Clean re-install of Windows 7 and motherboard drivers

[sjc312]

Hi

How do I perform a clean re-install of Windows 7 which would completely remove motherboard drivers on the system? This is my very first self-build and I have some system instability as some motherboard drivers failed to install correctly. For example, despite having installed an audio hd driver, the audio GUI kept turning on and off by itself and so I've had to disable it. It's properties in Device Manager says it is not working properly because it has a problem.

My usual way of re-installing Windows 7 is as follows -

Custom (advanced) → Choose drive partition to completely erase (primary) → Drive Options (advanced) → Format → OK → Choose Disk 0 Partition (unallocated space) → Next → Installing Windows.

This method always leaves the motherboard drivers intact and I need to get rid of them and start afresh. My new build specs is -

Motherboard: ASUS B85M-G
Processor: Intel Core i5 4570 3.2GHz (s1150)
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 1600 XMP 2 x 4GB

Thanks.

 

[matts6887]

Well; the way I know to do this is first to do a complete format of the drive you want to re install windows on. Doing a format should completely erase any and all drivers so that you can do a complete reinstall of windows. Try giving this a shot and see what happens. Report back if it does not do anything and we can try and go from there. I did notice you said that formatting the drive still leaves the motherboard drivers still in tact. however, when you format; make sure you do not just a minimal format but a complete format.

 

[sjc312]

Still no joy....

Hi matts6887

I was able to reinstall successfully but I couldn't find more than one option under Format so I deleted both the Primary and System disk partitions, and then installed Windows on the Unallocated partition.

However, the HD Audio GUI problem is persisting. Soon after reinstalling Windows, I saw the Audio icon in the Notification Area Icons flashing repeatedly. It kept flashing very quickly between the two messages-

• Digital Audio S/PDIF 100%
• Headphones

The problem was confirmed when I installed the Realtek HD Audio driver, and the GUI, Realtek HD Audio Manager, came back and continued to flash repeatedly onto the screen until I logged off.

Device Manager said the Audio driver is working properly, so I disconnected and reconnected the front panel audio connector (AAFP) inside the case to see if it would make a change...but nothing. So out of frustration, I plugged in my headphones into the headphones socket as the GUI had been asking “you just plugged in headphones, you just unplugged headphones”, and the problem stopped immediately. Every time I reboot, however, it returns, so it looks like I have to stick in headphones just to make this problem go away and that is disappointing.

I know it is not my PC case as I used it without any audio problems in my previous setup. I'm wondering if it is the motherboard, and if there is any software test I can use to determine this. ASUS' PC Diagnostics found nothing wrong. At the back of my mind, however, I'm also worried it could be the BIOS. I updated it to 0905 before assembly into the case, but ASUS seems to be insisting that an additional update called a “BIOS Updater for the New 4th Gen Intel Core Processors” is required. I haven't used this Updater because there is the further suggestion that once I've used it, I have to buy another processor!

Anyway, please let me know what you think the problem could be and how I could fix it.

Thanks.

 

[gregrocker]

Reinstall the Audio driver as follows:

In Control Panel>Programs and Features uninstall any Audio drivers.

In Device Manager, uninstall any Sound drivers including the software if asked.

Now enable Automatically deliver drivers via Windows Update (Step 3)
and Check for Updates, install all Important and Optional Updates until no more are offered when you go back to check. Was an Audio driver delivered and did it install and resolve the issue?

If not import the audio driver from the PC's or Audio Device's Support Downloads webpage to try installing it again.

If this fails type Troubleshooting in Start Search box, run the Audio Playback troubleshooter.

Try running with and without the Audio software starting with Windows in msconfig>Startup and >Services.

Report back on these steps as there may be more indicated or necessary.

 

[sjc312]

Some success...

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Hi gregrocker[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]I have had some success with the sound driver. In addition to the flashing GUI and the flashing Volume icon in the Notification Area Icons, I also realised rather belatedly that I had no sound at all either from the front panel jack or the rear of motherboard. So I went into the flashing Realtek's HD Audio Manager's options and changed the connector settings from HD Audio Front Panel to AC97, and all of a sudden, I had glorious stereo sound and the flashing stopped, even after reboots, and the Volume icon in Notification Area Icons also stopped flashing! It could be a bug because my PC case has HD Front Panel Audio, and the default in the BIOS → Onboard Devices Configuration → Front Panel Type, is HD. For some reason the BIOS cannot recognise that my case is HD, so I have now changed the setting in the BIOS to AC97 as well. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]What do I do about this BIOS Updater? Do I really need it? The wording on ASUS' instruction document is as follows -[/FONT]

“[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]To update your BIOS with the 'BIOS updater for New 4[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]th[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] Gen Intel Core Processors' tool you must boot your system with a current 4[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]th[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] generation Intel Core Processor installed. When the update is complete, you can replace the current processor with a new 4[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]th[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] generation Intel Core processor”. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]The PC is working well at the moment and I'm reluctant to derail things with something as complicated as a BIOS Updater. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Which way forward is best?[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Thanks.[/FONT]

 

[gregrocker]

I would go by the changes that a BIOS upgrade promises, on its Downloads page or in the file Read Me. I don't update BIOS unless it has changes that are needed, or is very very old and balking at something I need to do.

 

[sjc312]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Hi gregrocker[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]OK, I think I'll skip the the BIOS updater for now. One final setup issue before I close this thread.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Every now and then on this new build I hear a loud sound coming from the PC like a car's engine being revved repeatedly, and it goes on for about 10 minutes then it stops. As usual ASUS' PC Diagnostics found nothing wrong, so I went into the BIOS as it was happening and both the CPU and CHASSIS fans were almost constant, so it couldn't be those two. I'm not sure where the noise is coming from, that is, whether its the Optical Drive or the Hard Drive. This is the first time I've used a WD Hard Drive so I'm not sure if this is a characteristic of WD drives.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Do you have any suggestions as to what may be the cause?[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Many thanks. [/FONT]

 

[gregrocker]

May be fans accelerating, a disk in the OD, almost always fans though.

I would not reinstall any of the Asus crapware as it is particularly badly written for an OEM which makes such good hardware. There is rarely anything that is needed as the valuable utilities are already built into Win7 and don't need second guessing.

That said, there are exceptions based on your needs. For example I install on my laptop Lenovo Power Mgmt so that I can start it to throttle the battery to 60% which is a feature that extends battery life when I'm on A/C power for an extended time. I also use it's Fan Cleaner periodically. But I then go in and kill the process since I can't shut it down from System Tray otherwise, and don't start it again until I want to throttle up to 100% battery before I travel, etc.

Some laptops have hard drive locking mechanisms which kick in when its being moved. I would probably consider this software too. But otherwise I'm really chary about what I will let impinge on the best OS ever. A typical factory bloatware install is like having deranged gremlins hanging all over an Olympic marathoner.

 

[sjc312]

Now BSOD

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Hi gregrocker[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Very funny analogy, Asus crapware and gremlins, lol. I agree that Asus insists on needless drivers as well as unnecessary settings in the BIOS. For example, as I mentioned with the sound issue, by changing the settings from HD Audio to AC97, the hardware/software incompatibility issue was resolved.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]I still can't work out where the revving sound is coming from, but you indicated that it is most likely fan related. As I said, I saw no big change in CPU and chassis fan RPMs when this noise was occurring, but you mentioned a hard drive locking mechanism for some laptops when they are moved. I recall that the first time I heard this sound I was slightly tilting back the PC to free a trapped cable, that's when I heard the sound. I have researched Western Digital's website for information about a locking mechanism for this hard drive but I can't find any. There is also no information on Samsung's website at all regarding vibration from my optical drive, which is a Samsung SH224DB.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Anyway, going back to the Asus hardware settings, I had been wondering whether the revving sound has anything to do with the SATA Mode Selection, which in the BIOS is on default as AHCI. I've read that AHCI is meant to enhance the performance of Solid State Drives, and since I don't have one in my new build, I was wondering if this setting was causing the problem, just like the sound setting we discussed. I was about to install the AHCI driver but when I found out it was actually an Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver, I stopped because it is clearly aimed at SSD's and not hard drives. So instead I tried to disable AHCI in the BIOS, but the BIOS said the Disabled mode does not support my boot device so I let it be. I am a bit shocked that Asus would set defaults in the BIOS for hardware such as SSD's and HD Audio PC cases without considering the end-user's preferences, thereby causing hardware/software conflict. I'm still debating whether or not to install this AHCI driver just to see if it would make the revving sound go away. If it doesn't, then I'll have more bloatware on the PC that I don't really need. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]At the moment I have some good news and some bad news. The main reason why I bought the i5 was for faster video processing, and the processing speed over the dual core is a staggering 70% reduction in processing time. I'm hitting frame rates of 100fps when with the dual core I was lucky to get 30fps. The bad news is that I had my first BSOD yesterday, and it happened so quickly that I was unable to write down the error code. I immediately scanned the system in Safe Mode with Malwarebytes which found one trojan, Trojan.FakeMS in a file called audiodg.exe, and this has been quarantined. I then used HW32INFO to try to diagnose the hardware, but everything seemed fine and even the hard drive passed the SMART test. The CPU temps are 35C idle, going up to 50C on a stress test. I noticed temps of 103C in a section called Nuvoton NCT6791D, but researching showed that they are false positives.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Today whilst using the PC, Explorer suddenly stopped working and I had to reboot. Whatever the problem, it is causing a lot of system instability. I realise that I've gone off topic, so I'll only continue this thread with your permission. I've overcome a few challenges with this new build so I need to persevere until it is working properly. I'd like to know the cause of this BSOD to see if it holds any clues to the system instability. I have considered clearing out CMOS and RTC ram, but I don't know if this means I then have to reinstall Windows. Please let me know if you wish me to continue with this thread and thanks for all your help. [/FONT]

 

[gregrocker]

AHCI is recommended and optimal. I dont' see how it could have anything to do with your problems.

Look over the steps for a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7
which are the same for retail WIn7 and compile what works best to get and keep a perfect install. Do they differ from the way you installed? Might want to do it over.

Since the audio file was infected, where did you get it? It should come from Windows Updates, after enabling Automatically deliver drivers via Windows Update (Step 3) and then after all Updates are done (some may be patches to make it work better) if its not the specfiic device's driver, import it only from the device's Support Downloads webpage. Are you sure of the device's make/model? Hardware Identification

Scan again with Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware full scans, avoiding any sneakware during install and declining trials.

See if you have a crash dump file at C:\Window\Minidump. If so you can post it up for expert analysis following Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) Posting Instructions - Windows 7 Forums