Dell XPS 17 (L702x) nvidia driver dont install at all

Just got a new XPS 17 L702X at work.. and i can't beleave that the system recognize a nvidia 550m in it but the nvidia driver just dont want to install.. never seen that before..

i changed an option for nvidia when i execute programs, games, etc.. but my dxdiag still tell me I run on the intel hd from the motherboard.. and thats is probably why the driver dont want to kick in..

please help me if you have a lil idea about that situation and thank you very much in advance

 

I'm guessing the nvidia driver installed fine. You have optimus which uses a intel video card when not doing graphics intensive things and then when you're gaming or something, it will switch to the nvidia card.

dxdiag will always report the intel HD video card. if you use a different program such as Gpu-z, you will be able to see both cards.

 

ok for the optimus part.. but what surprise me is when i check the properties of the 550m.. it tells me the driver version is 269.59

I have downloaded the new driver 285.62 and when i run it.. i get a message at the start... the installer cant go on.. (translated from french) this graphic driver can't find a compatible graphic hardware... and dont copy/install anything.

i dont really care to run with intel hd when im not gaming or anything but at least, the new driver should install..

 

I have the same problem!!

graphic driver can't find a compatible graphic hardware

 

For anyone else putting in an SSD and/or doing a fresh OS install...

The FIRST thing you should do is BACKUP the C:\Drivers folder as place there by Dell.

I got an XPS L702x and immediately pulled the hard drives to put in Crucial 512GB SSDs and install Win 7 Ultimate. I wasted a bunch of time trying to get the NVidia GE Force GT555M working, the RealTec Audio, and I was also experiencing the nasty screen flicker every 10-15 seconds.

As of 12/10/11 neither the drivers on the Resource CD nor the Dell Support site are updated to match the more recent versions used in production. Some are simply not compatible with the hardware revisions in recently produced L702x's.

The Intel HD3000 and Nvidia drivers flat out refuse to install as the device IDs install are not listed anywhere in the .inf files for the drivers supplied. The Cardreader driver installs but there are some threads out there attributing the the flicker to power management issues resulting from the driver for this device.

The BEST way to be sure you have working drivers for these devices is to COPY THE DRIVERS ACYUALLY USED BY DELL to setup the system. These are in C:\Drivers.

Del will [hopefully] update the driver set available via their support site but until they do... I STRONGLY encourage you to avoid the time waste and headaches I just went through... Backup "C:\Drivers" from the drive as delivered by Dell BEFORE you do anything else!

 

This appears to be an issue with recently delivered L702x. See this thread for help with some of the drives: http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-xps-studio-xps/562138-dell-xps-17-l702x-thread-554.html#post8144682

 

There are ways of tricking the official nvidia driver into installing, but of course it wouldn't be supported by dell.

I did figure out how to get quickset to work by disabling hardware checks in the installation program.

My post talks about how to do both of these in case it might be helpful.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...dell-xps-17-l702x-thread-556.html#post8146908

 

Very clever, wish you posted a few days earlier. I ended up digging out the original driver directory and let device manager scan for everything.

 

As of 12/22/2011 Dell has posted a new Nvidia driver for the L702X gt 550m and 555m.
(OEM version 8.17.12.6959)
I just did a clean install.
On the first attempt to install the new driver it would not work. However, after doing one Windows Update which installed the Intel driver, the new Dell Nvidia driver installed without a problem.

Unbelievable that Dell took this long to fix the problem.

 

Well I did a fresh install last night. Factory installed A14 bios.

Windows 7 Home Premium. Freshly formatted 500GB drive.

Windows installed fine. Windows Update picked up the Intel HD 3000 (doesn't call it that in Device Manager for some reason). Installed the beta nVidia 290.53 drivers - they installed (failed on PhysX and HD audio as expected). The only thing was I had the dreaded "unknown device". A bit of digging uncovered that it was the accelerometer, which a quick dig on Dell's website uncovered. Device Manager is showing as everything installed.

 

Any idea which driver version this is? (not the OEM version)