Setup after Format - Updating from stock etc. HELP I'M LOST!

[CDN-SMOKEJUMPER]

AMD Athlon x2 3800+
Corsair 512DDR x2
WD160 GB, Caviar SE
Asus EN7600GT 256MB
ASUS A8N-E, nForece4 ATX SATA ,8ch Glan, PCI'e
Spire Rocketeer 600PSU


Okay so let’s start at where I am right now. I’ve formatted my hard drive and have reinstalled windows and the drivers on the disks my rig came with. When I bought it all my drivers where updated already so I’ve never done it nor have I installed an operating system. Windows is fine and I’ve fixed what I wanted to get fixed now I just need to set the thing up.

Okay last night I reformatted as I tried to update my drivers and screwed up the add/remove step and so decided to start over and get advice. I read the tip in the nvidia download section on how to update my drivers and here is where I’m a bit lost.

Before installing new drivers make sure you uninstall all NVIDIA display drivers from the Windows Control Panel. Browse to the Start Menu > Windows Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs and search for "NVIDIA Windows Display Drivers" or "NVIDIA Display Drivers" and select remove.

In my add remove programs it does not say NVIDIA Display Drivers. There is an ASUS Graphics Display Driver so which is it I’m to remove?

Looking at my specs also are these the right drivers for me?

I downloaded version 91.31 for my mother board yes?

For my graphics card I downloaded version 84.63 but I notice my 7600GT isn’t on the list so was I to download a different version?



I’ve just double checked the nVidia website and think maybe I got the wrong ones and think that I should have gotten these.
They are not installed so I can just delete the wrong ones and download the correct ones when I get home from work.

Here are the links and a cut and paste of what I think I should get.

steps
Graphics Driver – GeForce and TNT2 – Windows XP 2000

http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_2k_91.31.html

ForceWare Release 90
Version: 91.31
Release Date: June 23, 2006
WHQL Certified

Steps
Platform / nForce Drivers – nForce 4 Series AMD – Windows XP 2000

http://www.nvidia.com/object/nforce_nf4_win2k_6.86.html

nForce4 series - Windows 2000/XP
Version: 6.86
Release Date: July 7, 2006
WHQL Certified
Are these the ones I should get?

I also noticed that I have to install a service pack? I assume I don’t have it as I’ve started over. What is that and where do I get the correct one for my machine?

Temps:

I noticed that my graphics card right after my format is running at 67. The highest I’ve ever seen it after I overclocked it was 41 on a stupidly hot day. Normally it's been sitting at 31 after heavy game time. Will that be fixed after I get the correct drivers?

Also I’ve created a Drivers Update folder to download this all to, should I do that or let it go to whatever default it has promted? That goes for my new patch as well when I attempt to get BF going.


I hope I was detailed enough. Thanks all in advance.

Please be descriptive as I truly have no clue what I’m doing and want to learn in a bad way.

[imported_SnowControl]

Re: Setup after Format - Updating from stock etc. HELP I'M LOST!

Ok, lets look at this.

To be honest, there is nothing you can do that will break your computer forever. Unless you start hitting it with a hammer of course.

Service Pack 2
Look on the XP cd you used to reinstall windows with. Does it say "Including Service Pack 2(or SP2)"? If not, it will be downloaded when you connect to the internet. You wont notice it at all, it will run in the background. This is all done automatically, you just get a message when its done.

Drivers etc
Windows XP comes with a hell lot of drivers installed. Beside from your video card, you really dont have to install that much.

Did you get a bunch of CDs when you bought the computer? If it was already set up when you got it, the cds usually are in the box from the motherboard. Look for cds that contains the word "drivers" and the names of products inside your computer. If you bought the computer from a company like Dell (although they only have Intel cpus i think), most drivers are gathered on one or several cds.

Find the cd that is named like your video card. Put it in the computer, and follow the instructions. Its pretty much like installing a program or game. Just click on everything saying "Install Driver" etc etc. Most drivers require restart after you've installed them, so dont start doing anything (chatting, gaming etc) while installing.

Now do the same with the rest of the cds. You probably dont need to install them all. For example, you dont need to install drivers or software to wireless cards, as the built-in one in windows is excellent. Unless you got an advanced audio card, you dont need to install that either, only if your sound isn't working.

Motherboard Update
I'm pretty blank at this area. You usually dont have to do this, but performance may be improved if you do.

Summary
Windows contains almost every driver you need. The only vital thing for you is the video card. You cant set the resolution higher than 1024x768 before you install the drivers and software for the card. Just see how much is working without installing new drivers. Then install drivers for those things that doesnt work. Its that simple.

If you somehow manage to screw it up, dont worrry. Just format your computer and try again. No harm done.

GOOD LUCK!

[CDN-SMOKEJUMPER]

Re: Setup after Format - Updating from stock etc. HELP I'M LOST!

I've done all that with the disks in the box, where I'm lost is updating to the latest drivers and why my vid card is all of a sudden 67 degrees celcius.

Thanks for answering some of my questions though, yeah Windows did include the service pack now that I think about it. Cool, so how do I properly download and install the latest drivers??

[imported_SnowControl]

Re: Setup after Format - Updating from stock etc. HELP I'M LOST!

I actually cant find the ASUS 7600GT card. Are you sure that ASUS is the producer, and the card is named 7600GT?

Turn off your computer and let it cool down. Then boot it up, and leave it for 10 mins without using it. Now check the video card temp. Then play bf2 for 30 min, check it again. And finally play another 30 min (1 hour total) and check the temp again. The temperature shouldnt differ very much from the 30 min reading to the 60 min one. If it does, your cooling is bad. Try removing all the dust inside your cabinet, this often causes overheat. Check the producer website to find max working temperature for your card.

Do you know what temp your video card had before you formatted?

[CDN-SMOKEJUMPER]

Re: Setup after Format - Updating from stock etc. HELP I'M LOST!

I actually cant find the ASUS 7600GT card. Are you sure that ASUS is the producer, and the card is named 7600GT?

Turn off your computer and let it cool down. Then boot it up, and leave it for 10 mins without using it. Now check the video card temp. Then play bf2 for 30 min, check it again. And finally play another 30 min (1 hour total) and check the temp again. The temperature shouldnt differ very much from the 30 min reading to the 60 min one. If it does, your cooling is bad. Try removing all the dust inside your cabinet, this often causes overheat. Check the producer website to find max working temperature for your card.

Do you know what temp your video card had before you formatted?

The temp before the format with having my 7600GT max overclocked was 31 and during the heatwave got to 41 maximum. After the format the temp hit the roof immediately.

The card is GeForce 7600GT.

[schaef2k]

Re: Setup after Format - Updating from stock etc. HELP I'M LOST!

The temp before the format with having my 7600GT max overclocked was 31 and during the heatwave got to 41 maximum. After the format the temp hit the roof immediately.

The card is GeForce 7600GT.

Those temp have to be wrong unless your using nitrogen cooling. Idle temp sould be around 50C and 70C loaded.

Are you sure your not reading the CPU temps?

[kulamonster3]

Re: Setup after Format - Updating from stock etc. HELP I'M LOST!

>In my add remove programs it does not say NVIDIA Display Drivers. There is an ASUS Graphics Display Driver so which is it I’m to remove?<

Okay your nVidia Drivers are your Asus Graphic Drivers!!!!

Your graphics card is manufactured by Asus, and contains the nVida Chips.

My Asus 6800 still has a section for nVida Drivers and other software for tweaking the graphics card in the add/remove programs folder, but if you do not have all the extra software installed, then you might only see the Asus Graphics Drivers.

Quick Question: Your MoBo does not have built in graphics does it? Just had to ask! Because if you are starting from a clean slate you might have to disable on board graphics for your Asus 7600GT to work!

Okay back to the driver issue. Install the video drivers from the CD that came with your computer. Visit nVidia.com to get the latest 7600GT drivers, and then download them to your Windows / Temp folder.

Next remove the graphics drivers from add/remove programs window

(Reboot if it makes you after removal) Your graphics might not look pretty because you have no drivers for your 7600GT installed at boot up.

Run the downloaded nVidia Driver file.

Reboot.

Optional add other nVidia software to change settings, check fan speeds, Overclock if you want that software installed that is?? You can probably get those downloaded from nVidia.com too.

Good Luck! Let us know how things are going.

[CDN-SMOKEJUMPER]

Re: Setup after Format - Updating from stock etc. HELP I'M LOST!

Those temp have to be wrong unless your using nitrogen cooling. Idle temp sould be around 50C and 70C loaded.

Are you sure your not reading the CPU temps?

Huge case and a lot of fans, it's in the nVidia display that I got access to after I added coolbits to the registry.

>In my add remove programs it does not say NVIDIA Display Drivers. There is an ASUS Graphics Display Driver so which is it I’m to remove?<

Okay your nVidia Drivers are your Asus Graphic Drivers!!!!

Your graphics card is manufactured by Asus, and contains the nVida Chips.

My Asus 6800 still has a section for nVida Drivers and other software for tweaking the graphics card in the add/remove programs folder, but if you do not have all the extra software installed, then you might only see the Asus Graphics Drivers.

Quick Question: Your MoBo does not have built in graphics does it? Just had to ask! Because if you are starting from a clean slate you might have to disable on board graphics for your Asus 7600GT to work!

Okay back to the driver issue. Install the video drivers from the CD that came with your computer. Visit nVidia.com to get the latest 7600GT drivers, and then download them to your Windows / Temp folder.

Next remove the graphics drivers from add/remove programs window

(Reboot if it makes you after removal) Your graphics might not look pretty because you have no drivers for your 7600GT installed at boot up.

Run the downloaded nVidia Driver file.

Reboot.

Optional add other nVidia software to change settings, check fan speeds, Overclock if you want that software installed that is?? You can probably get those downloaded from nVidia.com too.

Good Luck! Let us know how things are going.

I don't think theere is an onboard gfx card, it's an ASUS nForce 4 Ultra but it does have onboard sound.

Okay I think your reply might help me a lot, I'll post in a few hours to let you all know if it worked or what I messed up. Thanks man.
Any more tips are always welcome!!!


EDIT// I just got home from work and I have both nVidia Driver and one that says ASUS nVidia Driver, which one is which?? There is another one that says ASUS Enhanced Display Driver, nVidia Forceware Network access Manager, my Atlon 64 Driver, Realtek and Windows installer in my add/remove window in my control panel.

Should I delete the processor driver?

[imported_SnowControl]

Re: Setup after Format - Updating from stock etc. HELP I'M LOST!

EDIT// I just got home from work and I have both nVidia Driver and one that says ASUS nVidia Driver, which one is which?? There is another one that says ASUS Enhanced Display Driver, nVidia Forceware Network access Manager, my Atlon 64 Driver, Realtek and Windows installer in my add/remove window in my control panel.

Should I delete the processor driver?

NOOOO! Dont delete the processor driver.

ASUS nVidia driver is the one belonging to your 7600GT.

nVidia Forceware network..... is the drivers to your motherboard, perhaps only the networking part (ethernet, firewire etc)

Athlon 42 driver is the CPU driver (dont remove this!)

Realtek is the audio driver, which is built into the mobo (as you said)

Windows installers is either the program that manages all installations on your computer, or the program that configures and installs automatic updates. Anyway, dont delete this.

Those first readings on temps looks like they're coming from the harddrive. It looks that way at least, both the GPU and the CPU should've been way higher than 30 degrees. Mine is ideling around 57 right now.

You usually wont have to remove the old drivers first, the program will fix this by it self. Just get the newest drivers off the net, and install them.