INF error during driver install after Driver Cleaner

Grendel25 · Jul 1, 2009, 05:41 AM

After updating my graphics driver, I discovered that the Catalyst Display Driver 6.10 from ATI website did not support my X1950PRO card. I was unable to reinstall the previous driver. After doing some research, I bought Driver Cleaner and followed the instructions precisely. However, after the final reboot, when I tried to load the correct driver, I get two error messages:

- INF error. Video driver not found.

- Setup was unable to complete the installation. Try to setup your display adapter with a standard VGA driver before running setup.

These were the same messages I got before using Driver Cleaner, and I'm still unable to load the graphics driver.

- Original (wrong) driver: Catalyst Display Driver 6.10 (rev 8.591)
- New (correct) driver: Catalyst Display Driver 6.9 ( rev 8.291 )
- I followed the DC instructions to the letter. Although the instructions do briefly mention Safe Mode, nowhere in the instructions does it say if or when to actually enter Safe Mode. So Safe Mode was not used for any of this. The computer was disconnected from the 'net, the ATI Uninstall Utility was used in Add/Remove Programs, then rebooted. I canceled the attempted reinstallation of the drivers at reboot, no antivirus was running, DC was run using filters ATI and ATI CCC, the recycle bin was emptied, and it was rebooted. Again, it tried to install the graphics driver but I canceled. Then I attempted to install the correct driver, but failed with the errors noted above.
- Just to make sure that the drivers didn't somehow still get installed by Windows, I checked Device Manager. The X1950PRO was not present -- the listed display adapter is DisplayLink Mirror Adapter.
- The computer is running Windows XP
- I don't know if I have .NET Framework installed.
- Motherboard: Mach Speed P4M800
- The log files are attached.

Please help!

Grendel25 · Jul 1, 2009, 11:51 PM

Could the problem be not using Safe Mode for part of this? If I'm to use Safe Mode, when should it be done? During the "cleaning"? Or after the reboot and during the driver installation? Or....?

Grendel25 · Jul 3, 2009, 12:59 AM

I tried rebooting into Safe Mode after running Driver Cleaner and then installing the driver. But I got the same result with the same two error messages.

Grendel25 · Jul 3, 2009, 07:54 PM

Does nobody have any suggestions or help for me?

mkk · Jul 3, 2009, 09:13 PM

My only reflection is that after a driver has been uninstalled the system(Windows) needs to re-identify the card as at least "something VGA compatible" before installation of a full driver can take place. Use "scan for hardware changes" in the Device Manager to force Windows to re-acquire the card after drivers have been uninstalled/cleaned.

Grendel25 · Jul 3, 2009, 10:25 PM

Thanks mkk. When I do that and let it try to install automatically, it says it cannot find the software. And I don't know of a specified location on my computer to point it to. Is there a standard VGA compatible driver that I should download?

I did find this post about "Forcing Windows to Use the Standard VGA Mode Drivers Without Having to Use Safe Mode"
Install standard VGA compatible driver Computer Help
But I don't know if this is relevant. Thoughts?

**Spike** · Jul 4, 2009, 12:09 PM

Hi,

Grendel that link you got there can help and maybe if you install the standard vga drivers then the ATI driver will install.

I also got your email and replied to it with another thing you can try. Let me know if it worked.

Grendel25 · Jul 5, 2009, 04:52 AM

Spike, I tried following the directions from that link. But the only OEM*.inf file I found on my system was in /Windows/OemDir. There was no Oem#.pnf file with it.

I attempted the driver install again, thinking that this would place the files I needed in the ATI folder so I could follow the instructions. But only one other OEM file appeared: oemdspif.dl_
There was no .pnf file in the ATI folder.

**Spike** · Jul 5, 2009, 09:40 PM

I am not sure about this problem. I did some searching on the internet and found that more people have this and it is not related to Driver Cleaner. Most of them seemed only to be able to fix it by using system restore to like a day before they uninstalled the driver. Did you already tried system restore?

Grendel25 · Jul 7, 2009, 03:48 AM

Unfortunately, System Restore wasn't working so there is no restore point.I'm redownloading the correct driver and will try again, but I feel completely out of options. All I can think of now is reinstalling the OS and starting totally from scratch, but man.... that's a last resort step.

Grendel25 · Jul 8, 2009, 04:33 AM

Would a Repair install of XP be worthwhile? I don't know if that would revert back to the original graphics driver or not, which would then (hopefully) allow me to update to the correct version.

**Spike** · Jul 9, 2009, 02:50 PM

You can try to do a repair install of xp, that should fix it. Make sure to update windows again after the repair with the windows updates.

Grendel25 · Jul 14, 2009, 04:18 AM

Well, I downloaded the driver yet again, and this time it seems to be working okay. Thanks to everyone for their help.

Jul 1, 2009, 11:51 PM	Thread Starter #2
Grendel25 DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 9 Rep Power: 0	Re: INF error during driver install after Driver Cleaner Could the problem be not using Safe Mode for part of this? If I'm to use Safe Mode, when should it be done? During the "cleaning"? Or after the reboot and during the driver installation? Or....?

Jul 3, 2009, 12:59 AM	Thread Starter #3
Grendel25 DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 9 Rep Power: 0	Re: INF error during driver install after Driver Cleaner I tried rebooting into Safe Mode after running Driver Cleaner and then installing the driver. But I got the same result with the same two error messages.

Jul 3, 2009, 07:54 PM	Thread Starter #4
Grendel25 DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 9 Rep Power: 0	Re: INF error during driver install after Driver Cleaner Does nobody have any suggestions or help for me?

Jul 3, 2009, 09:13 PM	#5
mkk Cthulhu/Dagon 2012 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Gefle, Sweden Posts: 4,382 Rep Power: 120 System Specs	Re: INF error during driver install after Driver Cleaner My only reflection is that after a driver has been uninstalled the system(Windows) needs to re-identify the card as at least "something VGA compatible" before installation of a full driver can take place. Use "scan for hardware changes" in the Device Manager to force Windows to re-acquire the card after drivers have been uninstalled/cleaned.

Jul 3, 2009, 10:25 PM	Thread Starter #6
Grendel25 DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 9 Rep Power: 0	Re: INF error during driver install after Driver Cleaner Thanks mkk. When I do that and let it try to install automatically, it says it cannot find the software. And I don't know of a specified location on my computer to point it to. Is there a standard VGA compatible driver that I should download? I did find this post about "Forcing Windows to Use the Standard VGA Mode Drivers Without Having to Use Safe Mode" Install standard VGA compatible driver Computer Help But I don't know if this is relevant. Thoughts?

Jul 4, 2009, 12:09 PM	#7
Spike Driver Cleaner Maker Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Netherlands Posts: 2,085 Rep Power: 69 System Specs	Re: INF error during driver install after Driver Cleaner Hi, Grendel that link you got there can help and maybe if you install the standard vga drivers then the ATI driver will install. I also got your email and replied to it with another thing you can try. Let me know if it worked. __________________

Jul 5, 2009, 04:52 AM	Thread Starter #8
Grendel25 DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 9 Rep Power: 0	Re: INF error during driver install after Driver Cleaner Spike, I tried following the directions from that link. But the only OEM*.inf file I found on my system was in /Windows/OemDir. There was no Oem#.pnf file with it. I attempted the driver install again, thinking that this would place the files I needed in the ATI folder so I could follow the instructions. But only one other OEM file appeared: oemdspif.dl_ There was no .pnf file in the ATI folder.

Jul 5, 2009, 09:40 PM	#9
Spike Driver Cleaner Maker Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Netherlands Posts: 2,085 Rep Power: 69 System Specs	Re: INF error during driver install after Driver Cleaner I am not sure about this problem. I did some searching on the internet and found that more people have this and it is not related to Driver Cleaner. Most of them seemed only to be able to fix it by using system restore to like a day before they uninstalled the driver. Did you already tried system restore? __________________

Jul 7, 2009, 03:48 AM	Thread Starter #10
Grendel25 DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 9 Rep Power: 0	Re: INF error during driver install after Driver Cleaner Unfortunately, System Restore wasn't working so there is no restore point.I'm redownloading the correct driver and will try again, but I feel completely out of options. All I can think of now is reinstalling the OS and starting totally from scratch, but man.... that's a last resort step.

Jul 8, 2009, 04:33 AM	Thread Starter #11
Grendel25 DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 9 Rep Power: 0	Re: INF error during driver install after Driver Cleaner Would a Repair install of XP be worthwhile? I don't know if that would revert back to the original graphics driver or not, which would then (hopefully) allow me to update to the correct version.

Jul 9, 2009, 02:50 PM	#12
Spike Driver Cleaner Maker Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Netherlands Posts: 2,085 Rep Power: 69 System Specs	Re: INF error during driver install after Driver Cleaner You can try to do a repair install of xp, that should fix it. Make sure to update windows again after the repair with the windows updates. __________________

Jul 14, 2009, 04:18 AM	Thread Starter #13
Grendel25 DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 9 Rep Power: 0	Re: INF error during driver install after Driver Cleaner Well, I downloaded the driver yet again, and this time it seems to be working okay. Thanks to everyone for their help.