boomering...
I will first reiterate my previous response, for the sake of
future readers:
-------------------------------------------------------------
I understand your reluctance to uninstall your current video
drivers, based on personal experience of difficulties with
the Windows default drivers on the subsequent reboot, prior
to installing the updated drivers, and some problems with
the installation program for the new drivers.
However, in looking over the ATI instructions, they seem to
have it all covered in a most thorough manner, and I would
be inclined to follow their directions exactly. They even
incorporated feedback from users into the installation:
"This driver release incorporates suggestions received through
the CATALYST? CREW feedback program."
http://www2.ati.com/drivers/Catalyst_49_release_notes.html
The Update Driver option in Windows's Device Manager is only
useful in updating drivers which can be installed using the
.inf installation file format, and cannot be used to install
a complex suite of tools and applications such as are included
in the CATALYST? Software Suite.
So, in answer to the question "what is the best/safest/easiest
way for me to update my video driver?", in this case, I honestly
believe it would be best to follow the manufacturer's recommended
procedures. Researching this on the internet seemed only to
confirm the wisdom of this approach, for this company.
You might want to review this page from ATI in advance, re what
to do in the case of a failed uninstall/reinstall process:
http://www.ati.com/support/installation/removal.html
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> 1) is the full suite of software necessary? i.e., can i use the
> Windows Update feature to just update the driver, not the whole
> suite (and how important is the whole suite anyway?)
On the driver download page, here:
http://www.ati.com/support/drivers/winxp/radeonwdm-xp.html?type=xp&prodType=graphic&prod=productsXPdriver&submit.x=11&submit.y=10&submit=GO%21
...the option is given to download the entire package (Display
Driver, Control Panel, CATALYST Control Center, WDM Capture driver),
or the package minus the CATALYST Control Center (which is the piece
that needs the MS .NET v1.1 Framework, so you could skip that too),
or you can download the pieces individually if you have a slow
connection, so the display driver can be downloaded separately.
As to whether they can/should be *installed* separately, that is,
by updating only the Display Driver and leaving in the old Control
Panel, e.g., I can't honestly say whether this will work or not.
My gut would say no, and this ReadMe from the driver installation
suggests otherwise, as well:
"When installing Display Drivers or Software a 'Version Conflict'
message may appear multiple times during the installation."
"If you encounter a "VERSION CONFLICT" message while installing
this display driver select the "NO" option to proceed."
"* Selecting "NO" will ensure that the components of this driver
bundle will replace your existing driver components.
* Selecting "YES" will result in a MIX of new and old driver
components, which is undesirable."
It also notes:
"NOTE: If you use the Advanced ATI Control Panel tabs download
the corresponding CONTROL-PANEL components from the ATI WEB site."
"NOTE: ALL-IN-WONDER and VIVO products require the corresponding
TV-CAPTURE-WDM driver components that are available for download
from the ATI WEB site."
If you don't use or need the ATI Control Panel tabs or the
TV-CAPTURE-WDM driver components, you should be able to install
the Display Driver separately, after uninstalling your previous
drivers by doing the following:
- Click START, go to SETTINGS and select CONTROL PANEL.
- Launch ADD/REMOVE programs.
- Select "ATI Display Driver" and then click the ADD/REMOVE button.
- RESTART Windows.
If you want to be very thorough, you can then use the advanced
uninstall procedures on the ATI page I linked to earlier:
http://www.ati.com/support/installation/removal.html
Also, here's an additional highly-rated program, specially
designed by Spike (Ruud Ketelaars), called Driver Cleaner,
"..to remove parts of drivers that are left after uninstalling the
old drivers. The program is for ATI and nVidia drivers. First you
need to uninstall the drivers from the control panel than reboot
and after that run the program. If you really want a good
description of what steps you should do than you really need to
read the readme file included in the zip file and installation
as it contains a detailed description step by step."
On DriverHeaven.net:
http://www.driverheaven.net/cleaner/
If you don't have any of the additional software currently
installed (Control Panel, CATALYST Control Center, WDM Capture
driver), then you could, theoretically, simply download only
the Display Driver, click on the executable to unzip the
contents, and then use Device Manager to update the driver
(though you would likely have to dig to locate the .inf file
- more on this later).
But if you have any of those installed, it would be much wiser
to uninstall them all first, using Add/Remove Programs, and
additional software, as above. You would then have the option
to install *only* the Display Driver, and though not recommended,
you should be able to install it via the Device Manager.
> 2) is there an easy way to check my version of the video driver vs
> the download version? The driver information in Device Manager shows
> my version to be 6.14.10.6414.
Version: 6.14.10.6476 - on the far right of the dialup download here:
http://www.ati.com/support/drivers/winxp/radeonwdm-xp.html?type=xp&prodType=graphic&prod=productsXPdriver&submit.x=11&submit.y=10&submit=GO%21
> Also, Device Manager offers Update Driver, Roll Back Driver
> (in case the update doesn't work), and Uninstall Driver buttons
> when you select Properties for the display adapter in Device
> Manager. Do I lose access to all of the above if i follow the
> manufacturer's procedures?
I downloaded your display driver and ran the initial executable,
which simply unpacks the Setup files to a directory. On inspecting
the files, I *do* see .inf files, so this means that the functions
of Device Manager will be available for use if necessary, but I
wouldn't recommend doing so except in the case of a failed install
using the manufacturer's directions. This programmer, and many who
write installation software, have opted to bypass the Device Mgr.
in favor of using an executable install (Setup.exe) which can be
overseen by Add/Remove Programs in Windows Control Panel. There
are definite advantages to this, over the use of Device Manager,
in the case of a complex installation or uninstallation, as when
the installation consists of multiple drivers and a suite of
accompanying tools and applications.
I also suspect that, in order to maintain the functionality of
the Device Manager, you would need to leave the directory of
setup files intact on your hard drive so that the .inf files
could be located and utilized, and, having installed by way
of Add/Remove Programs, you might have to search for the inf
files if you subsequently use Device Manager. I have noticed
that many programs which use setup.exe to install and which
use unwise.exe to uninstall, may not play nicely with Windows
and place their .inf files in the default location for them
[C:\WINNT\inf], and register them in the registry for ease in
locating them.
I also tend to believe that this is probably all moot, and
using install and uninstall via Add/Remove Programs will
work just fine.
Finally, there is one other note in the ReadMe file, which
may be relevant, on the topic of Data Corruption, which
seems to have been included based on the possibility that
extended downloads and file transfers may result in the
increased likelihood of corrupted data and failed software.
"Data corruption may occur if the Large System Cache feature
is enabled in Windows XP."
"For complete details see:"
http://www.ati.com/support/infobase/4217.html
Please do not rate this answer until you are satisfied that
the answer cannot be improved upon by way of a dialog
established through the "Request for Clarification" process.
sublime1-ga
Searches done, via Google:
"problems installing" Radeon OR ATI "video drivers"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22problems+installing%22+Radeon+OR+ATI+%22video+drivers%22
"problems updating" Radeon OR ATI "video drivers"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22problems+updating%22+Radeon+OR+ATI+%22video+drivers%22 |
