NVidia Update Warning

[Dynamic Mike]

I can't seem to find the original post this cropped up in, but I know I'm not the only one who's had problems in the past following NVidia updates. Just a word of warning that following yesterday's uninvited 3D Vision update, I seem to be randomly getting flashes of the W7 loading screen when browsing. I've disabled updates (again!) & run 'disable 3D vision' which so far appears to have cured it. Fortunately it hasn't affected the multiple resolution settings this time, but if anyone's running NVidia I'd check it hasn't re-enabled auto-update.

Obviously it could be coincidence, and if anyone knows this is likely to be caused by anything else failing I'd be grateful for any info.

[Pete Kaine]

I suspect your right.

The Nvidia installer has 5 options under an custom install and only one of them is the core driver so I recommend anyone doing this on a music rig to deselect the 4 other options.

At least you get the option, with the ATI drivers they seem to have taken the method of forcing the updater on and only letting you remove it after the event. That threw up an issue or two that had us scratching our heads for a few days here as the updater isn't well liked by a few programs.

[OneWorld]

Hmmmmm, could be coincidence, buty at the is moment, am looking at a machine that is 'frozen' on shutdown. And that's on a machine that never used to give a problem, really stable. But, I have done several nVidia updates.

Without falling back on my Acronis TrueImage, is there anyway I can disable these options after using the bog-standard update?

I have looked at Control Panel/Programmes and there are 3 nVidia entries...

nVidia 3D Vision driver 311.06 (I don't need 3D but it installed it anyway)

nVidia Graphics Driver 311.06

nVidia Update 1.11.3

[Scramble]

I've had problems in the past with nVidia updates, so I avoid updating if possible.

[Goddard]

You only want the "nVidia Graphics Driver 311.06".

You can uninstall the nVidia drivers. When you restart your PC, Windows will then fall back to using its built-in basic graphics driver. Then do a fresh "custom" install of the nVidia driver package, selecting only the core driver (deselect all other choices) as Pete already explained.

[Dynamic Mike]

You only want the "nVidia Graphics Driver 311.06".

You can uninstall the nVidia drivers. When you restart your PC, Windows will then fall back to using its built-in basic graphics driver. Then do a fresh "custom" install of the nVidia driver package, selecting only the core driver (deselect all other choices) as Pete already explained.

I'd wondered about doing this but I'm really not that PC savvy. It's a GeForce 8400 GS which I thought was pretty basic, I've no interest in gaming/3D etc., PC is just for Cubase & a bit of browsing. However, what I was worried about is that my Mainboard is a Gigabyte EG41MFT-US2H, which appears to have it's own DVI/HDMI outs. Is there any danger that windows will try to activate these instead of the videocard? Would it be safer just uninstalling 3D Vision through add/remove programs?

[Goddard]

You only want the "nVidia Graphics Driver 311.06".

You can uninstall the nVidia drivers. When you restart your PC, Windows will then fall back to using its built-in basic graphics driver. Then do a fresh "custom" install of the nVidia driver package, selecting only the core driver (deselect all other choices) as Pete already explained.

I'd wondered about doing this but I'm really not that PC savvy. It's a GeForce 8400 GS which I thought was pretty basic, I've no interest in gaming/3D etc., PC is just for Cubase & a bit of browsing. However, what I was worried about is that my Mainboard is a Gigabyte EG41MFT-US2H, which appears to have it's own DVI/HDMI outs. Is there any danger that windows will try to activate these instead of the videocard? Would it be safer just uninstalling 3D Vision through add/remove programs?

No, Windows won't switch over to using the onboard graphics when you uninstall the drivers for your nVidia card, only to using its own built-in basic graphics driver.

I believe that when a graphics card is installed in the x16 slot, then the onboard graphics outputs are automatically disabled. There may also be a BIOS configuration setting for whether the onboard graphics or an installed graphics card is to be used. A check of your motherboard manual should confirm whether this is so.

Point being, the graphics card in use won't change over if you uninstall the nVidia drivers.

[Dynamic Mike]

Thanks, I'll try uninstalling & check how it goes. Just opened Nvidia control panel and updates have turned themselves back on again! Getting really irritating this, I hate pushy software.

[OneWorld]

Getting really irritating this, I hate pushy software.

This I think is one of the most exasperating aspects of software, you get the updates but also find your PC has been defiled by allsorts of slopkettle enhancements that do nothing but interfere.

OK there are those gamers that need the 3D etc (what use it is on a 2D monitor I can't fathom) but I reckon the majority of other users just don't need all the frippery, just a mean and clean efficient robust driver, and like if buying a car, if I want spoilers, go faster stripes, those little fragrance trees that pong like cheap £shop perfume, shaded windows, etc then I'll ask for them.

The more recent nVidia updates have been in the region of 120+meg - how on earth can a driver be bloated to that ridiculous extent?

Do developers never read forums and see for themselves what it is that vexes users so much?

On another PC I use, Windows 7 used a generic driver. I updated the latest graphics card drivers etc and when I used scalable system fonts the display was worse that the bog standard Windows driver!

[Pete Kaine]

All that file size comes down to additional physics/audio/updating junk that have been added over the last few years. Another thing to consider is that the drivers in use are "universal", which roughly translates as "we just keep chucking everything into it until it breaks".

Yeah, its huge but I don't think it installs everything on every build but rather it also seems to support everything in the last decade and I suspect only installs what is relevent on any given system. What I'd like to see is a striped down driver release for each generation of gfx card over the current monster build but I suppose they are just trying to cut down on the support calls that occur when people download the wrong driver pack.

Now if you want obscenely large drivers check out the creative series these days, they are pretty much the same size as the Nvidia ones but offer less functionality than the RME ones which are 200th of the size.