GPU Issue after attempted Windows 10 TH2 Update

[LexCalifornia]

Specs:

 

Mainboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 5 (F7 Bios)

CPU: Intel Core i7 4790K (not OC'd)

CPU-Cooler: BeQuiet! Dark Rock Pro 2 (fans running, no issues)

RAM: 2x 8 GB Hynix 1600 DDR3 (currently running memtest)

GPU: Asus GTX 970 Strix 4GB OC (Furmark 15 mins - no problems, dxdiag - no problems) (3 days old)

SSD: Samsung Evo 120 GB (3D-VNand Version - 2 Weeks old, according to crystal disk - no problems) - Windows 8.1 Pro 64 drive

SSD2: Crucial M4 SSD2 128 GB (3 years old, according to crystal disk - no problems) - Windows 10 Pro 64 drive

HDDs: disconnected

PSU: Silverstone Strider 1.5kw

 

 

Hey guys,

 

sooo Friday, 13th hit me hard today.

 

Windows 10 Pro 64 bit tried to update to the new build (1511 - the TH2 Update), which failed me at 79% with fractals all over my display (It was about to install drivers when it started haning).

I tried to rescue Windows through the recovery console thinking it was a driver issue since my new gpu is only 3 days old and didn't show any problem in the last 3 days. So I tried to recover a working restore point but Windows couldn't find any. Altho I know exactly that before every app installation and even before the update I manually set a restore point. Desperate like I am I refreshed Windows which gave me the nicest restart screen with the same fractals and a sound loop, so a complete crash right at booting into Windows 10. Another reboot (reset switch) and Windows tried to repair my Windows 10 SSD drive.

 

I then wanted to reboot into Windows 8.1 which I knew was working (I used Windows 8.1 for Gaming due to those bad Nvidia Win 10 drivers) which left me in the bootscreen and Windows was saying 'scanning and repairing drives. Windows then rebootet and gave me exactly the same fractals on the boot screen.

 

Literally I was going crazy at that point. I grabbed my Windows 8.1 stick and wiped the Samsung SSD, installed Windows 8.1 completely from the scratch without any screen issues. Even the driver installation worked without a problem.

 

What I've installed:

-Windows 8.1 Pro 64 bit

-All Mainboard drivers from the DVD

-Nvidia drivers from the DVD 344.48

-Asus GPU Tweak from the DVD

-FurMark (ran a 15 minutes test and FurMark didn't find any problems, GPU at 99% usage @ 66° C stable)

 

But after the reboot there where fractals all over the display again.

 

Windows 8.1 doesn't give me a "boot into the login screen" crash but if it shows fractals and after the login it crashes at the first boot.

BUT: a second reboot goes without a problem. No screen issues, no hangs, it runs butter smooth.

 

Things I've tried so far:

 

-Checked cable connection PSU-Mainboard, PSU-GPU, PSU-SSD, Mainboard-SSD (even changed SATA cables), Mainboard-CPU Cooler

-unplugged all external hardware (Mouse, keyboard, DVD drive)

-switched display cable (DVI)

-changed monitor (Dell U2312HM over DVI to TV over HDMI)

-changed PSU PCIe-Port

-changed PSU PCIe-Cable

 

nothing helped.

 

Actually I'm running memtest (1st stick of RAM passed without errors, currently testing stick two)

 

What concerns me is that this all started #1 after the failed Windows 10 TH2 Update tried to install drivers and #2 especially after Windows tried to repair my SSD drives.

 

Also: At boot I don't have problems at all, just if it comes to the Windows own boot process. Bios is okay, no issues there, also not on the boot splash screen or even in safe mode.

 

The Windows 10 drive is completely messed up, I didn't even try to re-install Windows 10 now.

 

Last working combination on both systems was with Nvidias 358.78 GameWorks driver (which was the most stable over all in the last few weeks).

 

If you have any ideas on what else I could test before RMA'ing the GPU (which works perfectly fine at the second reboot), then please throw them at me!

 

Thanks in advantage.

 

-Lex

 

 

Windows 10 hung at 75% through the update process like that:

 

 

Update (and maybe solved, I'll test more tomorrow):

After even Windows 8.1 gave me all this f*ck flakes (They have names now!) I've gone through several reinstalls when I encountered that everytime when Windows starts like that:

 

Then the GPU is not recognized, it's only shown as 'Microsoft Basic Display Adapter' with 256 MB of Ram.

 

I digged a bit further into the issue of a not recognized video card and ended up at the ASUS ROG forums where someone postet a non-post issue with a specific Video Card Bios on his Strix 970 on a DisplayPort connection. I gave it a shot and a windows install later (with updated nvidia drivers, the geforce experience crap and the suspected as faulty ASUS GPU tweak - which wasn't the reason I guess) I've re-booted now several times without a problem.

Furmark runs well, Video playback as normal, no more f*ck flakes anywhere.

 

I've read that ASUS GPU Tweak can update the GPU bios by itself so I disabled it, used Maxwell Bios Tweaker to update to the latest available Strix Bios for the 970 and it seems to work now without problems.

 

 

And yes those aren't screenshots because I'm way too lazy after all those hours of testing and sh't. Cross your fingers that this works because otherwise I might just pour some gasoline over it and buy a Mac and that's surely not what you want. Do you?

 

If anyone is interested in a step by step how I updated the GPU Bios, just respond. It's fairly easy tho.

 

-Lex