M17xR3 Graphics Card Driver Issues

I got my new M17xR3 today, and I managed to upgrade the AMD drivers, but now the integrated graphics has no drivers and I'm...stuck in integrated graphics mode.

Graphics card is 6970m

 

Did you try -

•For M17xR3 with AMD, install the AMD Display Driver first. Once done, the Intel Driver must be installed when in Integrated Mode. You will need to use the FN+F7 to switch over to Intel. A reboot may be necessary. Once done, install the Intel HD driver. Once installed, switch back over to your AMD GPU.

Intel Driver here

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If you performed a clean install and used an AMD Reference Driver (from AMD site), try the following:

1. Install Dell 17xR3 AMD Driver
2. Install AMD Reference Driver over Dell AMD Driver

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Some report reference drivers must be installed over the Dell AMD driver. My understanding is the first part I mentioned - try both. One of them should work.

 

I hadn't tried that yet because I had to try 10 times for my Intel Driver to download without firefox deciding that I'm not allowed to alter my Downloads folder. I'm about to try it now.

 

When I installed the Intel Driver my computer booted to a white screen where the login screen should be.

EDIT: When I try to install the Dell drivers it says detection driver not found.

 

Got the Dell drivers back installed, but it wont let me install the AMD drivers over them...so I guess I'm stuck...

 

The biggest issue is ATI/AMD dont provide a direct link to the drivers you need. The latest (11.5) that will install over the Dell ones without issues are located here:
http://www2.ati.com/drivers/mobile/11-5_mobility_vista_win7_64_dd_ccc_ocl.exe

 

I have that direct link. When I try to install from it it just says that I already have an updated driver installed.

 

Is it suppose to show as 6900 series after updating that driver? Or no? I just had to respawn after using those drivers.

 

It should say AMD Radeon HD 6970M

 

After doing a clean install, I first installed the AMD ATI drivers. Then I switched over to integrated graphics and tried to install the Intel drivers.

This is the message I get:

"The driver being installed is not validated for this computer. Please obtain the appropriate driver from the computer manufacturer"

It appears though, that with the AMD driver the Intel driver was installed as well.

 

AMD drivers come with Intel drivers. Its odd that the intel drivers are even on the website as a seperate package.

 

So I don't need to do a separate install?

 

any idea why it showed 6900? was a brand new machine and after i did that update all hell broke loose and had to respaw..

 

I dunno. I'm running the dell drivers from march because I can't get the Intell drivers to work with the latest AMD and mine says AMD Radeon HD 6970M.

 

Accidental Double Post

 

Very simple. They're reference drivers the 6970m will show up as a generic 6900 series model.

 

If those drivers installed properly, you should have switchable graphics complete with working Intel drivers. So no shouldn't need a seperate install.

 

If he installed the AMD drivers from AMD, why would they have the Intell driver's with them? I thought only the AMD from Dell has both.

 

No if you have Dell package you already have the Intel drivers. If you removed the Dell package you gotta reinstall it or else you will not have switchable graphics. It is perfectly fine to upgrade your drivers over the Dell package, in fact I would recommend it because reference drivers do not include software to facilitate graphics switching. It is necessary to perform an upgrade if you would like to retain this functionality.

 

Interesting fact that you may not know about: If you remove the Dell AMD, it also messes up the Dell Intell driver. And if you reinstall as the ATI AMD Driver, and then attempt to add the SEPERATE Dell Intell driver on top of that, which is supposed to work, you end up stuck at a white screen. At least, that's what happens to me

 

Yup that's why I recommend not removing the drivers installed by Dell. They come with both AMD and Intel drivers. Simply perform Catalyst updates over them. If you're a 6970M owner, you must use the reference driver package that ends with "ocl" in the filename or else it will not update.

I did make a thread on how to properly update the 6970M but that seems to have been deleted.

 

Basically if you're a 6970M owner you MUSt have the ORIGINAL Dell package installed then update using reference drivers from this site only:

http://www2.ati.com/drivers/mobile/11-5_mobility_vista_win7_64_dd_ccc_ocl.exe

The drivers from support.amd.com do not include the 6970M in its definitions.

You can verify that the graphics update was successful using device manager or GPU-Z to check the driver version.

 

When I try to install the drivers over, the screen flashes black as usual, then flashes white, then says the INF file was not found and fails.

And no, I don't have the ORIGINAL dell drivers installed. I have the dell drivers that you can get from dell's website right now. Is there any way for me to get the originals without restoring back to basics?

 

the dell driver from the download page should be the original driver. or you can use the resource disk, it should have the the original driver also.

 

Kindly stop posting the desktop drivers everywhere. They cannot, will not and will never ever work for the mobile cards.

 

I apologize I thought it was possible to get to the mobile drivers but there is no direct link on any AMD website for them. Here's the proper address for the mobile offline installer that works with 6970m.

Direct link:

http://www2.ati.com/drivers/mobile/11-5_mobility_vista_win7_64_dd_ccc_ocl.exe

The temporary directory that's created by the installer that I've linked is indeed:

C:\ATI\Support\11-5_ mobility_vista_win7_64_dd_ccc_ ocl

Sorry for spreading the confusion. These will indeed update over a stock Dell driver install, letting you gain the benefits of 11.5 while maintaining the ability to switch graphics. Note: As with all reference drivers, the ability to change brightness with hotkeys is lost.

 

That is the exact download link I used and no, it won't install over the drivers for me.

My laptop came as a replacement and they didn't send a resource disk with it, so I guess I'll have to call up about that.

 

the Catalyst 11.3 drivers found on the dell website are the ones your laptop ships with remove all your current drivers and see if your machine works. You'll want to have those working first since its likely Dell will send you going after them if you call. You may have to use Driver Sweeper this time around after you uninstall to make sure everything's removed.

http://phyxion.net/item/driver-sweeper.html for the latest version of that.

 

I've done that. Clean out default, Install 11.5, boots up, try to install Intell drivers for the integrated graphics, stuck on a white screen.

 

Here's the exact process that works for me.

1. Uninstall drivers
2. Reboot to use driver sweeper in safe mode
3. Reboot normally and reinstall default Dell 11.3 drivers
4. Reboot and test switchable graphics functionality (should already be installed by Dell drivers) Stop at this step and troubleshoot if you can't get switching graphics to work at this point. If your switching graphics don't work with stock 11.3 its not going to work after update
4. Install 11.5 via offline installer (on top of the stock Dell driver)
5. Reboot once more, check to see if 11.5 is reported by device manager and GPU-Z
6. Test switchable graphics functionality again (should already be installed by Dell drivers)



Step 7 for bonus points. Play SC2 without pylon field glitch, Metro 2033 without outdoor shadow glitch, Hot Pursuit 2 without headlight flickering glitch.

Furthermore, there isn't even an entry for Intel Graphics in the Add/Remove programs page. To my understanding this is the way its supposed to be. At no point did I install Intel drivers. Its been my observation that the Intel drivers as well as the switching capability seem to come bundled with Dell's driver for 11.3.

 

Here's a bit more info from my final installation

Notice that both drivers come from ATI. Intel HD is provided by Catalyst 11.3, 8.800.6.0. Radeon is provided by Catalyst 11.5, 8.850.0.0.

This confirms my experience that installing the Intel drivers from Dell is not necessary. In fact, when I attempt to do so, it will not allow me to. I'm fairly certain this is the way AMD universally handles the way they package laptop drivers with switching graphics. On my Envy and HP Tm2 I follow the same install methods never actually installing an Intel driver from their websites. It always comes with the AMD driver.

 

Just for kicks, I tried removing all my drivers and installing 11.5 without first installing the Dell driver. I got stuck at 1280 resolution and the intel IGP was missing.

Went back, followed the steps I posted earlier, and all is well again.

In short make sure your machine is working with Dell's normal driver first before performing an update. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for the testing. +rep.
But i dont understand why it should get stuck at low resolution.

 

If you uninstall 11.3 the switching function breaks, at least for me.

Also, Pylon glitch?

 

Yeah in SC2 using the 11.3 drivers, I can't see the build radius for the protoss pylons. After updating to 11.4, and now 11.5 since its out, I can play SC2 finally (not that I'm any good at it I'm more of a shooter person).

 

I installed the 11.5 drivers last night right over top of the existing drivers- no uninstalling of Dell AMD drivers, etc., and everything seems to work fine. I didn't get any error messages before, during, or after installation. This was directly over top of the drivers as they came from the factory- I had never messed with any other factory installed drivers or settings since receiving the laptop.

 

But other than fixing glitches, is there any performance improvement? I mainly play BFBC2 and Crysis 2.

 

Its mainly for the glitch fixes. Can't see any performance improvements or degradation for that matter. Its worth noting that reference drivers don't have manufacturer customizations; in this case switchable graphics (supplied by your currently installed 11.3) and the ability to change brightness using the Fn hotkeys (only works with the Intel card, since it continues to use Dell's version of 11.3).

I haven't seen any other loss of functionality other than the Fn keys for brightness. Same behavior on my Envy and TM2 laptops. I'd much rather take the improvements in the reference drivers than wait around for Dell to release their own package with Fn key support


If anyone has Fn keys for brightness working with reference drivers let please me know how.

 

If you install AMD 11.5 over the driver Dell provided, doesn't it break the keyboard brightness control (FN F3 or something)? I noticed it when I installed 11.4 over the Dell one.

 

Can you check the driver version in your device manager? Its possible on your current install with the working Fn key that your driver wasn't actually updated and you're still running 8.800.6.0. Also if the device isn't listed with a generic name "Radeon HD 6900M Series" then the reference drivers aren't installed; only Dell's 11.3 driver lists the device specifically as the "6970m" in the device manager.

I just performed a complete driver removal (hehe did it alot today) and upgraded from Dell stock to 11.5 and again I can confirm that reference drivers break Fn key for brightness. In any case I'll take the Fn key hit over graphics glitches any day.

 

I tried once again, same problem as before, trying it install over the Dell drivers I get Driver install: the INF file was not found.

 

Anyone found a way to update the intel drivers? I have been trying because I bought the widi receiver and can't successfully connect to it. I think it might be because of an old intel driver version. Thanks,

 

I'd be interested in this too but I don't think its possible since the switchable graphics is being facilitated by Dell's release of 11.3. Anyone know if its possible?

 

I'f thats true then it's disappointing that Dell claims compatibility with Widi on this machine. I've already updated the wifi drivers, my wifi software, and have the latest intel wireless display. The only other piece is the intel display drivers that could be out of date.

 

Are you using the offline installer?

 

YES. The other installer won't even work at all, the offline installer gives me the error I mentioned.

 

If you install using the link simonmpoulton posted it does indeed show as 6900 series. I don't believe its a problem though I'm very pleased with the glitch fixes in the driver.