Windows Vista does not like SLI

[Gabriel Lozano-Morán]

My hardware:

ASUS A8N-SLI Premium (nForce 4 motherboard)
AMD Athlon X2 3800+
2 x MSI Geforce 6800GS

- Installation goes fine
- Booting up into Vista ends with a black screen

When I go to my BIOS and disable SLI I can boot into Vista. This is by the
way for all the previous builds for Vista. This is propably a driver problem
(Forceware) but is anybody else experiencing the same?

Gabriel Lozano-Morán
The .NET Aficionado
http://www.pointerx.net

 

[The Dude]

Did you install the latest Vista drivers that Nvidia just released?

 

[anonimousdiscussion]

my copy did install nicely, it is x64 Ultimate edition, it didn't crash like
5308 during the install, the drivers that came with the build (5384) worked
also

 

[Guest]

Yep same problem here, tried loads of different setting and numerous
reinstalls. The only thing that works is to turn sli off.... Could there be a
way to load the drivers @ install?? I can get into safe mode with out turning
off sli, but normally I am left with the Eval message in the bottom right and
the mouse works. I have 2 x 6600gt & A8N-SLI Delux, 2Gb Ram, 2x 200GB Maxtor
drives...

I don't get it, someone pleaseeeee help.

 

[Guest]

May have found the answer:

Not NVIDIA Issues
This section lists issues that are not due to the NVIDIA driver.
• Window Vista, All GPUs: Installing a new driver will sometimes
result in a black screen or no display.
This is an issue with the current Windows Vista installation process. This can
be worked around using the following instructions.
1 Uninstall all old drivers on your system using Device manager -> Display
Adapter -> uninstall.
2 Unzip the new driver package to a temporary folder on your desktop.
3 Open the file nv*.inf for editing, locate the [Version] section, and
modify the date in the DriverVer line as follows:
; NVIDIA Windows Vista Display INF file
; Copyright (c) NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved.
[Version]
Signature = "$Windows NT$"
Provider = %NVIDIA%
ClassGUID = {4D36E968-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
Class = Display
CatalogFile = NV_DISP.CAT
DriverVer = 03/10/2006, 8.7.4.4
modify the line above to:
DriverVer = 03/11/2006, 8.7.4.4
4 Save the change and install the driver using the revised INF.
The driver should now install with no problems.
Any time you attempt to reinstall a driver that has been previously installed
on that system, you must change the DriverVer date in the INF.

I am trying it now, fingers crossed

 

[Guest]

I wish we could edit posts! The fix found on the nvidia site does nothing!
Still not SLI capable. AHHH!

May have found the answer:

Not NVIDIA Issues
This section lists issues that are not due to the NVIDIA driver.
• Window Vista, All GPUs: Installing a new driver will sometimes
result in a black screen or no display.
This is an issue with the current Windows Vista installation process. This can
be worked around using the following instructions.
1 Uninstall all old drivers on your system using Device manager -> Display
Adapter -> uninstall.
2 Unzip the new driver package to a temporary folder on your desktop.
3 Open the file nv*.inf for editing, locate the [Version] section, and
modify the date in the DriverVer line as follows:
; NVIDIA Windows Vista Display INF file
; Copyright (c) NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved.
[Version]
Signature = "$Windows NT$"
Provider = %NVIDIA%
ClassGUID = {4D36E968-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
Class = Display
CatalogFile = NV_DISP.CAT
DriverVer = 03/10/2006, 8.7.4.4
modify the line above to:
DriverVer = 03/11/2006, 8.7.4.4
4 Save the change and install the driver using the revised INF.
The driver should now install with no problems.
Any time you attempt to reinstall a driver that has been previously installed
on that system, you must change the DriverVer date in the INF.

I am trying it now, fingers crossed

My hardware:

ASUS A8N-SLI Premium (nForce 4 motherboard)
AMD Athlon X2 3800+
2 x MSI Geforce 6800GS

- Installation goes fine
- Booting up into Vista ends with a black screen

When I go to my BIOS and disable SLI I can boot into Vista. This is by the
way for all the previous builds for Vista. This is propably a driver problem
(Forceware) but is anybody else experiencing the same?

Gabriel Lozano-Morán
The .NET Aficionado
http://www.pointerx.net

 

[Guest]

I was hoping this would work. I currently have SLI disabled due to this
problem. I have dual boot as well ...

I wish we could edit posts! The fix found on the nvidia site does nothing!
Still not SLI capable. AHHH!

May have found the answer:

Not NVIDIA Issues
This section lists issues that are not due to the NVIDIA driver.
• Window Vista, All GPUs: Installing a new driver will sometimes
result in a black screen or no display.
This is an issue with the current Windows Vista installation process. This can
be worked around using the following instructions.
1 Uninstall all old drivers on your system using Device manager -> Display
Adapter -> uninstall.
2 Unzip the new driver package to a temporary folder on your desktop.
3 Open the file nv*.inf for editing, locate the [Version] section, and
modify the date in the DriverVer line as follows:
; NVIDIA Windows Vista Display INF file
; Copyright (c) NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved.
[Version]
Signature = "$Windows NT$"
Provider = %NVIDIA%
ClassGUID = {4D36E968-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
Class = Display
CatalogFile = NV_DISP.CAT
DriverVer = 03/10/2006, 8.7.4.4
modify the line above to:
DriverVer = 03/11/2006, 8.7.4.4
4 Save the change and install the driver using the revised INF.
The driver should now install with no problems.
Any time you attempt to reinstall a driver that has been previously installed
on that system, you must change the DriverVer date in the INF.

I am trying it now, fingers crossed

My hardware:

ASUS A8N-SLI Premium (nForce 4 motherboard)
AMD Athlon X2 3800+
2 x MSI Geforce 6800GS

- Installation goes fine
- Booting up into Vista ends with a black screen

When I go to my BIOS and disable SLI I can boot into Vista. This is by the
way for all the previous builds for Vista. This is propably a driver problem
(Forceware) but is anybody else experiencing the same?

Gabriel Lozano-Morán
The .NET Aficionado
http://www.pointerx.net

 

[Guest]

I had same problem until your post.
I disabled SLI in BIOS and now can get into Vista.

I have Asus A8N-SLI DeLuxe (nForce 4 motherboard)
AMD Athlon X2 4400+
2 x XFX 6600GT 128MB PCI-E SLI Graphics Cards

I am using 88.61_forceware_vista_x86_international drivers (Beta) from
nVidia, but I don't have all the options you normally get from Display
Properties, Settings, Advanced that you would get with Windows XP

 

[Guest]

Hi All,

I have the same motherboard and Graphics card with the same problem. I will
try trying off SLI. But still an inconvenience when you have a dual boot to
XP and have to turn it back on every time you boot.

 

[Guest]

i had lots of issues with dual monitor support and found the latest drivers
if installed in the right order solved my issue. think the beta drivers are
missing options in the GUI that you may need as well. Try this:

1. Remove all the vista drivers you may had installed from nvidia.
2. Install XP drivers for you cards and turn-on SLI again.
3. Install the below new drivers from Nvidia:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/winvista_x86_96.33.html
4. Reboot. That solved all my issues.