Unable to find the video driver program from "ADD/Remove Programs" dialog box

  • Thread starter Thread starter slee15
  • Start date Start date
S

slee15

Why not all the display driver files are not installed on the system
are not display on the control panel "Add/Remove Programs" dialog box?
 
slee15 said:
Why not all the display driver files are not installed on the system
are not display on the control panel "Add/Remove Programs" dialog box?
Click to expand...

Because drivers aren't application programs.
 
Why not all the display driver files are not installed on the system
are not display on the control panel "Add/Remove Programs" dialog box?
Click to expand...
Clue: Add/Remove PROGRAMS, not Add/Remove DRIVERS

Google for Driver Cleaner Pro (Freeware)
 
If you installed the video driver manually, it doe not show up on the
control panel "Add/Remove RORGRAMS" dialog box?
 
slee15 said:
If you installed the video driver manually, it doe not show up on the
control panel "Add/Remove RORGRAMS" dialog box?
Click to expand...

Doesn't matter. It's still a driver, and not a 'program', regardless of how
it's installed.
 
David Maynard said:
Doesn't matter. It's still a driver, and not a 'program', regardless of how
it's installed.
Click to expand...

Yes, of course, but modern video drivers utilize the "Add/Remove Programs"
dialog to remove them. It is how people are instructed to remove their old
drivers when they need to install different ones.

Jon
 
Jon said:
Yes, of course, but modern video drivers utilize the "Add/Remove Programs"
dialog to remove them. It is how people are instructed to remove their old
drivers when they need to install different ones.

Jon
Click to expand...

That's because 'drivers' often come with 'programs' in addition to the
'driver' for various functions beyond simply the 'driver'. Remove the
program and it removes the driver as well since it assumes you want it all
gone.

But there is nothing inherent to a 'driver' that dictates it show up in the
'program' removal tool and there's no reason to 'expect' it show up there.
Your serial port driver isn't there, your parallel port driver isn't there,
your PCI bus driver isn't there, and on and on. They're in Device Manager
because drivers are device drivers and not application 'programs'.
 
David Maynard said:
That's because 'drivers' often come with 'programs' in addition to the
'driver' for various functions beyond simply the 'driver'. Remove the
program and it removes the driver as well since it assumes you want it all
gone.
Click to expand...

Not in all cases, as many driver packages provide a seperate
install/uninstall routine for each application. See comment and picture
below for clarification of this.
But there is nothing inherent to a 'driver' that dictates it show up in the
'program' removal tool and there's no reason to 'expect' it show up there.
Your serial port driver isn't there, your parallel port driver isn't there,
your PCI bus driver isn't there, and on and on. They're in Device Manager
because drivers are device drivers and not application 'programs'.
Click to expand...

Yes, but you are missing the point. People are instructed to remove their
video drivers through Add/Remove Programs, because there is a program which
installs and uninstalls the drivers, but more importantly because it is
convenient for them to do so in this manner. Additionally, video drivers
are more often changed than serial port or parallel port drivers, so
providing access to them is deemed more important. This is *in addition to*
whatever other program is installed along with the drivers (if such
additional programs are installed)..

To save 1000 words, here is a picture of what we are talking about:
http://img475.imageshack.us/img475/2290/drivers8rr.jpg

As you can see, access to the video driver is provided in the Add/Remove
Programs application, and is seperate from other applications installed by
the video card company..

Jon
 
Jon said:
Not in all cases, as many driver packages provide a seperate
install/uninstall routine for each application. See comment and picture
below for clarification of this.
Click to expand...

Not "many." Ati.

Yes, but you are missing the point.
Click to expand...

Oh, I got your point. But the real point is that a device driver is not a
program and just because Ati decided to do things in a non-standard way
doesn't change that. A display card is a device. Devices and their
associated driver are handled in Device Manager.

And even more to the point, slee15 posted his confusion that his driver
isn't in Add/Remove Programs and the reason is because it's a driver... and
apparently not a 'we do it strange' Ati.

And lest you think I'm picking on Ati, c-media does it too with their sound
card drivers but that doesn't make it 'right' either.
People are instructed to remove their
video drivers through Add/Remove Programs,
Click to expand...

WHO 'instructs' people to do this?
because there is a program which
installs and uninstalls the drivers, but more importantly because it is
convenient for them to do so in this manner.
Click to expand...

May be 'convenient' for those who don't know the correct place for it but
all it seems to do is give people the incorrect impression that's the place
for it. And if you go by 'Ati does it' then you're going to be confused
with just about everything else because device drivers are handled in
Device Manager.
Additionally, video drivers
are more often changed than serial port or parallel port drivers, so
providing access to them is deemed more important.
Click to expand...

There's already "access to them" in the proper place: Device Manager. You
can manually update it, search for an update, force a different one, or
remove it along with the device. There's absolutely no need whatsoever to
put a special entry in Add/remove Programs, c-media and Ati notwithstanding.
This is *in addition to*
whatever other program is installed along with the drivers (if such
additional programs are installed)..

To save 1000 words, here is a picture of what we are talking about:
http://img475.imageshack.us/img475/2290/drivers8rr.jpg

As you can see, access to the video driver is provided in the Add/Remove
Programs application, and is seperate from other applications installed by
the video card company..
Click to expand...

Ati does a number of things I don't like, and I have a gaggle of them, but
that's another story.
 
Why not all the display driver files are not installed on the system
are not display on the control panel "Add/Remove Programs" dialog box?
Click to expand...

Nvidea is another one that is in add\remove programs,
but if windows detected the card and installed windows default
drivers and you did not install the nvidea drivers,
then they will only show up in device manager.

C.
 
Most of those 'gamer' sites deal with nvidia and ATI cards and both of those
have a 'remove all xxx software and drivers' from add/ remove. However those
are the only two vid card producers that have this option. Very few
'drivers' for other products are removable from add/remove. There is always
the exception, modems come to mind, but again not ALL.
 
JAD said:
Most of those 'gamer' sites deal with nvidia and ATI cards and both of those
have a 'remove all xxx software and drivers' from add/ remove. However those
are the only two vid card producers that have this option. Very few
'drivers' for other products are removable from add/remove. There is always
the exception, modems come to mind, but again not ALL.
Click to expand...

Yep. And even nVidia and Ati don't show up if you use the default Windows
drivers. It's their 'fancy dancy' version that does. Of course, everyone
wants the fancy dancy version.

I sometimes end up with the reverse situation as these fellows; a dead link
in add/remove programs because I just naturally use device manager to
manage devices.
 
To 'find' the video driver and remove it, you need to do the
following:


1. Open Control Panel
2. Double-click the "System" icon (in "Classic View" - WinXP)
3. Navigate to "Device Manager"
4. Click the '+' to the left of Display to expand this section
5. Right-click the name of the Display Adapter listed there
6. Click "uninstall"

You have now uninstalled your video driver 'program' (as you call
it).

This is BY FAR the best way to manage your drivers/devices. (Using
Device Manager)

Just because SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE, ONE TIME was able to uninstall their
video driver from Add/Remove Programs, doesn't mean that they have
found the answer for all your video driver uninstallation questions.

In the future, I recommend using "Device Manager" for all management
of your system devices. If you are unable to find "Device Manager"
on your system, click Start > Help > and type : "Device
Manager"

Hope this helps. (Stop looking in Add/Remove PRograms)
 
David Maynard said:
Yep. And even nVidia and Ati don't show up if you use the default Windows
drivers. It's their 'fancy dancy' version that does. Of course, everyone
wants the fancy dancy version.
Click to expand...

Well, if by 'fancy dancy' you mean drivers with OpenGL support, which are
*not* available in the drivers from Microsoft, then yes, it is what they
want because it is what their game might *require*. .

Jon
 
Jon said:
Well, if by 'fancy dancy' you mean drivers with OpenGL support, which are
*not* available in the drivers from Microsoft, then yes, it is what they
want because it is what their game might *require*. .

Jon
Click to expand...

And also media players, screen 'settings' programs, tweakers, and a host of
other toys that quite often come with them.

I fully expect one of these days to open the box and find a kitchen sink in it.
 
David Maynard said:
And also media players, screen 'settings' programs, tweakers, and a host of
other toys that quite often come with them.

I fully expect one of these days to open the box and find a kitchen sink
Click to expand...
in it.

I have never paid attention to the extra fluff; my only reason for
installing drivers from the manufacturer is because some games (especially
those based on the Quake engine) will not function with the crippled drivers
from Microsoft.

Jon
 
Jon said:
in it.

I have never paid attention to the extra fluff; my only reason for
installing drivers from the manufacturer is because some games (especially
those based on the Quake engine) will not function with the crippled drivers
from Microsoft.

Jon
Click to expand...

You may not pay attention to the fluff but they provide it and I was just
speculating on what 'logic' they might use for placing a driver removal
link where it doesn't technically go: add/remove programs.
 
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