WHEA Event 17 and leads to nvlddmkm no response and dwm failure

Question

In the past 2 months, my monitor would suddenly and randomly shows Display Port no signal (screen goes black) but with sound remaining playing. I have tried multiple methods but the problem is still occurring:

• clean boot
• update bios
• update chipset driver
• DDU GPU driver and reinstall different versions of GPU driver
• re-plugging GPU
• run intel processor diagnostic tool, etc.

I could pin the event from WHEA Event 17 with the following message:

• <Event xmlns="__http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event__">
• <System>

  <Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-WHEA-Logger" Guid="{c26c4f3c-3f66-4e99-8f8a-39405cfed220}" />

  <EventID>17</EventID>

  <Version>1</Version>

  <Level>3</Level>

  <Task>0</Task>

  <Opcode>0</Opcode>

  <Keywords>0x8000000000000000</Keywords>

  <TimeCreated SystemTime="2024-09-30T01:06:19.3900660Z" />

  <EventRecordID>13369</EventRecordID>

  <Correlation ActivityID="{7abe5610-5f1e-4e1b-a495-3d6a3376d08f}" />

  <Execution ProcessID="3804" ThreadID="4808" />

  <Channel>System</Channel>

  <Computer>PC</Computer>

  <Security UserID="S-1-5-19" />

  </System>

• <EventData>

  <Data Name="ErrorSource">4</Data>

  <Data Name="FRUId">{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}</Data>

  <Data Name="FRUText" />

  <Data Name="ValidBits">0xdf</Data>

  <Data Name="PortType">4</Data>

  <Data Name="Version">0x101</Data>

  <Data Name="Command">0x407</Data>

  <Data Name="Status">0x10</Data>

  <Data Name="Bus">0x0</Data>

  <Data Name="Device">0x1</Data>

  <Data Name="Function">0x0</Data>

  <Data Name="Segment">0x0</Data>

  <Data Name="SecondaryBus">0x0</Data>

  <Data Name="SecondaryDevice">0x0</Data>

  <Data Name="SecondaryFunction">0x0</Data>

  <Data Name="VendorID">0x8086</Data>

  <Data Name="DeviceID">0x460d</Data>

  <Data Name="ClassCode">0x30400</Data>

  <Data Name="DeviceSerialNumber">0x0</Data>

  <Data Name="BridgeControl">0x0</Data>

  <Data Name="BridgeStatus">0x0</Data>

  <Data Name="UncorrectableErrorStatus">0x0</Data>

  <Data Name="CorrectableErrorStatus">0x1</Data>

  <Data Name="HeaderLog">00000000000000000000000000000000</Data>

  <Data Name="PrimaryDeviceName">PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_460D&SUBSYS_50001458&REV_02</Data>

  <Data Name="SecondaryDeviceName" />

  </EventData>

  </Event>

Could someone help to decode the message or help with the issue? Thanks.

Answer 1

Hello

The WHEA (Windows Hardware Error Architecture) Event 17 error, combined with the nvlddmkm and dwm failures, suggests a hardware-related problem, often linked to the GPU or memory.

 

Here are a few additional steps you can try:

 

Check RAM: Faulty RAM can cause similar issues. Try running a more thorough memory test using tools like MemTest86. If you have multiple RAM sticks, test each one individually to identify any faulty modules.

 

Power Supply: Ensure your power supply unit (PSU) is providing adequate power to your GPU and other components. An underpowered or failing PSU can cause instability.

 

Disable Fast Startup: Sometimes, Fast Startup can cause issues with driver loading. Disable it by going to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do > Change settings that are currently unavailable > Uncheck "Turn on fast startup".

 

Check for Overheating: Ensure your GPU and CPU are not overheating. Clean any dust from your system and ensure proper airflow.

 

BIOS Settings: Reset your BIOS settings to default. Sometimes, incorrect BIOS settings can cause hardware issues.

 

Driver Permissions: Ensure that the nvlddmkm.sys file has the correct permissions. Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers, right-click on nvlddmkm.sys, go to Properties > Security, and ensure that the system has full control.

 

If these steps don’t resolve the issue, it might be worth considering a hardware replacement, such as the GPU or RAM, especially if they are older components.