Think I got my first Bad Driver from Windows Update: Update, it isn't Windows Update

Ketchup

Elite Member
Sep 1, 2002
14,545
236
106
Well, the second I've seen, but the other was on someone else's machine when XP was still the latest thing out.

What driver? Nvida graphics driver, just cropped up in the last week or two, for the card in the sig (publish date was 3/24/14). Whenever I started a game, made it to the home screen, then the screen went black whenever I made a selection. Seemed to only affect newer games, but still too ridiculous to keep around. I am wondering if it didn't like my setup, which is an HDMI on the screen to a DVI on the video card. Still, going back to my last drivers and all is well. Considering the age of the card, I doubt there will ever be a reason to upgrade the drivers anyway, as long as I stay with 7.

Would be curious if anybody else went through something like this.
 
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toyota

Lifer
Apr 15, 2001
12,957
1
0
I am pretty sure most people here do not get their Nvidia drivers from Windows updates.
 

Ketchup

Elite Member
Sep 1, 2002
14,545
236
106
I am pretty sure most people here do not get their Nvidia drivers from Windows updates.

Why not? Their the same drivers you get from nVidia, Microsoft just puts their seal of approval on it.

I think VirtualLarry is seeing a similar issue.
 

DooKey

Golden Member
Nov 9, 2005
1,811
458
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Why not? Their the same drivers you get from nVidia, Microsoft just puts their seal of approval on it.

I think VirtualLarry is seeing a similar issue.

Seriously speaking there have been issues with MS update provided drivers for both NV and AMD over the years. Don't use MS update for your vid card drivers. They have a habit of sometimes providing out of date stuff.
 

Ketchup

Elite Member
Sep 1, 2002
14,545
236
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Seriously speaking there have been issues with MS update provided drivers for both NV and AMD over the years. Don't use MS update for your vid card drivers. They have a habit of sometimes providing out of date stuff.

I guess I have been fortunate there. Also find it rather odd that I was running a pretty recent driver off the nVidia site, and it would give me an older one (can't really tell by the numbers on the update).

I think I am going to grab the latest off the nVidia site and see what happens.
 

postmortemIA

Diamond Member
Jul 11, 2006
7,721
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I guess I have been fortunate there. Also find it rather odd that I was running a pretty recent driver off the nVidia site, and it would give me an older one (can't really tell by the numbers on the update).

I think I am going to grab the latest off the nVidia site and see what happens.
for WU latest driver is the latest driver on WU. That is why there's no logic installing it if you do care and actually play latest games
 

Ketchup

Elite Member
Sep 1, 2002
14,545
236
106
Well, I just installed the latest betas off the Nvidia site (337.50) and I am seeing the same problem, so it looks more like an issue with the actual driver, not something on Microsoft's end.
 

MongGrel

Lifer
Dec 3, 2013
38,751
3,068
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Just installed em about an hour ago, was slacking a bit on installing em.

Everything fine here.
 

PliotronX

Diamond Member
Oct 17, 1999
8,883
107
106
Funny my first one was recently and completely different hardware and os.. The HD 4000 "whql" driver caused memory leaks in windows 8.1.. Show stopping leaks. Now I discovered at least with my z87 board the newer Intel drivers Bork HDMI audio
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,369
10,067
126
Ugh, never get drivers from Windows Update. Go straight to the source.

This I agree with! Unless, the drivers that you are currently running, came out-of-the-box off of the Windows disc. Then the WU drivers will generally be an improvement. Otherwise, go to the chipset/device mfg's site and download them there.

As far as the problems, Ketchup79, are you having TDRs and blue-screens with the newest NV WHQL like I did (once so far, but that's more than I ever really have had with NV drivers, except when I was overclocking my twin GTX460 cards in a different rig and they were overheating)?
 

gradoman

Senior member
Mar 19, 2007
880
535
136
Never had a problem, but I almost always run the latest beta, so I typically go and get that soon after and install it.
 

Ketchup

Elite Member
Sep 1, 2002
14,545
236
106
I spent a little more time last night looking for a root cause, and it seems to be related to the latest PhysX driver. If I get the latest update from the Nvidia site with the PhysX update, it does the same thing. If I use the older driver that was working, with the latest PhysX, it does the same thing.

Would partially explain why it only effects some games.
 
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guskline

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2006
5,338
476
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I keep windows drivers updated (have the latest 8.1 OS and updates on all three machines). However, I NEVER us the MS video card driver as it almost always appears to be older than the driver officially released by Nvidia or AMD.