M17x 4870 catalyst drivers won't install win 7

I recently got a free upgrade to the ATI 4870 crossfire's, had the nvidia 260's but they weren't working out so great as most of you know. I have no more stuttering issues, but now am faced with a new problem. I can't seem to find any decent drivers for these cards!

First off, every catalyst install package I've tried, including the one off alienware's site "stops working". If I want to install command center etc. I need to do so through dos prompt. This can't be happening to everyone, can it? as I haven't noticed anyone else on these boards having this issue. The drivers I get installed never perform well, my cpu usage idles at 50+% and games are unplayable.

Next, I've tried using the mobility modder, but I could only find the 10.1 catalyst driver, which I read doesn't work, as well as found out for myself when I tried to install it. I've heard the 9.12 catalyst works, but I'm thinking maybe I have other issues.

I suppose I'll give alienware support a call, but I'm sure they'll want me to reinstall my operating system again in order to troubleshoot the problem. Unless anyone can think of any other solutions I haven't tried, I'll lose all data yet again.

Has anyone else run into this problem and figured out a solution? I'd rather uninstall all of my drivers than reinstall my operating system if I thought it would work....

 

Heya,

It's 99% a driver issue. The ATI Catalyst drivers need to be mobility modded for them to work with mobile cards.

I'll post a step by step guide on how i do it, hope it helps you:

Step 1: Download & install mobility modder:
http://www.hardwareheaven.com/modtool.php

Step 2: Download & install driver cleaner.
http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=745

Step 3: Download the drivers:
http://downloads.guru3d.com/downloadget.php?id=2450&file=4&evp=4332f0f8bb657caad038f8186d1dce6e

Step 4: Start the installation of the driver of your choice. After the package has been extracted to the folder you picked (default is C:\ATI) cancel the installation and exit to desktop.

Step 5: Start up mobility modder and point it to the ATI directory from the previous step. Let it modify the drivers now. Afterwards close mobility modder.

Step 6: Right click my computer on your desktop go to properties -> Device Manager. Select your current Display Adapter and right click and go to properties. Uninstall the driver and also tick the option to delete the driver files. Uninstall also the 2nd Display Adapter if you have CrossFire.

Step 7: Reboot your computer and when you see the POST screen start hitting the F8 key. At the boot menu select Windows safe mode.

Step 8: When windows has booted up in safe mode start up driver cleaner, select the ATI option and let it analyse & clean. After that is done restart your PC normally.

Step 9: When windows is booted up normally again go to the ATI folder from step 4 and browse further in the subdirectories untill you see a setup file. Open it and start installing your graphics driver.

Step 10: Enjoy stable 9.12 drivers.

 

Format your computer and then follow my thread's instructions. links to 9.12 drivers are at the bottom.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=455535

 

Yeah, that's what i said, except the formatting which is NOT needed.

 

catalyst installer always gives me an error message. Each time I start it up, select a language, then click the install button, it pops up an error message saying that it has stopped working. Is this normal?

 

Thank you for trying to help. I followed all of the steps, but the drivers simply won't install. The install manager always fails, and the modified 9.12 drivers produce digital signature error, and don't install. Looks like I'm screwed.

 

You need to check you 4870 device id in device manger and then check the modded .inf file to see if your device id is there , if it`s not it will not work.

The section of the device id in bold is needs to be in the .inf file , this is for my 4330.

PCI\VEN_1002& DEV_9552&SUBSYS_023F1025&REV_00
PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_9552&SUBSYS_023F1025
PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_9552&CC_030000
PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_9552&CC_0300

 

I downloded 9.12 and modded it with mobility modder and checked the .inf file there are quite a few 4870 , see if your matches any.

"ATI MOBILITY Radeon HD 4870 / 4870 X2" = ati2mtag_M9x, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_945A
"ATI Radeon HD 4870" = ati2mtag_RV7X, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_9440&SUBSYS_24401682
"ATI Radeon HD 4870 " = ati2mtag_RV7X, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_9440&SUBSYS_24411682
"ATI Radeon HD 4870 " = ati2mtag_RV7X, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_9440&SUBSYS_24441682
"ATI Radeon HD 4870 " = ati2mtag_RV7X, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_9440&SUBSYS_24451682
"ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2" = ati2mtag_RV7X, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_9441&SUBSYS_24401682
"ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 " = ati2mtag_RV7X, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_9441

 

I have a question, I installed these drivers following your instructions step for step (the 9.12) and after completing the install and upon checking DXDIAG It says I'm still running 8.68 drivers. How the hell is that even possible? I uninstalled then deleted the 8.68 drivers. Does mobility modder make them read as 8.68 or something?

 

This whole driver thing is maddening, because the stock drivers are horrible. I'm getting constant screen glitches and flickering running the stock drivers playing Crysis.

...

 

It is normal , as long as it says 9.12 in ATI catalyst as in my example pic below , you have 9.12 installed.

 

After reinstalling win 7, I was finally able to get the ATI driver package to install. I haven't installed the modded 9.12 drivers yet, as I'm still testing out games with the dell site drivers. So far, everything looks really good playing Mass Effect 2. I'm a little weary of trying Crysis though. Maybe i'll download it tonight and see...

My original problem might have been caused by a number of different issues. My guess is that since I had the nvidia cards replaced by ATI, there were some lingering effects.

 

You will get much better performance with 9.12 then the drivers from dells site.

Also around +1k score in vantage (atleast thats what i had more).

But "if it aint broken, don't fix it!" .