Clean Install Graphics Card Problem - M17xR3

Hey guys,

I have a Nvida 580M card and the Intel 3000 Grapics card.

I did a clean install about a week ago and installed the drivers in order following Batboy's post. I got to the bottom of the list and the next one to do was the Alienware Command Center. It said I had to update Windows first so I went and did all the important updates (about 203, in order of release date about 10-15 at a time), then started downloading the optional ones. While they were downloading I plugged in my second monitor so I could use the internet and still keep an eye on the downloads. They finished downloading and wanted to restart so I let it do it right away. I left my monitor plugged in because I have let it restart with it plugged in many times. After it turned back on the resolution went to crap, like it was before I installed the graphic drivers. Then it popped up saying the Intel graphics driver did not install properly. I went to the folder the drivers are installed and went to the Intel folder and installed it again. My computer restarted again and it was fine. I kinda shrugged it off and installed the command center. It restarted again and the same thing happened. The resolution was crap and it said the driver didn't install correctly. This time I uninstalled (from Programs and Features) the Nvidia driver and the Intel graphic driver. I went back to the Dell Drivers page and redownloaded both the Intel and Nvidia drivers and installed them. It seemed to work. Then I installed another optional update and after it restarted it went back to crap resolution.

One more thing I want to point out - when I put my service tag in to get my drivers, it tells me that I need to download the AMD Radeon Drivers. I did not do this as I know I have a Nvidia card. Instead I installed the Intel driver and then the Nvidia one. It is also missing other drivers such as audio, chipsets, mouse, keyboard and input devices, and removable storage (disc drive). The disc drive stopped working sometime between last November and a few weeks ago. (I just noticed it when I went to do the clean install) Installing that driver had made it work again. Because of this I don't know how much I trust putting in my service tag to get the drivers. The only driver that I didn't do was the BIOS because I didn't see it on Batboy's list.

I'm not going to do anything else until I know for sure what to do, but right now I'm thinking about uninstalling the Intel and the Nvidia drivers and getting them off their websites, not Dell's. If all else fails, I guess another clean install?

Sorry for the super long post, but this is driving me more insane, and I'm getting more desperate!

Thanks, I really appreciate any help.

 

Update: I uninstalled both the Intel and Nvidia drivers and downloaded them again. I got the Intel from Dell, and Nvidia from Nvidia. I went and installed other things like Java, Adobe Reader, Flash and Steam. It seemed to work for a few hours. Then sometime later (not sure when or what I had recently been doing) I realized that the arrow effect thing wasn't working so I restarted my computer. The resolution was crap again and it said the driver was not installed correct.

I don't know what to do anymore since I fear if I do another clean instead, I'll run into the same problem.

At this point my laptop has been messed up for five weeks, and completely unusable for two weeks. Please, if anyone has any suggestions, I'm getting desperate for it to work again!