The Defininitive nVidia Driver Upgrade Guide

Applicable To: Gateway 8800M/9800M GTS Laptops
Operating Systems: XP, Vista and Win7 (32-bit and 64-bit)

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Preparation

1) Download and install Driver Sweeper

2) Download the latest nVidia drivers and appropriate modified inf file from LaptopVideo2Go - scroll down for direct links to latest versions

3) Extract the drivers and copy the modified inf file 'nv_disp.inf' into the extracted driver directory overwriting any existing files​

Driver Installation

1) Uninstall current drivers from 'Programs and Features' in control panel -- Do NOT reboot

2) Right click 'Driver Sweeper' -- Select 'Run as administrator'

3) Tick 'NVIDIA - Display' -- Click 'Clean' -- Reboot

4) Right click 'Computer' -- Click 'Manage'

5) Click 'Device Manager' -- Expand 'Display adapters'

6) Right click 'Standard VGA Graphics Adapter' -- Click 'Update Driver Software'

7) Click 'Browse my computer for driver software'

8) Click 'Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer'

9) Click 'Have Disk'

10) Click 'Browse' -- Browse to the extracted driver directory -- Select 'nv_disp.inf' -- Click 'Ok'

11) 'NVIDIA Geforce 8800M/9800M GTS' should be only item in list -- Click 'Next'

12) If you encounter the error 'Windows can't verify the publisher of this driver' click 'Install this driver software anyway'

13) Check for error messages -- Click 'Finish' -- Reboot

14) Installation of new nVidia drivers -- Done!

15) Optional steps -- Increase nVidia digital vibrance -- Install PhysX driver -- Install nVidia System Tools -- Click rep button ​

Latest Beta Display Drivers and Modified INF Files

Version: 190.89 / 191.00
Release Date: August 27 / September 12, 2009
Driver Released by: nVidia
Operating Systems: XP, Vista and Win7 (32-bit and 64-bit)

v190.89 for XP x86
v190.89 for XP x64
v190.89 for Vista/Win7 x86
v191.00 for Vista/Win7 x64​

Latest Community Customised Display Drivers

*Modified inf files are not required for these driver sets
(Complete Preparation steps 1 and 2 -- Complete Driver Installation steps 1, 2 and 3 -- Run driver setup)

XFastest Forceware v185.20 (31/3/2009)
Dox Customised Forceware v185.85 (18/05/2009)​

Latest nVidia GeForce for Notebooks Drivers

*Modified inf file is not required for this driver set
(Complete Preparation steps 1 and 2 -- Complete Driver Installation steps 1, 2 and 3 -- Run driver setup)

Version: 186.81
Release Date: August 27, 2009
Driver Released by: nVidia
Operating Systems: XP, Vista and Win7 (32-bit and 64-bit)

nVidia GeForce for Notebooks v186.81​

Latest PhysX System Software

Version: 9.09.0814
Release Date: August 14, 2009
File Size: 39.3 MB
Operating Systems: XP, Vista and Win7 (32-bit and 64-bit)

nVidia PhysX System Software v9.09.0814​

Latest nVidia System Tools (nTune)

Version: 6.05
Release Date: June 10, 2009
File Size: 85.4 MB
Operating Systems: XP, Vista and Win7 (32-bit and 64-bit)

nVidia System Tools with ESA Support v6.05 -- New version of nTune for overclocking your 8800M/9800M​

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I hope this little guide will prove useful to the high number of users posting questions about how to upgrade their graphics drivers.

And as a little bonus:

Latest Non-Display Related Drivers

Operating Systems: XP, Vista and Win7 (32-bit and 64-bit)

P-68xx/17xx/78xx FX: Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility v9.1.1.1020 (21/09/2009)
P-68xx/17xx/78xx FX: Intel Matrix Storage Manager v8.9.2.1002 (21/09/2009)
P-68xx/17xx/78xx FX: Intel PRO/Wireless & WiFi Link v12.4.3.9 (21/09/2009)
P-68xx/17xx/78xx FX: Synaptics Touchpad v13.2.6.1 (20/08/2009)
P-68xx/17xx FX: Realtek Media Card Reader v6.0.6000.20136 (16/07/2009)
P-68xx/17xx FX: Realtek Gigabit Ethernet v6.216.0223 (16/07/2009)
P-68xx/17xx FX: Silicon Image SiI 3531 v1.5.19.1
P-68xx/17xx FX: Bluetooth v5.1.0.1500​

Get the rest from Gateway Support
...

 

good one.
sticky+1

i tend to do everything post step 2 in safe mode.

 

nice post, thanks

 

pre packaged .inf for x64 is no good as well. States vista is not compadible with this driver

 

Tells you what to do in my guide in that exact situation

 

Awesome stuff guys. I will try this when I get home, and let you know how the .41 drivers work out for me.

I just picked up my 6860 last night. The latest Gateway drivers work well so far for WoW, Spore, and CoD4.

But, I have a feeling that AoC, Bioshock, and Crysis will require a later driver. Great guide and workaround.

Thanks for putting the effort into researching this as well as the work done checking out the PhysX stuff in the other thread

 

try this inf: 177.41

use these " 177.41 drivers" from this site, couldn't get the inf to work with the ones from the nvidia site.

 

Cheers Skatehouse - I thought those official drivers looked different once extracted. I've updated all the main driver links in the first post to the ones at Vaguetech. All the modded infs should work fine now.

 

miss that part...thanks

 

I am seeing the for x64 vista there is one link for both the driver and the inf. Is that correct? Because for the others there is a separate link for the the driver and the inf. If so, does the inf that comes with vista x64 require you to use the GTX method? If it does, have you (or anyone else) been able to run 3dmark06 with that?

 

Yeah it includes the modified inf already hence one link and I did have to use the GTX workaround. I haven't tried 3DMark06 yet.

 

Ya, this latest one works great. Age of Conan, LOTRO, UT3, CoD4, everything. I haven't tried Crysis yet =p

And yes, had to use GTX workaround.

Thanks again.

 

ok, now im curious...i might have to install 64 bit windows to investigate....

 

sorry about this if this is an obvious question but how do you reinstall the previous driver if there is a problem?

do you need "backup" your current driver before you start the guide?

if so how do you go about it?

i just got my 6860 and am new to this driver updating thing

also on the NVIDIA site it says that gateway has to supply your drivers because they customise them to allow them to work with certain keyboard functions

the quote is
"The GeForce M series and GeForce Go series notebook GPUs use drivers that have been customized by the notebook manufacturers to support hot key functions, power management functions, lid close and suspend/resume behavior."

so do we lose these functions if we update the drivers?

thanks

 

you lose nothing, everything works at least with the 68xx series.

however, you can play it safe, download the latest drivers from gateway, then they will be your backup if you don't like the "experimental" ones we play with.

congrats on your new laptop.

 

so you can't do it with gateway recovery center or something?

anyway thanks for the help

also since i'm typing what driver do you guys recommend? crysis sticks around 15 fps on all medium settings (sorry to highjack), it would be good if i could get it higher.

 

There's no point using the recovery centre - if you want to roll back to the original driver just download the old version off the gateway support site and install that. Generally speaking though there should never be a need to as the drivers on gateways site are usually quite outdated.

177.41 are definitely the best for me so far.

 

sweet guide

updated to 177.41

no probs except my games keep opening in windows and i have to maximise them in game, besides that i'm happy crysis is now hovering at 30 fps no change in my other games though.

rep++ for the help and guide

 

I keep getting a pop up (after the install is almost complete) that tells me the drivers dont support windows vista and it aborts the attempt...

It really sucks because now i kicking it on basic VGA drivers and my screens are HUGE.

 

It tells you what to do in my guide in that exact situation.

 

i would boot into safe mode,
use driver sweeper
boot normally and install using have disk method, make sure you point to the modded inf

 

iamtheanimal - a great guide, i followed your guide and i too have to select the 8800mgtx driver as the 8800mgts driver wont install.

How about getting this stickied?????

STICKY THIS THREAD PLEASE

 

Safe mode is not necessary for any nVidia driver un-installs / updates.

 

here is your fix. it was the same mistake as before

%NVIDIA_G92.DEV_0609.1% = mobile _ nv_NV3x, PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0609
%NVIDIA_G92.DEV_0609.1% = mobile , nv_NV3x, PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0609

the , needs to be changed to a _

 

Ok 177.41 drivers and modded infs are up at LaptopVideo2Go - Pieter has been away and that's why there has been a slight delay.

Links in main post have been updated.

 

And so it does... that'll teach me to not finish reading a post before i jump on a project.

Thanks
K_M

 

well now you dont even have to do that. we fixed the inf.

 

Which driver version is that for? (or does it simply work for all of them)

I downloaded all of them so i could test various ones to see which "did it' for me.

 

which ever one everyone was having a problem with...i think it's the 64 bit one.

 

so i am downloading the 177.41 and that new control panel
so what's the order of install:
1 drivers 2 ntune 3 new control panel ?

 

yep, that would be the order and 3 is part of 1

 

Is the 177.41 driver the "best" that everyones found. Out of the few i've tried there have been some minor changes here and there but nothing (yet) that just strikes me as being made of "win and happiness".

 

177.41 is the latest, however feel free to chose the one you like.
different people different setups different games, different way of testing....

 

..
Oh yeah I hadn't noticed the old fault had crept back in the infs again. Will update the guide.

 

Wonderful! I'd found that updating P-6831FX drivers could be finicky, but this method worked great.

 

i have 177.41 installed, but when i go to install nvidia performance tools it says another version of the perfomance(1st thing installed) was installed and i have to uninstall it first.

 

Have you got nTune installed? If so uninstall that first.

 

i tried but it says i need some nforce2 or 3 motherboard and then quits.

 

ok i got it installed now, i had to run ccleaner and then had to delete an entry in the registry and reinstall my drivers.

 

i just got the 6860 today at best buy (was very excited and happy about the deal!!) and followed this guide to install the 177.41 driver+modded inf. I followed all the instructions carefully, it successfully installed, but it seemed to have really messed up my gpu. I ran 3dmark06, and it gave me something around 1800 (guess it just couldnt detect my 8800gts or something)
i reverted back to the stock drivers, and got around 7000 on 3dmark06. how come this new driver doesnt work for me? (btw the driver sweeper was giving me errors too--it worked, but gave me error messages everytime i clicked something--maybe thats part of the problem?) :'(

 

how many times did you run 3dmark with the 177.41 drivers?

 

alright...i've followed this guide to a T and i still cant get the darn thing to install. what is this 8800 gtx workaround you speak of?

 

your trying to install the 64 bit driver correct?

edit: looks like the laptopvideo2go inf needs to be fixed(64bit vista). it has the same error in it as well....

 

correct on 64 bit vista... minus the bloat, of course.

 

are you comfortable with editing the inf?

 

http://www.say-it-loud.com/nv_disp_17741_V64bit.inf

this one should work.

replace your original with this one.

 

uh huh...but i will note that i tried editing the inf already with the lines from page 3 of this thread...to no avail

 

Ok try this -- Restart at stage 6 but when you get to stage 11 untick 'Show compatible hardware' -- Select 'NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTX' -- Click Next

 

What errors did it come back with?

 

i got it to work with the inf johnksss posted. TY!