I'm no PC expert, but I've installed or updated video drivers several times, wasn't too worried...
Okay, I thought, updating this Browser_PC's graphics to OpenGL 2.0 drivers will take a modicum of care: Turn off the cable modem, shut off Norton's, use Control Panel to un-install old Nvidia ForceWare, install the new version plus the GeForce4 drivers...
Control panel, un-install Forceware, so far so good. Gotta reboot to complete un-install ?
Yeah, yeah, okay. I'm not bothered by a couple of re-boots, not after the time installing Norton's took 17 re-boots punctuated by two hours of hefty LiveUpdate down-loads-- Via Broadband, yet !!
Okay, bloop, off it goes... Bloop, up it comes-- In lo-res ??
D'uh ?
Then the pop-ups began: Found new hardware, no driver found. Found new hardware, no driver found. Found new hardware, no driver found...
From those I remember, it had orphaned the CD drive, the 'extra front ports' USB card, the USB link to CAD_PC, the ethernet interface, the mobo's sound, the graphics card, the scanner, the label printer, the web-cam, the laser printer, the USB sharer...
By that point, I was feeling quite ill.
Sure, I've got all the disks, but it was 23:30 local, and I *really* did not want all this grief...
Fortunately, I'd set a System Restore point before playing with those OpenGL diagnostics utilities. That was Plan_B. Control Panel had done another for the un-install. I've never used Windows XP 'restore' function before, was rather nervous as the process began.
Um, it works: I'm posting this instead of banging my head on the desk, aren't I ??
Be careful, especially with Nvidia ForceWare and drivers !!!
Sorry to hear your woes but before I do anything in way of a system change and especially uninstall or new install, I ALWAYS make a new system restore point (even tho some apps also do same thing)
I have had to restore to earlier time because of some program installs...including Microsoft stuff....and system restore has saved me every time.
I know others have had failed system restores...but its worth the small insurance cost of some disk space.
Doug.S
What really hurt, when I dissected the release notes to find what went wrong, is that Nvidia's generic 'all in one' driver pack for card's chip-set does not list this wide-screen's 1440x900 mode...
D'uh, that's odd because, when I upgraded from 'bottles' to 'flat', plug&play worked okay, supplying the necessary modes !!
May just need the INF file from screen's driver disk or Windows...
Further research required...
With running a bunch of tests and utilities, I've realised my LHS display, shared by this Browser_PC so run many more hours, has developed a pinky-lilac cast across upper-left quadrant.
And it is getting worse.
On a 'bottle', I'd press the de-gauss, but 'flatties' seem free of that vice and remedy.
Probably the back-light(s) reaching burn-out...
No user-serviceable parts etc etc...
D'uh...
Good news is I have an identical, zero-hours third display to swap in --Paranoid or what ??-- and I've found their extended warranty, which has 18 months to run !!