What driver for 8800 GTS 320 MB?

Stern · Jul 13, 2008, 06:50 PM

Hi, I'm running Windows XP SP2, and I had some drivers from sometime early this year I think. Anyway, I recently installed Splinter Cell Double Agent and it said my drivers were "incompatible" even though the game still worked fine, but I downloaded the newest ones anyway.

I went into add/remove programs, removed the display drivers only, then I went into the device manager and uninstalled the 8800 GTS. Then I rebooted, clicked cancel on the "new hardware found" notices, and ran the 175.19 installer which I'd downloaded from nvidia.com. After installing I rebooted, but apparently windows still didn't recognize my drivers.
I ran the nvidia display driver uninstaller from add/remove programs again, then ran the 175.19 installer again and rebooted, but still no dice.

So I tried going into the Device Manager and telling it to install the drivers for the unknown VGA device automatically. It detected it as an NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS, and was missing some files. I pointed it at the C:\NVIDIA folder that had been created by the 175.19 installer and it found all the files it needed. I then rebooted and everything was fine.

However, games aren't running great, and I had a look in the C:\NVIDIA folder and there was no Winxp folder inside it, only a Win2k folder.

My question is, does it look like I have accidentally installed the win2k drivers? Or am I using a mixture of generic windows drivers and nvidia drivers?

If so, should I use kind of program like Driver Cleaner to simply get rid of everything and install from scratch?

Thanks for any replies!

BlueMak · Jul 13, 2008, 08:27 PM

I don't have an answer, but you could just go to add/remove programs and removed the nvidia graphics drivers and control panel. Then (or before that) download the proper drivers from nvidia.com
Then reboot and DO NOT let windows work its magic with the "found new hardware" messages. Just click cancel on those. When windows finishes loading, go where you have downloaded the drivers and run the executable.

JRosenfeld · Jul 14, 2008, 11:27 PM

I have XP pro SP3. The extracted nVidia drivers always show the Win2k folder. That contains the correct drivers for XP (and probably Win2k as well).

OmegaRED · Jul 15, 2008, 04:45 AM

175.16 is a better driver for the 8800GTS 320, I've been using it for a few months and it's the most all around solid driver yet for this card.

There's also a new beta driver 177.66 but I've yet to install it.

Jul 13, 2008, 06:50 PM	#1
Stern DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Ireland Posts: 1 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	What driver for 8800 GTS 320 MB? Hi, I'm running Windows XP SP2, and I had some drivers from sometime early this year I think. Anyway, I recently installed Splinter Cell Double Agent and it said my drivers were "incompatible" even though the game still worked fine, but I downloaded the newest ones anyway. I went into add/remove programs, removed the display drivers only, then I went into the device manager and uninstalled the 8800 GTS. Then I rebooted, clicked cancel on the "new hardware found" notices, and ran the 175.19 installer which I'd downloaded from nvidia.com. After installing I rebooted, but apparently windows still didn't recognize my drivers. I ran the nvidia display driver uninstaller from add/remove programs again, then ran the 175.19 installer again and rebooted, but still no dice. So I tried going into the Device Manager and telling it to install the drivers for the unknown VGA device automatically. It detected it as an NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS, and was missing some files. I pointed it at the C:\NVIDIA folder that had been created by the 175.19 installer and it found all the files it needed. I then rebooted and everything was fine. However, games aren't running great, and I had a look in the C:\NVIDIA folder and there was no Winxp folder inside it, only a Win2k folder. My question is, does it look like I have accidentally installed the win2k drivers? Or am I using a mixture of generic windows drivers and nvidia drivers? If so, should I use kind of program like Driver Cleaner to simply get rid of everything and install from scratch? Thanks for any replies!

Jul 13, 2008, 08:27 PM	#2
BlueMak HH's Asteroids' Dominator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hellas->Macedonia->Thessaloniki Posts: 13,246 Rep Power: 326 System Specs	I don't have an answer, but you could just go to add/remove programs and removed the nvidia graphics drivers and control panel. Then (or before that) download the proper drivers from nvidia.com Then reboot and DO NOT let windows work its magic with the "found new hardware" messages. Just click cancel on those. When windows finishes loading, go where you have downloaded the drivers and run the executable. __________________ The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm *Sic semper tyrannis.*

Jul 15, 2008, 04:45 AM	#4
OmegaRED Relapsed Gamer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Ottawa , Canada Posts: 5,625 Rep Power: 171 System Specs	175.16 is a better driver for the 8800GTS 320, I've been using it for a few months and it's the most all around solid driver yet for this card. There's also a new beta driver 177.66 but I've yet to install it. __________________ E Penis Specs: <------------- See System Specs

Jul 14, 2008, 11:27 PM	#3
JRosenfeld HardwareHeaven Lover Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 104 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	I have XP pro SP3. The extracted nVidia drivers always show the Win2k folder. That contains the correct drivers for XP (and probably Win2k as well).