"DEVICE DRIVER is STUCK IN INFINITE LOOP" or VPU Recover errors in Windows XP
This issue affects the following system configurations:
Windows XP
Any ATI display card
Based on our experience, the error "The drivers for the display adapter got stuck in an INFINITE LOOP" is a result of a system communication mishap. On some systems, the error "Unable to complete a drawing operation", or an ATI VPU recover error may also occur.
This error does not occur on all system configurations.
This issue can occur using any motherboard or graphics chipset along with the Windows XP Operating system. It appears that in most cases this problem is due to a BIOS setting, specifically options affecting the way the RAM, CPU and graphics card communicate with XP and DirectX. Improper timing settings can result in system lock ups or random system reboots.
This issue also affects different makes and models of video cards from various manufacturers.
In attempt to gather more information on why this error occurs, ATI developed a component to catch when the INFINITE LOOP occurs. This component is called VPU Recover. If the display driver detects that the graphics processor has hung, VPU Recover will attempt to reset the graphics processor, eliminating the need for a system reboot.
VPU errors can occur mostly while using 3D applications and games. This error has also been known to occur in 2D applications as well.
This error message may occur in the virtual video adapter driver that is used by Symantec PCAnywhere. If PCAnywhere is installed on a computer where this error message occurs, visit the Symantec Web site to determine if there are any available fixes for your version of PCAnywhere.
At the present time ATI is still gathering information on the Infinite Loop condition.
The following suggestions may help to correct this issue:
Verify that the system has updated software
Adjust basic settings within the system BIOS
Adjust advanced settings with the system BIOS
Test with different hardware configurations
1. Verifying that the system has updated software
a) Update the display drivers.
Ensure that you have installed the latest ATI CATALYST software for your ATI product. Drivers for your video card can be found on the ATI website.
Ensure that all three DirectX Features are enabled.
Run the available tests to ensure that each of the three components pass.
c) Update your motherboard chipset driver software.
Updating your AGP chipset drivers can add stability to the PC and may help to prevent the Infinite Loop error from occurring.
d) Use the ATI SMARTGART utility to adjust AGP Reads/Writes.
In newer revisions of the Catalyst Drivers, a feature called SMARTGART was introduced. With the latest ATI CATALYST software installed, you can use the ATI SMARTGART settings to adjust the Fast Writes and AGP BUS speed.
Select the "Start" menu -> click on "RUN" -> type "SMARTGART" -> click OK.
Ensure that both the AGP Read and Write settings are On. If these are set to OFF, then enable them and restart Windows as prompted. As a test you should try disabling the AGP Write setting. NOTE- AGP Writes may not be enabled on all chipsets.
e) Update the motherboard BIOS. Any updates can be found on the motherboard manufacturer's website.
f) Make sure you have an adequate power supply.
2. Basic BIOS options.
NOTE: These options may vary depending on the type/version of your system. You may or may not have all these options present.
Video BIOS Shadow - DISABLED
Init Primary Display - AGP (Toggle this setting if your video card is PCI)
AGP MASTER 1W/S READ/WRITE - ENABLED/DISABLED (Toggle this option)
AGP Aperture size - 128 MB
AGP Driving Control - AUTO
Disable AGP 8x/4x mode in the BIOS.
Disable AGP Fast Writes in the BIOS.
AGP Driving Control - AUTO
AGP Performance Control - ENABLED/DISABLED (Toggle this option)
Assign IRQ for VGA - ENABLED
System Bios Cacheable - DISABLED
Video BIOS Cacheable - DISABLED
VIDEO RAM Cacheable - DISABLED
Read Around Write - ENABLED/DISABLED (toggle this setting)
PnP OS installed - YES
3. BIOS Settings for ADVANCED USERS:
NOTE: These options may vary depending on the type/version of your system. You may or may not have all these options.
Load optimized defaults in your BIOS
Set your memory settings to default values (I.e.. DRAM Timing = SPD)
Lower the memory frequency to 133/166mhz (effectively DDR266/333mhz)
If available increase AGP Voltage to 1.6 - 1.8 in the BIOS
SDRAM Cycle length - 2.5
Bank Interleave - ENABLE/DISABLE (toggle this setting - It will only make a difference if you have more than one memory module.)
DRAM Burst length - 4
4. Recommended Hardware changes:
Test system with a single memory module if multiples are being used
Test with different memory modules.
Test with a different Power supply
Disable/Remove ALL non-essential hardware i.e. sound card, network card, additional HDD etc.
Test the video card in a different PC
Additional Information on the Infinite Loop:
Microsoft Knowledge Base -
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...b;EN-US;q293078