Nvidia Detonator XP Driver Problem

[Jukeboxs]

I am having trouble downloading and then installing the latest XP drivers from the Nvidia website. I am using the self-extracting file for Win98SE. I follow the suggestions of not using Download Accelerator Plus and also de-activating my anti-virus software. However, once download has finished and I run the application, it says there is a bug problem with the file and I should try downloading the file again. I have downloaded the file several times, and get the same error message. Interestingly, if I do not delete the application file immediately after the error message, my PC hangs and I have to use the reset button to restart. My graphics card is an Nvidia Geforce TNT2 32Mb card, and should be compatible with this driver file.

I have bought a Geforce2 MX 32Mb card which I expect to receive tomorrow. I am concerned this latest driver will not work with this either, and thus my latest gaming will be affected by not having the latest drivers installed.

Any ideas as to what the problem is and how to get the latest drivers installed?

Many thanks for any advice. I appreciate it!

[highrisemech]

Are you uninstalling and deleting the old program before downloading and installing the new one if not try this also reboot after uninstalling so that you configuration can be updated.

[Jukeboxs]

Thanks for your suggestion. I uninstalled the current drivers and removed from hard drive. Then ran the XP application, but still gave same bug error message. Any further ideas? Or would you know where I could get a working copy of the XP drivers (assuming they are corrupt, as I can not see anyhting wrong with my procedure)?

Cheers!

[highrisemech]

Ok I found the answer. Apparently there is an undocumented bug with this.
But the driver I'm going to send you the author claims it is the only driver that will work. You have to go to http://www.driverguide.com click on the member log in use the member name: (drivers) and use the password : (all)without the perenthaces Once in click on the search tabat the top of the page, on the search page in the seach box titled name of company type: nvidia (hit enter button) then click on the link that says: Nvidia channel, then click on the link that says: nvidia drivers found bulletin board.
On that page scroll all the way near the bottom of the page.
you are looking for the line that say: All nvidia video cards (the driver name is: WinXP_21.81exe.

Like I say this driver is very close to the bottom of the page download the one that I listed for you.

[Jukeboxs]

Thanks for your message. I downloaded the Win9x_21.81.exe file (as I use Win98SE, not XP) as suggested. Could not find it in the list, so used 'search' instead. I downloaded 3 versions of the same file from different users. It now gives the message 'disable anti-virus software' at the outset, which I have done (by turning Boot and Real-Time to 'off'). However, once you click OK and it starts unpacking the files to the temp directory, it gets part way and then gives the error message 'part of this file has become corrupt. Please obtain a fresh version and try again' (or words to that effect).

So, it seems I am no further. I tried looking for earlier versions and even 21.82, but no other versions exist. Any further ideas, or should I just accept my current 'Detonator 3' driver files and await the next Nvidia driver update and hope that this works?! I am confused though, as one of the Driver site users who had posted the 21.81 driver file had commented that it worked first time no problem. So, it makes me think it must be something I am doing, or with my PC, that is causing the glitch. But, I just can not think what it is...

Anyway, thanks as always for your help. You must scour these pages pretty much continuouly as you are always speedy at responses! I appreciate it, as I am sure do (and have done) many others.

[mike breck]

Hi Jukeboxs,

Call me old fashioned but I've never liked the NVidia self-extracting files. I always download an ordinary zip file and then use Winzip to extract the contents to C:\WINDOWS\TEMP (which I empty beforehand).
Then after uninstalling the old drivers in Safe Mode, I reboot and let Windows redetect the Geoforce. When asked for drivers, I just browse to C:\WINDOWS\TEMP and OK it. Never had a problem doing it this way.
Sometimes it's difficult to recognize the Zip from the Self-Extractor on download sites. But you can tell when it download it to your desktop.

Try here for a nice range of drivers

http://www.reactorcritical.com/download.shtml

HTH

[Jukeboxs]

Just to let you know success at last! Following about 10 downloads of the driver file from various sources and a few e-mails, a helpful chap pointed me to the archive page of the Nvidia site, and there I found a version of the Win9x_21.81.exe file which worked first time, with no mention of bugs. I am now uploading it onto the driverguide website for others to use.

Many thanks for your helpful suggestions. I will certainly bear in mind the Zip and temp route for the next time I run into any driver trouble.

All the best!