TeamFortress 2 = unstable

This is what I just posted on the official Steam forums:
Tek7 said:
TeamFortress 2 crashes approximately 3-4 minutes (sometimes sooner) into the game after joining a server. This happens every single time.

This latest instance crashed my entire computer with the following Blue Screen of Death message:

*** STOP:0x0000008E (0xC0000005, 0xBFB71447, 0xB8AA2504, 0x00000000)

*** nv4_disp.dll - Address BFB71447 base at BF9D5000, Datestamp 00000000

This was after loading TeamFortress 2 with the -nosound parameter.

I'm running TeamFortress 2 on a Dell Inspiron E1705 with a nVIDIA GeForce Go 7800 and a Sigmatel STAC9200 (audio). I am using the latest official drivers for both video and audio as available on the Dell web site.

I am using the Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy ADVANCED HD Audio software package as well. As with the video card and audio chipset, I am using the latest official drivers available from Dell.

I had hoped that the Sept. 26, 2007 update would resolve the issue, but it did not.

I have tried installing uninstalling and re-installing the official video drivers, installing unofficial video drivers, installing older audio drivers, and uninstalling and re-installing the Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy ADVANCED HD Audio software package.

Nothing I have done so far prevents the BSOD (Blue Screen of Death).

Am I stuck waiting for Valve to release another patch that fixes compatibility issues with the Sigmatel STAC9200 chipset (which is my best guess at the root of the issue), or is there something I can do to fix the underlying problem?
Click to expand...
 
I followed up my earlier post on the Steam Forums with this fix:
Tek7 said:
As mentioned in this thread, TeamFortress 2 was crashing to a Blue Screen of Death when loaded with the -nosound parameter and locking up with the looping sound crash when loaded normally.

I'm using a Dell Inspiron E1705 with Sigmatel STAC9200 audio to play TeamFortress 2.

The following steps resolved the issue:

Step 1
  • Click Start
  • Click Run
  • Type dxdiag
  • Click OK
  • Click Sound tab
  • Slide Hardware Sound Acceleration Level down to No acceleration
  • Click OK
Step 2
  • Load TeamFortress 2
  • Click Options
  • Click Audio tab
  • Set Sound Quality to Low
  • Click OK
That should do it. Well, it worked for me, anyway. :)

I hope this will save at least one person the hours upon hours of hassle I went through to find a fix for this issue.
Click to expand...
 
SirThom said:
Sweeeet! =) Did it ever lock up, or are you saying you only played for 25 minutes?
Click to expand...
I played for 25 minutes straight. :)

I did have an issue later, though, where the game would suddenly halt. It wouldn't crash and no sound would loop, but the game would just stop moving. One time, I was able to CTRL+ALT+DEL, open Task Manager, then click back into the game, but the two other times, I had to kill the hl2.exe process.

So, I'm still having problems running TF2, but it's getting better. Somewhat.
 
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