How do you disable auto-hardware install in Windows XP?

[GimpyFuzznut]

Trying to fix up my friend's system that has a Hercules Prophet 4000 XT in it. I upgraded to a new motherboard and put in new ram. I also did a clean format with Windows XP. When running Windows Auto-Update, the driver for his Hercules video card came up, so I figured - I might as well pick it up now. The only problem is, that driver is completely fuc#$@ up. After installing it, and rebooting, I just get a black screen. I went into safe mode to uninstall the device, but everytime I reboot - Windows detects "New hardware", finds the same broken driver and installs it. Over and over and over again. I uninstall it, Windows just detects it and reinstalls it. Anyway to disable that auto-hardware detection crap? Or atleast remove that broken driver from the driver library?

 

[Storm]

Originally posted by: GimpyFuzznut
Trying to fix up my friend's system that has a Hercules Prophet 4000 XT in it. I upgraded to a new motherboard and put in new ram. I also did a clean format with Windows XP. When running Windows Auto-Update, the driver for his Hercules video card came up, so I figured - I might as well pick it up now. The only problem is, that driver is completely fuc#$@ up. After installing it, and rebooting, I just get a black screen. I went into safe mode to uninstall the device, but everytime I reboot - Windows detects "New hardware", finds the same broken driver and installs it. Over and over and over again. I uninstall it, Windows just detects it and reinstalls it. Anyway to disable that auto-hardware detection crap? Or atleast remove that broken driver from the driver library?

Well if you can get the name of the driver with the extension. You can do a search on your comp to find that particular file and delete it.

Start/Search/For Files or Folders/All files and folders

Then enter in which partition and the filename that should bring it up so you can remove it.

 

[Willoughbyva]

Can you download a good driver for it and install it in safe mode? Perhaps on reboot it will use the newer/good driver instead of the bad driver.

 

[prosaic]

Wouldn't Driver Rollback work?

- prosaic

 

[Haden]

While in safe mode go to Admin tools->Services and disable "Plug and Play" service.
Don't forget to give them other driver, then reboot to normal mode.
If problem is that XP put "better" driver uppon reboot this should solve it.