Can't complete Geforce3 Installation

[HitenMitsurugi]

I'm running Win2K on an Athlon 1.2 / KT7-RAID / 512MB RAM

I just got a Gainward Geforce3 Ti 450 to replace a Geforce2, and I can't seem to install it completely.

Windows finds the new hardware, identifies it as a Geforce3 Ti 200 and tries to find drivers for it. It doesn't detect the drivers on the driver disk as suitable (accept for the 9xME drivers, which is ridiculous). It wants to use the drivers it finds in the windows directory, but of the choices it gives they either given an improper configuration or I get the infamous "Data Invalid" error at the end of driver installation. I checked the registry to see if permissions were enabled for the device and they are.

If I skip the new hardware installation and just try to install the latest detonators, the detonator installation goes just fine, reboot, and windows detects the card as new hardware again in VGA mode. Install the old card and it works just fine with the detonator installation.

This is driving me nuts - is the card possibly defective (it was purchased as used and working fine), is my Windows installation fubar, or what? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[ant80]

There are two types of drivers. Nvidia drivers, and gainward enhanced drivers. If u installed one of them, try the other latest driver. That might solve the problem. I had a similar problem installing my friend's graphics card. I was able to install them properly, but it eventually turned out to be a defective card. so... keep your mind open.
ant

 

[AnAndAustin]

As ant80 says, try the latest OFFICIAL drivers from both your card's manu and nVidia, if that doesn't help then you may have to deinstall all gfx drivers, run Detonator Destroyer, reinstall one of the latest official drivers, reinstall DX8.1 ... that should do it. A fresh/reinstall of Windows is a bit over the top, but try that if you wish. As for the 'GF3 TI450', I wasn't aware there was one, just the regular GF3 and the TI200 and TI500 versions, I assume that's just a manu name intended to make the card seem superior and isn't really important anyway.

 

[HitenMitsurugi]

Originally posted by: AnAndAustin
As ant80 says, try the latest OFFICIAL drivers from both your card's manu and nVidia, if that doesn't help then you may have to deinstall all gfx drivers, run Detonator Destroyer, reinstall one of the latest official drivers, reinstall DX8.1 ... that should do it. A fresh/reinstall of Windows is a bit over the top, but try that if you wish. As for the 'GF3 TI450', I wasn't aware there was one, just the regular GF3 and the TI200 and TI500 versions, I assume that's just a manu name intended to make the card seem superior and isn't really important anyway.

It's the Gainward Geforce 3 Ti 200 "Golden Sample" which they call the 450, as it comes overclocked out of the box. I have tried the Dets and Gainward drivers to no avail... each time Windows starts up with the gainward card it is redetected all over again.

I think I'm gonna try this card on the Duron box running Win98 downstairs... if it doesn't work there I guess I can be sure the card is screwed and I'll have to RMA it. (I actually just got my Visiontek G3 Ti 200 back from RMA, and that's going to my bro next time I visit him. Been using the Ge2 in the meanwhile)