Is system stability achievable?

[Kurvz]

My rig PC runs silky smooth I have heaps connected to it, but it's a PC only for my Sim Rig, I have another PC for all things non sim related, Only have what I need installed , but I do have two button boxes, 2 sound cards (8 Bass shaker), two webcams, pedals wheel, dashboard, rev counter, 3 LED displays and a Rift S have not had any issue for ages, running GFX and CPU overclocked 24/7.

As its just for my Sim Rig I can reformat and be up and running in a few hours should something go wrong

 

[Case_]

Ah, you're one of the people who always expect updates to mess things up by default. Gotcha.

(BTW, can't remember when was the last time any Windows update affected GRUB for me. Probably a couple of years at least, likely before I finally moved to GUID/GPT partition scheme.)

 

[R8pilot]

I didn't say (or think) that, but thanks anyway?

The thing is that my sim-rig computer is only for simulation, as I just moved to a different box for Linux, and hence I could disconnect the sim rig from the internet if I wished (at least until a new sim comes along).

 

[norbs]

The title of this thread genuinely confused me. I always considered system stability to be the norm. If you're struggling with system stability, there's something wrong with your system.

I cant be the only one to have had issues AFTER a Windows update?

 

[blekenbleu]

I cant be the only one to have had issues AFTER a Windows update?

My M$ update issues are too often confounded with Nvidia driver update issues... who to blame?

 

[Case_]

I cant be the only one to have had issues AFTER a Windows update?

You sure you want to go there? These discussions tend to be based on personal sympathies/antipathies more than on facts, and more often than not, people tend to blame Microsoft for things they have no (or very little) control over.

I'll say that I do certainly have some issue now and then after an update. But it's been a very long time (years) since I had any truly serious issues, and regardless of whether they were serious or not, they were usually caused by a driver or something I had installed on my system and perhaps even forgot about, rather than the update itself.

And in any way, like I said, I consider stability to be the norm, not some unreachable chimera. That has always been my approach to IT issues, even back when I was still crazy enough (and patient with people enough) to do it professionally. So if your system is unstable after an update (which, as mentioned above, certainly can happen sometimes), there's something wrong and you need to solve it ASAP.

 

[norbs]

You sure you want to go there? These discussions tend to be based on personal sympathies/antipathies more than on facts, and more often than not, people tend to blame Microsoft for things they have no (or very little) control over.

I'll say that I do certainly have some issue now and then after an update. But it's been a very long time (years) since I had any truly serious issues, and regardless of whether they were serious or not, they were usually caused by a driver or something I had installed on my system and perhaps even forgot about, rather than the update itself.

And in any way, like I said, I consider stability to be the norm, not some unreachable chimera. That has always been my approach to IT issues, even back when I was still crazy enough (and patient with people enough) to do it professionally. So if your system is unstable after an update (which, as mentioned above, certainly can happen sometimes), there's something wrong and you need to solve it ASAP.

Yes, I am sure I want to. And you did in the end too.

Well played.

 

[RCHeliguy]

I install all windows patches as they come, but have a short cooling off period for new graphics card driver releases.

I think WMR VR users have been bitten the hardest by Windows updates. I haven't noticed any issues, but I'm not a WMR user.

My Windows 10 system has been extremely stable.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

I think WMR VR users have been bitten the hardest by Windows updates. I haven't noticed any issues, but I'm not a WMR user.

Not really.

 

[markie44]

I originally posted this question as though not new to IT, I didn't have any experience with SIM rigs and wanted to know what the norm was. I was having frequent crashes and hardware disconnects despite various builds trying different OS versions.

Prior to posting I had seen the usual issues with driver incompatibility and windows updates 'breaking' things. I'd gone through a methodical series of troubleshooting methods but had consistent problems.

Well, I'm pleased to say I've finally got to the bottom of it.

Turns out I had a bad USB bus on my motherboard. Again, having investigated USB issues it seemed many are using external hubs to negotiate IRQ and power errors and such. An external hub improved things, but I was still having to sequentially power up each device after windows boot.

After the 4th clean OS install in a row I contacted HP support who after going through some pretty basic troubleshooting, sent out an engineer to my house the next day who exchanged the motherboard with a new one. All under standard workstation warranty. Not bad for a used PC bought of ebay about to have its 3rd birthday!

My stability has gone up 1000% and I no longer have to use the USB hub.

On a side note, my general PC experience is up-to-date OS and drivers are generally the way to go, but I avoid doing windows updates - preferring a fresh build if the OS version changes. SIM building seems no different.

Thanks to those here with useful feedback, and thanks to HP workstation support - second to none in the industry as far as I'm concerned.

 

[norbs]

Excellent result.

 

[blekenbleu]

If an Nvidia driver crashes consistently without hanging Windows, is that stability?

 

[Shovas]

If an Nvidia driver crashes consistently without hanging Windows, is that stability?

Is that Edge? Because there's your first problem lol Get Firefox, Brave, or Chrome. Sort of kidding, sort of not, Edge theoretically should be fine since it's based on Chrome's engine but I don't trust Microsoft to handle it well.

Crashes like that might come down to memory corruption. Try testing your memory. It might be your video card. It's hard to say.

 

[blekenbleu]

Is that Edge?

Yes, good eye.

Because there's your first problem lol Get Firefox, Brave, or Chrome.

I nearly always use Chrome and first encountered this issue on it.

Crashes like that might come down to memory corruption

It does not occur if either 2560x1600 Dell 3007WFP is disconnected or revert to pre-RTX Nvidia drivers.
When I bother to chase thru Windoze event logs, Nvidia driver gets blamed.
This began about when Nvidia started adding RTX 30x0 support
and just recurred when Microsoft included an Nvidia driver in their updates.
On a guess, Nvidia driver testing may not include a configuration
with a GTX 1080 Ti, HP Reverb and a pair of 2560x1600 monitors..

 

[Deleted member 197115]

I don't think it's a recommended practice to install Windows supplied NVidia drivers. Just download the latest Game Ready from NVidia, DCH or standalone, doesn't matter. Run DDU before install.

 

[Terry Rock]

With no two systems being the same (even if built from similar components) it is always difficult to judge.
I personally would have to go back to my Windows 98 days...the last time a Microsoft update caused me issues.
It was one which caused CPU occupancy to hang at 100 percent...remember it well.
It was fixed by a soft patch three days later.
The most recent third party software related issue was an Oculus update which caused no display in headset.
That was over two years ago in my case.
Nvidia drivers themselves have been stable for me.
The GeForce Experience of late can sometimes be a bit 'hit or miss' with the dreaded 0x0003 fault code.
It happens with some drivers and not others.
It doesn't bring the system to a grinding halt though. You can simply close it and move on.

 

[blekenbleu]

Just download the latest Game Ready from NVidia

It was a latest Game Ready version that initially provoked crashing on first video load last year.
At that time, the bug would crash Windows, sometimes requiring a repair,
which is when I had reverted to an older version and uninstalled GeForce Experience.
I have never used DDU, tho.. Is https://www.wagnardsoft.com/ the recommended source for that?

I don't think it's a recommended practice to install Windows supplied NVidia drivers

For Intel drivers, at least, I have generally worse experiences with drivers directly from intel.com than those supplied by Windows, not to imply that WHQL is perfect.

This reminds me; I have yet to provoke that obligatory first video crash of the day..

 

[Deleted member 197115]

Win 10 supplied drivers are right on the money most of the times.
Nvidia sourced video drivers somehow are still more stable and more up to date.

 

[blekenbleu]

Run DDU before install.

Should DDU remove PhysX?

As with other likely doomed Windows exercises that seemingly lack comprehensive instructions,
a DDU procedure was drafted.
Of course, a local copy must be used while networking is disabled...

 

[Turk]

Is that Edge? Because there's your first problem lol Get Firefox, Brave, or Chrome. Sort of kidding, sort of not, Edge theoretically should be fine since it's based on Chrome's engine but I don't trust Microsoft to handle it well.

But it conveniently loads itself on start-up now so it looks like it's starting really fast. So people are probably already using it without knowing. Why use a second browser when Microsoft have been so helpful?

You have to go in and turn off that useful feature now. It wasn't on for me but apparently it got turned on in the last update by default.