M17xR3 6990M someone help me?

:hi2: I was a very active user on NBR but I haven't been following the scene lately.

So my question is should I update my 6990M driver?
It was really hard to update with mobility versions etc. so I have no idea whether or not I can just install from the AMD site.
I would like to update the driver but I still want IGP functionality. Does this mean I cant update the catalyst control center?

 

Yesterday I went to the AMD site and installed the latest drivers and IGP works fine.

 

You need to follow THESE steps. If you are on Windows 8, you can install these LATEST 12.11 or 12.10 drivers directly. Both ways, IGP works perfectly.

 

I recommend 12.10, they game me no install problems, and I haven't run into any issues with them as of yet.

FYI, you should be able to just install them right over top the dell drivers.

 

12.11 beta 3 drivers have been running great on windows 8 for me! Just installed fresh and everything works.

 

+1 for that.

 

Yup! 12.11 Beta working nicely!

 

12.10 would be my recommendation and it won't mess with the IGPU. No worries.

 

Should I uninstall the amd drivers/ccc before installing 12.10 or can I just install 12.10 over the old drivers (including ccc). Also I'm still on Windows 7 (because I think it is the new Wxp and W8 doesnt have anything of value for me).

Because sherrypizza suggested other steps if I'm still on W7

 

Are you on windows 7 or 8?

 

Yes you should update your drivers as the performance increase is VERY large in most games, as compared to the original Dell driver. Just search on Google for leshcatlabs and you'll find what you need. On his blog he posts a unifl driver, which you install (you don't need all his tools and other stuff). Then afterwards you can freely install the official Ati Radeon drivers.

If you are running Windows 8, you might run into some issues. Personally I solved them by unlocking my bios and changing my primary display adaptor to the Ati Card, but from what I can see on the forums, the issues and solutions vary greatly when it comes to Windows 8.

 

With "Then afterwards you can freely install the official Ati Radeon drivers." you mean I can install the whole official software package over the unifl?(including ccc and driver)

OR

do I need to uncheck everything except for the plain drivers with the official software/driver package

OR

do you mean in the case I install that package im up to date and I dont have to install any official AMD driver but I can in the future when I need to update




edit: I have found the blog, very nice. Now just pick one of the 3 and I can start installing my drivers

 

I have found a guide on the same site thanks everyone for their help.


Here is the guide for people in similar situation: UnifL Manual
download the driver from the blog.

 

Hi I have a problem is that I cannot delete all the registry etc stuff even in safe mode with Driver fusion. And somehow the driver I download does not work(properly because of not clean install). Does anyone have any ideas? Please help. TY!

PS: I am having split screen problem while gaming with dell driver, I checked another forum which someone has similar situation but doesn't say how or did it got resolved. So I am trying to update the driver and hoping it gets away

 

did both of your videocard (intel and amd/nvidia) show as standard vga adapter in device manager? if not go to preperations (or something like it) in the link I gave. there is a guide on how to shutdown drivers being updated automatically by windows.


Also did you download the full package? because your pc has to be in test mode in order to let this driver work properly. the full package will install something that will do that automatically (and notifies if it is not present). again look in the link I gave you it's all in there (it is called "DSE"). I too had some registry stuff still there dont worry that's normal (also in the link). Test mode is not harmful in any other way then allowing unsigned drivers to be installed, this also removes the normal testmode text in the lower right corner.


1:first follow preperations/FAQ in the link
2:uninstall guid in the link
3: make SURE you have 2 standard vga adapters
4: install guide in the link.


I don't want to have any questions of people that did not read the whole link I gave. 99% of all problems should be in there . Goodluck


edit: double click on introduction on the left in order to show the preperations tab.

 

Ok Many thanks. I just thought I could have use the official driver as some said after a full clean up.

 

maybe you can, but I installed it this way and it worked out really well. Performance is great! and this is the only driver I know that has such detailed steps uninstall/install/preperations/FAQ/troubleshooting
Hope it worked out for you



cheers

 

Thanks for the help,
Well I think I followed the whole guide and my screen just gone black/blank screen after starting window, actually just like it did before I first post here. Which driver you guys using? I am trying the 12.10 one.
Just tried 12.11 beta and doesn't work either, seems meanwhile I have to stick with dell driver TT and I might try again if I decide to format my cpu
Ps:seems some people has some similar problem in the comment of that site

Now it didn't even work with amd official driver, I suspect it is related with the registry, gonna to format and see how things goes

 

I have done the 12.10 Unifl on my notebook (6990M) and the 12.11beta4/6 Unifl on my friends notebook (7970M). It seems like it works fine here.

 

I think I might have some serious problem, it start off with split screening, so I tried to find newer software other than dell one, which is unifl and i end up in white screen/black screen.
Altered some bios stuff and I am able to get back to window by uninstalling the amd driver. But then I tried the unifl amd driver again, not work, then I do uninstall it and do the official dell driver.
Then I decided to reinstall window by using my usb(which is my recovery disc) without deleting the amd driver first. I end up black screening again after starting window. And try few times using the recovery disc again and same result.
Then my father and I decide to alter the bios stuff. and now end up with black screening at the first moment after I press power on. Tried taking out the watch like battery with pressing power on afterwards and do bios reset. And problem not solve.
I saw some people on the internet facing similar situation(except not related to amd driver). They other make it works this way or end up sending to repair.

But my refurbish laptop is not allowed to repair where I live now(moved country) even with ownership changed already. Probably I will try a few couple more hours or just find a repair store.

 

Try to take the bios battery out (like the one you described) + the normal battery out and dont connect the power cable. Now press the power button to drain all the remaining power from the laptop (wont start up obviously) and wait 2 minutes. Now you can put both the bios and normal battery back in + connect power cable and try to start up. if this doesnt do anything I'm afraid it's hardware related. Maybe you could try to get out the vid card+repaste and put it back in. Just to make sure it is connected properly but I dont give that a high percentage of success.


edit: you could try to connect an external monitor to your vga/hdmi

 

You are correct the stock driver shipped in my m18x scored 15% lower than the latest web posted Nvidia driver.

 

do you have any USB devices plugged into your computer? I always used to have problems with booting when I had my phone (Samsung Galaxy s2) Plugged in.

 

Thanks for your reply, I have drain the power already, it doesn't work, connecting to external mon also only gave me black screen, I think I will try to replug the display card, but I am not good at resembling stuff, and I usually broke stuff even it is not difficult to do lol.

 

No I don't, I think I saw your post/thread earlier. Thanks

 

ah alrighty then, figured it was worth a try.

 

Thanks very much I have replugged display card at last(was afraid to do so and stupidly thought it is because memory will reset after some waiting time if that hard reset does not work, actually it is quite easy and it ended up working somehow, probably will change to 7970m if I figure out the cpu is working fine =) ). But still black/blank screen after starting window, but now I can go to safe mode with my old hardrive, I will restore using my old hardrive and see the result.
Special thanks to Mkkillah and bigtonyman

Update: tried to use safe mode restore from the old hard drive and does not work in normal mode. and also used a blank hardrive(the one i was using originally and do a window factory install still not work) and still blank screen after start window.

 

Okay, does it show you a screen till windows startup? do you even see the windows logo or the bios. before it going blank.


edit: and also do you still see the cursor when it goes blank?

edit2: what you could do is remove your password from your account while in safe mode and startup in normal mode after(make sure you had sound on). Now listen carefully and check if you hear the startup sound. This way we can know if windows itself actually hangs or not. If the PC starts up try to press ctr+alt+delete and maybe the task manager will come up.


edit3: you could try to press: fn+F6 when you connect the laptop to an external screen.

 

Sorry for replying so late.

basically it is black screen at the log in page(right after u see starting window, with a bar below moving), which is after bios. I don't see the crusor.

Now I tried using some other window disc(not the recovery disc and can get into window, but I still haven't put in any driver yet.
But the window is not 64bit. I think the possible problem is display card driver problem, or 6990m is broken.
I will find a 64bit window first, and will update here to see how I go. Thanks for your effort to help. =)

Just figure out there was a esata port which can charge things up when the notebook is off. How newbie am I lol.

 

I clean install with a clean window 64 bit home premium, was able to get in window when there was no any driver installed, and after I installed with the 12.11 beta unifl, now I am stuck in the starting window instead.
I tried the dell original driver, which just give me the black screen right after the starting window screen.

I am going to follow the clean install guide and see how it goes

 

this problem can be due to so many things: ram dead, graphics card dead, wrong drivers etc. I recommend you start your own thread so more people can try to solve this problem.

 

Ok thanks, now able to work normally if i disable the ati graphic card with the recovery disc.

Update:Yeah there was some problem even i disable the ati(seems it is still running somehow) and i decided to remove it from the notebook and working fine atm. Will try few more days to confirm the problem.
I really want to change to 7970m originally if i could sell my 6990m. Need to have a thought now as it has to cost full 500usd as i cannot resell my old card now it seems.

 

think the graphics card is just broken. 7970M is really nice you could buy that one, even if it isnt broken 7970m is still worth the money .