video driver problems

[fuzzy juzzy]

This is a bit of a story, I hope you can follow it

I have an XP running system and recently installed a game called counter strike. This was occassionally locking up for a couple of seconds looping sound then the game would keep going.

I bought an LCD screen on the weekend along with another game (half life 2).

when i hooked up the new LCD screen it worked ok, I ran the CS game and I still had problems with it locking up but it would keep going again after a few seconds.

I installed the new game (HL2) and during the install it recommended that I upgrade my video driver.

I downloaded a new driver from NVIDIA and installed it but found that the computer locked up completely after a few minutes and it was getting worse.

I went to systems / hardware/ display/ video card and rolled back the driver to my orginal one.

the computer runs for a little longer but still locks up eventually.

I would like to fix this problem but cannot find any exact proceedures on the web. can anyone help with a step by step process based on what I have already done. I think I need to completely uninstall the new driver and re install form scratch.


regards

[ECA]

1. have you reset the monitor driver?
2. Is this at LEAST a 2.0ghz system? And at LEAST 512 meg of ram?
3. have you optimized your system and killed ALL excess programs? Yahoo, ICQ, MSN, Toolbars and Chats, should be set to NOT start at boot/startup..
4. single player or online, or BOTH??

[fuzzy juzzy]

Excuse my ignorance, I have not reset my monitor driver, how do I do this?

I have 2GHz and 512 meg RAM

I havent shutdown any of the programs that start on start up. I have msn messenger, skype and steam that start up. Do I really need to stop these on start up.

single player and online problem but more importantly the problem happens even when I am not playing.

I did not uninstall my old driver beofre installing the new one, this may be a problem.

any step by step help would be appreciated

regards

[ECA]

RIGHT click your screen,
PROPERTIES,
SETTINGS,
MONITOR...

I would suggest scanning your system for BOTS...check our spyware section..
Something is on your system and taking up processing time... you see it when your system SLACKS off, and HOLDS your program.

[fuzzy juzzy]

I run ad-aware, spyware blaster and spybot they are all clear

I will check the monitor and repost

thanks for your help

[fuzzy juzzy]

fixed the problem, I uninstalled the original driver then reinstalled the new one and reduced my settings. Still have occassional locking of the game for a few seconds.

[ECA]

DirectX 9, I bet...

[fuzzy juzzy]

mate

you are going to have to forgive me but I am not the full bottle on this stuff

I have direct X9 (It must have been installed on the computer as when I loaded the new game it said I had it)

I loaded up the new NVIDIA driver and it works well and recognises my monitor through the task bar menu

I still have lock ups for short times during playing but I think I will keep tweeking.

I read somewhere that there are setting that should be checked in the BIOS but I am a little nervous to start playing around it that area.

thanks for your input

[ECA]

Bios isnt to hard, you should ALWAYS be able to get to it...
change 1-2 things at a time, and you can always go back.

MANY video cards have problems with DX9+.

should see what I go thru to play TRIBES2..