For ATI users
1: Through "Add/Remove Programs" proceed to uninstall the ATI Control Panel, Display Driver, and finally the Uninstaller itself.....in this order.
2: Boot up into safe mode and run Driver Cleaner. Check the 'multiple clean filters' option
and then proceed to select "ATI", "ATI CCC" and "ATI Uninstall Utility" from the drop down menu (you may also want to include "ATI WDM", "ATI MMC" etc. if your card supports such features and therefore drivers, if unsure then just leave them out)
and click on "Clean". Do the cleaning twice to make sure that everything is cleared out. At this point you may also want to clean the cab files too. To do this click on 'Tools' and then select 'Cab Cleaner', choose 'Driver.cab' and then 'Start'.
This is not necessary however.
3: Restart your computer (normally this time) and wait for windows to go through it's stupid auto detection of your hadware before continuing, make sure you click 'cancel' and proceed to install the drivers yourself. Install your new drivers and restart your computer.
For Nvidia users
1: Through "Add/Remove Programs" proceed to uninstall the Nvidia Display Driver.
2: Boot up into safe mode and run Driver Cleaner. Select "Nvidia" - Please note that these are seperate to the nforce driver cleaner filters - from the drop down menu (again select 'nVidia WDM' if your card has support and therefore drivers)
and click on "Clean". Do the cleaning twice to make sure that everything is cleared out. At this point you may also want to clean the cab files too. To do this click on 'Tools' and then select 'Cab Cleaner', choose 'Driver.cab' and then 'Start'. This is not necessary however.
3: Restart your computer (normally this time) and wait for windows to go through it's still stupid auto detection of your hadware before continuing, make sure you click 'cancel' and proceed to install the drivers yourself install your new drivers and restart your computer.
For users switching from ATI to Nvidia.....or vise versa
1: Through "Add/Remove Programs" proceed to uninstall the Nvidia Display Driver if you're currently using an Nvidia product.....or uninstall the ATI Control Panel, Display Driver, and finally the Uninstaller itself if your current video card is a Radeon.
2: Boot up into safe mode and run Driver Cleaner. Select "ATI" or "Nvidia" from the drop down menu (whichever applies to your current hardware) and click on "Clean". Do the cleaning twice to make sure that everything is cleared out.
-- Selecting "Nvidia" if you have an nforce2 motherboard will not have any negative effects, they are seperate options. --
3: Shut down your computer and swap the cards, remembering to plug in the 4pin molex power connection if your new card requires one.
4: Turn on your computer and wait for windows to go through it's still so stupid auto detection of your hadware before continuing. Install your new drivers and restart your computer.
Q&A
Q1: Why all the extra work???
A1: This is mainly an issue with Windows XP and its integrated file protection. When a person installs their video card drivers, some files are naturally stored in system folders. Anytime Windows XP detects some/one of these files missing, it will automatically replace them. As you can see, by simply uninstalling the drivers in windows you are NEVER completely getting rid of the old drivers. By starting in Safe Mode you are bypassing XP's file protection and allowing full, uninterupted access to those files. Driver cleaner is just moreso there for convienience as it knows what files to look for, and saves you the trouble of doing the job manually.
Q2: Why would you do this if you're just switching to another version of your drivers???
A2: I have found through personal experience that some files left behind after an install (due to XP's file protection) are basically meant for THAT driver set, as stupid as that might sound. Here's an example: From time to time I will load up the good old Doom3 to kill a few minutes. The shadows in the game are spectacular, but not ALL the time. Using anything newer then the 83.67 forceware drivers the shadows behind to flicker sporatically, really ruining the experience. I'm sure that you have all at one time or another run into or heard of a bug in a game due to video card drivers. Truth be told, simply uninstalling the "bad" drivers will NOT always clear things up. I tried this originally, and going from the 84.21's back to the 83.67's the "quick" way.....the flickering remained. Running the Driver Cleaner in safe mode made it good as new, go figure.
Q3: Why not just format???
A3: Look at this realistically, what are you essentially doing when you format? Cleaning out every file from your hard drive, including any trace of your display drivers. Taking a few extra minutes to follow the above process does EXACTLY the same thing, and is no worse an option then formatting. Wouldn't you like to get the exact same job done in a few minutes that would normally take an hour or more? To have to restore your entire system to it's previous state manually just to install different video drivers just isn't practical to me.
Q4: Then why have I never had a problem just uninstalling my drivers in windows???
A4: This is a very valid point that a lot of people make and use to back up their actions. Again, think of this in black and white.....not EVERYone has issues with certain/all games. I for one have NEVER had a problem with any retail game on the market using my nVidia hardware, even when many horror stories were running rampant throughout our forums. Other people however are not so lucky. When I installed the 84.21 drivers to test the Doom3 and do some benchmarking it was ONLY that one thing that had changed, everything else remained, stability intact. Again, I know that I'm using the same example a number of times here, but it's the truth.....and a very easy picture to paint. Wouldn't you rather just not EVER have to worry about driver conflicts? Just because you've never run into anything, doesn't mean it won't happen. I hadn't ever seen anything like I did with Doom until that day, and now I understand that it's quite worth it to spend a few extra minutes dong something the "long way" if it means eliminating one more thing from the list of things that COULD go wrong with my computer.
Q5: Why are you taking the time to write this out???
A5: All to often I see people having problems or running into hiccups with their system that could have been avoided. In addition to that, there are a number of people who just aren't sure what to do. I don't think I'd be alone if I said it'd be a nice thing if we could "clean" some of these posts from our forums.
-------
Source : http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=965852
Added a few pictures and edited a bit.
1: Through "Add/Remove Programs" proceed to uninstall the ATI Control Panel, Display Driver, and finally the Uninstaller itself.....in this order.
2: Boot up into safe mode and run Driver Cleaner. Check the 'multiple clean filters' option
and then proceed to select "ATI", "ATI CCC" and "ATI Uninstall Utility" from the drop down menu (you may also want to include "ATI WDM", "ATI MMC" etc. if your card supports such features and therefore drivers, if unsure then just leave them out)
and click on "Clean". Do the cleaning twice to make sure that everything is cleared out. At this point you may also want to clean the cab files too. To do this click on 'Tools' and then select 'Cab Cleaner', choose 'Driver.cab' and then 'Start'.
This is not necessary however.
3: Restart your computer (normally this time) and wait for windows to go through it's stupid auto detection of your hadware before continuing, make sure you click 'cancel' and proceed to install the drivers yourself. Install your new drivers and restart your computer.
For Nvidia users
1: Through "Add/Remove Programs" proceed to uninstall the Nvidia Display Driver.
2: Boot up into safe mode and run Driver Cleaner. Select "Nvidia" - Please note that these are seperate to the nforce driver cleaner filters - from the drop down menu (again select 'nVidia WDM' if your card has support and therefore drivers)
and click on "Clean". Do the cleaning twice to make sure that everything is cleared out. At this point you may also want to clean the cab files too. To do this click on 'Tools' and then select 'Cab Cleaner', choose 'Driver.cab' and then 'Start'. This is not necessary however.
3: Restart your computer (normally this time) and wait for windows to go through it's still stupid auto detection of your hadware before continuing, make sure you click 'cancel' and proceed to install the drivers yourself install your new drivers and restart your computer.
For users switching from ATI to Nvidia.....or vise versa
1: Through "Add/Remove Programs" proceed to uninstall the Nvidia Display Driver if you're currently using an Nvidia product.....or uninstall the ATI Control Panel, Display Driver, and finally the Uninstaller itself if your current video card is a Radeon.
2: Boot up into safe mode and run Driver Cleaner. Select "ATI" or "Nvidia" from the drop down menu (whichever applies to your current hardware) and click on "Clean". Do the cleaning twice to make sure that everything is cleared out.
-- Selecting "Nvidia" if you have an nforce2 motherboard will not have any negative effects, they are seperate options. --
3: Shut down your computer and swap the cards, remembering to plug in the 4pin molex power connection if your new card requires one.
4: Turn on your computer and wait for windows to go through it's still so stupid auto detection of your hadware before continuing. Install your new drivers and restart your computer.
Q&A
Q1: Why all the extra work???
A1: This is mainly an issue with Windows XP and its integrated file protection. When a person installs their video card drivers, some files are naturally stored in system folders. Anytime Windows XP detects some/one of these files missing, it will automatically replace them. As you can see, by simply uninstalling the drivers in windows you are NEVER completely getting rid of the old drivers. By starting in Safe Mode you are bypassing XP's file protection and allowing full, uninterupted access to those files. Driver cleaner is just moreso there for convienience as it knows what files to look for, and saves you the trouble of doing the job manually.
Q2: Why would you do this if you're just switching to another version of your drivers???
A2: I have found through personal experience that some files left behind after an install (due to XP's file protection) are basically meant for THAT driver set, as stupid as that might sound. Here's an example: From time to time I will load up the good old Doom3 to kill a few minutes. The shadows in the game are spectacular, but not ALL the time. Using anything newer then the 83.67 forceware drivers the shadows behind to flicker sporatically, really ruining the experience. I'm sure that you have all at one time or another run into or heard of a bug in a game due to video card drivers. Truth be told, simply uninstalling the "bad" drivers will NOT always clear things up. I tried this originally, and going from the 84.21's back to the 83.67's the "quick" way.....the flickering remained. Running the Driver Cleaner in safe mode made it good as new, go figure.
Q3: Why not just format???
A3: Look at this realistically, what are you essentially doing when you format? Cleaning out every file from your hard drive, including any trace of your display drivers. Taking a few extra minutes to follow the above process does EXACTLY the same thing, and is no worse an option then formatting. Wouldn't you like to get the exact same job done in a few minutes that would normally take an hour or more? To have to restore your entire system to it's previous state manually just to install different video drivers just isn't practical to me.
Q4: Then why have I never had a problem just uninstalling my drivers in windows???
A4: This is a very valid point that a lot of people make and use to back up their actions. Again, think of this in black and white.....not EVERYone has issues with certain/all games. I for one have NEVER had a problem with any retail game on the market using my nVidia hardware, even when many horror stories were running rampant throughout our forums. Other people however are not so lucky. When I installed the 84.21 drivers to test the Doom3 and do some benchmarking it was ONLY that one thing that had changed, everything else remained, stability intact. Again, I know that I'm using the same example a number of times here, but it's the truth.....and a very easy picture to paint. Wouldn't you rather just not EVER have to worry about driver conflicts? Just because you've never run into anything, doesn't mean it won't happen. I hadn't ever seen anything like I did with Doom until that day, and now I understand that it's quite worth it to spend a few extra minutes dong something the "long way" if it means eliminating one more thing from the list of things that COULD go wrong with my computer.
Q5: Why are you taking the time to write this out???
A5: All to often I see people having problems or running into hiccups with their system that could have been avoided. In addition to that, there are a number of people who just aren't sure what to do. I don't think I'd be alone if I said it'd be a nice thing if we could "clean" some of these posts from our forums.
-------
Source : http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=965852
Added a few pictures and edited a bit.
