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How to replace NVIDIA drivers on SP2 CD?


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I want to make a customisation to my XP SP2 CD by getting rid of MS's default NVIDIA graphics drivers (which aren't very good IMHO) and replacing it instead with the latest official NVIDIA drivers (by means of winnt.sif or whatever). The reason for this is that the two, when they clash, don't seem to get on too well and bugger up the graphics in a way that my resolution is stuck at 640x480 16-colour (or worse) mode. If I uninstall the NVIDIA drivers when this happens, then reinstall them, it usually solves the problem. Therefore I feel maybe I shouldn't allow the MS drivers to be installed in the first place.

I remember jdeboeck's useful site (here) helped with getting rid of needless files during the SP1 days, but alas, it hasn't been updated for the SP2 generation (has the guy abandoned the project?). Maybe nLite will remove these specific graphics drivers? Help me out if you can, thanks.

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Well, I hope you install your updated nV drivers via OEMpnpDriversPath.

I just do that, and windows straight away uses those - and it all works fine.

If you don't use that method, then do it now. If you already are using that clean method, but now want to get your hands dirty with some fiddling in I386, then check out nLite's driver integration feature.

Do post back with what happens!

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no they don't, thats the point of

DriverSigningPolicy=Ignore

stops it checking for WHQL

mentalinc

It simply doesn't work ;)

The ignore value WILL work for drivers that aren't shipped by default on the Win SP2. But the nVidia Graphics drivers ARE. So Windows will tend to use the older, but signed ones that it comes with...

I'm sorry to awake you from your dream ;):P

I *wish* it was that easy...

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DriverSigningPolicy=Ignore

will only do one thing: You will not be prompted regarding unsigned drivers during your unattended install. There is still a "pecking order" with the device drivers however. So if there is an old WHQL driver and a new non-WHQL driver, the signed driver wins. WHQL checking is NOT disabled, only the warning regarding it is.

One problem I have come across is with some older HP desktops. They have an nVidia "Vantra" (sp?). While the drivers for newer nVidia cards are indeed signed, the Vantra drivers are not. Therefore the default SP2 drivers win. I'd love to eliminate those default drivers myself.

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DriverSigningPolicy=Ignore

will only do one thing:  You will not be prompted regarding unsigned drivers during your unattended install.  There is still a "pecking order" with the device drivers however.  So if there is an old WHQL driver and a new non-WHQL driver, the signed driver wins.  WHQL checking is NOT disabled, only the warning regarding it is.

One problem I have come across is with some older HP desktops.  They have an nVidia "Vantra" (sp?).  While the drivers for newer nVidia cards are indeed signed, the Vantra drivers are not.  Therefore the default SP2 drivers win.  I'd love to eliminate those default drivers myself.

Can't you remove them with nLite?

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Maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you can only select all video drivers, not an individual vendor's drivers. I'm not sure on this because I stopped removing drivers with nLite a while ago. Maybe Nuhi added this in an upgrade?

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