Windows 7: laptop boot freeze after video driver install. fixable?

I own a Pavilion DV9700t hp Laptop with nvidia geforce 8600m GS graphics card built in. it is a couple years old and has been running Windows 7 for the last year. Screen broke two weeks ago, bought a new one off ebay and installed it easy peasy, worked fine. After, did a format to freshen it up a bit. computer installs and boots just fine, after installing drivers, reboot to a frozen loading screen with logo. After some safe mode testing found out it only freezes on boot after nvidia driver install for graphics.

I can install all other drivers and use the computer just fine. I have installed both vista and Windows 7 and the same issue occurs. I have used HP drivers and Nvidia drivers for graphics card. Newest and first release from both. every time i install a graphics driver, operating system freezes on boot. Safe mode works just fine.



I have found threads with this issue online elsewere, but no fixes for it. Does anyone know what is causing the issue? mayhaps some stupid little fix I have overlooked? I have formatted this computer almost 20 times trying out different things and its getting painful T.T

Try uninstalling any display driver software and just use the driver.

Try disabling the NVidia Service in services.msc.

Check for newer drivers via optional Windows Update.

Try all available display drivers from NVidia and HP back to and including Vista.

I note you mention "format" as though it's a clean reinstall. Format erases nothing, so if you have boot sector corruption, infection or other corruption the code remains until you wipe the HD with zeroes: SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

Other tips for getting a purrfect reinstall: re-install windows 7

I have used just the driver instead of the packages. I did not know about the nvidia service, very nice tidbit there, but did not help. and I have used most all the drivers available from nvidia and all from hp's support site. there are no drivers made available through windows update. and i do understand that a format does not erase data. it does nothing more than wipe and recreate the partition table, the index of your disk. But the dv9700t has two internal HDD's and I have used both trying to fix the issue. After all suggestions have been taken into consideration there still is no change to the boot freeze. I had real hopes for the nvidia service but didn't cut it.

While i really dislike the idea, could the gpu be damaged causing this issue? or is it just software problems? I currently have a glorified paperweight with internet access and it pains me. More help on the matter is greatly appreciated.

Can you boot off the Window 7 DVD without problems? If you can try a repair install!!

I would run the full troubleshooting gamut, hardware and software: Computer lags every couple seconds