Code 43 error?

Asus Striker Extreme MB
Quad core 2.4
Two nVidia 8800 Ultras
Four WD 150GB HD, RAID5
Sound Blaster Audigy
HP LP1965 LCD screen

I used to run SLI for the longest time. When I started playing Age of Conan, the SLI setup would crash it constantly, so I disabled SLI and played with one card. I quit Conan, updated to the latest GPU drivers, then went to turn SLI back up. The option was not there. Checked the rest of the options, thinking maybe it was under a different/new name, nada.

Looked online, no one else seemed to have the problem, so I checked my device manager. Aha, one of the GPUs had an error. "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)"

Tried reinstalling the drivers, no change. Ran Mark3D Vantage, and my score looked low enough that I'm only running 1 GPU, so its definately running only one card.

Then I got an idea. I disconnected one card (the primary one I'd been using for Conan) and plugged in the one that had been sitting there unused. Restarted the computer, immediately noticed the BIOS, loadup, and Vista all have vertical lines on the screen. Look kinda something like this:


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Depending on resolution, they are bigger at lower resolution, and smaller at higher resolution. Device manager shows the GPU there, detected, but the same error 43. While I'd like to think its just a device error, it doesn't explain why the lines would be there on the BIOS screen. I switched monitors, the lines are still there.

The temperatures on GPU are normal, and I'm typing this while the lines are on screen, so it doesn't seem unstable. I have no settings for the display, it appears I'm running on the backup standard VGA drivers right now. Ideas?

The BIOS settings only asks about SLI-ready memory. Otherwise, the nForceware controls and modifies the settings by itself.

At first I just pulled out the lower (working) card and plugged in the top one, and it showed problems. After making this post, I shut down the computer, and switched the top card into the lower blue slot and the problems are persisting.

Bah, same problem. Looks like i need a new card then, I also have an 8800ultra, from looking round i have found a few other people that have had similar problems with all 8800 models, doesn't make much sence to me.

When an electrical item is switched on there is a brief surge of power through it and this can, and will, finish off a weak component. It`s like lightbulbs, one could be working perfectly for years then one day you turn it on and-pop!

My XFX 8800 GTX has just gone the same, blue vertical dotted lines across the screen, BIOS text at start up vanishing and scrambled, tried old and new drivers and just end up going in a loop with a crash dump blue screen - have to go into safe mode to uninstall the drivers.

Lines are yellow when white web pages are up. Just reinstalled Vista 64 to make sure it's not a corrupt O/S. Wasn't really planning to upgrade just yet as the 295 is still pretty expensive and I'm worried I'll plug it in and the lines will still be there - then I will feel like a dick.

After a quick Google most people think it's graphics related, but it's all so vague.

I've got the same problem with my 8800 GTS card. It happened the instant I'd upgraded to Nvidia's latest driver - ends in '07' I think.
Blue dotted grid/columns all over screen and artefacts on boot screen. Cant re-install any version of driver now and am getting Windows Code 43
Nvidia are pushing some out of date BIOS angle at me but On-line tech support at PC Specialist who built my PC say no way, and reckon that somehow the update has damaged the graphics card - it's too big a coincidence that it went crazy straight after the update. 2 years that card has lasted !
I've ordered 9800 GT 1GB from them so let's see if that fixes anything.
Nice one NVidia ! I spend good money trying to keep out things that kill computers when it seems like the enemy comes from within !