Cannot Update Video Driver

[TheLaughingMan]

I have had many video problems over the past 2 years and I think I found the problem but no solution. Every time I try to update my video card driver it seems successful but when I check device manager it is still the 2009 driver that came with my windows 7 installation. When I try to update the driver right in device manager it immediately says the driver is up to date without actually searching or checking. Googled this and there seems to be a lot of similar problems but never read of a successful looking install simply not actually installing. If I uninstall the device and try to install the fresh driver it gets an error and will not continue the installation. I am pretty sure the other video card I tried to use also would not actually update the driver.

Im using windows 7 with an hd 4870 radeon video card.

[Spoonman]

Download the latest driver, un-install the current one then install the newer one.

[TheLaughingMan]

Download the latest driver, un-install the current one then install the newer one.

Ya I said in my op that I tried that and I cannot as I get an error. I can't install the new one if I uninstall the old one, I can only install it OVER the old one but then it says it was successful but when I check it lists it is still using the old driver.

[pinball]

Legal or copy ver of win 7

[katana]

Can you uninstall the old driver in safe mode?

[Jiu-Jitsu]

The latest incarnation is Display driver version 8.831. Which version do you have installed?

Make sure that you are selecting the correct drivers

Are you uninstalling the Device or the Driver? It's not clear in your opening post. Unistall old, re-boot and then install the new.

Brand name or custom made machine?

[gosompoi]

Make sure you remove the old one first, temp run the system with generic svga driver, finally make sure you right click on the driver install exe and choose run as administrator.

Edited April 25, 2011 by gosompoi

[MTH]

Have you tried the ATI Catalyst Software Suite? I always use this, they update it about once a month.

Download from here: 32bit 64bit

Before installing the software suite go to control panel -> Programs and Features or Uninstall a program, depending on your view.

If it's not organized alphabetically, click on Name. Then remove anything that has to do with ATI and video drivers.

Make sure you are logged in as Administrator, or run the installer as Administrator.

[TheLaughingMan]

The latest incarnation is Display driver version 8.831. Which version do you have installed?

Make sure that you are selecting the correct drivers

Are you uninstalling the Device or the Driver? It's not clear in your opening post. Unistall old, re-boot and then install the new.

Brand name or custom made machine?

Its a copy version...

My driver is 8.56.1.15 which is what came with windows 7 and is auto installed when it detects the video card. I was uninstalling both to try various ways.

Custom made.

Ya I got the right driver, yes I installed catalyst suite.

When I uninstall the driver, I reboot before installing the new driver and it auto installs the old driver at reboot, back to step 1. If I uninstall the old driver and immediately install new driver then reboot it looks successful but when I check device manager it lists the old driver still.

[TheLaughingMan]

Ok a few errors on my part, woops.

So I was uninstalling only the latest catalyst suite manager, not ever uninstalling the old driver, just the device sometimes. Nowere in remove programs can I find the old driver that is automatically installed with windows 7, I cannot remove it anywere....

When I install the latest suite and driver package the only thing to show up is the manager, the driver itself does not change.

[MTH]

After you have uninstalled the ATI Software Suite, are there any more references to ATI in Remove Programs?

If there are, remove these too.

[TheLaughingMan]

After you have uninstalled the ATI Software Suite, are there any more references to ATI in Remove Programs?

If there are, remove these too.

No or I would have removed them, truth is only one part seems to be installing to be uninstalled, the catalyst suite manager, the rest of the suite didnt make it into programs/remove programs. I install the full 85 meg driver but its not getting on there. There is an error "warning" but when I check the log it has nothing in the error section.

[TheLaughingMan]

Im starting to wonder if the reason I cannot uninstall and cannot install overtop the default driver that came with my windows is because its a copy version, which serves me right I suppose but sucks.

[Spoonman]

Im starting to wonder if the reason I cannot uninstall and cannot install overtop the default driver that came with my windows is because its a copy version, which serves me right I suppose but sucks.

Dunno which copy you have but mine is fully functional, have just done the win 7 SP1 update on all.

[BangkokImages]

The advice to remove the old drivers first is a good one. The trick is to use a competent driver removal tool other than the ATI or Nvidfia uninstall. It makes a huge difference. Run Driver Sweeper, reboot, then install the new drivers. You'll be set.

[TheLaughingMan]

The advice to remove the old drivers first is a good one. The trick is to use a competent driver removal tool other than the ATI or Nvidfia uninstall. It makes a huge difference. Run Driver Sweeper, reboot, then install the new drivers. You'll be set.

Ya.... just spent 2 hours working on it, did exactly that before you suggested it, used driver sweeper. That got rid of the old but STILL I cannot install the new.

So.... googled the hell outta this and found hundreds of threads all with similar problems to mine, both the inability to install ati drivers and all the crashes I was having trying to play world of warcraft these past 2 years. So the final verdict is that ATI cards are fuc_king awful. There was no solution for most of the posters complaining about not being able to install drivers and that to me is just... incredible. 10,000 baht for a video card that doesnt actually work. I mean I can browse and work a bit but it will crash occasionally, and if I try to play a game, it will start crashing so bad that it actually damages my windows installation (been through that 2 times already). Im just shocked that they still cant make ati cards that consistently work right, people are even having problems with the newer cards.....

Gonna have to buy a new card, wow, never ever going to buy ati again.

[BangkokImages]

The advice to remove the old drivers first is a good one. The trick is to use a competent driver removal tool other than the ATI or Nvidfia uninstall. It makes a huge difference. Run Driver Sweeper, reboot, then install the new drivers. You'll be set.

Ya.... just spent 2 hours working on it, did exactly that before you suggested it, used driver sweeper. That got rid of the old but STILL I cannot install the new.

So.... googled the hell outta this and found hundreds of threads all with similar problems to mine, both the inability to install ati drivers and all the crashes I was having trying to play world of warcraft these past 2 years. So the final verdict is that ATI cards are fuc_king awful. There was no solution for most of the posters complaining about not being able to install drivers and that to me is just... incredible. 10,000 baht for a video card that doesnt actually work. I mean I can browse and work a bit but it will crash occasionally, and if I try to play a game, it will start crashing so bad that it actually damages my windows installation (been through that 2 times already). Im just shocked that they still cant make ati cards that consistently work right, people are even having problems with the newer cards.....

Gonna have to buy a new card, wow, never ever going to buy ati again.

Nah, don't give up.. Not yet.

a. Just because it's showing 2009.. doesn't mean the new driver isn't installed. ATI is strange that way, the date sometimes gets stuck in the registry and it becomes hard to eliminate short of a registry hack. So, it can be using the new driver, but still say another date.

b. ATI makes good stuff. I've reviewed their cards here and here and other places I'm too lazy to look, and installed them in many builds.. without issues. Well, I once had issues as you'll read but they replaced the card for me. They're just as good as anything else out there. You might have an old card that ATI/AMD isn't supporting well.

c. You rebooted after running driver sweeper and disabled your virus protection? Also, right click and run it as admin. You shouldn't need to.. but I've seen this make a difference.

d. Give us some idea of the type/model of MB and card..

[Spoonman]

So.... googled the hell outta this and found hundreds of threads all with similar problems to mine, both the inability to install ati drivers and all the crashes I was having trying to play world of warcraft these past 2 years. So the final verdict is that ATI cards are fuc_king awful. There was no solution for most of the posters complaining about not being able to install drivers and that to me is just... incredible. 10,000 baht for a video card that doesnt actually work. I mean I can browse and work a bit but it will crash occasionally, and if I try to play a game, it will start crashing so bad that it actually damages my windows installation (been through that 2 times already). Im just shocked that they still cant make ati cards that consistently work right, people are even having problems with the newer cards.....

Gonna have to buy a new card, wow, never ever going to buy ati again.

I have the same card in my HTPC running win7,had no probs at all updating the driver by un-installing the one win7 installed then a re-boot followed by in-stalling the latest one.

No Idea why your having so much trouble.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Make sure that you are installing the correct version for your OS. i.e. 32bit for 32bit or 64bit for 64bit.

[TheLaughingMan]

Hahahaha I'm so happy I could run outside and french kiss a soi dog! I finally got my driver updated after all this time. Windows update did it. No idea why windows update never did it before, or the fact that I absolutely could not do it manually... but I don't care! HAPPY.

[sammycic]

I finally got my driver updated after all this time. Windows update did it.

I too have a mobility radeon card that has not updated for fourteen months.

When i read your post i checked windows and no driver update. I have tried thru device manager and doesn't update.I am reluctant to use the manual method as on the AMD forums many people have had heaps of problems after updating ATI catalyst.

[sammycic]

I finally got my driver updated after all this time. Windows update did it.

I too have a mobility radeon card that has not updated for fourteen months.

When i read your post i checked windows and no driver update. I have tried thru device manager and doesn't update.I am reluctant to use the manual method as on the AMD forums many people have had heaps of problems after updating ATI catalyst.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

I finally got my driver updated after all this time. Windows update did it.

I too have a mobility radeon card that has not updated for fourteen months.

When i read your post i checked windows and no driver update. I have tried thru device manager and doesn't update.I am reluctant to use the manual method as on the AMD forums many people have had heaps of problems after updating ATI catalyst.

Who Dares Wins.

[sammycic]

I finally got my driver updated after all this time. Windows update did it.

I too have a mobility radeon card that has not updated for fourteen months.

When i read your post i checked windows and no driver update. I have tried thru device manager and doesn't update.I am reluctant to use the manual method as on the AMD forums many people have had heaps of problems after updating ATI catalyst.

Who Dares Wins.

Yes that is why we have restore points

Edited May 2, 2011 by sammycic

[TheLaughingMan]

I finally got my driver updated after all this time. Windows update did it.

I too have a mobility radeon card that has not updated for fourteen months.

When i read your post i checked windows and no driver update. I have tried thru device manager and doesn't update.I am reluctant to use the manual method as on the AMD forums many people have had heaps of problems after updating ATI catalyst.

That sucks man, make sure you look in the "optional updates" section of windows update. That is where I found the update waiting for radeon.

[sammycic]

I finally got my driver updated after all this time. Windows update did it.

I too have a mobility radeon card that has not updated for fourteen months.

When i read your post i checked windows and no driver update. I have tried thru device manager and doesn't update.I am reluctant to use the manual method as on the AMD forums many people have had heaps of problems after updating ATI catalyst.

That sucks man, make sure you look in the "optional updates" section of windows update. That is where I found the update waiting for radeon.

nothing in optional updates although my card is 5470Hd so maybe its still coming.

thanks