Hardware installation in progress - can't install drivers - help

Might not be in the right category, since it involves the automatic hardware installation, but it is my videocard drivers that I can't install.

Basically when I try to install the latest nvidia drivers and during the installation I get a message that "hardware installation is in progress...Choose Yes to minimize and allow hardware installation to complete. Or No to exit driver installation.

Hardware installation never completes. I dont know what its trying to install, but I never get any of the normal hardware installation messages or boxes; but nvidia thinks something is going on.

Any suggestions on how I can stop the hardware installation? What is the name of the process?

Any idea on how to install the drivers given this screwy situtation?

Thanks,
Mal