680m in P170HM driver issues

Hello, I am having a problem installing the drivers for my new 680m in this Clevo P170HM. I am getting the "NVIDIA Installer cannot continue: This graphics driver could not find compatible graphics hardware" error when I try to install any version of the drivers. A couple things I noticed were that many people in other threads would find a hardware ID for their gpu in device manager - my GPU does not appear whatsoever in Device Manager. Display devices only has the standard display driver for Windows, and "Other Devices" only shows the wireless card which I haven't installed drivers for yet (just got the laptop). Secondly, I tried using a modded .inf file for 331.82 drivers, but I cannot find the original nvcvn.inf to overwrite. Anyone have specific instructions where this should be within the DisplayDriver/331.82 folder? Also, why is my gpu not even appearing in device manager (also not in BIOS). I have a Clevo card, my BIOS is updated, though the EC/KBC is 1.06 instead of 1.09. Is this update important? I really wanted to avoid flashing anything but I will if that's the problem. Thanks.

 

hi
ive never used modified inf drivers so can advise on that.
in your control panel open the nvidia control panel and see if the 680 can be seen there.click on system information on bottom left.
i had a big problem updating from the OEM driver installed to the latest WHQL. only way i could rectify it was to do a system restore.
that was the first and last time i ever done a normal auto update. for last 6 years ive always used manual install in safe mode and never had a problem. trying the safe mode install on the first driver update.

always make sure you are using the correct driver. the amount of times over the years people have loaded desktop and wrong operating system drivers is unbelievable.

UK NVIDIA Driver Downloads - Advanced Search

USA NVIDIA Driver Downloads - Advanced Search

make sure all drop down boxes are correct.

you could try the manual safe mode walkthrough in my sig below.

alternatively it could be a faulty or damaged/dead 680.

 

Hi, if by Nvidia Control Panel you mean the Geforce Experience, it won't install either. Not sure what you mean by manual install, I am using the setup.exe rather than Geforce Experience if that is what you mean. I'll try in safe mode now. However, this is a clean install of Windows.

EDIT: Still no install in safe mode. Think it has to do with the fact that it's not popping up at all in device manager. Should it be showing up in BIOS prior to installing drivers? It shows up as 'VGA Adapter: None' or something like that.

 

i wont touch nvidia experience with a barge pole. has caused lots of problems in the past.

nvidia control panel. right click on your desktop and nvidia control panel should be in that list. right click on it and then click system information on bottom left.
if it cant find the nvidia control panel then you have a problem.

manual install > http://forum.notebookreview.com/gam...ds/664490-tips-improving-fps.html#post8534542

 

I am not able to get to Nvidia Control Panel through right-clicking on the desktop - however, this is also the case with my other laptop (GTX 260m). However, on that laptop I can search through the start menu and find it. I cannot find it at all on the Clevo/Sager. Keep in mind though my other laptop has drivers successfully installed, the Clevo/Sager does not and I freshly installed windows when installing the new card. I have attempted a manual install as you suggested; however, when you say uninstall EVERYTHING under display adapters does that include the Standard VGA Graphics Adapter? I neglected to uninstall that, thinking it would stop displaying anything. Please let me know if I'm supposed to uninstall that. Thanks for all the help so far.

 

no just the nvidia stuff to uninstall.

when you install the operating system you then have to load all the drivers in the correct order or there could be conflict.
this is the order they should be on my P150EM
if you have your driver disc the same directions i guess will be on there.

 

So could it actually mess up the GPU installation, even not show up in device manager, if I, say, installed USB 3.0 first? I did do that. Guess I should do a clean install. Also, as I asked in the first post, could the EC/KBC version matter? I have 1.06, most recent I think is 1.09.

 

What os are you running?

 

Windows 7 Home Premium x64.

 

The 680M needs a modded inf to install on P-HM , that's normal.

 

Tonrac and laptopnut are your friends
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sag...-installed-oced-lets-have-99.html#post9484093

Get the 331.82 NVidia drivers for your os system from Nvidia.
Then get the modified inf driver for the 331.82 tonrac has link for it and so too laptopNut. Go into the extracted NVidia folder of the 331.82 drivers, and replace the inf. It is located in one of the folders(cannot remember it off top of head but it's definitely in there)
Once you have installed the modded inf driver run the setup for the driver as per normal and it should detect your card and install the driver.

As for the bios/ec it definitely does not hurt to run the latest there too.
And as for device manager and bios not showing the card that is normal assuming you have the correct vbios(80.04.29.00.01) put on the 680m and I assume it's a clevo 4Gb right?

Good luck and don't forget the search function here on the wonderful notebookreview forums

 

DOH! it didnt even register he was using the HM and not the EM like me.

 

I thought that I read that, but if you see in my first post, I tried to use the modified nvcvn.inf (I think it was called) for 331.82 drivers, but I couldn't find the original inf to paste over. Can you give me specific instructions on where it is within the DisplayDriver/331.82 folder?

EDIT: As I said, I did use the search function. Pretty sure I mentioned that in my first post. Problem was I COULD NOT find the original inf. Searched all the folder with the folder search function and manually, if you could take a look and tell me where it is supposed to be exactly that would be much appreciated.

 

Pretty sure it's supposed to be in the Display.Driver folder, but I swear it isn't there. Is there another .inf I can edit (and instructions how to do so) or should I try an older driver?

EDIT: I found a guide for modifying another inf, and it appears to have worked. Thanks everyone for your advice! Still wondering where that other .inf ended up...

 

Ok, so on first boot-up after successful install, black screen, green sparklies, and BSOD. Trying safe mode now...

My vBIOS is slightly different, it is 80.04.01.29.01. Could this matter?

I can boot into safe mode, and device manager says the gpu is installed. Booting normally leads to a restart loop: windows logo, black screen, bios, would you like to start normally, windows logo, etc.

It seems like the card is actually a Dell card, though I'm pretty sure the seller said it was a Sager card...However, the computer is able to boot into safe mode. Does it sound like this is a vBIOS issue? I might be able to flash the card, though I thought if it was a vBIOS issue I wouldn't be able to boot at all.

 

If the original inf is not there, then you have downloaded the desktop driver version.
If you have 3D screen model then you need to PM me.

DON'T FLASH THE vBIOS! If you do that the card is done on HM.

 

I don't have the 3D screen. I downloaded 680m drivers, I am positive they were not the desktop version. As you probably read I have now installed the drivers and can only boot into safe mode. I get strange green artifacts or a black screen after the windows logo in normal boot mode. If I should not flash the vBIOS what do you think the problem is?

 

You are sure that you don't have 120Hz screen and that you used the Notebook driver!?
If Clevos nvcvn.if wasn't there then it wasn't the Notebook version.

This inf: 331.82 WHQL Modified NVCVN inf for 0000.1558

Was made for this driver: NVIDIA DRIVERS GeForce 331.82 Driver WHQL

(Replace the file nvcvn.inf in the C:\NVIDIA\DisplayDriver\331.82\Win8_WinVista_Win7_ 64\International\Display.Driver folder).

Dell AMD GPUs usually don't work on Clevo, NVIDIA is a mixed bag, though most of them do work...

 

All I know is that the seller (eBay) from which I acquired this laptop said it was not the 3D screen. I modified a different .inf (did it myself), but the driver installed. Do these symptoms sound to you like an incorrectly installed driver? Or something else?

 

IDK what and how you modded so just try the combination above...the black screen issue after driver install sounds like You have a P170HM 3 (you can check that in F2 BIOS menu, if the correct BIOS is flashed), wrongly modded inf or a problem with the Dell version..

 

My BIOS says P170HMx - what does that mean? I suppose I'll retry the driver mod with both links you sent, though I am positive the original nvcvn.inf was not in the driver, maybe a corrupted download or something. My internet sucks, so it'll probably be an hour or more. Also, did my vBIOS version sound like dell or clevo? (80.04.01.29.01)

 

Clevo vBIOS is: 80.04.29.00.01
Dell card has 2GB, Clevo 4GB, so you can't crossflash them.

 

I know it's the 4GB version, so what significance is it that I apparently don't have the correct vBIOS? It's the same numbers, just in a different order

 

Then you have a Clevo card and twisted some numbers around...

So I guess your driver mod has a flaw or it's a 3D, both are fixable

 

Sounds good. What would I need to do if it is 3D, if this second attempt at a mod doesn't work?

 

Ok, so I figured out I did somehow download the desktop drivers last time - even after searching for 600m series, 680m. Anyhow, installed with the laptop drivers and....the same thing happens precisely. What would you advise I try now?

 

Please post your monitor's HW ID as shown in device manager under details.

 

The 'Monitors' subsection is gone. I'm going to disable the 680m and reboot.

Edit: Had to uninstall the drivers to make the 'Monitors' pop up and it shows the standard 'Monitor\Default_Monitor' hardware ID. Any ideas? Should I disassemble it and look for a model # on the LCD or is there a simpler method?

 

Monitor\Default_Monitor > Properties > Details > Hardware ID

 

Hmmmm...
I have not seen that vbios number before on a 680m. Looks close to a clevo but not sure. Can you open take picture of card?

 

Prema, that is where I got the Hardware ID from. tron2^, sure, it's going to be a few hours before I have time though.

 

If that is all you get, even with the NVIDIA driver uninstalled then I guess you have either a very old system BIOS or a 3D system with the wrong BIOS...check your PM later tonight...

 

Alright @Prima, I will await your message. tron2^, I just haven't had time to get into the laptop this evening, I will try to look tomorrow. Sorry about that.

 

tron2^, Prema ended up sending me the normal Clevo vBIOS to flash, and then the install went perfectly! Thanks to everyone that helped me figure this out!

 

Super dooper to hear that.
Enjoy the beast

 

I like nbr :thumbsup: