Is anyone else having problems with random crashes in Windows 7 on the i5 17" MBP's? It seems to be a hardware or driver issue.
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Random crashes on i5 17" running Windows 7
- Thread starter SonicEarth
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There's no BSOD. The screen just goes blank or freezes altogether. And it's most certainly a hardware or driver issue. Windows 7 should not do this under normal circumstances.
Screen flashes are almost certainly a driver or hardware issue based on the video card. Get the latest driver here (for 32-bit W7):
http://www.nvidia.com/object/notebook_winvista_win7_197.16_whql.html
Or here (for 64-bit W7):
http://www.nvidia.com/object/notebook_winvista_win7_x64_197.16_whql.html
Keep us posted and good luck!
http://www.nvidia.com/object/notebook_winvista_win7_197.16_whql.html
Or here (for 64-bit W7):
http://www.nvidia.com/object/notebook_winvista_win7_x64_197.16_whql.html
Keep us posted and good luck!
Everything is up to date and I am still getting crashes. I even reinstalled the boot camp drivers. I was also unable to reproduce the error in OSX, which leads me to believe it's a Windows driver issue and not faulty hardware.
Windows works just fine on computers designed for Windows. MBPs are not such devices. When buying Apple computer to run Windows one is at the mercy of Apple to provide decent drivers. NVIDIA might be involved as well. But guess what, NVIDIA's first priority is drivers for native Windows not drivers for Apple-specific cards.
Well, it's certainly not a hardware issue given the fact that it occurs specifically on Windows.
A cynical person would advise you to boot OS X instead.
Fixed it for you.
OP: If you got a mac and expected to run Windows as well as it runs on a Dell or HP, you're going to be in for a very nasty shock!
I'm gonna paying 2000+ € and I can't run a decent Windows if I want? Ridicolous... C'mon.. If the Mac can also run Windows, Steve tells it is an amazing feature, if the Mac has troubles running Windows Steve tells it is a Windows' fault (and Windows 7 is really rock solid). Definitely NOT FAIR!
@Who tells that if you buy a Mac you can't expect to run Windows fine: We are talking about a PRO use, and often PROs need to run some applications only available for Windows environment, while having a wonderful OS X for all the other stuff. That's why Intel Macs have been so successful!
If this feature is not well supported, it's just a fraud!
Hope they'll fix it soon!
@Who tells that if you buy a Mac you can't expect to run Windows fine: We are talking about a PRO use, and often PROs need to run some applications only available for Windows environment, while having a wonderful OS X for all the other stuff. That's why Intel Macs have been so successful!
If this feature is not well supported, it's just a fraud!
Hope they'll fix it soon!
The fact is that there is no difference internally between a MacBook and any other Windows machine. Also, it's the video driver that's the problem and apple certainly did not write the nvidia drivers. I'm still at a loss as to why it won't let me install the newest nvidia drivers.
I should also note that this never happened on my 15" before I traded it for a 17".
I should also note that this never happened on my 15" before I traded it for a 17".
That's complete BS, macbook pro hardware is no different than any other pc laptop where it matters. The only difference is the apple look and price premium. It never cease to amaze me how stupid some of you mac people truly are.
Most people run windows 7 perfectly fine on mbp, to the OP did you do any customization? if after all the driver updates you still have the same issue, run a full scan on your hdd to see if there are any bad sectors or issues.
Just a guess, but as I understand it Apple did not use Nvidia's Optimus technology for the on-the-fly graphics switching, but instead rolled their own solution which may or may not be based on Optimus. Given that Windows support probably isn't Apple's top priority it wouldn't surprise me if that had not been fully tested under Windows. Is there any way to keep it from switching modes by setting it permanently to one or other, and see if the problem goes away?
On the larger question of Windows support, Apple does advertise that their products run Windows. In my opinion they ought to stand behind that if they're going to claim it. On my late 2008 Macbook it took months to get a halfway decent trackpad driver for XP, and it's still pretty crappy really.
That is just one reason why I would not want to buy a new Mac architecture as it rolls off the production line; better to give it several months and let them shake out these corner cases.
under windows 7, it just uses the 330m discreet video card all the time, there is no switching i believe.
It does use the 330M all the time. I tried reinstalling the boot camp drivers. We'll see how that fares.
On the contrary . MBPs were voted by one of the leading PC Mags as the best windows laptop (2008) i believe. MacPro is also the best Desktop Windows machine you can buy.