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The rigorously sequestered, rock-solid-reliable PC I exploit to check graphics playing cards turned utterly and completely hosed this week. I couldn’t even get the system as well into Windows restore mode to attempt to troubleshoot it. The wrongdoer? A uncommon bug in the best way Windows interacts with AMD’s newest WQHL-certified Radeon drivers, Adrenalin 23.2.2. Some fast Googling revealed that this has been happening to a small handful of other users since Adrenalin 23.2.1 landed in mid-February, with equally devastating results.
This expertise could be an absolute catastrophe for anybody who isn’t the manager editor of a pc publication with a deep rolodex readily available (although AMD representatives are very responsive to driver feedback on social media). But happily, I used to be in a position to work carefully with AMD on on the problem.
AMD engineers not solely managed to diagnose the potential root reason for this unique bug, but additionally found a just-as-exotic troubleshooting workaround that helped revive my PC. A everlasting repair is being investigated, however affected customers can hopefully use this workaround to restore their techniques with out resorting to a full-blown contemporary Windows set up.
Here’s what occurred, how it occurred, how one can keep away from it, and how one can repair it if the same catastrophe strikes your PC.
How AMD’s Radeon drivers destroyed my Windows set up
I acquired a brand new customized Radeon RX 7900 XT for testing this week, so I went about my traditional strict course of for ensuring the PC is up-to-date and able to benchmark. Before swapping in a brand new graphics card or new drivers, whereas my present secure setup remains to be intact, I carry out a number of steps to make the system as “like new” as doable, to keep away from potential points attributable to swapping in numerous GPUs from totally different manufacturers. (The system {hardware} stays static, with minimal software program put in past benchmarking instruments, to make sure consistency.)
This is a rig from AMD’s Radeon RX 7900-series reveal, not my check system.
Adam Patrick Murray / IDG
I already had a GeForce RTX 4070 Ti set as much as give Nvidia’s awesome RTX Video Super Resolution a whirl. With it put in, I manually up to date Windows 10. Then, I powered down the system and changed the 4070 Ti with the Radeon RX 7900 XT. It booted up usually. I then used Windows 10’s Add and Remove Programs software to uninstall all Nvidia software program from my PC and rebooted. Standard stuff. I then used the incredible DDU Uninstaller tool to make sure that Nvidia’s bits had been really and utterly eradicated, and rebooted. Everything went effective.
Then the issues began.
I opened up Chrome, navigated to AMD’s web site, and downloaded the WQHL-certified Adrenalin 23.2.2 drivers that the location beneficial for a 7900 XT. Then I put in the driving force, checking the field to carry out a “factory reset” clear set up fairly than an upgrade-in-place. It seems that checking that field, finished together with a silent Windows replace occurring within the background with out my information, most likely led to my rig’s downfall.
Everything went properly—till the software program mentioned I wanted to reboot my PC to complete the driving force set up. After restarting, my system hit the MSI BIOS splash web page like regular, however the second it tried loading Windows it instantly suffered a Blue Screen of Death, flashing the “Inaccessible Boot Device” error code proven within the picture within the tweet under (which is unrelated to this AMD situation). Ugh. The system then began an countless cycle of BSOD > reboot > BSOD > reboot with out kicking off automated restore makes an attempt or presenting me the same old Windows troubleshooting choices.
I didn’t have time to troubleshoot it so I powered down the system and tried once more the subsequent day. Same deal. I yanked out the customized Radeon RX 7900 XT I would like to check and changed it with AMD’s reference Radeon RX 7900 XT. This time, after two BSOD > reboot cycles, Windows tried to mechanically restore the system after the BIOS splash display screen. Success! …or so I assumed. But I used to be terribly, terribly fallacious.
Instead of correcting the problem, deciding on Startup Repair made it even worse. When it was finished, the display screen went darkish and utterly unresponsive (whereas nonetheless powered on). Now, each time I attempted as well the pc, I noticed the little “Windows thinking about it” circle spinning after the BIOS display screen for a quick second, then a return to the infinite blackness. My Windows set up was hosed so onerous that the BSOD crashes didn’t even happen anymore, and I had no likelihood to strive normal Windows troubleshooting efforts.
In desperation I attempted changing the Radeon RX 7900 XT with the RTX 4070 Ti and an Intel Arc A750—GPUs I’ve examined up to now two weeks, that labored reliably—however to no avail.
Googling the problem surfaced this WCCFTech article from mid-February together with loads of different protection, citing quite a few person studies of Adrenalin 23.2.1 destroying their Windows installs. It is a deeply irritating expertise, and one that might be disastrous for the standard PC gamer. I tweeted about my woes and an AMD consultant emailed me inside minutes. Obviously, being the manager editor of PCWorld might fast-track me for a fast response (although once more, AMD representatives are very responsive to driver feedback on social media). In this case, my high-profile complications managed to assist AMD probe the core situation, so I can present troubleshooting steps that labored for me and fortunately report {that a} everlasting repair is being investigated.
How to repair Radeon drivers corrupting your Windows set up
We spent two days going via varied troubleshooting fixes whereas AMD engineers tried reproducing and diagnosing the issue. Swapping GPUs, attempting new displays, yanking the show cable out at totally different instances, clearing the CMOS, and making certain UEFI was chosen as an alternative of CSM within the BIOS (it was!) all proved fruitless.
But this morning, AMD’s crew acquired again to me with one other suggestion: When the BIOS splash display screen is up proper after turning on the PC, slam the ability button to attempt to coax Windows into forcing an automated restoration try. I attempted it 4 instances to no avail. I used to be informed to stick with it, that it would work finally. And after fifteen complete tries, it did!
I’m undecided what triggered it to lastly catch, however timing appeared to play an element in it. Hitting the ability button whereas the BIOS keypress choices had been up merely turned off my PC instantly. Hitting it as soon as the spinning “Windows thinking” icon appeared saved the PC on, however did nothing—my system merely black-screened once more. But finally, I managed to hit the ability button within the cut up second between the BIOS choices disappearing and the Windows circle showing, and that managed to kickstart an automated restoration try.
You wish to choose the System Restore possibility and choose a restore level from previous to the Windows corruption. Windows ought to mechanically have created one simply earlier than putting in the brand new GPU drivers.
IDG
Success!
After Windows did its factor for a bit, I finally wound up within the Windows restoration instruments menu, in a position to restart my PC or choose superior choices. I went into the superior choices’ troubleshooting menu and chosen System Restore, since Startup Repair hosed my PC even worse earlier than. I chosen a restore level from mid-February, loaded it up, and after two agonizingly irritating days, my check rig was again in motion. If you’ve suffered from the current Adrenalin drivers corrupting your Windows set up, do that course of to hopefully get again in your toes.
But how did this occur, and how will you stop it from occurring to you?
How to keep away from Radeon drivers breaking your Windows set up
AMD tells me it took dozens of makes an attempt to recreate the problem of their labs resulting from its excessive rarity. On a name, one consultant really known as me “patient zero.” The firm supplied me with the next assertion whereas its investigation is ongoing:
“We have reproduced an issue that can occur in an extremely small number of instances if a PC update occurs during the installation of AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, and we are actively investigating. We recommend users ensure all system updates are applied or paused before installing the driver, and that the “Factory Reset” possibility is unchecked in the course of the AMD driver set up course of. We are dedicated to resolve points as shortly as doable and strongly encourage customers to submit points with AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition by way of the Bug Report Tool.”
It’s price noting that my model of Windows 10 was up to date previous to making an attempt the Adrenalin Software set up, however the Game Bar or another a part of Windows might have been silently updating within the background to kickstart this catastrophe.
DO NOT click on “additional options” and verify the “factory reset” field till the core situation is mounted!
AMD
As a workaround, merely don’t verify that manufacturing unit reset field should you’re putting in new Radeon drivers. There’s no purpose to take action should you’ve already acquired a working Radeon GPU arrange and are merely updating to the newest drivers anyway. Simple as that. It labored for me after my check system was revived and I now have Adrenalin 23.2.2 put in and dealing like a appeal.
A damned disgrace
It’s a damned disgrace this occurred. Most excruciatingly for myself and different players who had their Windows set up deeply corrupted, in fact, but additionally for AMD.
I’ve been a vocal advocate for the intense driver and software program enhancements AMD has been making over the past half-decade or so. People slammed the iffy state of Radeon drivers for years. AMD listened and poured great funding and energy into sprucing them up. Now, Team Red’s drivers are even higher than Nvidia’s in style Game Ready drivers in some ways, and in June 2022 AMD felt assured sufficient about its software program to declare that it presents “industry-leading stability” with “99.95% of users experiencing no crashes when AMD Software is installed.”
There’s little doubt that AMD’s driver stability and total stability are actually proper up there with the most effective of them after years of intense refinement. This is a particularly uncommon edge case. It certain sucks being in that 0.05%! But points this catastrophic damage the trigger to rebuild Radeon software program’s picture, irrespective of how uncommon they’re. Regardless of whether or not Windows or AMD is accountable ultimately, this expertise is the type of factor that might instantly make many PC players swear off Radeon GPUs without end, and inform all their mates why. And that’s a disgrace.
Several Radeon GPUs maintain spots in our roundup of the best graphics cards. I’m not going to take away them regardless of my private catastrophe. This extreme situation isn’t widespread, solely occurring in ultra-rare circumstances, whereas AMD presents really compelling worth up and down the stack with Nvidia mountaineering GeForce costs via the roof. And sure, AMD’s drivers are certainly rock-solid the huge majority of the time. This explicit situation may have been catastrophic with out AMD’s direct assist, however no software program is ideal—particularly within the complicated PC ecosystem—and whereas I acquired caught in a deeply irritating state of affairs, there’s solely a microscopic likelihood of it affecting you. (And hopefully this text might help you if it does.)
Most individuals don’t verify the manufacturing unit set up field anyway. Just be certain you don’t both till a everlasting repair is launched.
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