can't uninstall ATI video drivers

[scooter1]

I'm trying to uninstall my ATI video card drivers before I install the latest version but every time I reboot after uninstalling them Windows reloads them. I delete the driver and control panel through the Add/Remove Programs thing in windows and then run the ATI cat-uninstaller program and then reboot. How do I stop windows from reloading the old drivers?

 

[stnicralisk]

Press cancel when windows wants to load them?

 

[scooter1]

Originally posted by: stnicralisk
Press cancel when windows wants to load them?

It doesn't give me the option. When I reboot a little icon appears in the lower right hand corner with a message box that says something like 'VGA adapter found' and then it proceeds to load the drivers.

If I boot into safe mode after uninstalling the drivers a big message box will appear in the center of the screen saying 'new hardware detected' and I can cancel out of that. But when I try installing the new ATI drivers in safe mode I get an error saying that DirectX8 isn't installed and I need to install it before I can install the ATI drivers.

 

[kylebisme]

Delete the driver install package, which by default would be in:

C:\ATI\SUPPORT

 

[scooter1]

Originally posted by: TheSnowman
Delete the driver install package, which by default would be in:

C:\ATI\SUPPORT

I tried that and it didn't help. I think that directory is only where the ATI installer puts it's temporary files while it's doing the install. I don't think windows looks in there for the video drivers.

 

[NYHoustonman]

Driver Cleaner?

EDIT-btw, the install will work just fine if, after that reboot, even after Windows does its thing, you run the Cat install program. I have the same problem myself.

 

[LTC8K6]

Safe mode?

VGA Mode?

 

[rbV5]

Probably have to clean the ATI drivers out of the driver.cab and SPx.cab files (I've used cab cleaner from drivercleaner for this) and then unplug your internet connection so that it doesn't just download and install the WHQL drivers from the net.

All that is probably totally uneccissary, just install them over the top of the old ones.

 

[Lanyap]

Driver Cleaner 3.3

 

[Mellman]

just search for ati*.* delete all of them...reinstall..done..

 

[Pete]

Or try downloading ATi's uninstaller from their website--it might get all the files you missed. If that doesn't work, search your Temp or Local Settings directories for an ATi dir.

 

[mauiblue]

I think what you are seeing is Win XP installing a generic ATI driver (even on a clean install). I was having problems with random reboots since installing the latest CAT driver so I used the ATI uninstall utility to remove all of the previous driver files. When I rebooted, Win XP started to install the generic ATI driver. I let Win XP do its thing (like you said, you can't stop it from installing). I then installed the latest CAT driver and now all is well. No random reboots, no drips, no errors.

Good luck.

 

[scooter1]

Originally posted by: mauiblue
I think what you are seeing is Win XP installing a generic ATI driver (even on a clean install). I was having problems with random reboots since installing the latest CAT driver so I used the ATI uninstall utility to remove all of the previous driver files. When I rebooted, Win XP started to install the generic ATI driver. I let Win XP do its thing (like you said, you can't stop it from installing). I then installed the latest CAT driver and now all is well. No random reboots, no drips, no errors.

Good luck.

Hi, I tried the cat-uninstaller.exe program that I downloaded from ATI's website if that's what you mean by the ATI uninstall utility. When I rebooted after using it XP loaded an ATI driver. I don't think it was a generic driver because the date of the driver was something like december 2003 as shown in device manager and I had the 3.9 drivers installed which are from about that time.

Anyway I did just go ahead and install the 4.10 driver over whatever XP loaded and it seems to be working ok. So I guess it worked.