Windows 7 crashes on startup, "Attempt to reset the display driver and recover from timeout failed"

Anonymous
2009-11-03T13:00:54+00:00

Right, so I'm using an HP laptop, and it seems to be consistently crashing on startup, with a bunch of strange coloured lines and pixels before the login screen appears. I usually dont even get a BSOD, but I did just once, with the error code 0x000000001E and the error message "Attempt to reset the display driver and recover from timeout failed".

I'd had this problem using Windows Vista as well, and thought an upgrade to 7 might fix it, but apparently not. Listing my computer specs below in case they're of any use.

HP Pavilion dv9830us

OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit edition, formerly Windows Vista Home Premium 64 bit edition

RAM: 4GB

Processor: Dual Core Intel T5550, its a 64 bit processor, I believe.

Video Card: Nvidia Geforce 8600GS (mobile), 512MB VRAM.

What I've tried so far:

Every edition of Nvidia drivers that I can find for my card, using 3dguru's driver sweeper each time I install a new one. I've used the new 195.39 beta drivers as well, and those did work for a few hours. However, when I shut my pc down it wouldnt start up again, reverting back to the same crashes.

Flashed my BIOS to the latest version as per HP's driver page for my laptop.

Checked that my chipset drivers are up to date.

Disabled all Aero effects (just in case that was the problem)

Basically, if my PC has an Nvidia driver installed on it, it crashes. If I go to safe mode, uninstall the video driver, it boots up fine in normal mode with the regular VGA driver. When I then install an Nvidia driver again, back to the crashes.

Since I do tend to use my PC quite a bit, any assistance is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-08-11T18:22:11+00:00

    Hey, Rohan, I have the EXACT same issue with my laptop. HP laptop Pavilion G6, 2006-tx, except the fact that it uses Radeon rather than nvidia. I know this thread is rather old, but any updates on the issue? I'm afraid the GPU may be damaged and I'm out of warranty too. :/

    I'll try the Ram swapping and see if it works. Also, I can use the laptop without the AMD Drivers on the Standard VGA Graphics Adapter. (Have been doing so for a month) and it is real annoying as Aero, Unity, Premiere, etc don't work, battery drain is real high and the laptop's fans scream pretty often. I don't think the GPU on this laptop can be swapped. Thus, it's gonna cost me a motherboard replacement. :o

    Is there anything I can do? 

    When I install the drivers and reboot, the mouse icon appears and has lines on it or weird things around it and then a bluescreen appears. Usually this error and sometimes SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-09-07T16:26:34+00:00

    iam having the same error, i've just bought a new intel processor, motherboard and ram. Install fresh win 7 with intel integrated graphics every thing is running fine uptil now. Then i install the nvidia graphics card (which i was using with the previous motherboard) i install it went to bios disable the integrated gfx and turned on the pc it works fine till the windows 7 logo appears and after that iam getting a BSOD or blue screen with an error like this,

    "Attempt to reset the display driver and recover from timeout failed."

    can somebody please help.

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-04-19T23:43:22+00:00

    I have the same error but it happens usually when I am editing video on my laptop.  It just freezes and then shows the error.  Last time I had to restore to a system image from earlier, but the second and most recent time I was able to boot up.

    Toshiba satelite l645d

    Win. 7 home premium

    4GB ram

    AMD Phenom II n850 triple core

    ATI mobility radeon 4200

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  4. Anonymous
    2010-09-30T15:06:45+00:00

    @kami7

      laptop running better when u swaped your cpu??

    if yes 1-10 what do give ??

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  5. Anonymous
    2010-09-30T12:05:05+00:00

    I HAD SAME ISSUE ON MY HP LAPTOP 550 AFTER UPGRADING THE CPU

    THE ACTUAL CAUSE WAS DUE TO REPLACEMENT OF A CPU FROM AN INTEL CELERON PROCESSOR TO A CORE2DUO  SOCKET P

    THE LAPTOP BOOTED UP WITH STRANGE FUZZY DISPLAY AND THEN COME UP WITH BLUE SCREEN WITH THE CRASH REPORT SAME AS THE ONE ON THIS POST.

    THEN RESTARTS AND WORKS PERFECTLY JUST FINE , DOES GIVE YOU THE ERROR PAGE WINDOWS DID NOT START PROPERLY , I JUST IGNORE AND PRESS ENTER

    START AS NORMALY AND ITS FINE , THIS IS MAINLY A CHIPSET ISSUE CONFRONTING WITH THE GPU DRIVER IM CERTAIN IT CAN BE DUE TO THIS.

    WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT WHEN I PUT THE ACTUAL CELLERON CPU IT CAME WITH ORIGINALLY IT WILL BOOT UP FINE, SO THE ISSUE STILL REMAINS WITH DRIVERS THAT ARE CONFLICTING .

    HOPE THIS HELPS

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