Expand.exe (File Expansion Utility): Correctly Extract Atikmdag.sys !
Microsoft has a built-in file expansion utility to expand certain files. You can expand the original drivers and replace it with your current, fixing any possible problems by restoring the original state. Sounds simple but a few steps are required:
0. Download the latest ATI graphic card drivers MANUALLY from amd.com for your specific graphic card. If you don’t know how to do that you can find more instructions here
1. Step Make sure you have the latest AMD ATI graphic card drivers. To do that you would open the AMD Vision Engine Center via the Control Panel, click on Information and then on Software Update – if you have the latest driver already proceed below
2. Step Alright, got the latest drivers but you still get the atikmpag.sys BSOD?
3. Step Download Everything from voidtools and locate all atikmdag.sy_ files on your system
Simply enter atikmdag.sy_ into the search bar
4. Step I had to open the path (one path on two lines below)
- C:\AMD\Support\12-4_vista_win7_64_dd_ccc\Packages\Drivers\
- Display\W76A_INF\B136646
5. Step Copy the file atikmdag.sy_ to another folder that is shorter e.g. C:\test or C:\Users\sOliver\Desktop
6. Step Open the command prompt
7. Step Enter C: and hit enter, then enter cd C:\test\ or cd C:\Users\sOliver\Desktop
8. Step Now enter the following command Extract.exe atikmdag.sy_ atikmdag.sys
Note, there is a space between the two filenames, else you will get an error No destination specified for: atikmdag.sy_
9. Open C:\Windows\system32\drivers and rename the existing atikmdag.sys to atikmdag.sys.bak
10. StepCopy the file atikmdag.sys from your desktop to C:\Windows\system32\drivers
11. Reboot your PC
12. You should no longer receive any blue screens. All BSOD’s that are related to atikmdag.sys should be fixed for now.
Alright, now why do you get the blue screen in the first place? I assume that AMD’s driver installer has problem of correctly expanding and extracing the *.sys files. Although the files appear to be identical there could be a permission problem or a dozen of other possible problems
Still Problems? Read Our BSOD Guide
If this does not fix your problem, please post the entire blue screen error code below so we can analyze this. We also recommend to read our guide on fixing blue screen errors