Best Steps to Upgrading Video Driver

[Rl'Halsinor]

Hey all, I get mixed answers on my researching of this subject. I have a X800 GTO video card and would like to see if updating a newer ATI driver will help in playing Neverwinter Nights 1 (for some weird reason NWN1 and X800 architecture do not play well together; this is well documented).

1. Just intall the new driver over the old and all should be fine. I have doubts about this.

2. Uninstall current driver, reboot, install new driver.

Or

3. Boot into safe mode, uninstall old ATI driver, reboot and install the new one.

Suggestions?

 

[Obfuscated]

I always uninstall the old driver, reboot, then install the new driver, reboot again.

If you're concerned with conflicts then you should do these steps in safe mode.

But you shouldn't install any new video drivers over the top of the old....it will cause much headache.

 

[Rl'Halsinor]

But you shouldn't install any new video drivers over the top of the old....it will cause much headache.

This is what i thought, too, but it has been so long since I needed to upgrade a video driver I couldn't be 100% sure. Thanks.

 

[Alan Shutko]

Maybe I'm just crazy, but with the ATI drivers, I just install the new one. I've never uninstalled the old one. I've probably been through a dozen revisions over the years, and it's never caused a problem.

 

[ssampier]

Same experience; I reinstall nVidia big driver .exe all the time. I will manually remove the driver in safe mode if necessary -- I'm having Windows graphics issues -- otherwise, I don't bother.

The worst thing that can happen it is won't work (no display or corrupted display). If that happens, restart the computer (if you can, otherwise, just shut it off). Hit F8 at startup (before Windows boots). Move the arrow keys to Safe Mode. Remove the driver in Safe Mode, restart. You should be able to see the Windows desktop, things just might not be optimal.

 

[trancejeremy]

I always used to do #3, but these days since using WinXP, I just do the first method and it seems to work. Indeed, the reason I started doing it (because laziness) was that in WinXP it lets you roll back drivers anyway if there is a problem, so presumably it handles them a bit better than Win 95/98

 

[Redrobes]

You shouldn't have to uninstall the old driver but many people claim to have issues without uninstalling or running some clean up utility. The driver installation should update all the necessary files. Personally I have never uninstalled an old driver. I go to the hardware devices page and update driver and tell it about the new one and its fine. I usually stick to nVidia cards tho.

 

[Thanee]

Considering, that it's not much work... uninstalling the driver first can only be good for you, really. And rebooting between uninstalling and the new install is also a good idea in general.

Bye
Thanee

 

[GakToid]

If you're interested in the uninstalling/re-installing process, there is a set of very complete instructions at: www.tweakguides.com

Unfortunately, that site is blocked at work and I can't provide you with a direct link.

-Gak Toid

 

[Hjorimir]

Just a couple of notes.

After you update any video or sound drivers, make sure to re-install Direct X.

Also, before you re-intall Direct X, make sure you're up to date with MS .Net. It isn't obviousy, but there is a dependency between Direct X and .Net for proper installation.