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NVDM.inf -> Please look


voodoodrul

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So I have decided the easiest way to install new driver releases straight from nvidia on my Dell M170 is to take the NVDM.inf and NVDM.cat from the official Dell release and just drop them in the install folder from the driver and run setup. the .cat is not really necessary, but it does get rid of the "continue anyway" prompt when it realizes it non-WHQL.

Does anyone know if this will cause problems? From reading through the NVDM.inf, it appears to retain all of Dell's specific configuration so it's as "Dell official" as you can get really. The beauty of this is you can just copy these files into the folder and stay up-to-date. However, if the filenames change from the install set (say nvdisps.dll is called in the .inf and doesn't exist in the install set) you will get errors..

So let me know what you guys think about this method.

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I never tried moving a catalog file as I thought it was tied into all the files and not just the INF. However, if you say this works then this is as close to a new unofficially official Dell driver you can install as rarely are the INF files modified for older systems. INFs are just modified to include newer systems, along with driver date and version.

Therefore, it sounds fine if that is how you wish to install.

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So I noticed a few inconsistencies in the .inf's:

From the Dell .inf:

[sourceDisksFiles]

nv4_mini.sys = 1

nvcod.dll = 1

nvsvc32.exe = 1

nv4_disp.dll = 2

nvoglnt.dll = 3

nvcpl.dll = 4

nvmctray.dll = 4

nvcpl.hlp = 4

nvwddi.dll = 4

nvwcplen.hlp = 4

From the newest official Nvidia release (81.98):

[sourceDisksFiles]

nv4_mini.sys = 1

nvcod.dll = 1

nvsvc32.exe = 1

nv4_disp.dll = 1

nvhwvid.dll = 1

nvoglnt.dll = 1

nvcpl.dll = 1

nvmctray.dll = 1

nvcpl.hlp = 1

nvwddi.dll = 1

nvnt4cpl.dll = 1

nvwcplen.hlp = 1

nvmccs.dll = 1

nvapi.dll = 1

Of course, there are many differences in the files. The Dell .inf will only consider files that were packaged with the original release. If I use the Dell .inf's, they won't do anything at all with the nvapi.dll or any other new files with the Nvidia release. Grr.

I think I have decided to write my own modded .inf to tackle the issues I've been having using other modded drivers.

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1,2,3,4 are the folders where the files from the source get copied from. In this case 4 folders (or originally from the earlier days floppy disks or 'conservative' setting) are used. Means DELL decided to put the files in different (though only virtual) source folders, while NV uses only one.

That's why the INF cannot be easily (without modding) used interoperably (between two different drivers series or OEM for example) and that's the very reason why we offer a modded INF for each and every driver release specifically.

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1,2,3,4 are the folders where the files from the source get copied from. In this case 4 folders (or originally from the earlier days floppy disks or 'conservative' setting) are used. Means DELL decided to put the files in different (though only virtual) source folders, while NV uses only one.

That's why the INF cannot be easily (without modding) used interoperably (between two different drivers series or OEM for example) and that's the very reason why we offer a modded INF for each and every driver release specifically.

True, but I wasn't concerned as much with the disk numbers.. I brushed over that.. I was more concerned with the fact that some files are simply missing altogether.

*sigh* - I guess I will tweak my own using your generated one as a template.

What do these reg keys mean? And what are valid values?

HKLM,"SOFTWARE\NVIDIA Corporation\Global\NVTweak", NvCplEnableActiveClocking, %REG_DWORD%, 1

HKLM,"SOFTWARE\NVIDIA Corporation\Global\NVTweak", NvCplEnableFanControl, %REG_DWORD%, 3

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You should take Pieter's INF then add in Dell's settings for your card.

Mixing and matching INFs is not a good idea.

If you do decide to go that route make sure you use INFs from a recent driver, like 82.10 or that 83.xx dell driver.

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You should take Pieter's INF then add in Dell's settings for your card.

Mixing and matching INFs is not a good idea.

If you do decide to go that route make sure you use INFs from a recent driver, like 82.10 or that 83.xx dell driver.

There is an 83.xx Dell driver? Where?

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