Catalyst 13.9 not working and subsequent catastrophy

[cvearl 60]

As a desktop support Analyst and working in general IT for many years I do not recommend system restore except as a last resort. Also. Driver Cleaner has not really been needed for many years. At least not since Windows 7. While I relied on it heavily in my video card review days, AMD's Catalyst Install Manager is a better and safer tool for this (I also used to be an ATI beta tester ages ago which is why I used cleaner in the past). Sadly too busy to stay on top of things last number of years though and spend most of my time flying FSX and no longer do that kind of work for ATI/AMD.

 

Anyway. I am 100% fine again. Like everyone I crashed hard in DX9 mode trying to use menus or exit the game since 13.9 installed. Damn! Thought I was pooched there.

 

I rebooted.

Ran the full uninstall from the control panel of Windows 7 (screenshot attached).

Rebooted again.

Deleted the C:\AMD folder and C:\Program Files\ATI folder.

Installed the last WHQL 13.4 package and rebooted. 

 

I am perfect again. In and out of FSX 5 times and loaded several different flights no problem. ALT-ENTER to the desktop and back. Bounced around in the menu's a few times. Display and all that. No problems.

 

Just my experience so far. Please make AMD know that 13.9 breaks FSX. The more the merrier. 13.4 is so far the best driver for FSX I have tested IMO and that is on 6 builds now and a few different models of cards.

 

Charles.

 

[Ron Attwood 3,464]

Exactly what I had to do Charles. I've always been a 'latest driver' hound but this last episode put the frighteners on me!  At one point, I swore I was looking at a full blown reinstall of everything! :Praying:

[abax2000 1]

After spending all Sunday with the bloody ATI driver thing, I believe that the system is back alive...still with no proper drivers but on standard VGA adaptor.

Following an ordeal of BSOD's, reboots, windows repairs, safe modes etc I ran again Atiman, CCleaner, DDU (seems like highly recommended) and then CCleaner again; so hopefully the pc is really clear of any remnants (and hopefully with nothing broken in the system that I did not spotted yet).

 

I posted also to Guru3D, asking what are the last drivers really relevant to my 5850. Since I have this info I will install them and get over with the updates.

If anyone here can also advise on this, would be great.

[cvearl 60]

After spending all Sunday with the bloody ATI driver thing, I believe that the system is back alive...still with no proper drivers but on standard VGA adaptor.

Following an ordeal of BSOD's, reboots, windows repairs, safe modes etc I ran again Atiman, CCleaner, DDU (seems like highly recommended) and then CCleaner again; so hopefully the pc is really clear of any remnants (and hopefully with nothing broken in the system that I did not spotted yet).

 

I posted also to Guru3D, asking what are the last drivers really relevant to my 5850. Since I have this info I will install them and get over with the updates.

If anyone here can also advise on this, would be great.

 

I don't know what to tell you because I don't know when it started to go south for you? What was your procedure for installing the new driver? From what driver were you coming from? Sometimes there are other things wrong in a system and it just happens that an app or driver brings the problem to the surface.

 

What I can tell you is in the past, things like driver cleaner and CCleaner have, from time to time, destroyed something on me.

 

I always update by doing the standard uninstall of the driver with a reboot and then installing the new one. Never had a problem in years and years doing that. In fact in many cases back and forth between nVidia and ATI. 

 

I do feel bad for you but you might not be out of the dark and tracking it down is not always easy. Good luck.

 

Charles.

[Dumont 9]

Worked for me in FSX, but I had news of people who encountered problems with 13.9 when carrying PMDG T7.
In Prepar3D does not work, starts normally but any change, an example, changing aircraft fatal error occurs.
I use P3D, I went back to using version 13.4
I sent information to AMD about the problem, it would be good that many people to send information about the problem, maybe AMD do something.

João Alfredo

[ronski 1]

head over to microsoft,  to check for registry errors and run the fix it program.  the installer/uninstaller program may be faulty.

 

see here;  http://support.microsoft.com/mats/Program_Install_and_Uninstall/en-us

just click on the 'fix it' button, see if they can sort it.

 

Is there any way to reverse changes made by CCcleaner, just in case something was removed that shouldn't have?

 I don't use it, but I use Revo uninstaller, as it can reverse any changes. 

  here; http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uninstaller_free_download.html

 

may seem strange, but have you tried the drivers that are on the CD that came with the card.?

 

Ron.

[sparks_smudge 1]

use 

AMD Catalyst Un-install Utility 

here: http://sites.amd.com/us/game/downloads/Pages/catalyst-uninstall-utility.aspx

[abax2000 1]

Update: Seems like the system is back with 13.1 installed. Haven't tried a flight yet, but FSX is launching, free flight is opening and I even can change aircraft (lol).

 

Haven't understood or read yet what is so wrong in 13.9, but for the time stay away.

As for driver cleaners: Driver Sweeper is old by now (so of questionable efficacy), Driver Fusion in its freeware version does rather little.

The new freeware DDU seems great (http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=379505) and put me back on track.

[cvearl 60]

Worked for me in FSX, but I had news of people who encountered problems with 13.9 when carrying PMDG T7.In Prepar3D does not work, starts normally but any change, an example, changing aircraft fatal error occurs.I use P3D, I went back to using version 13.4I sent information to AMD about the problem, it would be good that many people to send information about the problem, maybe AMD do something.João Alfredo

In FSX 13.9 generated FATAL ERROR for me too. 13.4 is good.

 

C.

[robertoga 1]

Hey,

I have had exactly the same problem: when I changed the airplane, FSX crashed.

I searched in Avsim forum, and found your answers; applied them (uninstalled Catlyst 13.9, restarted, installed Catlyst 13.4, restarted) and things work again fine.

Thanks to all of you.

Roberto

[Mirtma 0]

Same problem. I've just build new PC and installed lates driver 13.9. I tried FSX and it crashes. And obviously I thought that's something wrong with my fresh configuration. Then I found that I'm not the only one. I tried to installed 13.4, but my system went crazy ... BSOD, 3 restarts, system restore. :wacko: . Now I don't know how to get to 13.4 without crashing my PC. I report problem to ATI.

[Mirtma 0]

DDU helped me. I restarted to safe mode, start DDU, clean 13.9, restarted and then installed 13.4. It works!!!

[cvearl 60]

 

DDU helped me. I restarted to safe mode, start DDU, clean 13.9, restarted and then installed 13.4. It works!!!

 

 

Glad you got it sorted. I don't use DDU. But the safe mode was the key here in your case. Sounds like you had some locked files that did not clear on previous reinstall attempt. 

 

I find installing new drivers over old ones is fine but not for going backwards. You MUST uninstall the new driver and reboot. The Catalyst install manager works great for uninstalling. Then reboot and then install the previous driver. That is safe. Never had it fail and I move between drivers when testing often.

 

Charles.

[Mirtma 0]

Yes, I'm glad too. I've just spend money for PC upgrade and then FSX crashes ... I felt stone in my stomac. When I tried second time, I've used AMD Catalyst uninstall utility with same BSOD. But not in safe mode. 

[Swift-R 1]

So, if you get the DLL file (atiumdag.dll) from 13.5 or 13.4, which is working fine, and place it in FSX directory while using 13.9, will it fix it? Just like the UIAutomationCore.dll work around...

 

Because I would like to use the new AMD drivers and drivers that will come in the future and I am not sure if they will fix this issue.

Anyway, I will try this tomorrow if no one does.