Five drivers. None work. What am I doing wrong? Please, PLEASE help.

[AyaJulia]

I'm going to leave this post here since so many of the google results I got were unanswered and it may help someone, but I got 186.81 working by editing the .inf myself and adding a line with my specific subsys number in it (there's no modded inf for 186.81 here on this site, nor for 185.85 that I tried earlier). I'd still love to get something more recent working....

One of my programs is failing to work. The forums for this particular program suggests that some people have solved this problem by updating their video drivers. I've had the manufacturer video drivers for my laptop since I got it. I've attempted to download new ones from NVidia's site a number of times, obviously to no avail, but I REALLY want this other thing to work and have delved into laptopvideo2go to get some new drivers already.

Before I go farther, here are the raw stats you might care to know, even though they're all duplicated in the info box to the left of this post (haha).

Laptop model: Alienware Area-51 m5500.

Video card: NVidia GeForce 8600M GT (0407).

Video subsys: 0770152D

Last usable driver: 176.37 (Manufacturer driver - 1.5 years old :) )

Operating System: Windows 7 x86

Let me take you through my steps.

1. Read all the various quick start guides, FAQs, and illustrated guides to installing LV2G drivers before I started. Now I know just enough to be dangerous, hurray!

2. Tried to install 196.75 because big numbers are gewd lol? Yeah, I was being stupid I guess. Encountered the following error: "Windows found driver software for your device but encountered an error while attempting to install it." Then it barked Error Code 43 at me, saying the device was reporting problems, so windows stopped it.

3. Didn't reboot because I'm retarded?

4. Found the driver search page and put in my special numbers and OS as needed: =win7x32"]As shown here

5. Tried 195.81. Same error as above.

6. Rebooted. Same error as above.

7. Tried 195.55. Same error as above.

8. Decided to uninstall my video drivers completely. Didn't reboot because I'm retarded!

9. Tried 195.39, 195.55, and 195.81--"The system cannot find the file specified."

10. Rebooted. Derp.

11. Tried 185.85 because I saw someone raving about it on the forums. There are 16 different "Geforce 8600M GT" options listed, with no way to get more information about them. How should I know which one matches my device/subsys numbers? If I even need to... regardless, I tried the top one since 0770152D is usually the first one numerically, can't remember what error it tossed back, but I didn't want to try it 16 times. :\

12. Tried 195.55 again. Installed! Rebooted--BSOD. Using system restore reset me to no driver.

13. Tried 195.39 again. Same as step 12.

14. Tried 195.81 again. Same as step 12.

Edited March 11, 2010 by AyaJulia

[LSudlow]

Be sure you also download the modded inf that goes with each driver. Use it to replace the inf that comes with the driver and you should be all set.

Also, be sure you uninstall your current driver first - in the Windows Control Panel, under Programs, look for "Nvidia Drivers" and uninstall.

[AyaJulia]

Be sure you also download the modded inf that goes with each driver. Use it to replace the inf that comes with the driver and you should be all set.

Also, be sure you uninstall your current driver first - in the Windows Control Panel, under Programs, look for "Nvidia Drivers" and uninstall.

I always grabbed the modded inf, and I tried each driver while I had no other video driver installed at all--each of the 195.xx drivers successfully installed then rebooted into a BSOD and had to be rolled back via system restore regardless.

[LSudlow]

Since you were able to get one of the 186 drivers to work, I don't think it's a hardware problem. Maybe we have some tweak that somehow doesn't agree with your system.

All I can suggest is that you work your way up from that 186 driver until you hit the level of driver that no longer works. You shouldn't need to enter your own subsys ID, since that's what the modded inf is for.

[AyaJulia]

Since you were able to get one of the 186 drivers to work, I don't think it's a hardware problem. Maybe we have some tweak that somehow doesn't agree with your system.

All I can suggest is that you work your way up from that 186 driver until you hit the level of driver that no longer works. You shouldn't need to enter your own subsys ID, since that's what the modded inf is for.

Well, the one I had to enter my own subsys ID for, there was no modded .inf for. :\ Regardless, I read some other people in those driver threads saying none of this site's 195.xx drivers worked for them at all.

Do I need to limit my attempts to drivers found with this site's driver search system? If so, I can only go as high as 190.40 with none of the 195.xx drivers working. >.<

[LSudlow]

No - you can use trial and error to narrow your search. The problem is that nvidia occasionally evolves their driver architecture and inevitablely leaves some hardware behind - which appears to have happened with the 195 series. Just drop back a notch and try 191.90, which is a very fresh driver.

[AyaJulia]

No - you can use trial and error to narrow your search. The problem is that nvidia occasionally evolves their driver architecture and inevitablely leaves some hardware behind - which appears to have happened with the 195 series. Just drop back a notch and try 191.90, which is a very fresh driver.

"The folder you specified doesn't contain a compatible software driver for your device. If the folder contains a driver, make sure it is designed to work for Windows for 32-bit systems." <- This is 191.90, Win7 32 bit version. I really didn't want to spend so much time downloading a dozen different drivers at slow k/sec, but I guess now that I've uninstalled that annoying flickering crap that was 186, I have to. :)

Thanks for the suggestion, will edit if I find something that does work.... You've been a saint so far trying to assist me, I do appreciate it.

191.87: BSOD on boot. The subsequent system restore completely killed my recently-updated Firefox--I had to reinstall. :\ Forging ahead....

191.78: No modded inf. Tried to stick a line in there for mine, but I didn't do it right; couldn't figure out how to install it with my card not listed even though I added a listing. :)

191.75: Given the above, I'm going to pass this one up because of no inf. I obviously don't know how to handle this situation.

191.66: Code 43--Windows stopped the device because it's reporting problems.

191.56: Code 43

191.23, .14, .11: No inf, skipping

191.07: BSOD on boot. This is getting VERY disheartening, being the tenth driver I've tried. :\

190.40: Decided screw the 191 drivers in favor of something this site's filters insist will work for me. Code 43. I'm going back to the 186.81 flickering pile of crap. 'Preciate the wild goose chase. :\

Edited March 13, 2010 by AyaJulia