Helping AMD fix their drivers, again.

[Ripshod]

*ONLY RELEVANT TO AMD GPU AND CPU USERS*

This definitely affects 14.1beta users, and may have been missed for a few releases, only you can check your own system

Having battled random restarts and lockups, I did some investigating and discovered that AMD's 'FUEL' service is broken. Lots of '7000' errors in the event viewer gave me a massive clue. The fuel service is failing to load 'aoddriver2.sys' for some reason.

A quick search located the file at C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Fuel (win7 x64). So I dug further.

A quick search in regedit for 'aoddriver2' brought up one particular entry.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData\S-1-5-18\Components\8B36EFCF4BFB4B5409AFA3109173FDFE I found a directory entry for the driver.
A simple AMD typo has made this read 'C?\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Fuel\amd64\aoddriver2.sys'.

Did you spot the question mark? That entry should be 'C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Fuel\amd64\aoddriver2.sys'.

Your keys may be different from mine, so if you can't find it search the registry for 'aoddriver2'. It should be the first first result but check them all.

I don't know how this would affect anyone who actually uses the AMD Overdrive software, but as the 'FUEL' service is auto start without AOD and I was getting the errors I assume everyone's AMD drivers use it by default. I never activated AOD.

No more '7000' errors!!

btw, this error can also be a cause for afterburner crashes.

 

[Ripshod]

Reporting it, though like I said I'm not sure how long this has been missed, may be a few releases affected.

*edit*

Slap me round the face, could this fix the standby/hibernate issuse that have been reported?
Will test

 

[Ripshod]

Was the error in the other drivers too?

My machine would crash if I restarted folding after a standby. Resumes fine now so maybe the 'fuel' service is part of that. Don't know if it's conincidence but instead of taking a few seconds to load gadgets and settle my desktop is now instantly ready for use.

 

[Ripshod]

13.1? And it's never been brought to our attention or fixed?

I must have too much spare time on my hands lol

Not aware of such an issue

I'll retract that statement. Seems peeps have been going standby with GPU folding running. My bad!

 

[Ripshod]

Fresh install on the 13.12whql and the 14.1 betas (those tests took a full day) and that file is installed. May be just because my mobo and processor are AMD?

Can anyone running an intel CPU confirm this? Last thing anyone wants to do is give bad info

 

[Ripshod]

Maybe not. But I still had this problem with the 13.12s.

It's been noted elsewhere in regards to win 8 and power states too:
http://www.eightforums.com/bsod-cra...-failure-windows-8-pro-64-bit.html#post229244

AMD OverDrive (AODDriver2.sys) is either a stand-alone application, or a component of the AMD VISION Engine Control Center. This driver is known to cause BSOD's on some Windows systems.

Probably cos the driver couldn't be found (Error '7000')?

If you just install the bare drivers without ccc, and never use AOD or afterburner you may never see this error.

Also to note, so long as you're not using overdrive or afterburner it's safe to just disable the fuel service.

 

[Ripshod]

AMD Vision is CCC afaik. Name and layout change came at the same time it went from ATI to AMD as a general company.

 

[Ripshod]

I don't have a aoddriver2.sys

Lucky man!! lol

Just to put icing on the cake AB beta is running fine now. I was getting the screen lockup before (failing to respond) but now everything is sweet. Does this beta use the fuel service?

 

[Ripshod]

I also remeber the day AMD moved the graphic drivers to the catalyst installer. Everyone was asking why the motherboard drivers were installing cos that's what the catalysts were associated with. Had to adjust a few people on that one. Everyone thought the world had ended, or AMD had got mixed up (delete what doesn't apply)

CCC is the old Vision CC with a new GUI by the way.

 

[Ripshod]

OP adjusted accordingly, thanx

There is an easy fix by disabling the 'fuel' service. But it was provided to me by AMD as part of a package, and I'm OCD about things just workin!!

 

[Ripshod]

I've been fully through my registry (Win7 x64) and all the other directory entries in there are for the AMD drivers are C:\Prog........, I can't see them using a special convention for just one entry.
Also, I'm not getting '7000' errors (could not load the driver....) anymore.

Wouldn't be seen on a vm either, unless the vm software gives kernel access to the gpu/cpu? (that's what I believe - not gospel)

I'm just wondering now whether the : is substituted for a ? for drivers that are not used. But would that make sense when my system WAS using the driver but the entry wasn't changed (still bad coding by AMD)

Good morning btw lol

 

[Ripshod]

That particular system has gone back to the owner today. I don't install ccc on my systems, just the graphics and hdmi drivers so I have nothing to refer to.

Done a quick search on mine for c?\ in the registry with zero results. So now I'm out on a limb with nothing to refer to.

What I do know is the client is well happy now he can use his 'refreshed' system. When it left me it was running like a fresh install.

I don't like working with the registry, just sometimes there is need to.

If I'm asked I would install CCC and restore after, but I don't really see the need.

But, keep discussing this, I'm interested in what peeps find.