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    Auto Video Driver updates through Steam

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by BA0701, Sep 16, 2010.

  1. BA0701

    BA0701 Notebook Geek

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    Valve® and AMD Team Up to Provide Gamers with Easy ATI Catalyst? Driver Updates on Steam | Business Wire

    Will this work for the M17x? Even my 4870s do not like the updates released by AMD, without using more than one workaround (the False-True workaround, and the OpenGL workaround). This is interesting news, which I think will be a good idea, if it works. But one of my concerns would be that the latest OpenGL drivers no longer work with older games, several of which I have on Steam, and I am forced to use the OpenGL driver from 10.4, even with the latest 10.8 drivers. Another would be the left over Registry entries, which as well know can wreak havoc as well.
     
    BA0701, Sep 16, 2010
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  2. Glzmo

    Glzmo Notebook Deity

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    Not sure if that works for Steam games (I've only done this with non-Steam games, but I'd imagine it'll also work for Steam games), but I just copy atioglxx.dll from 10.4 to the folder where the .exe/.dlls of the game that doesn't work with newer drivers are and it'll use it. That way, the OpenGL driver stays in place, works for the game itself (while other games/applications that work with the newer drivers keep using those) only and keeps working when you update your Catalyst drivers.
     
    Glzmo, Sep 16, 2010
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  3. BA0701

    BA0701 Notebook Geek

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    What I have been doing, which seems to be working thus far, is copy that same DLL, from 10.4, and replace the version with the newest drivers with it. I guess either way works, but I continue to wonder if and when AMD plans on resolving this issue.
     
    BA0701, Sep 16, 2010
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  4. flynnaz

    flynnaz I am a Night Elf Mohawk!

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    All that Steam does is send you to ATI/AMD's or Nvidia's driver site, that's still a pretty nice.
     
    flynnaz, Sep 16, 2010
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  5. Megatony73

    Megatony73 Notebook Consultant

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    If it just sends you to the website...that is kind of handy I guess.
    But if it is some weird steam based update to your video card drivers I wouldn't do anything with that...Steam can be funky sometimes.
     
    Megatony73, Sep 16, 2010
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  6. BA0701

    BA0701 Notebook Geek

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    That is actually my concern, is automatic updates being pushed, like they do with their games. If you can manually tell it when to update, and it does the process for you, that is intriguing, but with the issues I have had with AMD drivers, I have a lot of doubts as to whether this can work or not. Currently it sends you to the AMD site, but from they way I interpret the article, they will be pushing the drivers out at some point, just like game updates.
     
    BA0701, Sep 17, 2010
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  7. flynnaz

    flynnaz I am a Night Elf Mohawk!

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    I do not see that happening, Video Drivers are too complex just to auto-update, I lest I hope not, I argee with you BA0701
     
    flynnaz, Sep 17, 2010
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