How To: Reinstall Video Drivers (Quick Guide)

[sneekypeet]

please rehost those images here so we dont have to deal with the spam adds to help you?

[erocker]

Since all of your temperatures keep rising and your framerate seems good I would assume your GPU is still under load. It's possible GPU-Z cannot read the GPU load while some 3d applications are windowed.

[eNkel]

Originally Posted by sneekypeet

please rehost those images here so we dont have to deal with the spam adds to help you?

Sorry, here the new links:
http://img.techpowerup.org/090822/neu200fps013.jpg
http://img.techpowerup.org/090822/neu50fps.jpg

@erocker:
What do you mean with "windowed"?
I have two monitors. And the game runs at full-screen.
ATI Overdrive says the same as GPU-Z... here a screenshot:
http://img.techpowerup.org/090822/overdrive.jpg

The same thing at Call of Duty 4 and Team Fortress 2...
But 3DMarkVantage runs good at 99% GPU load.

Here two screenshots from CoD4 with GPU-Z:
http://img.techpowerup.org/090822/200fps.jpg
http://img.techpowerup.org/090822/fps50.jpg

[erocker]

Well, I don't think GPU-Z is reading the load correctly otherwise your temperatures wouldn't be increasing. Are the games you're running, running well?

[eNkel]

Originally Posted by erocker

Well, I don't think GPU-Z is reading the load correctly otherwise your temperatures wouldn't be increasing. Are the games you're running, running well?

Well, it's meh. But even i have 40 fps, it's lagging.

EDIT: Should I also uninstall the VGA-entry in the device manager?

[bigtye]

You know whats wierd about this whole uninstall process.

I went through it as erocker says for ATI drivers. Even ran Crap Cleaner a few times, and some extra restarts and runs of driver sweeper.

Then removed all the C++ stuff and then installed new 9.8 cat drivers. Upon finishing installing, I right clicked on the icon in the tray and there popped up 3 different profiles I had created 2 unistalled versions ago of catalyst!!

This bloody driver software, it's impossible to remove every trace of it. Trouble is, I'm convinced it's the cause of crashes in my system.

Tye

[erocker]

Originally Posted by bigtye

Then removed all the C++ stuff and then installed new 9.8 cat drivers. Upon finishing installing, I right clicked on the icon in the tray and there popped up 3 different profiles I had created 2 unistalled versions ago of catalyst!!

This bloody driver software, it's impossible to remove every trace of it. Trouble is, I'm convinced it's the cause of crashes in my system.

Tye

Ah yes, another thing to add. These files can be located, but first you need to make sure that you have "Show Hidden Files/Folders" selected under "Folder Options" in the Control Panel. Once done, go to: My Documents->AppData->Local and delete the ATi folder. You may find another folder to delete in: My Documents->AppData->Roaming.

[mlee49]

Um 45 thanks to the original post, 3 pages of material, but no sticky? This thread needs to be stickied for easy access.

[erocker]

Originally Posted by mlee49

Um 45 thanks to the original post, 3 pages of material, but no sticky? This thread needs to be stickied for easy access.

It's been stuck for many months already!

[troyrae360]

I always just download the latest ATI Cat driver and install it, nothing more nuthing less.
Ive never had a problem.

Do you think id see noticable preformance increase If i use the method described in this thread?

[troyrae360]

opps

[erocker]

Originally Posted by troyrae360

I always just download the latest ATI Cat driver and install it, nothing more nuthing less.
Ive never had a problem.

Do you think id see noticable preformance increase If i use the method described in this thread?

It's possible I suppose, but really the guide is meant for those who have problems (drivers not taking, strange performance,etc.) or just a way to keep things nice a neat. When trying to keep Vista within the boundaries of your 30gb SSD you want to keep things as uncluttered as possible.

Originally Posted by troyrae360

opps

No! Blarggg!

[mlee49]

Originally Posted by erocker

It's been stuck for many months already!

HA! Didn't even notice, I'm an idiot.

Edit, rated!

[mR Yellow]

Thanx Erocker for this guide.
Do u plan on updating the guide for Win7?

[erocker]

Originally Posted by mR Yellow

Thanx Erocker for this guide.
Do u plan on updating the guide for Win7?

Yes, I should. Actually (don't know if it's a good or bad thing) Windows 7 seems the same as Vista as far as regestry entries and folder location. I'll look further for any changes. Thanks!

[mR Yellow]

Originally Posted by erocker

Yes, I should. Actually (don't know if it's a good or bad thing) Windows 7 seems the same as Vista as far as regestry entries and folder location. I'll look further for any changes. Thanks!

I noticed the same.

[RuskiSnajper]

Make sure to note that the Driver Sweeper best works in SAFE MODE , as i have been doing this for quite some time and it does delete everything instantly , if you rescan in normal mode you see some were not deleted.

I don't know if they delete them self after reboot or what but it's best bet it works is in safe mode , that' XP im using.


A lot of people you see playing , good gamers , but the masses of them don't know how to manage their PCs , a lot of them I helped cause they got lag in our clan's server or their mod did not work properly , 90% it was bad PC management , full drives with 2x waste (installed games and installers, rar movies and unrared , double the waste of space) then the most obvious was , I ask them ... like somewhere in middle of a chat when I feel I don't have a clue anymore , "how did you install those drivers" , and lol they install drivers OVER the old ones , "well that's your problem " , without even the most basic part of uninstalling the old ones in control panel lol.

[nt300]

I thought Windows 7 32-bit & 64-Bit fixed the issue with uninstalling older drivers by digging deep into your system and removing what needs to be removed a lot more efficient, before the new drivers are installed. Well for me I usually use the CAT un-install tool to remove old drivers, restart then install the new driver.

[erocker]

Originally Posted by nt300

I thought Windows 7 32-bit & 64-Bit fixed the issue with uninstalling older drivers by digging deep into your system and removing what needs to be removed a lot more efficient, before the new drivers are installed. Well for me I usually use the CAT un-install tool to remove old drivers, restart then install the new driver.

Nope, not at all. Registry entries are still there as well as some folders and files.

[t_ski]

bump for lookin

[TotalChaos]

Bump for good info

[leemerlord]

bump for helping me

[douglatins]

Anyone feel like using this guide? http://forums.amd.com/game/messagevi...hreadid=112372
I ROFLd

[Formula350]

erocker: Might be of some interest, for the registry portion, to mention this section. I think it'd be best to enter it in safe mode AFTER the uninstalls and running of Driver Cleaner, since you'll probably need to restart anyways.
Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Video (Picture 1)

Now this is the fairly hard part, but I'll explain AND provide a picture (Picture 2) (NOTE: Consider this ATi Only, as I don't have an nV card to check how similar it is). There will be a lot of subdirectories with basically gibberish for names, the gibberish has a name and it is code for something like Windows' name and location of a piece of hardware. Anywho you'll need to expand all of them, or at least until you find the only one that also has subdirs. I'd provide a pic of those expanded, but I'm on a laptop with Intel IGP, so it's pointless really

This is where ATi stores all it's wonderful graphics settings! Similarly it is where programs with ATT add/change settings. For example, if you click on the 0000 folder and change and entry that's name ends in "_NA" from 1 to 0, or 31 00 to 30 00, you are unlocking items in CCC As NA means, Not Available (or Applicable, but the former is more accurate in this case). But that is not the point of the thread/post! The reason I mention all that is because I have manually done some edits, and after uninstalling with Catalyst Install Manager, then reinstalling drivers, the majority of my changes settings are still in place... >_> So it leaves me to believe that CIM doesn't remove that whole entry!

I will be applying this to the steps in the first post, and if they disappear I will EDIT stating it isn't necessary. But I figured just in case I A) Forget or B) Get sidetracked/my help is needed outside, I'd better post this anyhow

---- V Pic 1 V ---- V Pic 2 V

[erocker]

Thanks much Formula350! The part of the registry that you are pointing out is where I go to disable ULPS (Ultra Low Power Saving). I've noticed with the last couple of cats that it does remove the previous entries on its own, but hey! They're ATi drivers and it always seems to be different for everyone. Keep us updated, and thanks again.