G74SX occasionally the display doesn't work after hibernate?

I recently did a clean install of Windows 7 on my ASUS G74SX. Lately I have been having a problem where maybe 25% of the time, when I turn on the laptop from hibernate, it shows the ASUS startup screen, but then the screen goes black once it is supposed to display that "Windows is starting up" screen. But the thing is that if I enter my password and hit enter which would log me in, I hear the login noise. So basically my screen doesn't register for some reason, but the laptop itself works. To clarify, the screen is black and does NOT continue to have power after the ASUS screen, it literally goes black (not lit up), but my laptop works fine.

I thought it may have been a problem with my graphics driver, and I updated it to the latest one for my video card, yet the problem persists. If I just shut down my computer and start it back up, it works fine.

Does anyone know what could cause this?

 

Is an external monitor or LCD TV connected to your laptop also black when the laptop resumes from hibernation?

I've read that ASUS does not post NVIDIA driver versions later than 268.37 due to S3 issues with ALL the more recent drivers. MarshallR@ASUS states in http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...efer-a-drivers-page&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us:

Most of the list is direct download links from the ASUS site - these can just as easily be pulled from the product pages. One main criticism is that they are not the most up-to-date versions, but that's because they are fail qualification in some area. For example: every Nvidia driver since 267 on the site has had an S3 bug with the 560M. This may not affect MOST people, but we work on the basis of having something that aims to work 100% with 95% of the performance, rather than working at 100% performance for everyone except those who hibernate.

I'm thinking he meant NVIDIA version 268, since that is the driver version that ships and appears on the ASUS G74SX download site.

Can you reproduce your issue with a clean install of this NVIDIA 268.37 version? If so, I'd then look for a) installed apps that may not play nice with hibernation OR b) consider disabliing/enabling hibernation to recreate HIBERFIL.SYS.

 

Nope, its not plugged into anything. Only things plugged in are my cooling fan and a wireless mouse.

 

The reason I asked about the behavior of video on an external montor was to isolate the problem to either the graphics adapter or the laptop display.

1) Can you reproduce your issue with a clean install of NVIDIA version 268.37 or after recreating HIBERFIL.SYS after disabling/enabling hibernation?

2) Can you reproduce the issue without the cooling fan or wireless mouse plugged into USB ports?

 

I tried finding that driver on the Nvidia website, and it doesn't even exist anymore. Do you have any suggestions?

Also, will this lower the performance of my games?

 

I suspect the version numbering may have confused you. 268.37 are the last five digits of the 8.17.12.6837 NVIDIA driver version listed on the ASUS site:
ASUSTeK Computer Inc. -Support- Drivers and Download G74Sx
You need to specify the Windows 64-bit OS and then expand "VGA".

You definitely will lose performance with the latest games by backrevving to this NVIDIA version. The more recent NVIDIA drivers have game performance enhancemants, but don't play well with Windows hibernation.

Personally, I choose performance over hibernation. Besides, there is no telling what other 3rd party driver or application will not work with hibernation and I suspect that even Microsoft updates can lead to issues with this technology. It is far from a "rock solid" feature in Windows.

 

I will give this a shot tonight. I just figured there would be some sort of fix for this, you know? It seems like a big enough problem for them to make some sort of fix for it. I always did performance as well before my laptop crashed, and I remember that the last driver I used was the Battlefield 3 beta driver. Never had a single problem hibernating.

But I will try this out tonight.

 

Make sure you choose to do a "clean install" of the NVIDIA driver. Also, it is no guarantee of a fix as there may be some other driver or app on your system that is causing the problem. It is also possible your HIBERFIL.SYS file may be corrupt and need to be recreated.

You could also use Windows System Restore to return to your stable configuration with the NVIDIA Beta driver where hiberation worked if the restore point still exists. That would be the easiest way to resolve this issue.

 

Wouldn't hurt to recreate the hibernation file, you can do it via the command prompt.

Open the command prompt as an administrator then type powercfg -h off to disable hibernation. Type powercfg -h on to turn it back on again, this will recreate the hibernation file.

 

Unfortunately, I don't have access to my old restore points because my computer crashed. So I did a clean install of Windows. Ever since I did the clean install, this is when the problem came up, but I never had the problem prior to the clean install.

Also, I tried booting from hibernate today without the mouse and fan, and it worked fine. I will try a few more times before I reach any verdict though lol.

I also followed those steps to recreate the hibernation file, so hopefully I can update you guys with some good news in the next few days.

 

This is where routine backups of a Windows System Image or using partition cloning software like Acronis True Image Home for routine backup can pay dividends. You just perform a restore of your last stable configuration and you're back up and running without issues. Maybe next time...

Glad to hear you're moving forward with this issue.

 

Silly question, but have you tried pressing fn+f7 to turn the screen back on? Try pressing it three times if one doesn't work.

 

Well the hibernation file and FN+F7 thing didn't work. I still can't locate that driver so I have yet to try that.

My biggest concern right now is that when this happens, I have to hold down the power button and shut down my computer without going through the shutdown process. Its to the point where my computer asks to do a disk check at the beginning. I have no idea how to properly shut down the laptop if I can't see the screen.

 

ctrl alt delete twice should reboot.

 

That is a safe method? Even if it is at the Windows login screen?

 

Yes. I think you only have to ctrl alt delete once at login. It's basically the same as clicking on restart in the bottom right corner.

 

Mysteriously, I haven't had a problem in days. Probably about 10 or more hibernates and recoveries, and have yet to have it mess up on me. This is confusing lol.

 

Can I still get some help with this? Its still a problem. I found an easy way to fix this, if it goes black, I just close the screen and put it to sleep, waiting maybe 30 seconds for it to fully register that, and open it back up. Usually works then. I just want a permanent fix.

 

I read a post ( http://rog.asus.com/forum/showthrea...-sleep-hibernate&p=86103&viewfull=1#post86103) where a user was having trouble with resuming from sleep/hibernate. It turned out to be a setting in Device Manager for his wireless mouse that was set to wake the system on mouse activity. Once he disabled that setting, resuming from sleep/hibernate no longer caused problems.

I'd check that out and also confirm your touchpad remains disabled when the wireless mouse is active.

EDIT: The user I referenced later confirmed his mouse configuration did NOT completely resolve his issue. Oh well.....

 

Hmm I decided to ask them on there as well. I am just blown away why my laptop didn't do this before it crashed while I as using a much newer driver, but it does now after a clean install.

 

I've noticed in reading posts of this type that the laptops may develop electrical shorts (my hypothesis anyway) that cause problems with the laptop display (i.e. there is no video displayed). They go immediately from working fine to no video on the next startup. These cases can even give the symptoms of a dead video graphics adapter. No POST, can't access BIOS, or display video on an external display.

Yet in certain cases, the laptop can be physically pressed in a certain area, or when it is picked up from one corner, or when the user touched the LVDS cable while holding onto a radiator in the room, the issue will be temporarily resolved. One user, completely disassembled his dead laptop after all attempts to start it up failed, but when he put it back together, it worked fine. See G73JH Black screen Go figure...

Still, yours seems more like a software issue. What Antivirus, AntiMalware, Firewall, or Remote Access Software is installed on your system?

Does this problem occur on a completely fresh Windows 7 install with no 3rd Party software or updates added?

EDIT: Here is a configuration change for the NVIDIA driver that may be worth a try with this issue: http://rog.asus.com/forum/showthrea...-sleep-hibernate&p=87350&viewfull=1#post87350