POL crash on startup - Faulting Module nvumdshim.dll

[kutekiddee]

So I got this Dell XPS 15 laptop with this new fangled Nvidia Geforce GT 540M w/Optimus in it ... its actually really nice when it works. But anyways, I did a fresh install of FFXI onto it, and everything worked just peachy ... until I updated the video drivers. Now, FFXI won't run at all. PoL starts up, and then immediately crashes. Info in the error log shows that the faulting module is nvumdshim.dll, which is part of the Nvidia driver package for their new Optimus technology. I've tried reinstalling the drivers, several times. I even *shudders* tried reinstalling the game ... which is not fun because I have the original CDROM version of the game lol.

Faulting application name: pol.exe, version: 1.18.13.0, time stamp: 0x4b552e15
Faulting module name: nvumdshim.dll, version: 8.17.12.7527, time stamp: 0x4dcdf845
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00003ba0
Faulting process id: 0x7cc
Faulting application start time: 0x01cc180f0f79ca5e
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\PlayOnline\SquareEnix\PlayOnlineViewer\pol.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\system32\nvumdshim.dll
Report Id: 548abb38-8402-11e0-9af7-e5faa7a91aaa

Faulting application name: pol.exe, version: 1.18.0.0, time stamp: 0x45b0171b
Faulting module name: nvumdshim.dll, version: 8.17.12.7061, time stamp: 0x4d9e7b66
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00003bb0
Faulting process id: 0x1920
Faulting application start time: 0x01cc0e7e8e3df2ba
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\PlayOnline\SquareEnix\PlayOnlineViewer\pol.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\system32\nvumdshim.dll
Report Id: cfbf348b-7a71-11e0-9728-d2703162d0b6

Faulting application name: pol.exe, version: 1.18.0.0, time stamp: 0x45b0171b
Faulting module name: nvumdshim.dll, version: 8.17.12.7051, time stamp: 0x4d8d89c2
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00003bb0
Faulting process id: 0x1078
Faulting application start time: 0x01cc0e8a031cb063
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\PlayOnline\SquareEnix\PlayOnlineViewer\pol.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\system32\nvumdshim.dll
Report Id: 468aaf0d-7a7d-11e0-8f0a-d79b69a96cae

Each error log basically says the same thing, but it shows the progression of the video drivers from 270.51 to 270.61 to 275.27 (most recent), and its still crashing.

FFXI DOES run when I use the 266.xx drivers, but other things don't run or crash a lot, so leaving them on isn't an option, and switching between them takes too long.

I'm honestly guessing its a problem on Nvidia's end, but on the off chance someone has an idea of something to try I'm posting it here.

Steps
Uhh ... Start POL, watch it explode.

Date / Time
Any!

Frequency
Always since the 27x. drivers

Platform
PC, Windows 7 Home

Graphics Card
Nvidia GeForce GT 540M w/Optimus & Intel HD Graphics 3000

ISP
Comcast Communications (Cable)

[RAIST]

You will need to roll your drivers back to their previous version. Common problem when you update video drivers....FFXI doesn't always get along with the latest and greatest drivers. Look on their latest list of cards and drivers support list--some are using very old drivers.

http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/envi/win/win01.html?pageID=win

[kutekiddee]

Thanks but like I said that doesn't really help. Using the old drivers would be awesome, if they didn't cause other programs (Second Life, Eve Online and Portal 2 for example) to crash with driver lockups. You know the whole "Your Video drivers have stopped and been recovered" or whatever it says.

So if I have to choose between FFXI Working, or all my other games running stable without crashing well ... so be it. Guess I'll just keep plodding along till Nvidia releases a driver that works with PoL again.

[Valthonis]

I'm having the same issue.

The problem is the Intel HD video drivers. I'm trying to get a hold of someone with them to see if you can disable them safely. When I do I'll reply to this thread with a solution.

For now, if you want to get it working it SHOULD work in Safe mode w/ networking, or if you disable the Intel HD video drivers via Device Manager (caution: you'll have to disable them in safe mode, and if you do your nvidia drivers won't work. But you can test it to see if POL will still work).

Ninja Edit: Yay someone else having the same problem as me. I thought I was the only one :( misery loves company etc etc

[RAIST]

Hate to say it...no way to say it without sounding like an @$$hat or troll, but...

Buyer Beware.

Also, FFXI has a long history of having issues with the latest and greatest. Research should always be done on a new graphics solution prior to purchase if this game holds enough value to you to be concerned about it.

While I'm at it, here's more inflmatory posting...might as well get it all out there at once:

The video solution has long been a trick to cut corners on systems to keep the prices down. It pays off to do a little research beforehand to make sure you are getting a dedicated video solution--ie, one with it's own memory on board and doesn't share system memory (in other words, either a drop in card, or something comparable--try to avoid on-board graphics in any PC).

Notebookcheck.com does some nice reviews. Has a decent search engine, and you can click on hyperlinks for the video solution and get osme of the good, bad, and ugly details on it...benchmark results and a comparison scale to other solutions out there also. Not sure if this is the model the OP got, but it's one I found for Dell real quick in their search engine:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Dell-XPS-15-Notebook-i5-2410M-GT-540M.51186.0.html

And details on the GT-540M solution:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-540M.41715.0.html

on paper, it looks good. But, the last several offerings from Nvidia (400 series and up, this is actually built off a 400 series GPU) had some major problems with both FFXI and FFXIV, as well as a host of older (DX8/9) games). ATI had problems too, but not nearly as bad as Nvidia. They eventually ironed out most the kinks, but they are still spotty.

Seeing that the 540 is built off a revised Fermi GF 100 series GPU (ie, 400 series card, it likely needs the same driver release SE did testing with in February... the 266.58 release. You will likely need the ones from Dell themself (sometimes their systems require their own tweaking to work right), but you could try the Verde ones directly from Nvidia:

http://www.nvidia.com/object/notebook-win7-winvista-266.58-whql-driver.html

This package may not install though (doesn't specifically list the 500 series GPU on it on the d/l page)

That is a new chipset, not much driver history on it yet, only found 2 beta's and one WHQL here:

http://www.nvidia.com/Download/Find.aspx?lang=en-us

There is anewer beta there you COULD try....it looks like this one may be going through the paces like the 460 did. Took them almost a year to get that one fixed up.

[Valthonis]

As a ghetto rigged fix:

Disable your nvidia device from the device manager (right click computer > manage > device manager > display adapters > right click nvidia + disable)
launch POL (shouldn't crash anymore)
reenable nvidia + run FFXI

This does work as a temporary fix. For me anywho.
There's some slight graphical problems (stuck in 800x600 even if i change them, probly something i did wrong somewhere)

But, it works once i'm in the game, and that's a step in the right direction for me.

[Dennis144]

I have the same laptop its awsome plays what ever i want but ffxi grrrr

[Dennis144]

valthons this works thank you!

[Mythikah]

Having the same problem, posted in the other thread. No drivers for this nvidia gt 555m. I feel like there's a work around but I can't figure it out...