How to update NVIDIA Drivers properly?

Explosivx3 · Aug 27, 2013

I'm going to buy an ASUS K56CB-XO246H, which has a GT 740m graphics card. I know how to download them, but I need to know the best way to install?

Should I :

- Uninstall current driver / Reboot / Run Safe mode / Clean remaining files (Driver Sweeper) / Reboot / Install fresh drivers / Restart ;

OR

- Run the driver installation / Custom / Clean Installation / Reboot?

Thanks

Barhumbug · Aug 27, 2013

Use the downloaded drivers from the start. There's absolutely no point in installing the old drivers and deleting them.

Explosivx3 · Aug 27, 2013

Barhumbug :

The computer will mostly come with the windows 8 installed and nvidia drivers too, even if they're outdated. Nobody in the right mind would install old ones for nothing. Also if it didn't come with drivers already, after some time of me installing new ones, if I wanted to update, I'd have the same question I have right now? Have any idea of what the best way is?

Roland Of Gilead · Aug 27, 2013

Explosivx3 :

Option 1 is the route I take every time. Clean install being essential (even though you lose your profiles) for me.

Explosivx3 · Aug 27, 2013

Roland Of Gilead :

Explosivx3 :

Option 1 is the route I take every time. Clean install being essential (even though you lose your profiles) for me.

Do you also have a NVIDIA card?

Roland Of Gilead · Aug 27, 2013

Explosivx3 :

Roland Of Gilead :

Do you also have a NVIDIA card?

yes, 560ti. next one will be a gtx760

Explosivx3 · Aug 27, 2013

Roland Of Gilead :

That's a pretty damn good card bro compared to what I'm getting :/ unfortunately I need a laptop for university, or else I'd get a gaming desktop, but oh well

plays battlefield 3 and all demanding games on 720p easily so it's fine for me. I didn't quite understand what you said, you do the option one and cleaning is essential? you do both?

Barhumbug · Aug 27, 2013

Okay I didn't quite follow your first post, but got it now!
With earlier nvidia drivers I always did a clean install by uninstalling the old drivers, re-booting, then installing the new ones. Trying to install over the old drivers simply failed.

They recently seem to have improved the install program and for the last few months I've found that installing over the old drivers works fine. I suspect that either of your suggested methods will work okay, but I've never had to boot into safe mode and clean out driver files manually. I can see the point, but if you uninstall the nvidia driver, Windows will boot up with a (very) basic driver and you could clean out old files from there.

Roland Of Gilead · Aug 27, 2013

Explosivx3 :

Removing the drivers, rebooting cleaning with Driver sweeper or whatever, then re-installing drivers, is how I used to do it. Now though NVidia has introduced a 'clean install' option, within the setup program for the drivers. Rather than choosing standard installation, choose custom install. You will then see a tick box for 'clean installation' or whatever the phrase is. I just add that in as the final step. it does delete any profiles you've setup though.

Explosivx3 · Aug 27, 2013

Roland Of Gilead :

Explosivx3 :

Removing the drivers, rebooting cleaning with Driver sweeper or whatever, then re-installing drivers, is how I used to do it. Now though NVidia has introduced a 'clean install' option, within the setup program for the drivers. Rather than choosing standard installation, choose custom install. You will then see a tick box for 'clean installation' or whatever the phrase is. I just add that in as the final step. it does delete any profiles you've setup though.

Yeah I know, now my question is since I'm able to do a clean installation, do you think I need to do the driver sweeper thing or am I fine with just the NVIDIA option?

Mousemonkey · Aug 27, 2013

I would recommend that you never use a driver sweeper program as I feel that that they do more harm than good.

Roland Of Gilead · Aug 27, 2013

Explosivx3 :

Roland Of Gilead :

Explosivx3 :

Removing the drivers, rebooting cleaning with Driver sweeper or whatever, then re-installing drivers, is how I used to do it. Now though NVidia has introduced a 'clean install' option, within the setup program for the drivers. Rather than choosing standard installation, choose custom install. You will then see a tick box for 'clean installation' or whatever the phrase is. I just add that in as the final step. it does delete any profiles you've setup though.

Yeah I know, now my question is since I'm able to do a clean installation, do you think I need to do the driver sweeper thing or am I fine with just the NVIDIA option?

it's up to you, for the sake of completeness I do it. And I've never had any issues with or harm caused by driver sweeper. Please elaborate Mousemonkey?

Mousemonkey · Aug 27, 2013

Have a read of this thread to see how useless those driver sweeper programs are.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-1778292/remove-nvidia-programs.html

Roland Of Gilead · Aug 27, 2013

Mousemonkey :

One of your own threads, were you simply say ' deleting them manually' is better!! That post ?

For those who are have the technical knowledge to be trudging through system folders and hidden files, maybe it's more practicable, but for those not so in the know, a useful program like driver sweeper comes in handy. All scaremongering asides with doing more 'harm' than not, it does actually work well for those who don't know the difference or couldn't tell the difference between a standard file and an Nvidia based dll or inf file. The point being, they do help, specially for the uninitiated. AS mentioned earlier, I have used it on occasion, and it works fine with no problems.

Mousemonkey · Aug 27, 2013

Roland Of Gilead :

Mousemonkey :

One of your own threads, were you simply say ' deleting them manually' is better!! That post ?

For those who are have the technical knowledge to be trudging through system folders and hidden files, maybe it's more practicable, but for those not so in the know, a useful program like driver sweeper comes in handy. All scaremongering asides with doing more 'harm' than not, it does actually work well for those who don't know the difference or couldn't tell the difference between a standard file and an Nvidia based dll or inf file. The point being, they do help, specially for the uninitiated. AS mentioned earlier, I have used it on occasion, and it works fine with no problems.

No its not my thread because I didn't start it, read what the OP says about the countless .dll errors upon rebooting after using a sweeper program.

Roland Of Gilead · Aug 27, 2013

Mousemonkey :

I got that the OP had issues, but that may have been the exception rather than the rule!? I have used it countless times, and as previously mentioned, it has worked perfectly fine, without any errors, or indeed causing any other issues. If there were a forum with hundreds of people complaining about it, then I'd be inclined to agree with you, but I don't think that's the case.

Baalhug · Apr 9, 2014

Explosivx3 :

If your old card is the same family as the new one you can do second option (run driver installation, clean, reboot), because your current installed driver is compatible with the new card (even if outdated). To know if the new card is the same family as the old one just go to nvidia web site and check if the same file driver supports both cards. Otherwise you must download a different driver so you will need to uninstall your current one. I dont know if it's mandatory to restart in safe mode and "clean remaining files", i have done it without that step with no problems.

How to update NVIDIA Drivers properly?

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