Nvidia says two ways to install drivers

I've noticed that on Nvidia's site, in two different places they recommend
two different ways to install detonators, one on the driver download page,
and the other on their support/faq's page. I've pasted both in below. I
realize that you can just execute the file these days, but can someone tell
me why Nvidia tells you to just execute the file in one place, then tells
you you have to uninstall the old driver first before you execute the file
in another place.
Here they are...the two opposing suggestions. WHY?

On the Nvidia driver download page for 52.16 ;
"Before installing new drivers make sure you uninstall all NVIDIA display
drivers from the Windows Control Panel. Browse to the Start Menu Windows
Control Panel Add/Remove Programs and search for "NVIDIA Windows Display
Drivers" or "NVIDIA Display Drivers" and select remove".

Now from the Nvidia support/faq's page;
""The NVIDIA Detonator drivers are self-installing drivers. This makes it
very easy for end-users to upgrade their drivers to the latest version.
Simply download the appropriate drivers from the NVIDIA Web site at
www.nvidia.com, and save the file to your hard drive. Make sure you are not
running any download utilities in the background. This tends to corrupt the
drivers if not disabled.Once the file is on your hard drive, disable any
anti-virus programs running in the background. Certain anti-virus programs
will prevent you from making any changes to your system files and can
corrupt your drivers. Once you have prepared your system for the driver
installation, simply run the drivers you have downloaded by double-clicking
on the file. The drivers will automatically update your current drivers and
make the necessary changes to your system. If you are running Windows NT4,
it will ask you which graphics card you are installing. This is because
Windows NT4 cannot correctly detect your graphics card make and model. Once
the drivers have been installed, Windows will ask you to restart your
computer to complete the changes. Allow Windows to restart. Once you are
back in Windows, you are done with the driver installation.

These two suggested ways to install Nvidia drivers are clearly different.
One says you have to uninstall the old driver, the other says to just
execute over the old one. WHY?
It's just confusing to a lot of people......me included :-))
Thanks
DH

Dudley Henriques wrote:

I've noticed that on Nvidia's site, in two different places they recommend
two different ways to install detonators, one on the driver download page,
and the other on their support/faq's page. I've pasted both in below. I
realize that you can just execute the file these days, but can someone tell
me why Nvidia tells you to just execute the file in one place, then tells
you you have to uninstall the old driver first before you execute the file
in another place.
Here they are...the two opposing suggestions. WHY?

On the Nvidia driver download page for 52.16 ;
"Before installing new drivers make sure you uninstall all NVIDIA display
drivers from the Windows Control Panel. Browse to the Start Menu Windows
Control Panel Add/Remove Programs and search for "NVIDIA Windows Display
Drivers" or "NVIDIA Display Drivers" and select remove".

Now from the Nvidia support/faq's page;
""The NVIDIA Detonator drivers are self-installing drivers. This makes it
very easy for end-users to upgrade their drivers to the latest version.
Simply download the appropriate drivers from the NVIDIA Web site at
www.nvidia.com, and save the file to your hard drive. Make sure you are not
running any download utilities in the background. This tends to corrupt the
drivers if not disabled.Once the file is on your hard drive, disable any
anti-virus programs running in the background. Certain anti-virus programs
will prevent you from making any changes to your system files and can
corrupt your drivers. Once you have prepared your system for the driver
installation, simply run the drivers you have downloaded by double-clicking
on the file. The drivers will automatically update your current drivers and
make the necessary changes to your system. If you are running Windows NT4,
it will ask you which graphics card you are installing. This is because
Windows NT4 cannot correctly detect your graphics card make and model. Once
the drivers have been installed, Windows will ask you to restart your
computer to complete the changes. Allow Windows to restart. Once you are
back in Windows, you are done with the driver installation.

These two suggested ways to install Nvidia drivers are clearly different.
One says you have to uninstall the old driver, the other says to just
execute over the old one. WHY?
It's just confusing to a lot of people......me included :-))
Thanks
DH



I regularly just install new drivers over my pre-existing ones. I've
never had a problem with official releases doing this.

But you can (technically) run into problems with old .inf files left
around or stray driver components. Often people will experience this
with the loss of a control panel in display properties or it says their
card is not installed properly.

So officially they recommend you do a clean uninstall.

"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
ink.net...

Here they are...the two opposing suggestions. WHY?


On the Nvidia driver download page for 52.16

"Before installing new drivers make sure you uninstall all NVIDIA display
drivers from the Windows Control Panel. Browse to the Start Menu Windows
Control Panel Add/Remove Programs and search for "NVIDIA Windows Display
Drivers" or "NVIDIA Display Drivers" and select remove".

Now from the Nvidia support/faq's page;
corrupt your drivers. "Once you have prepared your system for the driver
installation"

These two suggested ways to install Nvidia drivers are clearly different.
One says you have to uninstall the old driver, the other says to just
execute over the old one. WHY?
It's just confusing to a lot of people......me included :-))
Thanks


The confusion is in the conceptual sentence in the 2nd option where it says
"Once you have prepared your system for the driver installation".

This includes removing the existing drivers.

The original way was to uninstall old drivers and clean out leftover files.
Then from controlpanel/system check if a standard pci graphicsadapter was
installed.
Selecting this device and search for new drivers,pointing to directory the
new are located.
This way you have to extract the .exe in a directory using winzip or winrar
or something like that.
The .inf file does the work for you,with winxp it's sometimes needed to
remove the drivers and hardware in devicemanager.
After that the vidcard is redetected and now you can also point to the
location of new drivers.
Or indeed you simply use the .exe and let nvidia setup do the work which
occasionally goes wrong for people.
Therefor the recommended method is to do it from devicemanager and do the
update with new drivers.
This is almost a foolproof method for installing the drivers in the correct
way.
The old ways often works best,even with todays operatingsystem,which is
actually an old OS with a new jacket.

"Dudley Henriques" schreef in bericht
ink.net...
I've noticed that on Nvidia's site, in two different places they recommend
two different ways to install detonators, one on the driver download page,
and the other on their support/faq's page. I've pasted both in below. I
realize that you can just execute the file these days, but can someone
tell
me why Nvidia tells you to just execute the file in one place, then tells
you you have to uninstall the old driver first before you execute the file
in another place.
Here they are...the two opposing suggestions. WHY?

On the Nvidia driver download page for 52.16 ;
"Before installing new drivers make sure you uninstall all NVIDIA display
drivers from the Windows Control Panel. Browse to the Start Menu Windows
Control Panel Add/Remove Programs and search for "NVIDIA Windows Display
Drivers" or "NVIDIA Display Drivers" and select remove".

Now from the Nvidia support/faq's page;
""The NVIDIA Detonator drivers are self-installing drivers. This makes it
very easy for end-users to upgrade their drivers to the latest version.
Simply download the appropriate drivers from the NVIDIA Web site at
www.nvidia.com, and save the file to your hard drive. Make sure you are
not
running any download utilities in the background. This tends to corrupt
the
drivers if not disabled.Once the file is on your hard drive, disable any
anti-virus programs running in the background. Certain anti-virus programs
will prevent you from making any changes to your system files and can
corrupt your drivers. Once you have prepared your system for the driver
installation, simply run the drivers you have downloaded by
double-clicking
on the file. The drivers will automatically update your current drivers
and
make the necessary changes to your system. If you are running Windows NT4,
it will ask you which graphics card you are installing. This is because
Windows NT4 cannot correctly detect your graphics card make and model.
Once
the drivers have been installed, Windows will ask you to restart your
computer to complete the changes. Allow Windows to restart. Once you are
back in Windows, you are done with the driver installation.

These two suggested ways to install Nvidia drivers are clearly different.
One says you have to uninstall the old driver, the other says to just
execute over the old one. WHY?
It's just confusing to a lot of people......me included :-))
Thanks
DH

Thanks to everyone who answered. Good information.
D
"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
ink.net...
I've noticed that on Nvidia's site, in two different places they recommend
two different ways to install detonators, one on the driver download page,
and the other on their support/faq's page. I've pasted both in below. I
realize that you can just execute the file these days, but can someone
tell
me why Nvidia tells you to just execute the file in one place, then tells
you you have to uninstall the old driver first before you execute the file
in another place.
Here they are...the two opposing suggestions. WHY?

On the Nvidia driver download page for 52.16 ;
"Before installing new drivers make sure you uninstall all NVIDIA display
drivers from the Windows Control Panel. Browse to the Start Menu Windows
Control Panel Add/Remove Programs and search for "NVIDIA Windows Display
Drivers" or "NVIDIA Display Drivers" and select remove".

Now from the Nvidia support/faq's page;
""The NVIDIA Detonator drivers are self-installing drivers. This makes it
very easy for end-users to upgrade their drivers to the latest version.
Simply download the appropriate drivers from the NVIDIA Web site at
www.nvidia.com, and save the file to your hard drive. Make sure you are
not
running any download utilities in the background. This tends to corrupt
the
drivers if not disabled.Once the file is on your hard drive, disable any
anti-virus programs running in the background. Certain anti-virus programs
will prevent you from making any changes to your system files and can
corrupt your drivers. Once you have prepared your system for the driver
installation, simply run the drivers you have downloaded by
double-clicking
on the file. The drivers will automatically update your current drivers
and
make the necessary changes to your system. If you are running Windows NT4,
it will ask you which graphics card you are installing. This is because
Windows NT4 cannot correctly detect your graphics card make and model.
Once
the drivers have been installed, Windows will ask you to restart your
computer to complete the changes. Allow Windows to restart. Once you are
back in Windows, you are done with the driver installation.

These two suggested ways to install Nvidia drivers are clearly different.
One says you have to uninstall the old driver, the other says to just
execute over the old one. WHY?
It's just confusing to a lot of people......me included :-))
Thanks
DH

On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 04:16:13 GMT "Dudley Henriques"
meeped :

Here they are...the two opposing suggestions. WHY?

because they're ******s !

There is actually a THIRD official set of instructions from nvidia contained
in the readme that comes packed with the file. The first step (not
mentioned by nvidia) is to use a program like Winzip to unpack the files to
a temporary directory. Here are the instructions from the readme.

Installation instructions
-------------------------
1. These drivers must be installed by a user with Windows 2000/XP
Administrator
privileges. Please consult your system administrator or Microsoft
Windows 2000/XP User's Manual for more information on Administrator
privileges.

2. Start Microsoft Windows 2000/XP.

3. From the Start menu, select Settings.

4. Select Control Panel.

5. Select System.

6. Select Device Manager.

7. Under Display adapters, select the name of the NVIDIA adapter you have
installed. If you do not see a Display adapters option, or if your
NVIDIA
adapter is not listed, under Other Devices, select Video Controller (VGA
Compatible).

8. Select the Driver tab.

9. Select Update Driver.

10. Select Next.

11. Select Next.

12. Verify that "Specify a location" has a check mark next to it. If it
does
not, click in the box next to "Specify a location" to place a check
mark
in the box. Select Next.

13. Enter the path to the NVIDIA drivers in the "Copy manufacturer's files
from:" dialog. Select OK.

14. If you get a dialog box that states "A suitable driver for this device
is already installed.", click in the box next to "Install one of the
other drivers" to place a check mark in the box, then select Next.

Otherwise, select Next, then proceed to step 16.

15. Select the following driver from the list. NVIDIA RIVA TNT is used an
example; make sure to select your NVIDIA adapter from the list.

Description Provider Manufacturer Location
----------- -------- ------------ --------
NVIDIA RIVA TNT NVIDIA NVIDIA a:\nv4_disp.inf

Select Next.

16. Select Finish.

17. Select Close.

18. Windows 2000/XP will ask if you wish to restart the computer. Select
Yes.


"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
ink.net...
I've noticed that on Nvidia's site, in two different places they recommend
two different ways to install detonators, one on the driver download page,
and the other on their support/faq's page. I've pasted both in below. I
realize that you can just execute the file these days, but can someone
tell
me why Nvidia tells you to just execute the file in one place, then tells
you you have to uninstall the old driver first before you execute the file
in another place.
Here they are...the two opposing suggestions. WHY?

On the Nvidia driver download page for 52.16 ;
"Before installing new drivers make sure you uninstall all NVIDIA display
drivers from the Windows Control Panel. Browse to the Start Menu Windows
Control Panel Add/Remove Programs and search for "NVIDIA Windows Display
Drivers" or "NVIDIA Display Drivers" and select remove".

Now from the Nvidia support/faq's page;
""The NVIDIA Detonator drivers are self-installing drivers. This makes it
very easy for end-users to upgrade their drivers to the latest version.
Simply download the appropriate drivers from the NVIDIA Web site at
www.nvidia.com, and save the file to your hard drive. Make sure you are
not
running any download utilities in the background. This tends to corrupt
the
drivers if not disabled.Once the file is on your hard drive, disable any
anti-virus programs running in the background. Certain anti-virus programs
will prevent you from making any changes to your system files and can
corrupt your drivers. Once you have prepared your system for the driver
installation, simply run the drivers you have downloaded by
double-clicking
on the file. The drivers will automatically update your current drivers
and
make the necessary changes to your system. If you are running Windows NT4,
it will ask you which graphics card you are installing. This is because
Windows NT4 cannot correctly detect your graphics card make and model.
Once
the drivers have been installed, Windows will ask you to restart your
computer to complete the changes. Allow Windows to restart. Once you are
back in Windows, you are done with the driver installation.

These two suggested ways to install Nvidia drivers are clearly different.
One says you have to uninstall the old driver, the other says to just
execute over the old one. WHY?
It's just confusing to a lot of people......me included :-))
Thanks
DH

Confusing as hell isn't it? On one hand it's simple, on the other one, a
complicated mess for those not completely familiar with graphics driver
updating procedures.
It's damn lucky that people have newsgroups like this one full of those with
the know how to straighten it all out.
DH
"Larry L." wrote in message
...
There is actually a THIRD official set of instructions from nvidia
contained
in the readme that comes packed with the file. The first step (not
mentioned by nvidia) is to use a program like Winzip to unpack the files
to
a temporary directory. Here are the instructions from the readme.

Installation instructions
-------------------------
1. These drivers must be installed by a user with Windows 2000/XP
Administrator
privileges. Please consult your system administrator or Microsoft
Windows 2000/XP User's Manual for more information on Administrator
privileges.

2. Start Microsoft Windows 2000/XP.

3. From the Start menu, select Settings.

4. Select Control Panel.

5. Select System.

6. Select Device Manager.

7. Under Display adapters, select the name of the NVIDIA adapter you have
installed. If you do not see a Display adapters option, or if your
NVIDIA
adapter is not listed, under Other Devices, select Video Controller
(VGA
Compatible).

8. Select the Driver tab.

9. Select Update Driver.

10. Select Next.

11. Select Next.

12. Verify that "Specify a location" has a check mark next to it. If it
does
not, click in the box next to "Specify a location" to place a check
mark
in the box. Select Next.

13. Enter the path to the NVIDIA drivers in the "Copy manufacturer's
files
from:" dialog. Select OK.

14. If you get a dialog box that states "A suitable driver for this
device
is already installed.", click in the box next to "Install one of the
other drivers" to place a check mark in the box, then select Next.

Otherwise, select Next, then proceed to step 16.

15. Select the following driver from the list. NVIDIA RIVA TNT is used
an
example; make sure to select your NVIDIA adapter from the list.

Description Provider Manufacturer Location
----------- -------- ------------ --------
NVIDIA RIVA TNT NVIDIA NVIDIA a:\nv4_disp.inf

Select Next.

16. Select Finish.

17. Select Close.

18. Windows 2000/XP will ask if you wish to restart the computer. Select
Yes.


"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
ink.net...
I've noticed that on Nvidia's site, in two different places they
recommend
two different ways to install detonators, one on the driver download
page,
and the other on their support/faq's page. I've pasted both in below. I
realize that you can just execute the file these days, but can someone
tell
me why Nvidia tells you to just execute the file in one place, then
tells
you you have to uninstall the old driver first before you execute the
file
in another place.
Here they are...the two opposing suggestions. WHY?

On the Nvidia driver download page for 52.16 ;
"Before installing new drivers make sure you uninstall all NVIDIA
display
drivers from the Windows Control Panel. Browse to the Start Menu
Windows
Control Panel Add/Remove Programs and search for "NVIDIA Windows
Display
Drivers" or "NVIDIA Display Drivers" and select remove".

Now from the Nvidia support/faq's page;
""The NVIDIA Detonator drivers are self-installing drivers. This makes
it
very easy for end-users to upgrade their drivers to the latest version.
Simply download the appropriate drivers from the NVIDIA Web site at
www.nvidia.com, and save the file to your hard drive. Make sure you are
not
running any download utilities in the background. This tends to corrupt
the
drivers if not disabled.Once the file is on your hard drive, disable any
anti-virus programs running in the background. Certain anti-virus
programs
will prevent you from making any changes to your system files and can
corrupt your drivers. Once you have prepared your system for the driver
installation, simply run the drivers you have downloaded by
double-clicking
on the file. The drivers will automatically update your current drivers
and
make the necessary changes to your system. If you are running Windows
NT4,
it will ask you which graphics card you are installing. This is because
Windows NT4 cannot correctly detect your graphics card make and model.
Once
the drivers have been installed, Windows will ask you to restart your
computer to complete the changes. Allow Windows to restart. Once you are
back in Windows, you are done with the driver installation.

These two suggested ways to install Nvidia drivers are clearly
different.
One says you have to uninstall the old driver, the other says to just
execute over the old one. WHY?
It's just confusing to a lot of people......me included :-))
Thanks
DH

Experience,trial and error.
But the method larry L describes is the most stable one for correct
driverinstalling.


"Dudley Henriques" schreef in bericht
ink.net...
Confusing as hell isn't it? On one hand it's simple, on the other one, a
complicated mess for those not completely familiar with graphics driver
updating procedures.
It's damn lucky that people have newsgroups like this one full of those
with
the know how to straighten it all out.
DH
"Larry L." wrote in message
...
There is actually a THIRD official set of instructions from nvidia
contained
in the readme that comes packed with the file. The first step (not
mentioned by nvidia) is to use a program like Winzip to unpack the files
to
a temporary directory. Here are the instructions from the readme.

Installation instructions
-------------------------
1. These drivers must be installed by a user with Windows 2000/XP
Administrator
privileges. Please consult your system administrator or Microsoft
Windows 2000/XP User's Manual for more information on Administrator
privileges.

2. Start Microsoft Windows 2000/XP.

3. From the Start menu, select Settings.

4. Select Control Panel.

5. Select System.

6. Select Device Manager.

7. Under Display adapters, select the name of the NVIDIA adapter you
have
installed. If you do not see a Display adapters option, or if your
NVIDIA
adapter is not listed, under Other Devices, select Video Controller
(VGA
Compatible).

8. Select the Driver tab.

9. Select Update Driver.

10. Select Next.

11. Select Next.

12. Verify that "Specify a location" has a check mark next to it. If
it
does
not, click in the box next to "Specify a location" to place a check
mark
in the box. Select Next.

13. Enter the path to the NVIDIA drivers in the "Copy manufacturer's
files
from:" dialog. Select OK.

14. If you get a dialog box that states "A suitable driver for this
device
is already installed.", click in the box next to "Install one of
the
other drivers" to place a check mark in the box, then select Next.

Otherwise, select Next, then proceed to step 16.

15. Select the following driver from the list. NVIDIA RIVA TNT is used
an
example; make sure to select your NVIDIA adapter from the list.

Description Provider Manufacturer Location
----------- -------- ------------ --------
NVIDIA RIVA TNT NVIDIA NVIDIA a:\nv4_disp.inf

Select Next.

16. Select Finish.

17. Select Close.

18. Windows 2000/XP will ask if you wish to restart the computer.
Select
Yes.


"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
ink.net...
I've noticed that on Nvidia's site, in two different places they
recommend
two different ways to install detonators, one on the driver download
page,
and the other on their support/faq's page. I've pasted both in below.
I
realize that you can just execute the file these days, but can someone
tell
me why Nvidia tells you to just execute the file in one place, then
tells
you you have to uninstall the old driver first before you execute the
file
in another place.
Here they are...the two opposing suggestions. WHY?

On the Nvidia driver download page for 52.16 ;
"Before installing new drivers make sure you uninstall all NVIDIA
display
drivers from the Windows Control Panel. Browse to the Start Menu
Windows
Control Panel Add/Remove Programs and search for "NVIDIA Windows
Display
Drivers" or "NVIDIA Display Drivers" and select remove".

Now from the Nvidia support/faq's page;
""The NVIDIA Detonator drivers are self-installing drivers. This makes
it
very easy for end-users to upgrade their drivers to the latest
version.
Simply download the appropriate drivers from the NVIDIA Web site at
www.nvidia.com, and save the file to your hard drive. Make sure you
are
not
running any download utilities in the background. This tends to
corrupt
the
drivers if not disabled.Once the file is on your hard drive, disable
any
anti-virus programs running in the background. Certain anti-virus
programs
will prevent you from making any changes to your system files and can
corrupt your drivers. Once you have prepared your system for the
driver
installation, simply run the drivers you have downloaded by
double-clicking
on the file. The drivers will automatically update your current
drivers
and
make the necessary changes to your system. If you are running Windows
NT4,
it will ask you which graphics card you are installing. This is
because
Windows NT4 cannot correctly detect your graphics card make and model.
Once
the drivers have been installed, Windows will ask you to restart your
computer to complete the changes. Allow Windows to restart. Once you
are
back in Windows, you are done with the driver installation.

These two suggested ways to install Nvidia drivers are clearly
different.
One says you have to uninstall the old driver, the other says to just
execute over the old one. WHY?
It's just confusing to a lot of people......me included :-))
Thanks
DH

I've printed it out for reference.
D
"Flow" wrote in message
news:rF1Bb.2086$7U1.4414@amstwist00...
Experience,trial and error.
But the method larry L describes is the most stable one for correct
driverinstalling.


"Dudley Henriques" schreef in bericht
ink.net...
Confusing as hell isn't it? On one hand it's simple, on the other one, a
complicated mess for those not completely familiar with graphics driver
updating procedures.
It's damn lucky that people have newsgroups like this one full of those
with
the know how to straighten it all out.
DH
"Larry L." wrote in message
...
There is actually a THIRD official set of instructions from nvidia
contained
in the readme that comes packed with the file. The first step (not
mentioned by nvidia) is to use a program like Winzip to unpack the
files
to
a temporary directory. Here are the instructions from the readme.

Installation instructions
-------------------------
1. These drivers must be installed by a user with Windows 2000/XP
Administrator
privileges. Please consult your system administrator or Microsoft
Windows 2000/XP User's Manual for more information on
Administrator
privileges.

2. Start Microsoft Windows 2000/XP.

3. From the Start menu, select Settings.

4. Select Control Panel.

5. Select System.

6. Select Device Manager.

7. Under Display adapters, select the name of the NVIDIA adapter you
have
installed. If you do not see a Display adapters option, or if
your
NVIDIA
adapter is not listed, under Other Devices, select Video
Controller
(VGA
Compatible).

8. Select the Driver tab.

9. Select Update Driver.

10. Select Next.

11. Select Next.

12. Verify that "Specify a location" has a check mark next to it. If
it
does
not, click in the box next to "Specify a location" to place a
check
mark
in the box. Select Next.

13. Enter the path to the NVIDIA drivers in the "Copy manufacturer's
files
from:" dialog. Select OK.

14. If you get a dialog box that states "A suitable driver for this
device
is already installed.", click in the box next to "Install one of
the
other drivers" to place a check mark in the box, then select
Next.

Otherwise, select Next, then proceed to step 16.

15. Select the following driver from the list. NVIDIA RIVA TNT is
used
an
example; make sure to select your NVIDIA adapter from the list.

Description Provider Manufacturer Location
----------- -------- ------------ --------
NVIDIA RIVA TNT NVIDIA NVIDIA
a:\nv4_disp.inf

Select Next.

16. Select Finish.

17. Select Close.

18. Windows 2000/XP will ask if you wish to restart the computer.
Select
Yes.


"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
ink.net...
I've noticed that on Nvidia's site, in two different places they
recommend
two different ways to install detonators, one on the driver download
page,
and the other on their support/faq's page. I've pasted both in
below.
I
realize that you can just execute the file these days, but can
someone
tell
me why Nvidia tells you to just execute the file in one place, then
tells
you you have to uninstall the old driver first before you execute
the
file
in another place.
Here they are...the two opposing suggestions. WHY?

On the Nvidia driver download page for 52.16 ;
"Before installing new drivers make sure you uninstall all NVIDIA
display
drivers from the Windows Control Panel. Browse to the Start Menu
Windows
Control Panel Add/Remove Programs and search for "NVIDIA Windows
Display
Drivers" or "NVIDIA Display Drivers" and select remove".

Now from the Nvidia support/faq's page;
""The NVIDIA Detonator drivers are self-installing drivers. This
makes
it
very easy for end-users to upgrade their drivers to the latest
version.
Simply download the appropriate drivers from the NVIDIA Web site at
www.nvidia.com, and save the file to your hard drive. Make sure you
are
not
running any download utilities in the background. This tends to
corrupt
the
drivers if not disabled.Once the file is on your hard drive, disable
any
anti-virus programs running in the background. Certain anti-virus
programs
will prevent you from making any changes to your system files and
can
corrupt your drivers. Once you have prepared your system for the
driver
installation, simply run the drivers you have downloaded by
double-clicking
on the file. The drivers will automatically update your current
drivers
and
make the necessary changes to your system. If you are running
Windows
NT4,
it will ask you which graphics card you are installing. This is
because
Windows NT4 cannot correctly detect your graphics card make and
model.
Once
the drivers have been installed, Windows will ask you to restart
your
computer to complete the changes. Allow Windows to restart. Once you
are
back in Windows, you are done with the driver installation.

These two suggested ways to install Nvidia drivers are clearly
different.
One says you have to uninstall the old driver, the other says to
just
execute over the old one. WHY?
It's just confusing to a lot of people......me included :-))
Thanks
DH