Driver warning

[Glenn]

I have a All-in Wonder RADEON 7500 video card installed in my XP pro. Just
a warning to anyone thinking about downloading the driver update...........

"ATI Technologies Inc. display software update released August 15 2002"

DON'T.

Although I didn't know what was causing it the first time, this was some
time ago, the video went NUTS. I got out of it with a system restore.

Lately my system was really corrupted (even the help files were missing) and
I did a CD XP system repair. That removed all updates and it showed needing
33 critical updates and 16 XP updates. The service pack 1 fixed all but 11
of them and I did download them. I also downloaded all the XP ones and had
no problems.

There were 3 drivers listed. Two of them didn't seem to hurt anything.
Well, I have a "ATI Technologies Inc." card so I downloaded that one too.
After that, every time I booted, "new found hardware" insisted on loading a
file that couldn't be found anywhere (including the CD that came with the
card) for "media". Clicking cancel just brought it back up and for 6
times. Looking in "hardware" showed 6 entries of the same thing with yellow
icons.

I finally did a "repair" with the "ATI Technologies Inc." CD that came with
the video card and that cleared it.

Being slightly retarded and/or stupid, I tried the driver update again just
to see if it screwed things up again. It did. I re-did a "repair" again
with the "ATI Technologies Inc." and decided to save others by warning them
here.

I would sent this to M$ but getting in to them is like pulling teeth and I
gave up.

Glenn

 

[Mikey]

Hi;

Rule of thumbs #1: NEVER update drivers from the Ms Update site for ANY
peripherial.

ALWAYS use the Manufacturer's site(s).

Mikey

 

[Jym]

To go even further , don't install any device driver from the MS upgrade
site . The manufacture's website is the best place for drivers.
They include the extra utilities that the device was designed to have. Jym