, I suspect the regestry to be the fault. (?)

 

If you made it until the end, I want to thank you - I dont take it as granted that you take your time to help or even read about my issue.

If you've any Solution, or idea, or know someone or know some place or website I could write to, anything - please let me know.

 

 

Thank y'all so much in advance,

yours truly, from the north of Germany,

Richard

[Excon]

@RichardSchwager

 

Well thats one of the most well written descriptive posts I have ever seen from a new member and I thank you for that.

 

About 4 weeks ago, when this issue started. MSi updated Afterburner to 4.1.0 FINAL. That is more than likely the reason why you were no longer able to reach the update server. I;m not sure if you were reinstalling the older 4.0.0 version when you tried that. If not here is a link to the download:

http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/msi-afterburner-beta-download,2.html

Just scroll to the bottom and select 4.1.0

 

I highly doubt it could it is your GPU, I can pretty much guarantee it isnt.

[Unlikelyjoker]

@RichardSchwager

 

Well thats one of the most well written descriptive posts I have ever seen from a new member and I thank you for that.

 

About 4 weeks ago, when this issue started. MSi updated Afterburner to 4.1.0 FINAL. That is more than likely the reason why you were no longer able to reach the update server. I;m not sure if you were reinstalling the older 4.0.0 version when you tried that. If not here is a link to the download:

http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/msi-afterburner-beta-download,2.html

Just scroll to the bottom and select 4.1.0

 

I highly doubt it could it is your GPU, I can pretty much guarantee it isnt.

Thank god i dint update i dont want my lightning like a jet

[RichardSchwager]

@Unlikelyjoker

I dont feel like it is due to the updating. I much rather feel like I have been a noob and unconsciously messed something up ... 

 

 

@Excon ;

 

Thank you

I tried version 4.1 , also all older versions. None of which could "connect to the update server".

 

However:

I made progress today. by accident basicly but at least progress.

All those times I reinstalled afterburner / vga fan controll, I installed it on the standard path on my C: drive.

Just for the heck of it and to see if it would make any difference, I wanted to install afterburner (I used the latest version 4.1) on a different drive; D: drive. It is physically a different drive.

For added tidyness, I always create folders on all my drives to install programms into. As I wanted to Create an "MSI Afterburner"-Folder on the D: drive, I noticed that there was already an existing folder called "MSI Afterburner"  -  then I remembered that I had always installed afterburner on the D: drive in the first place.

Subsequently I chose the existing folder for installation path (it even contained old profiles). It asked me to reboot and BOOM - MSI Afterburner works again!

 

Unfortunately the VGA FAN control, which is required to control the noisy middle fan, still doesnt work whatsoever.

After the random success with afterburner almost made me start raving, I wanted to install VGA fan control on the D: drive as well - however it doesnt let me choose a path. Therefore, it still looks like the original attachment (the outer fans get detected correctly, middle fan doesnt get detected, control is completly impossible.

 

 

Remaining Questions:

 

• why cant I chose a path for vga fan control
• how can i (Force-)chose a path to save vga fan control on the D: drive?
• why would afterburner refuse to work on the C: drive, then work flawlessly on the D: drive?
  • If there is a answer to this question, could we maybe figure out how to prevent the problem, that is causing both problems to not work on the C: drive?

 

[RichardSchwager]

SOLVED!!!

 

I reinstalled Windows, then I could use whatever path I want for afterburner. I am currently using C drive.

 

 

VGA Fan control still refused to work, therefore i installed the oldest version available from the cd in the graphics card box. previously i had downloaded the latest version from msi.de, which were not working at all. the oldest one however does.

--> MSI has a broken programme on their website and doesnt even care to correct it.