Help! I let Windows update my TZ vid driver, now it's stuffed.

J-sus, if there's one thing I'm learning to hate more than Microsoft, it's Microsoft and Sony working in tandem.

Today against my better judgment I visited Windows Update (disabled by default of course) and took the optional Intel video driver update. Well wouldn't you know it, t's only partly compatible with my machine. And wouldn't you know it Pt II, I can't for the life of me figure out how to roll back the old driver.

I've tried uninstalling the driver - it just helpfully reinstalls the same one and I can't figure out how to stop it. I've tried overwriting it with the driver on Sony's site but it ultimately crashes. I've tried diagnostic mode, but that doesn't work.

Unfortunately, amongst the many things I did to make this machine operable under the shipped OS, I disabled System Restore, so I can't roll back the system either.

Does anyone know how to get rid of this new driver and install the old one?

Thanks,

TT

 

Boot into safe mode with networking and download the Sony driver. Uninstall the video driver from safe mode, then reboot INTO safe mode and install the Sony driver.

 

And then go back and re-enable System Restore. It does NOT make the machine "inoperable" as your original message implies. It's there for a reason. And you now know exactly what that reason is.

Gary

 

I've had the same issue as the OP, and I tried what you detailed above. It still doesn't work. The device shows that it's installed correctly, but in the device manager it says that "The device cannot find enough free resources that it can use."

This only started happening after I let Windows Update apply driver updates. I'm about sick of Vista after fighting with this thing for the last two days. And the worst part is, I'm under a hard deadline to get this PC shipped out to the user.

It's nice that Sony and Microsoft are working so closely to screw up machines. A bit of teamwork rarely seen these days.

 

Oh, and while my system restore is still enabled, I can't use the "roll back driver" feature, because it's grayed out. Come to think of it... maybe the video driver wasn't in the list of devices to be updated.... perhaps another driver broke it.

I'm going to go ahead and restore my system back to right before I installed the driver updates, then go through them one-by-one and see which one kills it.

 

A word of advice: NEVER use Windows update to update drivers on a notebook. The Windows Update driver updates are bad enough on desktops, but notebooks are so proprietary that you HAVE to get the updated drivers from your manufacturer.

 

Yep, I'm stuffed. I've tried every permutation of Safe Mode, uninstall and reinstall. I've tried installing from the Drivers folder, and the Video file on Sony's site and both just give me error messages and fail to install.

This is a real pain in the arse. I hate Microsoft with a passion. How many years have they had to get this stuff right. It's still a ridiculously arcane procedure having to navigate through Device Manager etc. They haven't made Vista one iota more user friendly. It's still a convoluted mess. And what's worse it's constantly crashing.


TT

 

Yes, who would believe taking the offered upgrade direct from Microsoft, would not only take my video down, but I can't even use Wireless Access unless I go into Safe Mode. Apparently there's some kind of conflict. I don't know what.

Guess I have no choice but to format C and reinstall all that confounded bloatware again.

*****.

TT

 

Actually, we need to get this stickied otherwise a lot of people are going to be caught out.

I've already wasted four hours, and now I'm going to have to waste about the same again backing up, reinstalling and debloating.

TT

 

Yeah, we really need to sticky some useful threads in this forum. Come on moderators!

 

Here's what I've found.

Installed all the driver updates individually, versus just selecting all and letting it do it.

Even the "Intel Corporation Driver update for Mobile Intel(R) 945 Express Chipset Family" updated correctly. After that, I ran all the unimportant updates and everything succeeded. I'm guessing that trying to install multiple drivers in one go is what stuffed it.