Nvidia driver 285.38 beta for BF3

Performance in BF3 apparently up 38%. We shall see.

Here you go, new drivers guys:
NVIDIA DRIVERS 285.38 BETA

 

Sigh, doesn't support my hardware....

Ill have to wait for the Nvidia guys to post me a modded one (like they did for 280.26). Shame how these don't support 460m w/optimus natively.

Modding the INF myself never works either. Performance just sucks after I do it.

 

I modded the INF with no problems... just downloaded the modded INF for the latest beta from laptopvideo2go and replaced the version string in it with the one from the official download and saved it, swapped the INF. No problems.

 

How would someone do this? I have an R3 and unless I use Dell's support page I can't seem to update my drivers. .INF is an info file in the driver directory that will need to be modified I assume. I'd prefer not having to wait, thanks for any insights you have.

 

I can get into the directory from winrar but I can't replace the file folder in winrar. How do I replace the file folder I can't dig into it via just exploring the file from my HDD. I'd prefer not to be bound to Dell and nvidia here. I'm pissed enough they sold me a feature they don't bother to support(optimus).

 

I made a modified INF that works just fine. It just replaces the version string used in the last beta with the one in the current and you swap the files. I'll attach the zip.

Download the 285.38 beta from nVidia and attempt to install it. It will fail but the files will still be on your computer.

Unzip the attached INF to C:\NVIDIA\DisplayDriver\285.38\WinVista_Win7_64\International\Display.Driver and overwrite the one that is there.

Now just run the installer at C:\NVIDIA\DisplayDriver\285.38\WinVista_Win7_64\International\setup.exe and everything works just fine.

 

With my R1 I do this: before I install the new driver I copy/paste somewhere else the .inf (nvdm) from my actual driver (I used the file from 280.26 I believe) and put it in the new driver folder after the install failed like Ethrem explained.

Works flawlessly. But if you want your driver version number to be accurate, you will have to modify a little line at the start of the .inf, its not needed though.

 

I don't have an nvwi.inf or nvdm.inf file in my driver directory. There's only an nvle.inf

I have an M17x-R1 with a single GTX260m and the 285.38 beta driver is not recognizing it.

 

It worked! Nice! Thanks guys! Didn't install the "nvidia update" portion. Did you guys and if so why?

 

Nah I don't either.

 

I cant seem to get this method to work, any help would be great, just keep getting failed to install driver error.

 

I do not even have a nvle file in my driver directory , extract my modified 280.26 inf in the display driver directory and see if it works ( http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/12/8/2215641/nvdm.rar)

Without your system specs, we can't help

 

I have downloaded the .inf file, but it doesn't overwrite any other files in my DisplayDriver folder. Is this why the driver keeps failing to install? I don't know a ton about changing files around to install drivers, I've never had a problem like this before.

 

Hi, will Ethrem's tweak work on M17x R1 with M280 SLI? The origanal Beta driver can find no hardware.

 

I don't know what your system is, but if the right files are not in the right places, it's no surprise the installation process fails.

Are you sure you downloaded the right driver for your system? Because I just checked with the driver provided by laptopvideo2go (mine is from Nvidia) which is a 7zip archive, and after extraction every file is where it should be.

It should work yeah, or try replacing the original inf with the one I provided on a previous post. We have the same system so it should work.

 

I have an m15x, Intel i7 @ 2.10 ghz, 4gb DDR3, Nvidia GTX 460M with the 280.26 drivers from alpha test for BF3

 

If you managed to install 280.26 for your 460m, using the nvdm file from that driver and putting it in the same folder for the 285.33 should work.

 

I tried doing that, doing the installation for both beta drivers since the 280, and downloading and replacing the modded files and nothing worked. I would go the the installation location and run the setup, it would start the Nvidia loading screen saying "Installing 285.33" then cut to the screen with the 5 step process saying Failed to install, with no specific error. The top 3 of 5 steps are highlighted Green and the last 2 which one of them is "Installing Drive" is white and unfinished. Hopefully you know what I am talking about, I am at work right now or else i would provide screen shots of what i am talking about.

 

So with the 28.26 or modded inf the installer finds compatible hardware, but it fails in the end?

A previous post said it was impossible to install this driver for his 460m with optimus even with a modded inf, maybe you need a specific inf I really don't know.

Do you run the setup as administrator?

Or you coul try this NVIDIA 280.26 Graphics Driver Installer Failed - NVIDIA Forums - Page 2

 

tried the modded inf from laptop to go, and it still said incompatible hardware. Ill try using the inf file from my older 285 drivers and see if this works

Edit: Tried the older inf and it still didn't work idk what to do at this point

 

I don't get how the inf that worked with previous 285 drivers doesn't work with this driver version. If someone has a theory...

 

What little line are you referring to? Swapping the file worked for me but when i join a server, the nvidia display message still pops up saying that I only have driver 280.xx and need 285.xx. But the game works and loads the server. When the game releases in full will they have a driver that is compatible without having to go through all of this?

 

hi guys, i installed this new driver in my new m17x r3 with the gtx460m and the fps in shift 2 went from 26 to 41, which is perfect, but now hwinfo32 and similar programs only detect the intel igp card, do you know why?

 

At the start of the nvdm file, you will see a line like starting with DriverVer =

Replace it with: DriverVer = 09/22/2011, 8.17.12.8538

If that doesn't work then I dont' know.

 

Any way to play BF3 beta without modifying anything? Dell downloads doesn't have any updated drivers for the 580m since 07/28.

Been waiting for this game forever!

 

get the newest nvidia beta driver (285.38) from nvidia.com ( http://www.nvidia.com/Download/Find.aspx?lang=en-us)

there´s no need to modify anything, just download > install > be happy

 

Didn't work for me earlier on my 460. Guess ill re-download and try again

my 280.27 drivers work fine on BF3 so if you can't get the 280.38 drivers to work, use the older ones

 

i dont know about the 460m, but since jackfsc2 was talking about the 580m, i can assure you the 285.38 beta drivers are working right out of the box...

 

Any ideas on how to get the 460m working would be greatly appreciated. I got the beta drivers installed, and was able to play, but restored back when I could no longer connect my display through display port. Said, "Unable to save display settings". Do you think the final release of BF3 will require certain drivers? Have never heard of this before.

 

I posted on the NVIDIA forums about the 460m issue and got no reply.......

Until this morning when the ManuelG staff guy pmed me that he'll get right to modding the driver for me as soon as possible. I will post here once I get it.

"PM me late Wednesday to remind me of your request and I'll mod the driver for you. Too late right now to do it and have busy morning but will be free in afternoon."

 

Can't wait for the mod, just wished we didn't have to ask them for it and it worked out of the box

 

works fine now.. just re download the installer. fixed itself after i did that lol..

 

Brill! Worked for me!!

 

Can any of you clever people tell me whether i install new drivers with the hybrid option in the bios on or off. Also if hybrid is set to off, what drivers do i get for the onboard 9400m? I have a M17x version 1 with 280 Sli

 

Ok i have done everything u guys say here and i made progress then during the install process it says NVIDIA installer failed.

Any ideas cause im at a loss..... installed BF3 and says i need to reinstall the game to play so went threw this forum and like i said made progress but then hit another brick wall ... i have an M17x with GTX 260m SLI followed everything u guys said and boom nothings working


PLZ help

 

Worked perfectly! Thank you! Gosh it really sucks though how Alienware just forgot about us...