Hi all.
Not sure if this is the proper forum, so feel free to move it if need be.
This is something I've only noticed since I've had Windows 7 Ultimate.
I have an nVidia-based chip in my graphics card (9800 GX2). I frequently go to nVidia's web site to check up on and keep up on the latest updated drivers for my card. And I don't mean any Beta drivers....I mean the "official" WHQL ones.
Anyway.....I've had Windows 7 since about November/ December of 2009; here's what I've noticed since installing updated video drivers.
When I download nVidia's latest drivers, I first un-install the old drivers first (I don't just install the new drivers "over" the old drivers). I then re-boot, and then go into Safe Mode, and while there, I use Drive Sweeper to remove any more traces of nVidia software/ drivers.
I re-boot once more, and then install the latest video drivers. After installing them, there's a mandatory re-boot for the changes to take effect.
Now here's the part that's been happening to me since I've had Windows 7:
Upon re-booting after the install of the new video drivers, I get to my desktop......and then my system freezes/ seizes up. There's no response to any input. If I try moving my mouse....the cursor stays still on-screen. No response from the keyboard, either, whether I press the Windows key, or, try Ctrl-Alt-Delete. Nothing.
I'm then forced to press my system's reset button next to the power button and do a hard re-boot. I then, of course, get that message upon re-booting that Windows didn't shut down properly previously, and the choices of Safe Mode, etc.
But I then choose to start Windows "Normally", and then everything's fine, no more freezing at desktop.
Any idea why it does this every time I install nVidia's latest drivers?
I use ZoneAlarm for my firewall/ anti-virus/ anti-spyware; could it possibly be blocking something upon the new driver install?
nVidia's latest drivers are 257.21 WHQL. But, I thought I had been having trouble with those with some instability in some games I was playing (I've even been over to some nVidia forums, and frequently I'll see posts there that say sometimes some drivers are released "before their time" and are not exactly stable ). So, I went back to a previous driver: 197.45.
But.....even after going back to this "old" driver, I still experienced this "freezing/ seizing" at my desktop after re-boot.
Any ideas anyone?
Thanks for any info.
Pez
Not sure if this is the proper forum, so feel free to move it if need be.
This is something I've only noticed since I've had Windows 7 Ultimate.
I have an nVidia-based chip in my graphics card (9800 GX2). I frequently go to nVidia's web site to check up on and keep up on the latest updated drivers for my card. And I don't mean any Beta drivers....I mean the "official" WHQL ones.
Anyway.....I've had Windows 7 since about November/ December of 2009; here's what I've noticed since installing updated video drivers.
When I download nVidia's latest drivers, I first un-install the old drivers first (I don't just install the new drivers "over" the old drivers). I then re-boot, and then go into Safe Mode, and while there, I use Drive Sweeper to remove any more traces of nVidia software/ drivers.
I re-boot once more, and then install the latest video drivers. After installing them, there's a mandatory re-boot for the changes to take effect.
Now here's the part that's been happening to me since I've had Windows 7:
Upon re-booting after the install of the new video drivers, I get to my desktop......and then my system freezes/ seizes up. There's no response to any input. If I try moving my mouse....the cursor stays still on-screen. No response from the keyboard, either, whether I press the Windows key, or, try Ctrl-Alt-Delete. Nothing.
I'm then forced to press my system's reset button next to the power button and do a hard re-boot. I then, of course, get that message upon re-booting that Windows didn't shut down properly previously, and the choices of Safe Mode, etc.
But I then choose to start Windows "Normally", and then everything's fine, no more freezing at desktop.
Any idea why it does this every time I install nVidia's latest drivers?
I use ZoneAlarm for my firewall/ anti-virus/ anti-spyware; could it possibly be blocking something upon the new driver install?
nVidia's latest drivers are 257.21 WHQL. But, I thought I had been having trouble with those with some instability in some games I was playing (I've even been over to some nVidia forums, and frequently I'll see posts there that say sometimes some drivers are released "before their time" and are not exactly stable ). So, I went back to a previous driver: 197.45.
But.....even after going back to this "old" driver, I still experienced this "freezing/ seizing" at my desktop after re-boot.
Any ideas anyone?
Thanks for any info.
Pez