Fix the bluescreens & crashes.

[Combo]

I enjoy the game (Obviously). But with a crash or bluescreen every 30 minutes? And before some 12 year old fan boy jumps to their defence, NO OTHER GAME DOES THIS. It's just not acceptable. Dev's should be embarrassed by this bug ridden mess.

[Jyandalf]

Check ANY of the blue screen threads within the first 2 pages. It's 99% guaranteed to not be an issue Wildcard can fix, due to nvidia releasing drivers that cause blue screen events

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A blue screen of death is actually a diagnostic tool used to help address bad drivers, or hardware failures. I'm having to run to work so I can't see if my own system is crashing, but lo and behold, I'm going to work and will most likely need to be dealing with businesses whose staff have blue screening computers.

If you want to be constructive and help pinpoint a common fault, a reason why Ark is triggering a blue screen stop code, the following information is required:

1) A system information and driver report. An easy way to get this is a direct x diagnostics report. To do this, press the Windows Key+ R keys, type "dxdiag" and press enter. Once Direct X has collected your information, there will be a save report button on the bottom right.
The reason for this report is because there are literally hundreds, maybe thousands of hardware combinations, especially if you don't have a system built by a manufacturer, such as Dell or HP. This will also help in seeing if a driver needs updating.

2) we need some information on the crash itself. I don't know about you, but my own system reboots from a blue screen faster than I can load my camera or grab a pen and paper. Thankfully, for most blue screen events windows is able to capture information about what was running when the STOP code was thrown. It captures this in two locations:
C:\Windows\minidump and collectively in a single file located in C:\Windows\MEMORY.DMP

There is a free program that you can download called Blue Screen View which will turn this dump file into an easy to read display, which will highlight the following information:
The Stop Code, the 4 bug check parameters, what was running when the system locked up. This is the most critical information, but note that blue screen view can only read mini dump files because the MEMORY.DMP has a record of EVERY SINGLE CRASH. so it's not uncommon to see that file exceed 1GB. If you aren't getting minidump files, follow the link below how to turn them on.

https://blog.nirsoft.net/2010/07/27/how-to-configure-windows-to-create-minidump-files-on-bsod/

it takes a few minutes and will diagnostically make life easier in the future as minidump collect information on one BSOD event only.

If you could post that specific information (The Stop Code, the 4 bug check parameters, what was running when the system locked up.) then we can see if this is as a result of a conflict or issue with drivers that ARK is triggering for some reason. We might even be able to work together to find a workaround as well

[Combo]

Thanks for the constructive reply, but I have one Nvidia machine, and two AMD. They all crash & bluescreen on Extinction. I have over 100 games in my library and no other game does this. It's just not acceptable. The BSOD is not a diagnostic tool. 99.9% of other programs don't crash your OS.

[Vesuvius]

Originally posted by |OG| Combo:

Thanks for the constructive reply, but I have one Nvidia machine, and two AMD. They all crash & bluescreen on Extinction. I have over 100 games in my library and no other game does this. It's just not acceptable. The BSOD is not a diagnostic tool. 99.9% of other programs don't crash your OS.

Does this mean you are not going to provide the information requested and help him to help you?

[Lordbufu]

Originally posted by |OG| Combo:

It's just not acceptable. The BSOD is not a diagnostic tool.

IT resources do not agree with that statement.

the blue screen of death (officially known as a stop error and referred to as "bug check" in the Windows software development kit and driver development kit documentation)

The stop code that is provide with said blue screen is the key to resolving your issue, or atleast finding out what the problem is on your 3 machines.

[Respawn]

lately I was getting BSOD almost everyday. Then I stumbled on a random post about Ark survival and a post mentioned that its the NVIDIA graphic drivers. I uninstalled abd reinstalled an early version...5 versions back and since I have done that, no BSOD's.

The error I was getting was BAD POOL CALLER.

If this is your error...try reinstalling an earlier version of drivers....certified version and bac 5 series from what you are running

[Combo]

Thanks to everyone who posted constructed feedback . I still don't feel you should have to jump through these hoops to play, but I enjoy the game enough to try your suggestions. Thanks

[Vesuvius]

Originally posted by |OG| Combo:

Thanks to everyone who posted constructed feedback :Boxing_glove: . I still don't feel you should have to jump through these hoops to play, but I enjoy the game enough to try your suggestions. Thanks

You dont feel my feedback was constructive?.... i would think it at the very least polite to let incompetent know wether or not to expect a reply.

Your bsod cause could be one and the same as others... or it could be one of several causes.

NVidia has options for posting bsod info/crash reports as well.

[ﮱﮔutex]

Originally posted by |OG| Combo:

I enjoy the game (Obviously). But with a crash or bluescreen every 30 minutes? And before some 12 year old fan boy jumps to their defence, NO OTHER GAME DOES THIS. It's just not acceptable. Dev's should be embarrassed by this bug ridden mess.

100% agree and Read these thread ..

Given the amount of threads about ARK Crashing (BSOD) the silence from Wildcard and Steam Moderators is deafening, the latter could pin the help outlined in these threads but dont

https://steamcommunity.com/app/346110/discussions/0/1748980761801608330

https://steamcommunity.com/app/346110/discussions/0/1741101364289020787/

https://steamcommunity.com/app/346110/discussions/0/1741101364289319826/

[Jyandalf]

Originally posted by |OG| Combo:

The BSOD is not a diagnostic tool. 99.9% of other programs don't crash your OS.

Thats the thing about blue screens. They can literally be triggered by one program but the fix to the problem lies in other areas. This is why a blue screen captures the following information:
Exception, process last running, time, and bug check parameters which form a puzzle that will eventually paint a picture as to what caused the blue screen and why.

Now, I'm actively trying to sound less defensive when I say this so please be patient.

This kind of work is what I built my professional career from. I've been working IT both as a hobby(fixing my own BSOD issues in games on Windows XP because EA was about as helpful as nipples on a bull) and as a profession. The Stop Code describes the Exception, or reason why your computer needs to shut down before windows implodes.
The Last running process would be considered as the primary suspect for the blue screen event, and the bug check parameters are the evidence that builds the motivation.

I understand that you aren't a developer or software engineer, nor do you want to be, but without all of those components, it makes it take a lot longer, especially from the developer's point of view, because on their systems, they may never be able to replicate that issue.

If however, it is something that's replicable across many different configurations, it's usually a lot easier to narrow down the root cause.

The most recent lot of blue screen events boil down to two common causes: 1, an issue that had come out in a patch a couple of months ago that Wildcard addressed and fixed the day it came out(if you have Extinction installed, you definitely have this fix) and the other one was coinciding with nVidias release of the rtx 2xxx series, which launched with driver version 4xx.

The latter has some workarounds in place that reduce the number of blue screens(environmental shadows being reduced) but I haven't seen it be a 100% guaranteed fix.

Now, if people were to submit the reports with the information as to exactly what is captured in blue screen dumps, you'd be making it a LOT easier for the right people to deliver fixes.

If you just want a soapbox to complain on, that's fine- but please don't try and shoot down others who are genuinely interested in trying to help out by making ignorant contradictions

[Respawn]

Im not a tech wizard. But I was getting BSOD daily when I heard about Nvidia drivers for my graphics card. I uninstalled my version and installed a version 5 back as suggested in the forums.

Why 5 back? The post gave a version number and said that it was the cause and to install the previous version, so I did.

Since then I have not had a BSOD...that was 2 weeks ago now. Im not saying what to do...but it worked for me

[enchanter100]

Turn of hardware acceleration in your web browser..

[Davetiger]

Originally posted by nightshade_tn:

Im not a tech wizard. But I was getting BSOD daily when I heard about Nvidia drivers for my graphics card. I uninstalled my version and installed a version 5 back as suggested in the forums.

Why 5 back? The post gave a version number and said that it was the cause and to install the previous version, so I did.

Since then I have not had a BSOD...that was 2 weeks ago now. Im not saying what to do...but it worked for me

same I went pre 400... think it is 399.22 and I've played over 40 hrs after that change and no more blue screens and on one of those other threads someone said nvidia is aware of this issue and they are working to fix it

as for the comment that it's just this game I have also heard other people say other games do have this issue with the 400+ driver they just might not be the ones you are playing. (and before you ask I didn't get the names of those games and none of the others that I have played had issues, but to be fair, I was only really playing ark.)

[Respawn]

I also play The Division, Skyrim SE, and LOTRO. I have not had any problems with the BSOD's with those games prior to me changing the drivers...It just seems to be Ark.

[Trigger Zero]

FROM NVIDIA, A response on the issue. They responded 2 1/2 days ago.
Issues and updates:
2420789-ARK Survival may crash with bad pool caller error and eventual BSOD
https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/1083878/geforce-drivers/official-417-22-game-ready-whql-display-driver-feedback-thread-released-12-3-18-/

They're labeling it a driver issue with windows.
Also: https://www.neowin.net/news/nvidia-geforce-driver-41722-whql-now-available-with-improved-ray-tracing-in-battlefield-v/

[brownie689]

I've never had a blue screen on this game since release day. Yeah there is the rare game crash but that's a problem with the game itself and it hardly ever happens and when it does it's on the new DLC that is still buggy.