880M Black Screen after Nvidia driver update

So I'm having a few troubles getting my two Rangers up and running properly. I had a frustrating night trying to get them sorted so any help or advice would be appreciated.
I'll just deal with the first issue for now.
I threw an 880M from the parts machine into my white Ranger (with 3D display) and after a few minutes in Windows I got some crazy colors and lines across the display. I'm hoping it's a driver issue and not the card. I decided to do a clean Win10 installation and everything goes well until Windows does it's stupid auto updates which includes the NVidia driver. Once I restart to finish the updates I get black screened.
Does anyone know what could be causing this or how to get around the auto-update?
I'm tempted to try to install Windows 7 from an old Alienware CD I have and see how it goes.

 

Sounds like a bad card, plain and simple.

 

Do you have an external monitor to plug in by chance?

That would be a good tell if it's just a weird driver issue, especially if you find error 43 in device manager.

 

Yeah I'll grab my monitor and try after work. Never thought to try it. I assumed it would just carry the issue across to the monitor.
Thanks for the suggestion.

 

It's a good first thing to test if its a driver issue.

You should probably disable hardware update or go enterprise Ltsc

 

After a few failed attempts I did disable the third party hardware update but the stupid thing did it anyway. That's when I gave up.
Not being allowed to choose your updates has to be one of the most stupid things about Windows 10. I have heard that the Pro version gives you a little more flexibilty. I have a Windows 7 pro disk somewhere so I may have to load that up and then try to do a free Win10 Pro upgrade.

 

Just use WUB and/or WPD to block access to Micro$lop cancer update servers. Those DCH drivers are rubbish and Windows being able to automatically update drivers and firmware is a recipe for disaster, invented by idiots, for idiots. You should use DDU to rid your system of the DCH virus after blocking access to the update catalog.

 

Thanks man. I'll try and work through that over the weekend.

Do you get to choose what updates you want to install with those programs or do they just stop the auto-installer completely. Basically an on or off switch.

I still think it's dying card problem. I shouldn't be getting those artifacts after a few minutes. I already have 2 failed 880M's in the drawer so it will probably be 3 soon.

 

Yeah, there is a good chance it is a dying card. But, it would be worth trying nixing the DCH drivers to rule them out.

Those just disable the updates completely like an on/off switch. But, you can use WPD, O&O Shutup 10 or WinAero Tweaker to only disable Windows Automatic Driver Updates. You can also do that with Group Policy.

 

So what I did last night was a clean Win10 install but I kept wifi off. I used a other PC to download a few basic drivers using a flash drive as well as a standard NVidia driver (425.xx) It still black screens as soon as I restart after the Nvidia install. Nothing on an external monitor either. I can boot up in safe mode without a problem and device manager does show the card as an 880M.
I even tried to use the last Dell NVidia driver which was 353.XX I think.
Could a vBIOS help? I’ve never actually flashed one before.



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I would also like to now how to use nvflash......not for any reason right now, just to know how.
Has anyone got any good pointers?..things NOT to do?
Thank you

 

I’ve tried to follow guides and I still can’t work it out. Hard to teach an old dog new tricks


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Want to try something else Maxy?
How about linux on a usb stick?

Popos with nvidia driver support......can only try
https://pop-iso.sfo2.cdn.digitaloce...64/nvidia/57/pop-os_18.04_amd64_nvidia_57.iso

burn iso to a usb then boot it.
see if it is a bad card or a bad driver

 

It probably will not help, but it certainly would not hurt to try. Sounds like your GPU is on its last leg.

Extract the attached zip file.

1. Backup your original vBIOS first.
   Open a command prompt in the same folder:
   Code:

   nvflash -b -i0 880M_Backup.rom

   A new file will appear in that folder named 880M_Backup.rom
   
   
2. Flash the vBIOS included.
   From command prompt in the same folder:
   Code:

   nvflash -i0 -6 880M-vBIOS.ROM

   This will flash the file provided named 880M-vBIOS.ROM
   Answer "Y" to the prompt about overriding the hardware mismatch.

You can automate those commands by simply double-clicking on the enclosed batch files.

 

Hello Mr Fox, thank you!!

I actually have a 980m so I didnt use your kit. I did how ever backup my current bios with nvflash64 -b -io 980m.rom
I do have more questions but dont want to hijack Max's thread. I'll make a new one. Please give me advice if your so inclined.

 

Thanks man. I’ll give it a try. I just don’t understand why it recognises the 880M in safe mode but as soon as I try to install a driver it fails.
I just tried loading Windows 7 Pro and it still black screened after the driver installation.
Is there are way to save the old vBIOS without using GPU-Z? It won’t launch in safe mode


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Feel free to hijack. I’m learning all this too


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I provided a command for that in my post. Did you try using NVFLASH to backup in Safe Mode?

If you remove the drivers and no longer get a black screen without drivers, you can use that to backup using NVFLASH if Safe Mode does not work.

 

Max...you have nvflash unzipped?
open a cmd window in the nvflash folder and type

nvflash64 -b -io 880m-backup.rom

 

I have to reinstall Windows 10 first. I’ll have a crack in a little while and let you know


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How do you open a command window in the NVFlash folder? I press SHIFT - RMB but it only gives me an option to open a Powershell window

 

ah...windows 10

have to do it the old fashioned way?...click run and type cmd
the cd to you nvflash folder

 

i0 (zero) not letter "o"

 

Well I can open the command prompt but that’s where my skills finish


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https://www.itprotoday.com/windows-10/add-open-command-window-here-windows-10-context-menu

 

Mr Foxy.....i0.....oh....I better do that bios backup again. Thank you

 

Followed all the steps but couldn’t get the command window to show. I’m doing something wrong. Got my 4yo girl wanting to play pretend tinkerbell with me at the same time


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That's precious. Cherish those moments and play tinkerbell while you can. She'll be grown up and gone before you know what happened. All 5 of mine are grown up now. My baby girl (the only girl of the bunch) is 32 and a mother of 4 now.

Grab a tissue and listen to this, bro...


Hmm, that's weird. Try using WinAero Tweaker to create that in the context menu then. Works every time. Just add a check mark to a box.

 

Thanks for all your help. I’m going to take your advice and take a break from the electronics and have a play with the kids.
I’ll have another go when I get some free time. Maybe in about 15 years


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Enjoy that video. Really hits home, LOL.

 

Well I managed to get the BIOS flashed but it made no difference. Still no display once it starts loading windows.
Giving up on this card.


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Pity

You said you had 2 more in a drawer...flash those and see how they respond!?!

 

Neither of them will post with the 120Hz display. I will need to plug them into a 60Hz machine and give them a try.

 

I've just put one of the other 880M's into my red Ranger since it has the 60Hz display and it isn't detected in the BIOS or Device Manager. I'm typing on that one now. Pretty sure it's dead. The other dead one is in my drawer at work but I'm sure that one is dead as it was the original one from the white Ranger and it was shorting out the power adapter when you plugged the adapter into the machine. As soon as I put a 780M in, the Ranger worked fine.

 

Put dead card in the oven

 

That actually came to my mind last night in bed. I remember hearing people talk about this years ago. Has anyone had any success from doing this? What temp and for how long? I'm not much of a baker.

 

Yes, this has worked for some folks on AMD and NVIDIA GPUs when the failure was due to fractured solder joints. Heating the GPU will reflow the solder. You will want to let it cool off slowly on its own without disturbing it, so do that after the kids are in bed so they don't get burned on the open oven door. Or, better yet use a toaster oven on the kitchen counter if you have one. That is what @Khenglish uses for a soldering oven. I am thinking he can recommend a temperature and how long to leave it in the oven. If I had to venture a guess, probably something like 200°C, but wait and see if he provides a response to my tag. You have to get it hot enough to flow the solder, but not so hot that it burns it up.

I think Linus Tech Tips baked a dead desktop GeFarts GPU and brought it back to life. I remember a video on their YouTube channel where Linus did that.

Assuming that is the cause and nothing else is wrong with the GPU, it should work fine for as long as the re-flowed solder joints hold up. I think those susceptible to this failure will eventually fail again due to weak soldered joints (perhaps not the best solder or flux was used).

There was a really old thread about this in the main Alienware forum if you can find it. You'll probably have to go back several years.

 

I'd love to go back several years, back to when I had more hair on my head.

Anything is worth a try at this stage so thanks for the info and tagging Khenglish. Currently I have 3 x 880M's and an M290x that look like going in the scrap bin.

I'm thinking it's probably easier to pull the two 780M's from my M18x and put them in the white and red rangers and then grab a 1060 for the M18x.

 

Oven baking only works if the card is partially functional, for example you launch a game but it crashes a few minutes in. If it's not even detected the core needs to be pulled and reballed.

 

Thanks for the reply. How about for a card that will load in safe mode but black screens in normal startup? I understand that any of these repairs are temporary and the reality is that the card is all but gone. The 880M has to be the worst card that I've come across since I now have 3 dead or deadish ones.

 

If it can run without a driver (safe mode) it may be fixed with an oven bake. Don't count on it though. Basically for an oven bake to work the broken connection still needs to be in contact. It won't resolder if you don't have contact. Line the core with solder flux when attempting a reflow.

If the card hasn't run properly in over a month, first bake it to remove moisture at 100C for 5 hours. If you don't do this the core will pop like popcorn.

After moisture is out, set the oven to 230C. Have the card in the oven when starting cold, don't try putting it in a hot oven. Turn the oven off and crack the door open after the oven has been at 230C for 5 minutes.

 

Thanks. I may as well give it a try before throwing it in the bin


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Definitely worth trying before giving up. If it doesn't work, don't toss it though. It probably has pieces on it that someone could use for GPU repairs.

 

If only I had an electrical engineering degree......

 

Ive sold a few dead GPU's on their own, they have value even if dead.

 

Just on ebay? I'm not sure what market there is for dead cards here in Australia but I would imagine China would be full of smart guys who could fix them up.

 

You dont need a degree Max, just give it a go. At this point nothing to loose. I would add 1 more point......cooking card might stink?!?!.....if your wife is anything like mine the reaction could be anything from mild wtf to thermonuclear meltdown for ****ing with her oven......timing is everything

EDIT: Max i watch a lot of this guy. Can be slow, but definitely worth it. My inspiration.


@Khenglish great tips to try...I never would have though of the moisture drying first. "...the core will pop like popcorn."
Thank you, i will remember that post.

 

Thanks man! I'll have a look at his vids when I get home from work. Slow and steady is the best way for my old brain.

My wife barely knows how to turn the oven on since I do most of the cooking. I'll wait till she goes to bed, just to be safe.....

 

Well after all of the fussing and fighting with dead 880M’s and faulty AMD’s I just stripped both 780M’s out of my trusty M18x and gave one to each Ranger.
They seem to be running fine with fans running and no freezing. I guess it’s time to upgrade the old M18x and sell the Rangers.




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Nice shiny new xmas presents for good boys and girls....good timing