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Installing new graphics drivers in Vista x64

The Dude With HerpesThe Dude With Herpes Lehi, UTRegistered User regular
edited March 2009 in Moe's Stupid Technology Tavern
So, I'm just curious.

In previous versions of Windows, to install new graphics drivers you needed to basically "clean" your system of drivers before putting the new ones one. Typically using drivercleaner (it's what I used anyway)

Is this still necessary in Vista x64? I dont even think the old free version of drivercleaner I have works for my new PC and I just want to update my stupid drivers.

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Posts

  • exoplasmexoplasm Gainfully Employed Near Blizzard HQRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    While it's not a bad idea to clean up the old stuff first, I have personally never done this. Including upgrading video cards (I've always used nvidia, though) and drivers. I've never had a problem with simply installing the newer drivers without uninstalling the old ones first.

    Anyways from Windows 2000 to XP to Vista to Windows 7 (64-bit Vista and 7) I've never had a problem with installing nvidia drivers without "cleaning" the system first.

    Edit: Windows 7 drivers come from Windows Update anyway. Vista also has them on WU. And unlike XP the WU drivers do not suck.

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  • CronusCronus Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    I'm going to agree with exoplasm. You generally don't need to do anything before installing new drivers anymore. The only time you should is when getting a new graphics card from a different manufacturer. For example installing an Nvidia card when your previous card was ATI.

    Edit: In reply to exo's edit: I don't know about 7, but Vista's driver offerings in Windows update are very incomplete and often late. Perhaps they improved it in 7, but I've never had Windows suggest a driver to me for my main PC, presumably because I've had the drivers installed for a month when they are added to Windows update. It's be nice if they added a way for manufacturers to add drivers directly to Windows Update. Or if Valve did it for Steam.

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  • exoplasmexoplasm Gainfully Employed Near Blizzard HQRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Cronus wrote: »
    Edit: In reply to exo's edit: I don't know about 7, but Vista's driver offerings in Windows update are very incomplete and often late. Perhaps they improved it in 7, but I've never had Windows suggest a driver to me for my main PC, presumably because I've had the drivers installed for a month when they are added to Windows update. It's be nice if they added a way for manufacturers to add drivers directly to Windows Update. Or if Valve did it for Steam.

    Actually I never installed the nvidia drivers from WU on Vista, so I could very well be wrong there. However on 7 the drivers are only available from WU and include all the nvidia control panel things.

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  • FatsFats Corvallis, ORRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    nVidia actually has newer Windows 7 drivers that aren't on Windows Update.

    Fats on
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