Video Driver Question

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Pezzy

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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 :tongue: ). 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
 
Hi Slay; thanks for the response.

Windows 7 Ultimate, 32 bit
Gigabyte Motherboard, # EP35C-DS3R, BIOS F3e
Intel Q9450 processor, 2.66GHz
BFG Tech, nVidia 9800 GX2 graphics card
Corsair PSU, 750 watts
Corsair DDR3 Memory, PC3-10666, 1333MHz, 4GB

Pez
 
The reason being is simple. The newest drivers are not WDDM certified. If you check Windows update you will see that it wants to install the 190 series drivers due to this fact. The newest set of drivers are not fully compliant and compatible with Win7. While they may work, changing some things causes problems. I switched my theme to a basic theme for a test and i had to restart my machine to get Aero working again due to the newest drivers not being fully WDDM compatible.

Dont use those drivers, use the ones found on Windows Update to prevent issues.
 
The biggest issue I have seen with Nvidia Drivers is an incompatibility with motherboards sporting a Realtek Network Adapter. I won't guarantee that it will work but I would go to Device Manager>Network Adapter and Roll the driver back to the original driver that came with Windows 7.
 
Mak & Slay; thanks for both of your replies.

Mak: Holy cow.....it could be that simple? For years, back through my Win XP years, and maybe even going back to Win 98, I could swear I remember hearing/ reading somewhere that when it comes to certain drivers (especially graphics drivers), to NOT use the ones that Windows Update suggests. Meaning, that the Windows Update will not always have the latest & greatest when it comes to drivers.

But you are right......when I use Windows Update and go to "Optional" updates, there's an nVidia Display driver update for my GX2 card; it lists as 110.5MB in size, and says the release date is 4/17/2010. I went to nVidia's web site and checked out the archived drivers. There's only one listed that was released in the month of April, and that's version 197.45.

In my original post? Did you see what "old" driver I re-installed? 197.45. Hmm, I wonder why Windows Update is suggesting to install a display driver which is already installed on my system? Maybe it's a glitch and doesn't "recognize" it yet.

And Slay: You're right....I do have an on-board Reatek LAN connection for my DSL. Every once-in-a-while, when I go to Windows Updates, one of the Optional ones is a Realtek LAN driver update. The one that's in there now is version 7.17.304.2010, released 3/4/2010. I got that from Windows Update itself. Should I leave it be?

Thanks for all the input so far.
Pez
 
The only reason i know the above information is due to my own experience. I have the 275 drivers installed myself. But once i changed my theme off of Aero i got so many issues trying to get it back. The Windows Error Reporting told me that it was due to the fact the drviers are not WDDM (Windows Display Driver Manager) certified.

So yes while 99.999999999999999999999999999999999999% of the time it is always use the latest set of drivers. I have said it myself. But as it turns out, those drivers are causing a few issues of their own with Windows.

So you have 2 options. 1 use the 197 set or use the newer 285 beta set.
 
The Realtek Driver from Windows Update causes my system fits. I would roll back the network adapter driver to the original driver Windows 7 installed just to eliminate the possibility. If I'm wrong and the Realtek driver isn't the issue you can always just re-install the new driver using Windows Update.
 
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