WinXP keeps Reloading Standard Drivers no Matter What I do???

[Tuvac]

I have a ATI AIW 9800 Pro graphic card on a win xp pro system. Last week I tried to install the latest CATALYST drivers for Windows XP Version 4.3. I used the ATI Uninstall software (which also removes the control panel). I emptied the recycle bin and rebooted into safe mode. Then I used Driver Cleaner 2 to delete all remnants of ATI. I again emptied the recycle bin, disconnected my Cable modem, and rebooted. I allowed Win XP to load the standard video drivers and then updated them with the CATALYST drivers.

Here's the problem. After updating (I have not rebooted yet), everything is fine. The new drivers are in place along with the control panel. I can change resolutions and play games. BUT, every time I reboot, Win reloads the standard drivers again. I have retried this until I'm blue, and even tried older drivers and different methods (following ATI's site instructions) and the same things happens. I am logged on as the administrator. I have tried installing both the complete Catalyst package and the individual files (graphic drivers, WDM, and Control Panel). i have even tried the Omega and DNA drivers with same results. All work fine untill I reboot, in which case the standard drivers get reloaded. Any clues????

Thanks for any help.
Guido

[techfreak]

I think it sounds like something related to your user rights on the system. For some reason, something is protecting your system. Do you have Norton utilities, or McAfee installed? Try removing those. Also, try creating a new user account with admin rights and installing the drivers under that account. If it works, then it has something to do with your original account.

Also try manually going in and updating the drivers. Go to device manager, right click on your graphics adapter and choose update driver and try it that way.

Let us know what happens.

[Tuvac]

Originally posted by techfreak
I think it sounds like something related to your user rights on the system. For some reason, something is protecting your system. Do you have Norton utilities, or McAfee installed? Try removing those. Also, try creating a new user account with admin rights and installing the drivers under that account. If it works, then it has something to do with your original account.

Also try manually going in and updating the drivers. Go to device manager, right click on your graphics adapter and choose update driver and try it that way.

As for the Device Manager technic, I've tried that with no luck. And I have Panda, my virus protection, off.

This may be a long shot but could the drivers be posting/installing to a location that it's not supposed to. By this I mean, while I was going through all this, I tried to do a windows repair which didn't complete. So, could there be two different locations for the drivers in windows so that when I install the drivers, they install in one location and when I reboot, the drivers load from a different location? I hope I'm not making you as confused as I am. :confused:

Thanks for replying.

[sinistar]

hm.. not familiar with your Driver Cleaner 2 app, but it makes me wonder, especially since you used it in Safe Mode. Could that app still be applying some process, preventing your updated drivers from sticking? It almost sounds like you keep rebooting back into Safe Mode each time or something. I don't think it's User Rights, as you are logged in with the Admin account. I have a feeling this is something simple, yet I can't pin it down. But yeah, your windows repair attempt complicates the issue a bit.... why didn't it complete? Try it again?

[ECA]

I have a thought.
there are MANY comapnies that SELL this card with THERE name on it. Some of these need custom driver, one change in the driver to make it work correctly.
I have an Nvidia video card made by Asus. I have to go to ASUS for the drivers. Nvidia driver wont install properly.

[Tuvac]

The Graphic board shipped from ATI, so I know the correct drivers would be the CATALYST drivers. As I've said, I also tried the Omega and DNA drivers. I think Sinistar is correct in that the problem may be attributed to my failed Windows fix (I got the bsod / memeroy dump half way through). I will try another Win fix and see how it goes. Only this time I'll make an image of my hd in case in run into problems.

Thanks all for the help. Any other ideas will be welcomed.
I'll keep you all appraised.

[llbbl]

Hey are you trying to install off the CD or from the driver you download?

[Tuvac]

From the drivers I downloaded: CATALYST drivers v4.3, DNA drivers, and the Omega drivers. All load well, and reboot to Standard Drivers. And yes, I have uninstalled by using Add/Remove, emptying Recycle Bin, Drive Cleaner 3, unplugging cable modem, removing any signs of ATI files from registry, etc. etc. etc..

[jfila]

Yeah this is an interesting one. I'd like to know what happens after you try another repair. I've never done more than the atiuninstallall to remove the old catalysts and have never run into problems.

I don't understand how you can install the drivers and then not reboot. It always reboots first doesn't it? Are you perhaps setting your resolution to something that your monitor or vid card can't handle by default, so when you restart it is going back to the standard resolution?

[Tuvac]

It not only goes back to a lesser resolution but the standard drivers get reloaded. Every time I reinstalled the new drivers, which is every time I reboot now, I set the resolution to 1152 x 864. This is what I've always had it on in the past, and it's a resolution that my monitor can handle. I have never heard of someone have this problem. It is a royal pain in the ass.

[Tuvac]

As stated previously, I have gone through every ATI uninstalled proceedure that I know of, plus many others suggested by other posters in other forums with the same results.

[jfila]

Do you have another Vid card? Uninstall the Radeon, shut down, remove the card, put the other card in, install.... rinse, repeat with the Radeon. Its worth a shot.

[sinistar]

yes, I second what jfila recommends... give XP PnP a chance to rerecognize the ATI hardware. Still try to get a successful repair fix as well.