The correct way to install new drivers?

"Bob" wrote in message
news:Y2LMc.25957$eM2.3881@attbi_s51...


Don't think it's downloading them, as it's instantaneous - my broadband
isn't that quick!
The program looks like it might do the job though - but the readme gave
enough clues as to where the driver is coming from - C:/Windows/driver
cache/i386/driver.cab - and sure enough a search finds plenty of NV.sys
&
NV.dll files there, so I reckon if they were deleted it would do the
trick.
BTW I think the reason there is no ability to change the FX5900 to a
standard VGA card in device manager is because it is detected by Windows
as
'unknown device' at first, and it is only after installing drivers that
it
goes up the list into the 'display adaptor' section - maybe?


I do not know the exact C:\Windows\ folder setup that XP Pro uses, but my
copy of XP Home yielded some very interesting sub folders that the OS
stashes NV files of various types. Just performed a search of the OS
folder
looking for NV*.* to find any strange places that they may be.

There are the obvious locations of;
Windows\inf
Windows\System32

Then there are the "secondary" locations of;
Windows\System32\dllcache
Windows\System32\drivers

Then we arrive at the esoteric locations;
Windows\ServicePackFiles\i386
I would have thought that this location would have been for storing MS
Windows Update information. I have NEVER used WinUpdate for upgrading my
drivers. Makes me curious as to where these files came from. FYI, there
are
6 files in there, so I do not believe that it would be a "re-install
backup"
location.

The real kicker is this folder;
Windows\system32\ReinstallBackups\0011\DriverFiles
Sounds rather suspicious to me :-)

With this info in hand, I might recommend the following sequence;
Go to http://www.gibinsoft.net/gipoutils/ and click on the "File
Utilities"
link on the left side of the page. Choose to download the
"GiPo@MoveOnBoot"
utility and then install. This is a pretty cool little tool that will let
you delete files, through a selection when you right click on the file,
that
are currently in use the next time you boot up your PC. Be careful, as any
files deleted with this tool are NOT removed and placed in your recycle
bin!
They are gone for good.

Check to see if your C:\ drive has an NVidia folder on it. Depending on
how
you last installed drivers, this may be there. This is the "original
location" for the installation of your current drivers. This is the first
place that your PC would look for drivers. This folder is safe to delete,
so
make it so.

Delete your NVidia drivers using Control Panel, do not reboot (yet).

Run Detonator R.I.P. to clean up the Registry and (hopefully) remove all
remaining NV files. Do not reboot yet.

Perform a search of your Operating System partition for any remaining NV
files. If the gods be willing, any that you find will already be "tagged"
for deletion on reboot. But we are going to be a bit paranoid here, and
select any that are found by right clicking on them and selecting to
delete
on the next boot, using the previously installed GiPo@MoveOnBoot utility.
I
have never yet (knock on wood) had any conflict between a programs
uninstall
or MSWindows Add/Remove utility and the GiPo program.

Now you can reboot your system. (Note that if you are REALLY paranoid
about
your PC possibly downloading "unknown" drivers from some where on the
internet, just disconnect your PC from your modem/ADSL/Cable/whatever
before
powering back up.)

Your PC will (should?) have no choice but to install the basic VGA drivers
to run your monitor, IF all of the NVidia files are gone. You should now
be
able to install your new driver package without any problems.

Good Luck
Bob
Going by the file dates, I think
Windows\system32\ReinstallBackups\00xx\DriverFiles are the 'rollback' driver
files that Windows makes when updating the driver from device manager...

"Lance Ballantyne" wrote in message
.. .
I too have auto-update disabled, i even have the service turned off yet
windows still auto updated to old drivers after i uninstalled trying to
install the newest drivers. how do i disable it, preventing windows from
autoupdating the drivers before i get a chance to install new ones?

"PRIVATE1964" wrote in message
...
ya the problem with windows Xp is that if drivers are missing it will
download drivers from thw indows update site and install those, all in
the
background, without warning and without you knowing its doing it.

I shut that crap off right after I installed windows. I don't need
Windows
looking for drivers on it's own I think I am a little bit more capable
of
knowing what my system needs.

That crap also slows down the system slightly everytime it does it
checks
to
see what you need. Shutting it off and doing it manually is best IMO.
If auto-update is disabled I don't think it can be downloading drivers from
the 'net, I reckon you are having exactly the same issue as me and it is
loading in drivers that are part of the install of XP (the file creation
dates are when I installed XP pro inc SP1). SO perhaps you could try
Private1964's suggestion of cancelling it from the start bar?

"GTS" schreef in bericht
...

"PRIVATE1964" wrote in message
...
No , 'fraid not

Yes there is. You are using Windows XP Home right? I think the pro
version
does
it differently.

Go to device manager, click on display adapters, right click on your
video
card
and then properties. Then click on driver tab and there is a button
there
to
update drivers.

When I click on update drivers I am given the option to "install from a
list or
specified location" or "install automatically"
I'm XP Pro, and when I do get the two choices as you detail, but when I
choose 'install from a list...' I get no list of devices, it is a blank
box - the only option available is the 'have disk' button.


I have same version and same thing you describe. Press "have disk" and
browse to the location where you have the drivers you want.
Ignore the warnings about older drivers etc,it goes just fine.I have
installed many driver versions on other os and in this case i tested and
searched for problems.
Upto now i find no probs,seems it works flawness,no double or wrong registry
entries etc.Just make sure you are not connected to the internet and you
have auto-update set to off.

"Lance Ballantyne" schreef in bericht
.. .
I too have auto-update disabled, i even have the service turned off yet
windows still auto updated to old drivers after i uninstalled trying to
install the newest drivers. how do i disable it, preventing windows from
autoupdating the drivers before i get a chance to install new ones?

Pull the wire.Or rightclick your lan-connection icon and switch it off.No
more internet,set it on again when you are ready.
This only happens when you change your videodrivers,i have not found this to
happen with other devices.yet.



"PRIVATE1964" wrote in message
...
ya the problem with windows Xp is that if drivers are missing it will
download drivers from thw indows update site and install those, all in
the
background, without warning and without you knowing its doing it.

I shut that crap off right after I installed windows. I don't need
Windows
looking for drivers on it's own I think I am a little bit more capable
of
knowing what my system needs.

That crap also slows down the system slightly everytime it does it
checks
to
see what you need. Shutting it off and doing it manually is best IMO.

On Sun, 25 Jul 2004 10:45:22 GMT "GTS" meeped :

If auto-update is disabled I don't think it can be downloading drivers from
the 'net, I reckon you are having exactly the same issue as me and it is
loading in drivers that are part of the install of XP (the file creation
dates are when I installed XP pro inc SP1). SO perhaps you could try
Private1964's suggestion of cancelling it from the start bar?



You could rename file "driver.cab" before you reboot.
This is were the system keeps the default nvidia driver set.

here...............
C:\WINDOWS\Driver Cache\i386
--


) ___ ______
(__/_____) /) (, / )
/ __ _ (/ _ /---( __ _/_ _
/ (_(_/ (_(__/ )_(_(_ ) / ____)(_(_/ (_(__/_)_
(______) (_/ (

On Sun, 25 Jul 2004 15:32:44 GMT Granulated
meeped :

On Sun, 25 Jul 2004 10:45:22 GMT "GTS" meeped :

If auto-update is disabled I don't think it can be downloading drivers from
the 'net, I reckon you are having exactly the same issue as me and it is
loading in drivers that are part of the install of XP (the file creation
dates are when I installed XP pro inc SP1). SO perhaps you could try
Private1964's suggestion of cancelling it from the start bar?



You could rename file "driver.cab" before you reboot.
This is were the system keeps the default nvidia driver set.

here...............
C:\WINDOWS\Driver Cache\i386

oh...AND "sp1.cab"
--


) ___ ______
(__/_____) /) (, / )
/ __ _ (/ _ /---( __ _/_ _
/ (_(_/ (_(__/ )_(_(_ ) / ____)(_(_/ (_(__/_)_
(______) (_/ (

I too have auto-update disabled, i even have the service turned off yet
windows still auto updated to old drivers after i uninstalled trying to
install the newest drivers. how do i disable it, preventing windows from
autoupdating the drivers before i get a chance to install new ones?


The auto-update I mean is when windows will connect by the internet to search
for drivers. This you can shut off with the services.
Windows will first search for the best drivers it can find for the device in
it's files that are already on the computer. You can't shut that off, all you
can do is cancel it quickly before Windows has the chance to install any
drivers. You do that by clicking on the icon in the system tray when it finds
new hardware.

I

If auto-update is disabled I don't think it can be downloading drivers from
the 'net, I reckon you are having exactly the same issue as me and it is
loading in drivers that are part of the install of XP (the file creation
dates are when I installed XP pro inc SP1). SO perhaps you could try
Private1964's suggestion of cancelling it from the start bar?

That's correct.


It will always search for drivers, but if you shut off the service it will only
search the computer locally not over the internet.

Pull the wire.Or rightclick your lan-connection icon and switch it off.No
more internet,set it on again when you are ready.

You could do that, but the update service also does regular seaches for driver
updates.

This can affect performance and can also let windows install drivers you might
not even want installed.


I manually use the windows update service. I only use that service for windows
updates and usually never for hardware drivers.

i never had the option to cancel it anywhere, as i said it did it
automaticly, but once i unplugged my internet and rebooted i didn't have the
problem of it install after the uninstall. Thats what led me to believe that
Yes it download it from the internet. 2nd reason is the the driver dates is
Oct 2003 and my copy of winxp i got in 2002. 3rd the drivers from the
windows update site are also oct 2003. so where id the drivers come from
than? becuasse i never installed the windows update drivers manualy nor are
the default drivers that come with winxp from oct 2003.

like i said after uninstalling unplugging me internet than rebooting i
didn't have the probleem of windows downloading and installing the oct 2003
drivers.

"GTS" wrote in message
...

"Lance Ballantyne" wrote in message
.. .
I too have auto-update disabled, i even have the service turned off yet
windows still auto updated to old drivers after i uninstalled trying to
install the newest drivers. how do i disable it, preventing windows from
autoupdating the drivers before i get a chance to install new ones?

"PRIVATE1964" wrote in message
...
ya the problem with windows Xp is that if drivers are missing it will
download drivers from thw indows update site and install those, all
in
the
background, without warning and without you knowing its doing it.

I shut that crap off right after I installed windows. I don't need
Windows
looking for drivers on it's own I think I am a little bit more capable
of
knowing what my system needs.

That crap also slows down the system slightly everytime it does it
checks
to
see what you need. Shutting it off and doing it manually is best IMO.
If auto-update is disabled I don't think it can be downloading drivers
from
the 'net, I reckon you are having exactly the same issue as me and it is
loading in drivers that are part of the install of XP (the file creation
dates are when I installed XP pro inc SP1). SO perhaps you could try
Private1964's suggestion of cancelling it from the start bar?