Need big time help now!! I accidentally removed my display drivers while trying to install new NVidia drivers

[DaveyTN]

The system is booting up as normal, but I can't see a thing on the screen. What do I do Now? By the way, I'm on a different computer in the house typing this message? I really need some help on this one!! Slight panic!!!! Thanks!!

 

[UsandThem]

Boy, you sure have a lot of problems with computers:Q

Try to boot into safe mode. I believe you hold down you F8 key after your BIOS posts.

 

[JustAnAverageGuy]

It should use generic drivers.

Try booting into Safe mode. There should also be a "Boot into VGA Mode" or something similar. Try that.

If that doesn't work,

I would suggest doing a repair install from your Windows CD

 

[DaveyTN]

Ok, tried holding down F8 key during bootup. It halts the bootup process but I still can't see a thing on the screen. Now what? How do I do a repair install from my Windows CD???? Any other ideas?

 

[UsandThem]

You didn't mess with switching displays under the Nvidia utilities did you?

 

[John]

Originally posted by: DaveyTN
The system is booting up as normal, but I can't see a thing on the screen. What do I do Now?

By booting normally do you mean that it's posting, but not booting to the OS. Do you ever see text on your monitor? If not reset the cmos on the motherboard and see what happens.

You definitely do not need to do a XP repair just yet.

 

[DaveyTN]

No, here is what I did.

I wanted to re-install the NVidia drivers 71.89 since someone suggested that. And I read on NVidias driver page to un-install any drivers first.

It then asked me if I wanted to un-install all NVidia video drivers and display drivers and I said yes. It then said it needed to reboot for these changes to take place.

I said yes to the reboot and haven't been able to see the screen since.

Help!

 

[UsandThem]

To start your computer in safe mode

Remove all floppy disks and CDs from your computer, and then restart your computer.

When prompted, press F8. If Windows XP Professional starts without displaying the Please select the operating system to start menu, restart your computer. Press F8 after the firmware POST process completes, but before Windows XP Professional displays graphical output.

From the Windows Advanced Options Menu, select a safe mode option listed in Table D.3. Table D.3 also lists other options available on the Windows Advanced Options Menu.

 

[Woofmeister]

Uhm, wouldn't Windows just load a generic driver? Sounds like somehing else is wrong. Perhaps the driver is corrupted, but I doubt it.

Try to reconect the monitor. If that doesn't work and your MOBO have its own VGA output try connecting your monitor to that.

 

[UsandThem]

I just hope, since he has a Nvidia chipset motherboard, he did not un-install all the Nvidia drivers.

That would be a mess.

 

[Tarrant64]

I've done that before. Safe Mode won't help that. It's not easy, but you can actually do a system restore without looking at the screen.

If you can manage to logon without seeing your screen, a system restore should bring you back so you can see everything again.

You can try this, it's crazy, but I've done it 2 times so I know it works:

If you have a keyboard with the "Windows" button, hit that once to bring up the start menu.
Hit "P", then Enter. All Programs

Hit "A", then Enter. Accessories

Hit "S", then Enter. System Tools

Now press the UP Arrow once and you will be on System Restore. Press Enter. (Press the up arrow once just incase you have other programs starting with "S", System Restore should be on the bottom of the list.

Wait a few seconds to make sure that it has come up(sometimes I've noticed System Restore doesn't launch as quickly on some computers).
Press Enter a few times and if you have your sound enabled, you should be able to hear it logoff. Wait, and when your computer restarts it should be at your last confirugations with your video drivers intact. Again, I've done this twice before in a day(messing with Video drivers), so I know it works.


Also, in shorter steps, if you hit the Windows button on your keyboard and the R button(Windows+R), you can type this in immediately afterwords and it will bring up System Restore.
%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe
Then just hit enter a few times and you will hear your computer logoff. You have to be a good typer though if you want to do that one. It would suck to screw that up.


Good luck!

 

[DaveyTN]

Thanks guys. All is well now. For some reason, on like my 5th reboot, I got a screen again. Not sure what the deal was there. But in any event, I got the 71.89 drivers re-installed. We will see if it helps with my crazy graphic card temperature reports.

Again, I appreciate all your help!! Everyone here is great (as usual) in trying to help their fellow computer guy.!!!

 

[Nek802]

Originally posted by: Tarrant64
I've done that before. Safe Mode won't help that. It's not easy, but you can actually do a system restore without looking at the screen.

If you can manage to logon without seeing your screen, a system restore should bring you back so you can see everything again.

You can try this, it's crazy, but I've done it 2 times so I know it works:

If you have a keyboard with the "Windows" button, hit that once to bring up the start menu.
Hit "P", then Enter. All Programs

Hit "A", then Enter. Accessories

Hit "S", then Enter. System Tools

Now press the UP Arrow once and you will be on System Restore. Press Enter. (Press the up arrow once just incase you have other programs starting with "S", System Restore should be on the bottom of the list.

Wait a few seconds to make sure that it has come up(sometimes I've noticed System Restore doesn't launch as quickly on some computers).
Press Enter a few times and if you have your sound enabled, you should be able to hear it logoff. Wait, and when your computer restarts it should be at your last confirugations with your video drivers intact. Again, I've done this twice before in a day(messing with Video drivers), so I know it works.


Also, in shorter steps, if you hit the Windows button on your keyboard and the R button(Windows+R), you can type this in immediately afterwords and it will bring up System Restore.
%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe
Then just hit enter a few times and you will hear your computer logoff. You have to be a good typer though if you want to do that one. It would suck to screw that up.


Good luck!

I'l need to save that somewhere, thanks lol

 

[Tarrant64]

Originally posted by: DaveyTN
Thanks guys. All is well now. For some reason, on like my 5th reboot, I got a screen again. Not sure what the deal was there. But in any event, I got the 71.89 drivers re-installed. We will see if it helps with my crazy graphic card temperature reports.

Again, I appreciate all your help!! Everyone here is great (as usual) in trying to help their fellow computer guy.!!!

Could be that after a couple reboots it reset the drivers for some reason. Other posts before about the generic drivers seemed correct. Kinda odd those didn't kick in. I don't think it's a serious issue though. Just an "Oops" mistake with the drivers. Glad to hear you have everything up and running again. :thumbsup:

 

[DaveyTN]

Thanks. Now if I can only figure out why NVidia is reporting my evga 6800gt cards to be running around 95C under load??!!!??