Have had 3 monitors for 6 months, still having problems.....

[Sabiancym]

OK, so this eyefinity thing is not as cool as it sounds. It seems to get in the way more than it's useful. Although it is cool when working correctly. I have a few questions that I've kinda just ignored for awhile, but am getting sick of it.

First my Specs.

Intel I7 920 OCed to 3.4ghz
XFX Radeon HD 5970 Black Edition
6 GB Corsair Dominator RAM
ASUS P6T Deluxe V1 MOBO
Corsair P256 Solid State Hard Drive 256GB
Secondary 500GB 7200 RPM Drive
Some Soundblaster sound card that I can't remember

3 x ASUS VW246H 26" Monitor 2MS http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236049

I have two of the monitors plugged into the two DVI outputs on the card, the third one is hooked up with the Apple Active Display Port to DVI adapter. http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB571Z/A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY I hated buying Apple.......

Questions/Problems:

1. I haven't been able to upgrade drivers since I set this whole thing up. I've tried updating every time a new set comes out, but I always crash right after the windows load screen with an atikimdag.sys error. So I just boot in Safe Mode and Roll Back. It's very frustrating.

2. Catalyst Control Center does not save profiles. Like literally not at all. I set it all up perfectly the way I wanted. One Eyefinity, one Extended with the start menu on my middle monitor, and one with Crossfire off for certain games that don't like it. Every time I try to switch from one to the other, it completely messes up, and not in any predictable way, it's random. Sometimes it'll go into extended, but the monitors will be mixed up. Sometimes it will just duplicate one screen across all 3 monitors. It's very frustrating because instead of easily switching profiles, I have to manually set up the displays every time I want to play in Eyefinity, or use normal extended.

3. Bezel Compensation. WTH am I supposed to be doing with those triangles that CCC tells you to line up? No matter how I do it, my right monitor is always off. It's like a full inch higher than the other two display wise.



So what am I supposed to do? Do I have everything set up correctly? I think I do because games that support eyefinity work fine, it's just the above problems that really get irritating.


Thanks for the help.

[Abram]

1: Drivers. After uninstalling your current drivers, boot into Safe Mode by hitting F8 after POST, but before the Windows loading screen, and run a cleaning program like CCleaner or Driver Sweeper (both free), and get them to clean ATI files. Then reboot normally and install the new drivers.

2: I've had troubles with Profiles as well. Mine work, but I often have to load a saved profile TWICE to get the screen to arrange properly. This is a common problem, but has been getting better. Now my Eyefinity profiles always load properly the first time, but never my Extended profiles. So just load them again. Adn when you save the, be sure you're selecting ALL display settings, and not just select ones. The 10.8 driers have been the worst I've used for Profile loading...

3: The idea with the triangles is that you're supposed to adjust them so they look like regular, unbroken triangles. Hit the green left/right arrows until the diagonal side looks regular and appears straight. Hit the Checkmark button and It will ask you if it looks okay and you want to save. Say 'No' and it will let you alter the right display. Though since all three of your displays are identical, the setting for one should be the same as the other.

I personally hate that method to test bezel correction - when i get the triangle looking proper and correct, my actual images are still a little off. So I test the correction by using the Desktops and Displays section of the screens, and move it between screens to make sure everything looks as it should. But really, you can use any regular, repeating pattern you like. A checkerboard picture, for example. After you get it how you like it once, you can see what you new, Bezel-Corrected resolution is, and just adjust to that in the future. Unfortunately, I don't think there's a way to enter a new Corrected resolution manually, so you're still stuck with those silly triangles. Some folsk also overlap their physical bezels, But i don't like that.

And keep in mind that if your side monitors aren't flush with the center, viewing those triangles, or any image for that matter, will look a little skewed when viewed from above or below. Another good reason to have them at the proper height. Go find some PC ergonomics guides about that.

PS - there's a new driver set just released today - 10.9. Hopefully is will improve those profile issues.

[Sabiancym]

Wow....well I uninstalled my drivers, and then swept them in safe mode. Then I installed the new drivers and it worked....but it would not detect all 3 monitors at the same time. One would always be a generic monitor with no option to go over 640 x 480, plus CCC wasn't working correctly.

So I repeated the process....but now I can't get the drivers to install. They fail every time. The card isn't even listed under display adapters in the device manager anymore. There are just two "Video Controllers" lacking drivers in the "other devices" section, and I can't install drivers for them either.

I really don't know what to do. I've restarted probably 20 times in various configs, in and out of safe mode. I can't get any drivers installed. I wish I wouldn't have touched a thing and just kept with 10.4.


Oh and system restore isn't on, so I can't use that either.

[Abram]

Well I've always found System Restore to be next to useless...

It certainly sounds like you're doing everything correctly. I install every driver version on release day and using the uninstall - safe mode - sweep - restart - install method has always worked for me. Perhaps your video card is defective. Also, it seems that DP-DVI adapters give more problems than DP-VGA. I'm not sure which problems they have, since I've never used one.


Though I would expect your card to be listed as the unnamed "Video Controller" before drivers are installed. Do yo uhave access to another Eyefinity card to try out? Or go buy one at a local store just to test it, then take it back.

I dunno... what PSU do you have? I assume one that's of high quality and wattage, judging by the rest of your specs. Does your board have another PCI-E slot you can try the video card in? Really, I'm just taking shots in the dark, now.

Anybody else want to pipe in on this?

[Abram]

Have you tried 10.4 again? Though i doubt it'll make a difference, at this point...

[Dyre Straits]

Go into Device Manager and Remove/Uninstall any and every Graphics Adapter listed. Do the same with any Monitors listed. During this process, check the box on the "Uninstall Drivers" option. This will remove the device and the drivers. (Don't worry, you'll still see what you're needing to do.)

Reboot and DO NOT stop any Device Drivers Loading option. You need to let Windows install the native VGA drivers for the video cards. You'll also get the monitors redetected during the process.

Once you get the "Device Drivers Installed..." message, reboot once again.

Proceed to install the original drivers from the included disk that came with the video card. If a driver disk came with the monitor/s, do the same after getting the video card drivers installed.

Even though you may not get a prompt to reboot, do so just to be on the safe side.

Once back into Windows, try installing the latest ATi/AMD drivers (10.9) but without attempting to uninstall the current ones. Just do the "INSTALL" option ... not the "Uninstall" option.

Report back with the result. If you did get success, proceed to try your Eyefinity setup again.

If you still have problems with the DisplayPort connected monitor, AND if that monitor had VGA connection, I'd advise getting a decent DP -> VGA adapter.

Good luck!

[Sabiancym]

I doubt the card is defective, it ran fine for long time on 10.4. Not one error. My whole system is water cooled, so swapping slots isn't exactly an easy thing to do due to the tubing length. And yea, my PSU is a Corsair 850W (I forget the model #).

I'm going to try Dyre Straits suggestion when I get home tonight. Thanks for the help.

[Sabiancym]

Have you tried 10.4 again? Though i doubt it'll make a difference, at this point...

Yea I did, failed to install just like everything else.

[Sabiancym]

Alright, after following what Dyre Straits said I'm back at 10.4. I didn't go exactly like he said, but I'm on 10.4 an all my monitors are working well. I'm a bit afraid to attempt going to 10.9. Are there any real benefits to updating? I may just stay here since everything is working.

[Abram]

Good.

Every driver release comes with release notes. But the differences I've experienced since 10.4 is better profile loading, better framerates for some games i play, and added options in CCC. Except for 10.8, every update since 9.10 has given me positive improvements.

Now that you know how to uninstall those drivers properly, there should be no risk in trying 10.9. And since your card is newer, there are surely 5970-specific fixes.

[Sabiancym]

Good.

Every driver release comes with release notes. But the differences I've experienced since 10.4 is better profile loading, better framerates for some games i play, and added options in CCC. Except for 10.8, every update since 9.10 has given me positive improvements.

Now that you know how to uninstall those drivers properly, there should be no risk in trying 10.9. And since your card is newer, there are surely 5970-specific fixes.

I repeated the steps I did to fix it, but this time installed 10.9.

It failed, and I had the same problem all over again. I don't know what it is, but I just can't seem to go above 10.4.

[Sabiancym]

Well I managed to get 10.8 installed, but 10.9 still fails every time.

Thought everything was ok, but now my monitors aren't being detected every time. They are fine when in normal extended, but as soon as I create a group for eyefinity, one of them suddenly gets undetected. It's very very annoying.

10.4 is the only thing driver set that I don't have these problems.

[Abram]

Hm that's too bad. And quite strange. But at least you got it working again. ATI (excuse me, AMD) releases a new set every month, so maybe 10.10/11.0 will work.

You can also get the individual parts of teh driver set. Maybe it's only CCC or only the drivers that are fudging for you... if so inclined (and patient) you could try individual driver components.

[KryptoNyte]

I hated paying Apple for that adapter, too. I was finally able to dump if for this new $30 adapter from Sapphire, and after a day or so with it, it appears that all my strange issues are now gone. Restarts are fine, and even my profiles created and switch effortlessly.

I will mention that I didn't have major problems in the past getting the drivers to install, even with the Apple adapter. The setup after the driver install was nasty, with frequent ATI UI crashes (especially fun to resolve a UI crash during the bezel management setup).

[Dyre Straits]

Alright, after following what Dyre Straits said I'm back at 10.4. I didn't go exactly like he said, but I'm on 10.4 an all my monitors are working well. I'm a bit afraid to attempt going to 10.9. Are there any real benefits to updating? I may just stay here since everything is working.

What step did you not follow "exactly"? I tried to be very, very specific in how to do this correctly. I've been using ATI cards since 1996 and very rarely ever have had driver update problems.

Be that as it may, there is a Hotfix 10.9a driver set released that I believe you should try. It's a much larger download and may be the fix you need to get 10.9 installed correctly. I'm using this set now. Ignore any notes that these are "only for some HD4xxx" cards. The longer release notes indicate other fixes as well. Follow my previous advice to get back to your 10.4 drivers and then WITHOUT UNINSTALLING 10.4 just run the Install option. Don't uninstall anything.

Here's the link to 10.9a Hotfix: http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/ATICatalyst109Hotfix.aspx

There is one further note about these: They are not WHQL certified. The only thing you really need to know is that, when you get a warning prompt during the installation, just click on Install Anyway. VERY IMPORTANT! All this warning is telling you is that Microsoft has not issued certification for the drivers yet. That's it. These will not blow up your PC. ;)

Good luck!


EDIT: Just one other note: Have you checked with ASUS as to whether there are updated drivers for your MOTHERBOARD? This is just as important as updating any other drivers. So, check with ASUS as to whether there are newer system/motherboard/chipset drivers.