Installed the NVIDIA Driver 320.49 . Driver - stuck on integrated graphics

Hi, I need some help. With some help from this thread I managed to install the new Nvidia drivers for my GeForce GTX 260m graphics card.

Recently I started experiencing weird lagspikes in League of Legends while playing, especially when being in situations with a lot of spellcasting such as teamfights. Sometimes I could have a screenfreeze for 30 seconds or more. Very frustrating. I thought it was due to a patch update and drivers in my card not working properly together. So I wanted to try and install the new drivers to see if it would change anything.

However, now I can't switch to discrete graphics. the 'FN' button doesn't work, and I can't access my GTX 260m card at all. When I chekc what card my laptop is running on in dxdiag it says it's running on my integrated GeForce 9400 card (totally useless).

However, the strange thing is that my GTX 260m makes noise as if it were the active card, even though it's not. The fan is a bit broken so it makes a distinct "motor-ish" sound, which it only does when it's the active card. Earlier when I have had the integrated graphics on, the discrete card shuts down and is silent.

I don't know what to do I'm not sure if I have messed something up or if there's a simple solution. I tried to search the forums but couldn't find anything.

 

Hi again, after some more searching I found another topic here on the forums that has EXACTLY the same problem that I am having - http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m17x/721846-gtx-260m-320-18-driver-problem.html

I didn't really understand the solution though. It talks about rollback the drivers, but how, and to which version?

thanks

 

Hi, have you tried rolling back to an earlier version. Since 314.22 all sorts of serious problems have come up (and NV have dropped hybrid SLi that your machine could have used to combine the 9400)

 

I'd try 314.22. Get it from here Drivers | GeForce and simply run the installer selecting clean install not upgrade.

 

Thank you very much! To rollback, do I have to completely uninstall my GTX 260m card, removing all the existing drivers and files, and the re-install it with the 314.22 drivers, or can I just install them over the existing 320.49 drivers?

also, do I have to do something with inf. files to have it find my card?

I'm downloading the drivers now and will try to install them soon.

*edit* I tried to install the mentioned drivers, but it can't find my card. I guess I have to do something with the inf. file. I tried to search the forums for a fix, but can't find one so far. If anyone would be so kind to post a fix for the 314.22 drivers I would greatly appreciate it!

right now I'm following the steps in this thread to uninstall my current drivers - here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...t-install-new-nvidia-drivers.html#post8988368

I'll keep you updated how it goes

 

You should just try a plain reinstall first before all the pain of removing stuff. Often it's all that is needed.

You can get the inf you need from here: LaptopVideo2Go: Drivers (and instructions), when the page opens with all the text in it you have to manually save it in the browser menu then place it in the folder the original is found overwriting it.

If you get stuck just ask away

 

Thanks micky! I made a mistake though. Instead of uninstalling the 320.49 drivers I uninstalled my GTX 260m card by going to devices and rightclicking on it>uninstall ... not sure how this will impact me. I might have to dig up the old cd's to install it again.

*so great to be a newbi* /sarcasm.

Hopefully it will be easy to fix it.

*edit* apparently I managed to uninstall the hardware completely and not the software. My bad.

 

Actually that is a valid method of fully removing the driver, device manager probably says generic VGA right now. The old dell driver (on dell driver downloads) should fix that if the newer one has problems.

 

What a relief. I managed to install the card again with the original dell drivers I'm checking out the link you gave me, but I can't find drivers suitable for my OS. I'm running with Windows7 64bit. Which one of the windows8 or windows xp driver(s) should I take?

 

For some weird reason they have replaced win 7 with win 8 in the description?? - same driver

 

thanks, the 314.22 is succesfully installed. However its still using my integrated 9400 card and I can't seem to switch to the GTX 260m. The other thread mentions something about going into bios and enabling hybrid graphics. I'll check that. Any idea what it could be?

 

Yeah, I'm out of my area with that stuff. I thought it was a mode whereby the NV driver could create a sli of sorts using both the iGPU and the dGPU but it may just simply switch cards Sounds good to try though, one for an owner...

 

hybrid graphics were enabled. Strange.. seems like I'm stuck now. Maybe some traces are left of the 320.49 driver? or maybe it has to do with my alienware commandcenter or something. I should be able to switch between GPU's using either the FN+f7 button or switching power options from low to high.

Are you sure the 314.22 supports hybrid graphics?

 

This is bugging me a lot. The GTX 260m graphics card is active and shows up in my device manager, however dxdiag tells me that my laptopscreen runs on the integrated 9400 card. I installed the 314.22 drivers and they work. But the FN key doesn't, so I can't switch between GPU's.

I've searched and found out that I need to updated my OSD, and that I first need to uninstall the current one and install the latest one (which I have downloaded). However, I can't find the OSD in the list of programs and features (where it's supposed to be) and I have installed the latest one that's recommended. Nothing seems to work. My card is there, yet I can't reach it.

Hybrid graphics are enabled, and PCIe Gen2 is turned off.


*edit* I noticed something strange while uninstalling and trying different drivers. When I have the original dell driver installed, I have a small icon down to the right that's called sli hybrid graphics. And I can find my GTX 260m card. However, when I install the newer drivers, this icon isn't there anymore. Could there be some meaning to that as well? in the NVidia controlpanel I can't find any menu for sli. Also, if it's worth mentioning, the drivers I were using before trying the 3xx drivers were 296.10 and they worked fine. I could switch between cards without a problem.

 

No, I don't know but I think it was dropped from 3xx onwards, which seems to be the case but I have not seen anyone having your problems. Just hybrid sli no longer being available. Maybe start a new thread over in the R1/R2 owners lounge to see if you can get assistance from an owner that has done this? I'm out of ideas I'm afraid

 

Just go to a stock driver and create a restore point. Then install the latest working driver. Again create a restore point
And next time you would like to experiment roll back to the latest point instead of writing here.

 

Instead of writing here??? In his own thread? You sound very arrogant!

 

Your suggestions regarding the restore points is a good one but the OP is having a problem and is asking for help. I don't think your suggestion " ...... instead of writing here" is appropriate or helpful.

 

Thank you for the help everyone. Micky I really appreciate it. in the end I couldn't get the 3xx drivers to work with my GTX 260m. I might have missed something. The update it self wasn't so urgent though. I did a systemrestore back to before I started messing with new drivers and things work fine now. It almost feels as if the computer runs smoother now.

James D, thank you for suggesting me to use restoring points. I actually forgot I could use them to restore my system back. (Never really used that function in all the years I've had my laptop). I tried to write as clearly as I could about what I was doing so that people could follow me in the process. Maybe someone has the same problem as me, then it's good to share as much as I can. And for those trying to help me, they will probably want as much information as possible about whats happening. So writing here is a good thing.

If anyone out there finds this thread and needs help to install new Nvidia drivers on their Alienware m17x (with a GTX 260m card) I'll try to write a quick summary:

I managed to get the new drivers installed, and you will too by following the advice I was given. However, with the new drivers I couldn't switch between my integrated GPU and discrete GPU. So even if I had new drivers for my "good" card, and it was functioning in my system, I couldn't access it or use it. Maybe there's an easy way around that, but I couldn't fix it.

again, thanks for the help here on the forums. Good luck to you!

 

maybe u needed some of modified .inf file to make it detect on ur cards .. attach me ur old working .inf file maybe i can help you to make it detect while u try installing latest driver at your lappy

 

Enter the BIOS and disable PCIe Gen2 as explained here http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...t-install-new-nvidia-drivers.html#post8988368

 

I think you were almost there with your 3xx installation.

Thing is, hybrid graphics (switch between inetgrated 9400 and 260's) isn't supported in these drivers.

To get the 3xx drivers installed, you need to enable both Hybrid Graphics en Integrated Graphics card settings in BIOS (and of course have your inf files modded like you did).

Now, when you installed correctly, reboot once using the same settings (you will notice that only your integrated 9400 card is recognized).
Restart again, but now change both settings Hybrid Graphics and Integrated Graphics to disabled.

Now, the tricky part comes, although your 260's should be used, you will notice this still isn't the case (I think you ended up here).
Open the Nividia Control Panel and Navigate to 3D Settings > Set SLI and Physx COnfiguration. You will notice that the option 'SLI Configuration' mentions 'disabled'. Select the radio button 'Maximize 3D Performance' and confirm/save your changes. Reboot again (with unchanged BIOS settings) and you should be on your 260's.

Hope this helps out, if not, this time you'd probably have a restore point, I guess.