Extensive Driver Help needed.

DeeCazo · 18 Nov 2010

I didn't know whether to post this in the crashes forum or here because it pertains to both.

My setup is an Alienware m15x and was originally set to run Vista 32-bit and upgraded to Windows 7 64-bit over a year ago.

Alienware didn't supply me with all the driver updates I need so I had to hunt for them and hope they were all that I needed. Now this morning I got the "Display driver wasn't recognized and can not be recovered" or whatever the error was and tried various tips and guides to fix this.

I gave up and went with a clean install I formatted the HD and re-installed Windows 7. I then ran the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor and upgraded where I could.

I went on NVIDIA after I found my graphics card and ran the install just to get the same crash that sparked my fresh install to begin with.

Alienware offers an assortment of drivers but as much as I use my computer and know how it works I look like a complete retard when it comes to drivers and the sort.

I am hoping that someone can please tell me what drivers I need to install and in what order to maximize my chance of success.

I filled out my profile with all my computer info that I could find but if I need to post it in here I will immediately.

Hopalong X · 18 Nov 2010

Alienware is Dell I beleive. I'd try the Alienware drivers first. Especially the mother board. It has your USB, SATA drivers LAN, Ethernet. Almost everything but the graphics card.

Update to the newest driver by number or date.
Device Manager lists all hardware and drivers. See if you have any yellow flags in Device Manager. Click each listing to open curtain. Post back if you find any yellow flagged hardware devices and what device. Providing a Snip would be also good with the yellow flag showing.

DeeCazo · 18 Nov 2010

I have installed every driver Windows has suggested to me.

Drivers & Downloads

This is my laptop and drivers that Dell suggests. What order should I download them and which should I skip?

Hopalong X · 18 Nov 2010

Bios. Do not mess with it.

You will have to compare the Driver number in Device Manager to the driver number at the Dell link you provided.
If they are the same number you have the latest driver.
If the new number is larger it is a newer driver.
Just like Nvidia. 260.xx is newer than the 258.xx.

Check all of them. Skip the Bios.

Mike

kword88 · 18 Nov 2010

i have the same video cards in mine and i got the drivers from nvidia. did you try the auto-detect option on the nvidia driver page?

DeeCazo · 18 Nov 2010

I have taken care of every driver on the page except the graphics cards.

That seems to be the main thing that crashes it forcing me to system restore.

I just ran the NVIDIA driver search and am installing it now. My results with the last few tries in this department ended in a blue screen and Windows starting up screen freezing with red vertical bars.

I will report back after this.

DeeCazo · 18 Nov 2010

Okay I just went through hell again after doing the nvidia graphics card search and then download/installing it.

It is 100% something to do with my graphics card driver now but I have no idea what?

kword88 · 18 Nov 2010

dont do the search. do the auto-detect. you can also try this:

Guru3D - Driver Sweeper

what is the driver version you are trying to install?

DeeCazo · 18 Nov 2010

kword88 said:

dont do the search. do the auto-detect. you can also try this:

Guru3D - Driver Sweeper

what is the driver version you are trying to install?

By search I mean i did the auto-detect but I am running off my integrated graphics. I dont even have the initial install on here yet because of the crashing.

Does this change things or should I try Guru?

kword88 · 18 Nov 2010

i would try driver sweeper, then make sure the machine is using "standard vga adapter" in control panel. then try running windows update to see if it finds a driver. then try installing the original vista driver that came with the computer.