Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.videocards.nvidia (
More info?)
"Bob" <dewop@mchsi.com> wrote in message
news:Y2LMc.25957$eM2.3881@attbi_s51...
>
> >
> > Don't think it's downloading them, as it's instantaneous - my broadband
> > isn't that quick!
> > The program looks like it might do the job though - but the readme gave
> > enough clues as to where the driver is coming from - C:/Windows/driver
> > cache/i386/driver.cab - and sure enough a search finds plenty of NV.sys
&
> > NV.dll files there, so I reckon if they were deleted it would do the
> trick.
> > BTW I think the reason there is no ability to change the FX5900 to a
> > standard VGA card in device manager is because it is detected by Windows
> as
> > 'unknown device' at first, and it is only after installing drivers that
it
> > goes up the list into the 'display adaptor' section - maybe?
> >
> >
> I do not know the exact C:\Windows\ folder setup that XP Pro uses, but my
> copy of XP Home yielded some very interesting sub folders that the OS
> stashes NV files of various types. Just performed a search of the OS
folder
> looking for NV*.* to find any strange places that they may be.
>
> There are the obvious locations of;
> Windows\inf
> Windows\System32
>
> Then there are the "secondary" locations of;
> Windows\System32\dllcache
> Windows\System32\drivers
>
> Then we arrive at the esoteric locations;
> Windows\ServicePackFiles\i386
> I would have thought that this location would have been for storing MS
> Windows Update information. I have NEVER used WinUpdate for upgrading my
> drivers. Makes me curious as to where these files came from. FYI, there
are
> 6 files in there, so I do not believe that it would be a "re-install
backup"
> location.
>
> The real kicker is this folder;
> Windows\system32\ReinstallBackups\0011\DriverFiles
> Sounds rather suspicious to me
>
> With this info in hand, I might recommend the following sequence;
> Go to http://www.gibinsoft.net/gipoutils/ and click on the "File
Utilities"
> link on the left side of the page. Choose to download the
"GiPo@MoveOnBoot"
> utility and then install. This is a pretty cool little tool that will let
> you delete files, through a selection when you right click on the file,
that
> are currently in use the next time you boot up your PC. Be careful, as any
> files deleted with this tool are NOT removed and placed in your recycle
bin!
> They are gone for good.
>
> Check to see if your C:\ drive has an NVidia folder on it. Depending on
how
> you last installed drivers, this may be there. This is the "original
> location" for the installation of your current drivers. This is the first
> place that your PC would look for drivers. This folder is safe to delete,
so
> make it so.
>
> Delete your NVidia drivers using Control Panel, do not reboot (yet).
>
> Run Detonator R.I.P. to clean up the Registry and (hopefully) remove all
> remaining NV files. Do not reboot yet.
>
> Perform a search of your Operating System partition for any remaining NV
> files. If the gods be willing, any that you find will already be "tagged"
> for deletion on reboot. But we are going to be a bit paranoid here, and
> select any that are found by right clicking on them and selecting to
delete
> on the next boot, using the previously installed GiPo@MoveOnBoot utility.
I
> have never yet (knock on wood) had any conflict between a programs
uninstall
> or MSWindows Add/Remove utility and the GiPo program.
>
> Now you can reboot your system. (Note that if you are REALLY paranoid
about
> your PC possibly downloading "unknown" drivers from some where on the
> internet, just disconnect your PC from your modem/ADSL/Cable/whatever
before
> powering back up.)
>
> Your PC will (should?) have no choice but to install the basic VGA drivers
> to run your monitor, IF all of the NVidia files are gone. You should now
be
> able to install your new driver package without any problems.
>
> Good Luck
> Bob
Going by the file dates, I think
Windows\system32\ReinstallBackups\00xx\DriverFiles are the 'rollback' driver
files that Windows makes when updating the driver from device manager...