Hardware Setup
Hardware Setup
The following table details the hardware and software we used in our mission to narrow down the list of suspects:
| Hard drive | |
|---|---|
| Western Digital WD1500ADFD-00NLR1 | |
| Firmware: 20.07P20 | |
| Date 06 Mar 2006 | |
| DCM: HBCA2AB | |
| Processors | |
| Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 | |
| Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 | |
| Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 | |
| Intel Pentium Extreme 955 | |
| AMD Athlon 64 FX-62 | |
| Memory | |
| DDR3 | |
| Corsair CM3X1024-1066C7 ES (XMS1007v1.1) | |
| Kingston KHX11000D3LLK2/2G | |
| DDR2 | |
| Qimonda HYS72T256420HFA-3S-B (B4S63952007) | |
| Aeneon Xtune AXT760UD00-19DC97X | |
| Mushkin 2GB XP2-6400 DDR2 | |
| orsair CM2X1024-6400C4 (XMS6404v1.1) | |
| Motherboards: | |
| Chipset 975X + ICH7R | |
| Intel D975XBX2 Rev. 505 | |
| Asus P5W DH Deluxe Rev.: 1.04G | |
| MSI 975X Platinum PowerUp Edition (MS7246) Rev. 2.1 | |
| Chipset P965 + ICH8R | |
| Asus P5B Deluxe Rev. 1.03G | |
| Chipset P35 + ICH9R | |
| Gigabyte P35C-DS3R Rev. 1.0 | |
| Chipset Nvidia Nforce 590SLI | |
| Asus M2N32-SLI Deluxe Rev. 1.03G | |
| Graphics Cards: | |
| Nvidia 8000-Series | |
| Foxconn Nvidia 8800 GTX (BIOS: 60.80.06.00.02) | |
| Foxconn Nvidia 8800 GTX (BIOS: 60.80.08.37) | |
| Nvidia (reference board) 8800 GTX (BIOS: 60.80.06.00.01) | |
| Nvidia 7000-Series | |
| Nvidia 7800 GTS | |
| ATI 1900-Series | |
| ATI X1900XTX | |
| DVD-ROM: | |
| Samsung SH-D163 (SATA150) | |
| Sound Card: | |
| Creative X-Fi Extreme Gamer | |
| Software: | |
| System: Windows Vista Enterprise Final 32 Bit English (MSDN-Version) | |
| Driver: | |
| Nvidia: | |
| 100.54 | |
| 100.65 | |
| 158.18 (WHQL) | |
| 158.24 | |
| 158.43 | |
| Current Windows Update Driver | |
| ATI: | |
| Catalyst 7.4 | |
| Intel Chipsets: | |
| 8.1.1.1010 | |
| 8.2.0.1014 | |
| 8.3.0.1011 | |
| Nvidia Chipsets: | |
| 4.0.100.1190 |
After we had identified the WD hard drive and the Nvidia graphics cards as the source of the problem, we were able to find a solution. According to some quick research on the Internet we aren't the only ones who ran into this problem. This inspired us to write a little utility that addresses the issue. Note, however, that this is not a patch. Our program, the "THG WD-NVIDIA-Debug" installs itself as a system service that executes on each startup and then shuts itself down. Thus, it doesn't require any resources under Vista.
Downloading and Installing the THG WD-Nvidia-Debug Tool
Click here to download the THG nvidia WD debug tool
After the download, unpack the tool into a directory, e.g. the Windows folder.
Open a command line and install the tool as a service by typing thgdebugsvc /ia. (The switch /ia causes the tool to be installed as a service that starts automatically).
Unless you have deactivated Vista's UAC feature, you have to confirm that you wish to run this program.
The tool will now be installed as a system service and will automatically activate itself the next time the system starts up. In the services interface (Start/Run, "Services.msc"), it will be listed under the entry "THG Debug for WD-Nvidia-Problem".
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I really appreciate the trouble you went to over this problem.
I have 4 x Raptor 150GB and 2 x EVGA 8800GTS working fine under XP. But under Vista 32 I get the sysmptoms you describe. I wondered if you discovered any of the following
1. Is the problem only when Vista is installed on a Raptor 150GB drive, or will it occur when any Raptor 150GB drive is present in the system even if only used for data storage?
2. Does the problem still occur with NCQ disabled?
3. Does the problem still occur on Vista 64 bit?
4. Does the fix work in all cases? It doesn't seem to install on my system. I get no response message after I type the command to start the service.
Thanks, Mike
I believe I have the debug system service installed, but it won't start automatically or manually.
When I try to start THGDEBEGSVC it get the error message "Unable to start - access denied"
Any idea how I can get round this?
Thanks,
Mike
Don't you mean Intel and AMD platforms?
After exaustive troubleshooting and Headaches I found 2 issues to be the culprit and niether have to do with bad hardware nor issues with Vista.
The first has to do with BIOS settings. In nVidia's BIOS there's a selection under H/D's called memory Blocking. It's supposed to help up transfer rates but really causes problems with the Raptor H/D's.
I had to disable this feture to get the Raptors to work at all.
The second was so simple it was my last effort before RMA and it worked.
The SATA Cables that come with the M/B don't support the faster Data transfer rates and cause a Bottleneck within the Cable itself.
Replacing the Cable with the one that came with the Raptor solved the issues completely.
I know it sounds odd but after doing this my system has run flawlessly for the last 3 Months.
Like I said before it was the last thing I did before RMA and I've been through all the stuff you did as well as a few more tricks I tried and nothing would work.
I even did the SATA Plug swap and as you stated, it works for a little while but then the problem comes back within a few Days to Weeks.
It's not the manufacturers fault, they supply SATA Cables that if used with a regular 7200rpm H/D work great. The problem is that the Raptor H/D's run data rates way faster and the Cables that come with M/B's can't handle it.
Best Regards Eirik.