BleepingComputer.com: Windows Media Center Crashing

An issue I am having with Vista Ultimate is with the Windows Media Center. I am using the Windows Media Player as my default media player but do like to also use the Windows Media Center. I am having a problem with the Media Center after I get started. I can access pictures and the program works well. Whenever I get into music, I can start a song and the computer becomes unstable, a blue screen comes up that I can't read fully, and then the computer restarts. I am getting the following error message:

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: BlueScreen
OS Version: 6.0.6000.2.0.0.256.1
Locale ID: 1033

Additional information about the problem:
BCCode: 1000008e
BCP1: C0000005
BCP2: 8B24111B
BCP3: 9CED3BD0
BCP4: 00000000
OS Version: 6_0_6000
Service Pack: 0_0
Product: 256_1

Files that help describe the problem:
V:\Windows\Minidump\Mini041407-02.dmp
V:\Users\JazzMahn\AppData\Local\Temp\WER-245843-0.sysdata.xml
V:\Users\JazzMahn\AppData\Local\Temp\WER20B3.tmp.v ersion.txt

As I have OEM software, I can't get assistance from M$ without paying for it. If need be I will but I would like to solve the problem for myself if I can.

If anyone has had this problem, I would certainly appreciate some guidance.

My system specifications include:

Vista Ultimate OEM
Athlon 64 3200 2 GHz Processor
2 Gigabytes of DDR SDram
760 gigabytes of Hard Drive Space
Nvidia 6600 Video Card

Thanks again for any and all suggestions.

Here's a link to the error: http://aumha.org/a/stop.php#0x8e

FWIW - I've had this problem in the past and cured it by updating my video drivers with the latest Vista versions available from the maker of your video chipset. Here's the link for the latest nVidia drivers 32 bit): http://www.nvidia.com/object/winvista_x86_100.65.html

John,

Nvidia has a new beta driver for my video card. The things it corrects describe almost perfectly the problems I am having. Is it smart to run a beta? If I do, should I set a restore point first.?

I understand I am supposed to uninstall the Nvidia Display Driver from Control Panel before I install the new Nvidia driver. What happens if the new driver fails? Will I be able to roll back to the previous driver or will I have to reinstall it. If I set a restore point but uninstall the display driver, I am guessing that the restore point wouldn't be able to redo the driver I uninstalled?

Do I go into device manager and go to display driver and then update driver from their or is it an executable driver. Sending you a link to the new beta driver for you to look

at.http://www.nvidia.com/object/winvista_x86_101.41.html

A little information would sure be appreciate before I go and mess up this system.

Thanks John.

I wouold first try the driver from the link that I posted. If that doesn't work, then uninstall it and try the beta.

Worst case with the beta, you won't be able to see the video. If that happens, boot into Safe Mode and uninstall it. Then use the most recent driver that works on your system.

I usually don't mess with rolling back drivers or setting a restore point - trusting to the uninstall routines to reset everything before the next install.

trusting to the uninstall routines to reset everything before the next install.

John,

I don't understand what you mean by this. If the Nvidia driver you suggested I install nor the beta works, I don't know where I would go to get the driver that is now on the system. When I installed Vista, the driver that is now running was installed as part of the Vista install. Will it automatically go back to that install by me just restarting the computer after an "uninstall" in safe mode. Just want to make sure before I start something I'm not exactly sure of. I am guessing that if neither works and I've uninstalled the beta from Safe Mode that, upon restarting, that a screen will come up asking it I want to search for a driver. Then it should find one (most likely the one that is now on it) and install it. I can remember doing this in Windows XP but it has been so long ago I just can't remember for sure. Let me know if my thinking is on the right track. Thanks so much for your help.

JazzMahn

And the Vista driver that was installed isn't capable of supporting your programs now. The default driver is loaded in the absence of any other drivers - and you see a reduced functioning version of that in Safe Mode.

Since you're providing the driver, there's no need to let Vista search for one.

Allowing Windows to search for a driver was a good idea - but the implementation of that idea was, IMO, pretty poor. It rarely works - and when it does work, you stand a chance of hosing your system with another poorly designed driver. I prefer picking the driver to install myself - that way I know what I've done.

As for uninstall routines, nVidia used to have a problem with incomplete removal of drivers. This seems to have been fixed recently and uninstalls seem to be more reliable (in my experience). There are still removal tools available for free on the web if you want to try them.

So, here's how it works:
1) Windows installs a generic video driver when Windows is first installed. It provides enough function to allow the installation to continue - but not much more.
2) Computer manufacturers put there versions of the drivers on their systems to enable the extra functions that are available.
3) Custom built computers have the drivers installed if the user/builder thinks they're needed (usually they are).

Then, along comes something that corrupts the video drivers. An uninstall is intended to remove the corruption. In the past, this is where the incomplete removal of nVidia video drivers caused a problem - because the corruption often remained.

Ideally, installing a new driver should overwrite all the old settings/files and fix the corruption. But this doesn't always fix things - so we recommend an uninstall to remove all traces of the old driver (so rollback wouldn't be possible). In the case of nVidia a while back, even this didn't work and we had to recommend the driver removal tools to get rid of everything.

I've done a lot of driver fixing and have found that the nVidia uninstall routine is pretty reliable now.

Beta drivers aren't guaranteed to be stable - so if you're not comfortable with changing drivers, then betas aren't for you. If the stable driver that I pointed out doesn't fix the problem - then the next step would probably be the beta, but try the regular one to see.

EDIT: FYI - I had problems with drivers from Windows Update and from the computer manufacturers (this was several years ago). Since then I only rely on drivers from the manufacturer of the video chipset (nVidia, ATI, Intel, etc) and refuse to use the drivers from Windows Update or the computer manufacturers

John,

I tried installing the Nvidia drivers that you listed for me and I had the same problem with Media Center. Uninstalled that driver and installed the Beta Driver. It did a little better but it still crashed when I selected music in Media Center. I guess I can go back to the generic driver that loads after I've uninstalled the Nvidia drivers. Probably won't be any worse.

Should I uninstall the Beta Nvidia and reinstall the driver you sent me (since it is a full Nvidia version) or just leave the beta driver in. Everything else seems to be working fine with the beta driver.

Thanks for you suggestions.

p.s. At least I am comfortable now installing and uninstalling video drivers. I've learned something new from the experience.

Also: I can probably just not run Windows Media Center for now and wait for updates from Nvidia (if that is where the trouble is)

I didn't get a blue screen this time. Just a black screen with a message saying that Media Center had stopped working. Asked if I wanted to notify Microsoft. I am beginning to wonder if it is something besides the video card.

Decided to uninstall the Nvidia Beta Driver and for the heck of it tried Media Center with the generic drivers that installed with Vista. Believe it or not, Media Center is working including all the music. Video is working too with my collection of pictures.

The driver in device for graphics card is listed as Nvidia GeForce (Microsoft Corp. WDDM) The date is 8/22/2006 Number is 7.15.10.9746

I always thought it made the most sense to get the newest driver for your video card but in this case upgrading created more problems.

If go to uninstall, I don't show any Nvidia driver.

Sure would appreciate your ideas.

Thanks,

JazzMahn

I saw a problem with a Gateway laptop today that we fixed by rolling back the drivers to a version before Vista was released.

Go figger!