Comments on: Fix the Windows XP NVIDIA nv4_disp problem

By: wayner

wayner — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:04:18 +0000

Bruce, I was getting the same message. Go to the Device Manager again and click Scan for New Devices.(Next to the yellow question mark) It should find the Display Adapter. Once it’s listed again, you can update the drivers by running the download. Everything is back to normal for us.

Good luck, Wayne

By: beh7

beh7 — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:00:17 +0000

hey - thanks for the help. i’m having a problem though. here’s the link of the new driver i downloaded from NVIDIA.

http://us.download.nvidia.com/Windows/175.19/175.19_geforce_winxp_32bit_english_whql.exe

http://http.download.nvidia.com/Windows/81.98/81.98_forceware_winxp2k_english_whql.exe

When I run it (it goes into the install shield and starts extracting files, etc) - but it gives an error saying there are no drivers found compatible with my hardware. I have a Dell Inspiron 8600.

I tried both the diver files listed above.

Please help!
Thanks Bruce 303.204.3154

By: shanedoe

shanedoe — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:02:46 +0000

Had the same prob with the nv4_disp error. Tried the five steps but got “no supported hardware for drivers” at step 4, Restarted computer anyway and it seemed to work, but after trying to reset my screen resolution, the computer just restarted and came back to the black error screen. So, I shut down computer, swapped the monitor, and restarted. That worked! Didn’t have to do anything else. It just booted right up as normal. Hope this helps someone.

By: dennise315

dennise315 — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:38:52 +0000

my PC doesn’t go to blue screen but still it dispaly an error saying about nv4_disp error. . the story is when the error display at the monitor it say i should rebbot my pc, after rebooting it it allows me to choose either safe mode, last know config. . like that option the i pick the “last known config” then after choosing it my monitor still black. . . i hope you can help me with my problem thanks a lot. . plz email me at dennise35@yahoo.com thank you. .

By: bluepanther

bluepanther — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:54:35 +0000

You are a life-saver! I’ve been battling this nvidia driver problem for over a year. Even “professionals” were baffled. I used your steps and I’m up and running! Now I’ve got about 24 hours of updates to go through!!! lol

By: vitakh

vitakh — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:26:33 +0000

Thank you Chris Jason. Your instructions have helped me to fix the problem of NVIDIA driver on my Dell E1705.

By: cameroony9

cameroony9 — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:44:46 +0000

First time I have experienced this problem (like most people I expect) & thanks for the sloution. Those pirates at microsoft help desk wanted €72 to have a chat!!. Really appreciate the help & have consequently bookmarked your page.

By: fireshadow000

fireshadow000 — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:03:37 +0000

please post your solutions and also PLEASE send it to my email add: gervy_garcia@yahoo.com

By: fireshadow000

fireshadow000 — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:00:33 +0000

I am using PCI NVIDIA 7300 GS. Its only 256 MB. after experiencing the nv4_dll problem, i downloaded and installed the latest driver from nvidia website
(NVIDIA Forceware 185.85 WHQL XP)
After installing the latest driver, i still have the BSOD. I booted up on safe mode/networking and checked the settings of my video card adapter. It is being detected as 512 MB!!!!! I think this is the reason why I still have the BSOD.

Help!!!!

By: Kermode

Kermode — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:38:25 +0000

My problem is solved? Yeah, right, I just downloaded the new drivers and THEN it started crashing.

Googling for this I see its a problem way back to 2002! It’s amazing those amateurs can’t fix their crap!

By: maxter003

maxter003 — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:09:36 +0000

I see that several members wrote about blown capacitors. I wish I had come across them sooner. It feels great to repair my video card. This solution took some time to sink in.

By: maxter003

maxter003 — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:55:37 +0000

Paul @ #49 is my hero. I could not find a replacement card that did what I wanted it to do. Then it hit me. Paul said capacitors were popping. I examined my card and found three with domes on their roofs. I went to Radio Shak and bought some replacement capacitors, the biggest capacity they had ignoring the voltage. I replaced the domed caps with the relatively large Radio Shak caps and I am up and running. It is not too easy to melt the solder and resolder the new caps as they don’t make boards like they used to, but it is worth the effort.

By: danajmiils

danajmiils — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:51:28 +0000

I’m elated - this worked, just like you said, in about 10 minutes!!! I noticed that lots of other people have found Dell support inordinately time-consuming - my sons told me about googling the “error.” My Dell Dimension 8300 is now going on five years old and hanging in there - you’ve given it a new lease on life. Computers need to cost less to own and operate per year, like my washing machine! Anyway, thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!!! (got this site bookmarked…)

By: Caseyb

Caseyb — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:51:06 +0000

I have run into the problem that everyone else has with the driver and so far the solution that has worked is to run safe mode and uninstall the driver saving you to reinstal your operating system.

By: luvntravln

luvntravln — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 03:30:48 +0000

Tell me this hasn’t hapened!

It has!!

Same problem - Toshiba Tecra M2 four years old. BSOD - and while it is flashing blue I read about the nv4-disp infinite loop.

Google nv4-disp and here I am amazingly perturbed that this has been going on for over two years.

What do you do with a four year old laptop? Can’t spend serious dollars for a new motherboard; not financially effective.

Unbelievably, just a few days ago I was looking at the new Dell Studio 17 - perhaps my current Toshiba caught my vibes and said “I’ll fix ‘em”.

Anyway, any suggestions?

Does the generic nvidia driver work for this notebook - running XPSP2.

I did the download - 81.98_forceware_winxp2K_english_whql.exe - on my Dell XPS 1330 and then put the file on a memory stick.

Do I boot in safe mode, control panel and remove the nvidia driver, and then install this file OR is this the wrong driver for my Toshiba laptop?

All help and support appreciated.

Cheers for downunder!

By: wstevens00

wstevens00 — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 05:35:23 +0000

Had the nv4_disp endless loop problem show up on my Dell recently. After spending a few hours messing around with software/drivers, I checked the graphics card and found several bloated capacitors. After replacing the board, PC works great. Got a great deal at Fry’s Electronics. An e-GeForce FX 5200 card was $55, but has a $40 rebate good through 9/30/08. Good luck to all.

By: Wil

Wil — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 09:11:18 +0000

That happens everytime the sims 2 crashes argh its really annoying
the blue screen comes up, etc
do you think i should do the same process than u sed at the top……?

By: shawn seebaran

shawn seebaran — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:58:46 +0000

Boot your computer into Safe Mode w/ Networking. For Windows XP users, this is accomplished by pressing F8 repeatedly when your computer is booting up. You will be presented with several options. Choose “Safe Mode w/ Networking.” This will boot Windows XP into Safe Mode, but you will be able to browse the Web….. then go to the device manager right-click on display adapter update driver, click on ( yes this time only) then click on install driver automatically ( Recommended ) and click next ( make you have access to the internet ) the machine will search for the driver and download and install it itself …reboot and the problem is solved… that’s how i solved the problem though

By: bluegothik

bluegothik — Sun, 11 May 2008 11:02:35 +0000

I USE TO SUFFER THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY COMPUTER. LIKE MANY OF YOU I TRIED EVERYTHING AND IT COST ME A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY JUST TO FIND OUT THERE IS A SIMPLE TEMPORARY SOLUTION UNTIL A MORE PERMANENT FIX IS FINALIZED WITH THE CARD MAKERS OR VISTA. TRY THIS…WHEN YOU START YOU GAME OR WHATEVER PROGRAM THAT YOU’RE ENCOUNTERING THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM, TURN DOWN THE RESOLUTION OF THE GAME OR PROGRAM TO 1024 X 768. NO HIGHER THAN THAT. IF YOU’RE PLAYING A GAME THAT WAS PRE-INSTALLED WITH YOU COMPUTER THAN TURN DOWN THE MONITOR RESOLUTION TO 1024 X 768. I’M WILLING TO BET THE ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM IS RUNNING A RESOLUTION HIGHER THAN WHAT I’VE MENTIONED ABOVE. WHY WOULDN’T YOU? YOU BOUGHT THAT PC OR LAPTOP TO FOR HIGHER GRAPHICS. I BELIEVE IT’S AN ISSUE WITH VISTA’S COMPATIBILITY WITH PROGRAMS RUNNING RESOLUTIONS HIGHER THAN 1024 X 768. THIS IS A SIMPLE THING TO TRY AND I HOPE MY POST HELPS AT LEAST SOME OF YOU VISTA USERS. I PLAY CRYSIS ON VISTA ULTIMATE 64 BIT WITH THE RESOLUTION LIKE I PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED ABOVE BUT, WITH ALL THE OTHER IN-GAME GRAPHICS OPTIONS ON MAX AND I DON’T HAVE THAT PROBLEM OF DRIVER FAILURE ANYMORE.

By: Xtina

Xtina — Sat, 10 May 2008 01:07:26 +0000

Similar problem. My computer kept crashing and rebooting directly to the screen asking how I would like to start windows (safemode, last known config, normally…) so I would go with last known configuration and things would work. No BSOD. Well, I had another crash yesterday and this time it rebooted and all of the text on screen appeared to be jumbled and miss spelled. Very odd, EXAMPLE:
Sadd Mode
Sadd Mode whth Networking
Sadd Mode whth Coml`nd Prolpt

I thought it might be a virus because I couldn’t get into safemode (a bunch of lines of code about drivers popped up) so I reboot(not knowing what i am doing). That is when I got BSOD with the error of nv4_disp. I had to find another computer to research this and found your info. I tried it, successfully got into safemode (although it was “Sadd Mode whth Networking” and have partially solved my problem. I uninstalled the drivers I had for my GeForce3 Ti500 and reinstalled the new downloaded from nvidia. I no longer have blue screen error but I am stuck in what looks like Safemode but my computer is running normally. My display adapter now shows Video Controller(VGA compatable) and it is not working properly. When I tried to update, it did, then i crashed and it restarted and is saying it is not working properly again. So, my questions;
1.Any further suggestions
2.Should i try getting a new card, i know mine is OLD
3.Any light to shine on the misspelled text? I took photos of the screens if you would like to see what I mean.

I’m sorry this is so long.

By: markxs

markxs — Fri, 02 May 2008 06:20:55 +0000

I had the bsod nv4_disp infinite loop after reinstalling windows on a Dell 4550. I then ran windows update for sp2 install — that is where the problem started. I followed the instructions in the article except: I used belarc advisor to get a system audit report which listed my video card details for me. Then I went to the Nvidia site and downloaded the driver for my specific card (GeForce4 MX 420). I simply installed the driver while I was still in safe mode so that I did not have to worry about anti-virus interfering with the installation. Then, before rebooting, I read the comments here and got to number 170. That comment helpd me I am sure. I had automatic update turned off, so I ran windows update manually and there was an older driver that WU would have installed had I not de-selected it and chose to not display that update again. Hope this helps someone. Thanks again for this article, I am glad I found your site.

By: triphopim

triphopim — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:16:55 +0000

capacitors are fine BTW.

By: triphopim

triphopim — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:08:16 +0000

I have had an emachines T6528 on XP for 2 years.

I first had trouble with the cd/dvd drive button not opening a month ago. I have to try several times to get it to open.

Then I got the blue screen saying “device drive stuck in infinite loop” (nv4_disp) a week ago.

then i restarted several times to get it working again, in safe mode, installed the NVIDIA drivers and thats when my audio and modem went out.

in addition to that issue, I have to restart several times to get the computer to boot.

Suddenly, neither the EMU audio card nor the modem will show up in devices.

I flashed the bios and they showed up and reinstalled BUT after a day they disappeared again!

Also This system has an MSI mobo with onboard sound… which is missing also!

I tried reinstalling the drivers to the onboard sound but it did nothing.

no audio and no modem.

A tech guy told me its my motherboard but is there hope?

By: peter_hilton

peter_hilton — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:33:19 +0000

Had to register and say well done and thanks. After a couple of tries, this worked and we are back up and running - have also taken on board the comments regarding autoupdates. All extremely useful, thank you.

By: P.C.Surgeon

P.C.Surgeon — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 07:39:35 +0000

I had this issue on a DELL Dimension 8250. After reading through the comments, I did not see the answer to why this happens so I am going to tell you why it happens. This issue is primarly caused by a Microsoft Update that conflicts with the older versions on Nvidia Software and Drivers. My advise to others to prevent this in the future is to make sure your device drivers are all updated before doing any Microsoft updates and to turn auto update OFF so that you know when a Microsoft update causes a issue like this in the future.

By: alexc

alexc — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 22:08:38 +0000

Worked for me. THANKS !
However after going through the steps described, and restarting the computer, it did not work, and I had to restart the computer in VGA mode and reinstall the drivers manually (through the device property) as the original driver was still used.
Thanks again this saved me lots of time !

By: samini

samini — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:28:07 +0000

I runing Dell INPPIRON E1075 LAPTOP and got nv4_disp blue screen of death error message.
I went through all the steps you recommended, after removing old Driver and restarting the Computer again I did not have anything on Display . just Black screen. I think Hard Disc is not working or somthing else is broken. can anybody help ?

What should I do ?
No extended warrenty,

By: howells1

howells1 — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 17:23:04 +0000

Most people who have tried the steps outlined above continue to have the nv4_disp blue screen of death error message. However, after 3 to 4 days of solid research on the problem, I came across a registry edit in another forum. I started a thread at the nvidia forums, which you can access at the following URL:

http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=58616

All my BSOD errors and stalls in loading time with games completely vanished by following the registry edit in this forum. Just remember that changing your registry settings incorrectly can harm your computer. Hope this helps everybody!

By: Philbarb

Philbarb — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 11:18:18 +0000

I have a Dell Demension 4600 with a NVIDIA GE Force FX 5200. I also had the Blue screen for nv4_disp endless loop, a secondary condition was my screen would go black for 1-2 seconds on every screen refresh. I attempted the driver update suggested first, but still had the problem. I then looked at the Capacitors on the board and found three to have convex tops and some white powder residue. I called DELL and found that I had an extended warranty which would expire in July of ‘08 (WOW). I explained the problem first to an uninterested DELL Helpdesk person. Hung up and called again (got and interested Dell Helpdesk person) and explained all of the above and that the Capacitors were definitely blown (I wasn’t sure but I acted like I was). Within 30 minutes after calling DELL they had a replacement card being shipped to me. Received the replacement card and installed in my PC. This fixed my PC. Christopher Thanks for this info. I wish I hadn’t read every single entry before resolving, but they gave me enough confidence to be sure I knew what the problem was.

By: jonshf

jonshf — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 06:59:52 +0000

I have had similar experiences with my Dell 390, NVIDIA Quadro FX 3500, and my problems started to happen when I adjusted the antialiasing settings, switching it to manual instead of “Application-controlled”. My computer had a fresh install a month ago, and I never had any problems prior to that or before I “yanked” up the antialiasing settings to 4x.

See your Display properties, and under the NVIDIA settings look for “Performance & Quality Settings”, and then see if the Antialiasing settings are “manually” controlled. Consider turning on “Application-controlled”, and see if that helps.