ive been having some trouble with my drivers not installing properly, and i think its being caused by bad settings being left in the registry.
so, is there a way to completly reset the driver configuration?
i seem to recall reading somewhere that there is some way to do this easily.
i dont remember what it was though.

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"ive been having some trouble with my drivers not installing properly, and i think its being caused by bad settings being left in the registry.
so, is there a way to completly reset the driver configuration?
i seem to recall reading somewhere that there is some way to do this easily.
i dont remember what it was though."

Hardware profiles!

Start Button, Control Panel, System Icon, Hardware Tab, Properties (save it if it is not already there, this is your backup of your NOW setup) & make a COPY of it... there is reason for this, read on:

Now, use Computer Mgt. Administrative tools item/icon! Or, from the same System Icon screen rather, just use Device manager button on that first screen from it that popped up... (device mgr. also exists in Computer Mgt. too is why I mentioned it).

In the "Hardware Profiles Section" at the bottom? You can enable the COPY to show as a BOOTUP option you can use (one device configuration hardware profile will have ALL your stuff turned on, your original one & you can boot to that... or to this new one, once you start turning off devices in it, etc. & can boot to that as well. Menus @ system startup will ask you "which hardware profile do you wish to use" & you select them... it's alot like when you have 2 Operating Systems installed, or Windows 2000/XP & the Recovery Console boot menu choices!)

Try this, you will see what I mean! Keep reading though, more to it:

ANYHOW - NOW, you can bootup to that copy of the original & begin enabling/disabling drivers etc. in Device mgr. ... that will hold for THAT hardware profile (it will ask you if you want to keep them enabled for ALL profiles or DISABLED as you enable/disable them... specify them on for your first/original one, & disable for the alternate Copy #2 one!)

Get it?

APK

P.S.=> Device manager is your pal here mostly: You can turn off stuff, uninstall it, for alternate hardware profiles, rollback to earlier driver versions etc., & more! You can use it to disable a driver for example, for a backed up profile (never hurts to have these, they are additional security in addition to stuff like F8 bootup options menu for safemode etc. & also Recovery Console bootup options too)...

This alternate hardware profile setup gives you lighter bootups with less devices running, & thus more CPU cycles + RAM free to by NOT running them, plus it gives you another 'testing' environment, & another way into the system if a driver screws up (possibly here)... apk

i really dont think that will help, driver profiles to my knowledge would not fix the problem since it's more than just the installed drivers, but if i did that when i first installed my computer it might have helped.
the problem is in the registry somehow, I pretty much have already uninstalled/reinstalled all the drivers, but there is some stupid stuff that wont uninstall from the registry, the system is somehow linking an old driver to the new one or something, and heres what the overall effect has with any dx8-9 game: The procedure entry point DdEntry1 could not be located in the dynamic link library GDI32.dll.
in dxdiag under display it says: Hardware accelerated Direct3D 9+ is not available because the display driver does not support it. You may be able to get a newer driver from the hardware manufacturer.
what i REALLY NEED is to somehow wipe out ALL of the driver settings completely.
my system is win2k my video card is a 9800 pro.
im using the latest drivers.
the problem started when i installed a new nforce2 mobo.
i think the VIA drivers/settings from my last board might be causing the conflict, or at least part of it.

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"i really dont think that will help, driver profiles to my knowledge would not fix the problem since it's more than just the installed drivers, but if i did that when i first installed my computer it might have helped.
"

Ok, it sounded like that was what you wanted from your description of it though, oh well!

Seems like you get "more into your problem detail" below though here:

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"the problem is in the registry somehow, I pretty much have already uninstalled/reinstalled all the drivers, but there is some stupid stuff that wont uninstall from the registry, the system is somehow linking an old driver to the new one or something,"

From the looks of it? It's more of a "DLL Hell" dynamic link library mismatch to me upon reading this as I went, & from this in your next paragraph->

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"and heres what the overall effect has with any dx8-9 game: The procedure entry point DdEntry1 could not be located in the dynamic link library GDI32.dll."

Ok, now THIS definitely looks like the version of GDI32.DLL you have is 'outta-sync' w/ what your DirectX version is expecting to be online! To me, that's a symptom of "DLL Hell" version builds mismatches!

GDI32.DLL iirc, is part of the Operating System itself, & MS did issue a Win2k patch for GDI32.DLL again iirc... this seems to stick out like a 'sore-thumb' to me in fact on GDI32.DLL & why using Windows Update may be something for you to look into & reapply.

Personally? I haul the actual .exe files down for those, & not use Windows Update! That way, you always have them available, if you are online connected OR NOT!

Get the latest servicepack (since they are just 'rollups' all-in-one spots of hotfixes) & any hotfixes that issued after them & re-apply them ALL to fix this GDI32.DLL problem!

(It should handle THAT part of it correctly!)

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"in dxdiag under display it says: Hardware accelerated Direct3D 9+ is not available because the display driver does not support it."

Ok, this is definitely a "DLL Hell" problem @ this point!

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"You may be able to get a newer driver from the hardware manufacturer."

I'd do THIS, reinstall DirectX (to Dx9 @ this point, unless you want to scout out & trust a direct x removal tool, there ARE those out there mind you), THEN LASTLY, I would reinstall ALL the Windows Update patches (except for the driver releases they give you... yes, they are WHQL certified & usually stable, but the 'oem/maker' of your vidcard might have more current builds that are JUST as solid/stable).

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"what i REALLY NEED is to somehow wipe out ALL of the driver settings completely."

Ok, there are tools like this out there as well, not just DirectX removal tools!

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"my system is win2k my video card is a 9800 pro. im using the latest drivers."

Various download sites have ATI removal tools, search them for them in their drivers sections most likely... I know there are DEFINITELY ATI driver remover tools, because I have two online here named:

ATIRadeon9800XTCatalystDrivers-Uninstaller.exe

&

ATIRadeon9800XTSmartGart-Uninstall.exe

+ also this one:

Driver Cleaner 3.0
Copyright (c) 2003-2004 Ruud Ketelaars.

(from its 'readme' file)

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"the problem started when i installed a new nforce2 mobo. i think the VIA drivers/settings from my last board might be causing the conflict, or at least part of it. "

VIA also issues their 4-in-1 driver package updates, nab that & install (or reinstall) that lastly after doing (IN THIS ORDER):

1.) 2000 Service Pack #4 & any hotfixes that issued after it (correct GDI32.DLL with this)

2.) Run ATI driver removal tool (or, DirectX one if you feel you need to after the SP#4)

3.) Reinstall latest ATI driver from safe mode bootup

4.) Reinstall DirectX 9.x (or 8.x, up to you, but you cannot install DirectX 8.x over 9.x afaik, not without a removal tool pulling BOTH first... hence, installing Dx9b is your best bet!)

5.) Reinstall VIA 4-in-1, lastly.

* Test your system between EACH of those updates & see if this error re-occurs... if it does somehow? You WILL know the problem-child/culprit/villain in your scenario!



(It's some work, but will be worth it to you, especially if you have a LONG-RUNNING setup there & would have to re-customize it again after reinstall etc.)

APK

P.S.=> Good luck, but that all SHOULD do it! apk

ive already done a upgrade reinstall of win2k sp4, i have all the patches installed from windows update, and i have copies of the patches so i dont have to redownload them every time i need to reinstall them. this includes dx9.
ive also used driver cleaner and some registry cleaner tools, as well as spybot and adaware and scanned my system for viruses just in case.
i dont think installing the via-4inone is a good idea since i have a nforce2 mobo now and this is the driver i use for it: nForce_4.27_WinXP2K_WHQL_english.exe.
the driver i prefer to use for my 9800 is rad_w2kxp_omega_2551.exe, but ive also tried the regular ati one as well, just in case.
i can play opengl games fine, but any dx8-9 game doesnt work.

ive done all this last week, and i still cant get my system to work correctly, so i really need something to wipe out all the driver settings completely.

im pretty sure a fresh install would be the easiest fix, but that is absolutely not what im looking to do since ive got a lot of stuff that id have to reinstall if i did that.

The newer ATI catalyst drivers have a removal tool for all their drivers and you can find it in the Add/Remove programs list. If you use that to unistall it is supposed to remove all refrences to previous drivers.
try that
S

ive done that. come up with a name of an installer/uninstaller, i've probably already used it.

not to be rude or anything, but to be qualified to make a useable answer, you must know more about the subject at hand than the question/questioner.
if not, you arent really giving helpful advice, because ive already been there, done that.
if you cant help, maybe you can refer me to a website that can.

[Edited by l33t-g4m3r on 2004-07-21 12:32:23]

Driver Cleaner 3.2 comes with a readme that explains in detail how to correctly uninstall drivers.
I have followed that readme. I didnt really need to because I know how to uninstall drivers, but I did anyway. then I used the driver cleaner program as directed.
this is the driver cleaner website: http://www.drivercleaner.net
As I mentioned, I have spent about a week trying different things, and nothing has worked so far.

the 9800 driver really should not be giving me problems since I've had this card for quite some time now, and a simple driver update for it shouldnt cause this error.
the problem started after upgrading my motherboard from a viakt400 to a nforce2 ultra 400.
there are multiple problems caused by this upgrade, and the only way I can think of to fix it is to completely wipe all driver registry information. that is the only way I can be sure my system will work.
that is what I need to do. If you know how, please explain how I can do this.

Well, best thing I could think of offhand was the end of my last post, with the information you gave us in your first post (you've added ALOT more potential issues since that first post though, makes it a BIT tougher & complex, keep that in mind):

VIA also issues their 4-in-1 driver package updates, nab that & install (or reinstall) that lastly after doing (IN THIS ORDER):

1.) 2000 Service Pack #4 & any hotfixes that issued after it (correct GDI32.DLL with this)

2.) Run ATI driver removal tool (or, DirectX one if you feel you need to after the SP#4)

3.) Reinstall latest ATI driver from safe mode bootup

4.) Reinstall DirectX 9.x (or 8.x, up to you, but you cannot install DirectX 8.x over 9.x afaik, not without a removal tool pulling BOTH first... hence, installing Dx9b is your best bet!)

5.) Reinstall VIA 4-in-1, lastly.

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"ive already done a upgrade reinstall of win2k sp4"

I think this is the problem: UPGRADE installs!

Noow that I know you did one?

Well, typically, those NEVER seem to work right... I have seen more unhappy users here over time with those than you'd think. Never seems to "mesh" right with system...

(What did you UPGRADE from? Win9x?? NT?? Or, is by UPGRADE, did you mean just applying the service pack UPDATE, not upgrade?)

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"i have all the patches installed from windows update, and i have copies of the patches so i dont have to redownload them every time i need to reinstall them. this includes dx9."

Right, smart to do, I do the same!

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"ive also used driver cleaner and some registry cleaner tools, as well as spybot and adaware and scanned my system for viruses just in case.
i dont think installing the via-4inone is a good idea since i have a nforce2 mobo now and this is the driver i use for it: nForce_4.27_WinXP2K_WHQL_english.exe."

Whatever your chipset works BEST with? Use it, if that is what NForce mobos use & function typically best with, stay with it by all means!

Still though, if that does NOT workout? The VIA set, if you have heard it will work with it, & it should if VIA chipset (unless otherwise noted) is another avenue to try... would not be the FIRST time I have seen driver "updates" be "downdates" instead!



Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"the driver i prefer to use for my 9800 is rad_w2kxp_omega_2551.exe, but ive also tried the regular ati one as well, just in case."

Good, because I would have went with "Stock/OEM" drivers myself rather than the omega hacks in a case like this also.

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"i can play opengl games fine, but any dx8-9 game doesnt work."

Aha... ok, this sheds MORE LIGHT on it then: DirectX problem... maybe one of the DirectX uninstallers out there online can help so you can reinstall it again... that is what I would try, now that you've narrowed it down to JUST DirectX hassles!

(That is, if you trust DirectX removers... I have heard say it cannot really be done, but then, I have never had to pull Dx period of any version!)

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"ive done all this last week, and i still cant get my system to work correctly, so i really need something to wipe out all the driver settings completely."

Whooosh... I would say go @ this in Device Manager with a copied & alternate profile... that way, you have a way into your system on the ORIGINAL profile if you mess up!

(Why I mentioned using those above... give yourself an out/backup, because hardware profiles? ARE backups largely of the driver & hardware setup!)

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"im pretty sure a fresh install would be the easiest fix, but that is absolutely not what im looking to do since ive got a lot of stuff that id have to reinstall if i did that."

I agree man... fresh install would probably solve it, but sometimes? Solving messes like these are "Fun" (yea, right, not when you're on the receiving end of the mess as you are)... but, we're trying to help here!



Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"the problem started after upgrading my motherboard from a viakt400 to a nforce2 ultra 400. there are multiple problems caused by this upgrade, and the only way I can think of to fix it is to completely wipe all driver registry information."

Is that mobo KNOWN to be solid, as well as that NForce driver pack vs. the std. VIA 4-in-1's? I have not used NForce stuff, so I have to ask... you're not overclocking the video OR CPU or memory on it are you? Sometimes, that is NOT the best thing to try, especially in summer heat!

There is a section in the registry that lists ALL the drivers & its basically interfaced via Device Manager by showing all the devices AND HIDDEN ONES TOO... that is an option, & this provides you a method of deleting all the devices basically!

You COULD just sift thru the registry if all you are concerned about is excising your video drivers, & search ATI, Radeon, 9800, etc. & burn the entries, also looking for any GUID's they use & also follow them thru the registry & fry those (backing all of this up to .reg files as you go, just in case, mind you). I've done this, it can work, but is risky & a HASSLE & 1/2!

Takes time: Perhaps this DriverCleaner program you mention just does this VERY thing - a boolean search tool that find registry entries you scan for, & fries them (probably makes backup too, I did not really look it over well)... that's how I'd build it @ least!

I would, again, do it on a BACKUP COPIED hardware profile though, just in case...

NOW, if you do burn ALL your hardware drivers in device mgr., & on this copied profile? Plug-N-Play detection, technically & on your reboot after doing this?

Well, should pickup ALL of your devices again, & maybe this will work! That is how & where I would do it rather than trying to hack the registry myself...

* Personally? I'd try working on that driver mess you suspect via a copied backup hardware profile, so you have the original as a backup to fallback on (and, if this all fails? Backup your personally created data & start again!)

APK

P.S.=> Dude, on your last reply: I know, you're ****ed off... but, calm down man! Usually, the steps I used in the beginning of this post? Work... especially for video drivers problems &/or DirectX messes!

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"to be qualified to make a useable answer, you must know more about the subject at hand than the question/questioner."

You'd be surprised what some folks here know, that's all I will say about that!

We don't know what you tried, & you didn't state what you tried in your first post, & judging by how incomplete you hassle was stated initially, we can only try to fix it in ways we have seen before that worked for others or, ourselves!

Come on bro... We don't know exactly what you've tried because initially you didn't tell us (or what you tried to do to fix it @ first either), & may not even use YOUR exact hardware mix!

Heck, your new hardware might have bugs in it, this happens too!

We learned more on what you tried to do, as we went, & simply suggested ways about it other than what YOU tried too (there are TONS of ways to excise drivers, some easier than others & we gave you several methods with backup even, up to YOU to try them is all if you wish).

And, yes, you might know about YOUR system more than we do, that makes alot of sense: You are familiar with it. Remember above all - we're not the ones with the problem, it's you... we ARE trying to help ya!

This stuff is not always "cut-n-dry" just-add-water fixes: Sometimes, you have to ask questions like we did, & find out EXACTLY what your hassle is exactly! Your statement of this topic said 'reset my drivers' & there's TONS of those, not just for video...

Once we started reading it & you stated more, I saw it was display in GDI32.dll (graphics device interface library generic) & you mentioned OpenGL which is OK, but not DirectX...

So, doing what I suggested @ the end of my last post & restated @ the start of this one, makes sense... we've all solved folks hassles like that before in fact!

Yours really only differs iirc in the GDI32.DLL though, & your upgrade install you mention? You did not mention that off the bat, NOW we know about that... & overall, if pruning the vidcard drivers manually from registry if you have to does not work?

I do what you stated: FRESH INSTALL!

However, since you are seeing GDI32.DLL errors, & that is, afaik, an Operating System API dll, & that is telling us basically your patch upgrade (which we now know you used, sounded like you upgraded from 9x/NT to 2k to me, & those types of updates are known to be problematic, no joke, you have probably seen this yourself or heard it before) has not worked out properly apparently!

Please, try to remember also - The other guy trying to help here was just trying to help, don't take it out on him bro... or me, if that was directed my way! I pointed you to a way to use hardware profiles (which in essence gives you an "OUT" (backup via alternate hardware profile, because this DEALS in drivers in fact, all of them) in case you hose your system removing ANY of them, video included)... apk

[Edited by Alec§taar on 2004-07-21 16:53:50]

im sorry if i sound a little mad, its just that it seems that everytime i mention something like i already uninstalled something, i end up getting a detailed explanation of something like this: go to start, use the left click button, then go to settings then control panel, then device manager/addremove programs/etc.....
when i already said that i did it.


but anyway....
i didnt upgrade from 98, i've had 2k for quite a while.
what i had to do was use the repair mode off the cd to even get my system to boot. something that had to do with the hard drive driver.
i had a via kt 400 board previously, now i have a nf2 400 ultra.
i believe the via ide driver was still activated and since the nforce motherboard does not use a via chipset, (its nvidia i believe), it would not boot correctly(bsod). after i did the repair i ran the upgrade install afterwards to see if that would also help.
ive tried uninstalling the via driver but i think there are still some remnant settings causing conflicts with my motherboard chipset.
as for the ATI driver removal tool, as far as i know that is the very same uninstaller that comes with the drivers, and yes i have already done that, and i've used driver cleaner on top of that as well.
my version of win2kpro is already sp4 on the cd. so i dont need to overinstall it, i also have the security update cd feb 2004 that i got from microsoft. and i have the new patches since then downloaded in a folder for backup purposes.
as for directX i dont think its messed up because dxdiag says there are no problems with the dxfiles. plus my system was setup before exactly the same as it is NOW. same 9800 driver etc.
the problem did NOT start until AFTER i switched boards.
i never said i switched the OS when i upgraded the boards, i had to reinstall/repair the OS when i switched the boards.
and as far as i know this board works fine hardware-wise. there is just some bad software settings causing problems.
as for heat temp, and other. i have a raid max scorpio 868w black case with 3 fans, a 420W powersupply, and a copper volcano11 hsf for the cpu. i also have 1024 megs of kingston ddr 2700. if you want other info i have a bunch of diagnostic programs that can output results to a text file if you want specs. eg: aida32, dxdiag, sandra, everest, etc.
aida32 also reports the via agp driver is running. i'm pretty sure thats the problem, but it doesnt show up in device manager even with show hidden settings on. ive already uninstalled it with the uninstaller, it should have been deleted but apparently it is not. so its got some stupid hidden setting somewhere keeping it enabled. which is why i think profiling wont find it, the via stuff is using some wierd workaround to run on my system.

also why i didnt mention gdi32 earlier is because its really not necessary. the problem is with how windows is set-up with the driver config, and its having a chain effect straight down into dx9 and gdi32.dll. if somebody told me how to completely reset the driver config from the start, i would have never even mentioned it because after correctly reinstalling the drivers the error/conflict would not even occur.

since i cant find much of anything else, i may try that profile thing out of sheer desparation but profiles dont get rid of/reset/delete bad registry settings.
if i get annoyed enough to try something i know wont fix the full problem, i may even just eventually do a fresh install, which is absolutely not what i have wanted to do because i have a bunch of programs i dont feel like reinstalling.
not only that, but if i reinstall, the stupid document folders will be renamed wierd because there already are existing folders, and i cant delete the existing folders in windows because its a system folder. eg: C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator will be installed as C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator.1232342 or something like that.
and also if i did a fresh install, that would mean all this searching on forums for answers would have been a complete waste of time, and i should have not even bothered because nobody can give me a straight answer.

so i really need to just find out about what registry settings would be appropriate to delete.

you said

""Your statement of this topic said 'reset my drivers & there's TONS of those, not just for video...""

EXACTLY, im not looking for a specific driver unistaller, but a 100% SYSTEM-WIDE DRIVER CLEANER, because until i get rid of ALL the corrupt driver settings can i reinstall everything correctly.
which is what ive been trying to do from the very beginning.

" Remember above all - we're not the ones with the problem, it's you... "

LOL!!! i love that.
Thanks for the advice so far.
And any advice at all is appreciated, EVEN if its not what im looking for, since there can be multiple ways to solve a single problem.

Maybe this could help. I believe it would remove all driver information, but be warned, it may really mess up your system and a fresh install would be the only option.

Go to device manager and update the item under "Computer" to something like "Standard PC".

l33t-g4m3r, I must say that your a better man than me in trying to change out motherboards retaining the old hard disk with W2K. Frankly, I've never seen it done with any real satisfaction. With the tenacity you've shown so far, you may just do it.

Possibility 1:
You could try this undocumented Setup switch:
Typing Setup /p f (use a space between "p" and "f" ) deletes the existing settings in the Registry and installs a new one during the installation of Windows. This switch is very useful if your Registry is corrupted and you cannot fix it with a backup. BUT, I do not know if this will mess up the settings for your installed software.

Possibility 2:
These should be the registry keys and the areas of device drivers you would have to delete. I think this is what you are asking for. It goes without saying that you would want to export them to be able to reinstall them if things really go wrong:

In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Select, set Current, Default, and LastKnownGood to 1. Set Failed to 0. This tells Windows to only be interested in your #1 control set.

Delete all keys and values UNDERNEATH these keys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet002 . . . to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet999 (if there). Don't delete ControlSet001.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\ACPI\DSDT
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\ACPI\FACS
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\ACPI\FADT
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\ACPI\RSDT
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DEVICEMAP
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\RESOURCEMAP\Hardware Abstraction Layer\ACPI Compatible Eisa/Isa HAL
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\RESOURCEMAP\PnP Manager\PnpManager

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Arbiters
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Biosinfo
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceClasses

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Network\{4D36E972-E325-11CE-
BFC1-08002BE10318}\{CC474C34-503B-400C-B93F-A606B5170ABB}\Connection\PnpInstanceID (Note: don’t delete. Set value to zero)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Arbiters
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Biosinfo
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Class
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\DeviceClasses
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Network\{4D36E972-E325-11CE-BFC1
-08002BE10318}\{CC474C34-503B-400C-B93F-A606B5170ABB}\Connection\PnpInstanceID
(Note: Don’t delete. Set value to zero)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum

Examine the contents of the \WINNT\INF folder, in ‘Details’ view, and sorted by ‘Modified Date’. Most will share a small number of ‘Modified’ dates. Delete those that fall outside of those ranges. Delete all files in the \INF\CATALOG folder.

Just as an addendum - There is a program called Move Me from Spearit software: http://www.spearit.com/products.html that does a pretty decent job of moving programs from one computer to another.

Again, good luck, I really do hope you can pull this off.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet002 wont delete....

Be sure that you have all disable all TSR's, firewalls, anti-virus, or any other programs in the task manager. Boot into safe mode, then bring up regedit.

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"im sorry if i sound a little mad, its just that it seems that everytime i mention something like i already uninstalled something, i end up getting a detailed explanation of something like this: go to start, use the left click button, then go to settings then control panel, then device manager/addremove programs/etc.....
when i already said that i did it."

Part of the game, giving you steps as we have... especially again if you did not tell us what you tried thusfar, & initially? You didn't... it was kind of unclear if you wanted to wholesale BURN ALL of your drivers, or video + DirectX ONLY!

No problem on getting upset: We ALL do it @ times, especially outta frustration! I'm no saint there either!

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"but anyway....
i didnt upgrade from 98, i've had 2k for quite a while."

Ok, then, that's clear to me @ least now... this is NOT an UPGRADE installation as you stated (using the word upgrade & not UPDATE instead).

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"what i had to do was use the repair mode off the cd to even get my system to boot. something that had to do with the hard drive driver. i had a via kt 400 board previously, now i have a nf2 400 ultra. i believe the via ide driver was still activated and since the nforce motherboard does not use a via chipset, (its nvidia i believe), it would not boot correctly(bsod). after i did the repair i ran the upgrade install afterwards to see if that would also help. ive tried uninstalling the via driver but i think there are still some remnant settings causing conflicts with my motherboard chipset."

Ok, this is where I mention above that if you wish to try to MANUALLY absolutely prune/excise any remnants of a specific driver family? You can use REGEDIT.EXE to search the registry for strings like NForce, NVidia, etc. & burn them as you go (I really WOULD use a copied hardware profile though to experiment on FIRST, seriously, so you still have a 'backup/out' in case you really mess it up... & also, as I burnt out each entry, I would export them to .reg files also just in case!)

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"as for the ATI driver removal tool, as far as i know that is the very same uninstaller that comes with the drivers, and yes i have already done that, and i've used driver cleaner on top of that as well."

Even Driver Cleaner (which is, I am guessing, a program that sweeps your registry just like regedit.exe can do by searches in its EDIT menu, FIND submenu & deletes ones it finds for you automatically, just saving a step or two on what regedit.exe can do anyhow) did not do it?

Tools like regedit.exe & probably that driver cleaner program depend on searched term accuracy (just like GOOGLE does), & if you omit searching on a KEY term? You'll never get it right... question is, what EXACTLY would one search for to burn out those NForce2 chipset driver entries etc.??

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"my version of win2kpro is already sp4 on the cd. so i dont need to overinstall it, i also have the security update cd feb 2004 that i got from microsoft. and i have the new patches since then downloaded in a folder for backup purposes."

Nice, slipsteam Cd's are VERY cool! Saves time...

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"
as for directX i dont think its messed up because dxdiag says there are no problems with the dxfiles."

Ok, then it is looking like that GDI32.DLL file is NOT meshing right (& again, that is an Operating System native file iirc) & is the source of your DirectX gaming problems to me it looks like @ least!

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"plus my system was setup before exactly the same as it is NOW. same 9800 driver etc.
the problem did NOT start until AFTER i switched boards."

Slipstreamed SP#4 installation too? THIS IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW! Thanks...

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"i never said i switched the OS when i upgraded the boards, i had to reinstall/repair the OS when i switched the boards."

Ok, when you used the term UPGRADE? To me that is not the same as UPDATE... no biggie though, we're all on the same page here now! Important with a complex hassle that we are!

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"and as far as i know this board works fine hardware-wise. there is just some bad software settings causing problems."

OK, let's assume the hardware is solid then!

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"as for heat temp, and other. i have a raid max scorpio 868w black case with 3 fans, a 420W powersupply, and a copper volcano11 hsf for the cpu. i also have 1024 megs of kingston ddr 2700. if you want other info i have a bunch of diagnostic programs that can output results to a text file if you want specs. eg: aida32, dxdiag, sandra, everest, etc."

No need, will take your word on it... we now have more complete info!

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"aida32 also reports the via agp driver is running. i'm pretty sure thats the problem, but it doesnt show up in device manager even with show hidden settings on. ive already uninstalled it with the uninstaller, it should have been deleted but apparently it is not. so its got some stupid hidden setting somewhere keeping it enabled. which is why i think profiling wont find it, the via stuff is using some wierd workaround to run on my system."

Ok, this is ANOTHER case where I would use regedit.exe & start MANUALLY burning out ANY entries from ATI by searching "Radeon" or "ATI" throughout your registry... YES, takes time, but I have had to do this for other things in the past to assure myself EVERY LAST TRACE OF A DRIVER WERE GONE!

(Additionally, when you go looking thru some of the references for the drivers as you do this? Well, as I stated above, don't just "FRY" them as you find them: Look thru them, & you may find GUID's that you have to search for as well, & excise also... keep this in mind to look thru them as you prepare to find them for deletion because some entries point to others like GUID (globally unique identifiers) throughout the registry hives!)

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"also why i didnt mention gdi32 earlier is because its really not necessary."

Here, I have to differ a bit: It's the part of the OS that handles 2D display, & you can bet that ATI stuff has SOME dependencies on it to work... Yes, your problems are DirectX 3D related, but it never hurts to check this too!

And, for SOME reason? I recall that Windows 2000 had a patch to its GDI32.DLL file too, but the application of the Service Pack #4 latest one SHOULD contain that!

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"the problem is with how windows is set-up with the driver config, and its having a chain effect straight down into dx9 and gdi32.dll. if somebody told me how to completely reset the driver config from the start, i would have never even mentioned it because after correctly reinstalling the drivers the error/conflict would not even occur."

Try this then, seriously:

I would say go @ this in Device Manager with a copied & alternate profile... that way, you have a way into your system on the ORIGINAL profile if you mess up!

(Why I mentioned using those above... give yourself an out/backup, because hardware profiles? ARE backups largely of the driver & hardware setup!)

I would, again, do it on a BACKUP COPIED hardware profile though, just in case...

NOW, if you do burn ALL your hardware drivers in device mgr., & on this copied profile? Plug-N-Play detection, technically & on your reboot after doing this?

Well, should pickup ALL of your devices again, & maybe this will work! That is how & where I would do it rather than trying to hack the registry myself...

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"since i cant find much of anything else, i may try that profile thing out of sheer desparation but profiles dont get rid of/reset/delete bad registry settings."

Try it, because again: It gives you an "out" (backup setup basically)... & one you can work on + experiment with for burning ALL the system drivers wholesale, which booting back into the hardware profile you did this on SHOULD technically force Plug-N-Play to reanalyze the system & begin reinstalling drivers @ bootup, which hopefully? Will find the right ones & bind them all properly/correctly for all devices throughout your system again!

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"if i get annoyed enough to try something i know wont fix the full problem, i may even just eventually do a fresh install, which is absolutely not what i have wanted to do because i have a bunch of programs i dont feel like reinstalling."

Sometimes, it unfortunately does come down to reformatting & reinstalling again... Nice part about those times though? You get to see which programs/drivers, etc. caused you problems before!

I had a secure file burning program once called "BCWIPE" that if I installed it? Every 30-60 days or so, my system would just 'blow up'... ever since I stopped using it? I have held THIS setup for over a year now... I have to call it a suspect that was destroying my system repeatedly everytime I used it in fact!

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"not only that, but if i reinstall, the stupid document folders will be renamed wierd because there already are existing folders, and i cant delete the existing folders in windows because its a system folder. eg: C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator will be installed as C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator.1232342 or something like that.and also if i did a fresh install, that would mean all this searching on forums for answers would have been a complete waste of time, and i should have not even bothered because nobody can give me a straight answer."

Fresh installs, sometimes again, ARE the answer! They DO have their 'upsides' as I mention above... & experiments are NEVER a waste of time, as you can learn new things!

Again also, sometimes? There IS no "just-add-water" quick-fixes... not with complex things, & what you ask for? Takes steps... we gave them to you as we saw fit & what made sense from understanding of this Operating System's internals etc.

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"so i really need to just find out about what registry settings would be appropriate to delete."

Right, & this CAN be the 'catch-22' here in that the hard part? Is what to search thru the registry manually with using tools like DriverCleaner &/or regedit.exe Edit menu, Find submenu type tools (plus, again, tracing thru ANY GUID linkages those entries have as well, this is the tricky & complex part, because as nice as ActiveX/OLEServer marshalling of those libs is? They're HARD to track thru the registry because GUIDS are SO long! Things are not always called by name in Windows registry, but by those GUIDS instead!)

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"you said

""Your statement of this topic said 'reset my drivers & there's TONS of those, not just for video...""

EXACTLY, im not looking for a specific driver unistaller, but a 100% SYSTEM-WIDE DRIVER CLEANER, because until i get rid of ALL the corrupt driver settings can i reinstall everything correctly.
which is what ive been trying to do from the very beginning."

Again then, DO try this:

I would say go @ this in Device Manager with a copied & alternate profile... that way, you have a way into your system on the ORIGINAL profile if you mess up!

(Why I mentioned using those above... give yourself an out/backup, because hardware profiles? ARE backups largely of the driver & hardware setup!)

I would, again, do it on a BACKUP COPIED hardware profile though, just in case...

NOW, if you do burn ALL your hardware drivers in device mgr., & on this copied profile? Plug-N-Play detection, technically & on your reboot after doing this?

Well, should pickup ALL of your devices again, & maybe this will work! That is how & where I would do it rather than trying to hack the registry myself...

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"Thanks for the advice so far."

Oh, you're welcome, but you have to be willing to try the alternate methods I showed you... I have a decent amount of understanding of this Operating System family I think (others can tell you their opinions of my statement here if you wish to validate it I guess, I would check that out myself too were I you) & although you may not believe in what I am stating for you to try?

In your case now? It's the logical approach because Plug-N-Play itself will probably save you believe it or not, once you fry ALL devices & drivers on a backup hardware profile... think about it!

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"And any advice at all is appreciated, EVEN if its not what im looking for, since there can be multiple ways to solve a single problem."

Go for what I stated then, & DO IT (again) ON A BACKUP HARDWARE PROFILE SO YOU CAN EXPERIMENT IF NEED BE & have an "out" (original hardware profile) you can always fall-back on to try again!

APK

Originally posted by Sampson:

"l33t-g4m3r, I must say that your a better man than me in trying to change out motherboards retaining the old hard disk with W2K. Frankly, I've never seen it done with any real satisfaction. With the tenacity you've shown so far, you may just do it."

I've done it before man, & "Plug-N-Play" on 2k picked up on ALL the new devices... mobo, CPU, chipset, etc. (all) even!

Came out clean too, & worked! I went from a TOTALLY diff. CPU & motherboard by simply swapping the disks really, as he is basically doing... PnP picked up on it ALL again on the new stuff it found: Was really amazing!

(PnP - Gotta love it, & what I am suggesting to him largely depends on this OS family's PNP abilities in fact, but I am suggesting he do this on a BACKUP hardware profile (copy of original, so he always has original hardware profile to fallback on if he screws up the copy one experimenting to do this! My method TECHNICALLY gives him an "out" no matter what he tries to excise out the offending problem driver here))



APK

P.S.=> I like your approach up there too, has some merits & creativity... an alternate to what I am suggesting to him but largely based on same ideas I would say! apk

MUWHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH GENIUS!!!!!!
the problem is fixed. (sorta)
i never did get all the drivers deleted, but i did get the via driver deleted by deleting the dll's in windows and the settings in the registry.
however the problem still existed.
until somebody gave me a fix here:
http://www.techzonez.com/forums/showthread.php?p=64784&posted=1#post64784

apparently there is a bug in the Direct X 9b install which installs a wrong file, causing my problems.
i guess mentioning the gdi error was necessary.

however now that the error doesnt pop up, things still act wierd.
maybe i should use a direct-x uninstaller then reinstall it.

i also wonder if there is a registry cleaner program availible that can delete old driver settings that arent in use anymore.

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"MUWHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH GENIUS!!!!!!
the problem is fixed. (sorta)
i never did get all the drivers deleted, but i did get the via driver deleted by deleting the dll's in windows and the settings in the registry.
however the problem still existed.
until somebody gave me a fix here:
http://www.techzonez.com/forums/showthread.php?p=64784&posted=1#post64784
apparently there is a bug in the Direct X 9b install which installs a wrong file, causing my problems."

DirectX 9b has an installation problem? I have not run into it & I use Dx9b... oh well, maybe for some folks in some conditions, anything's possible I suppose... Does MS know about this, I wonder? They probably do, or did, & issued a patch (one I just don't recall I guess, but there were those from 9x, to 9a, to now 9b). So, if you downloaded the 'buggy install' model, you have the bug it has... I can see that happening, especially if you were not aware of a patch for it!

Guess I was right about "DLL Hell" mismatch above, but I did not know what file was causing it, especially outta the Dx9 distro, as I have no idea what exactly is in that compressed .cab data sfx file!

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"i guess mentioning the gdi error was necessary."

Absolutely: Dependencies abound, as I mentioned above, between files in both 3d & 2d display!

Again: I was right about "DLL Hell" mismatch above, but I did not know what file was causing it, especially outta the Dx9 distro, as I have no idea what exactly is in that compressed .cab data sfx file!

Live & learn I guess! I had NO idea that Dx9 installers have problems... or, just don't recall it because I never got "bit" by it!

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"however now that the error doesnt pop up, things still act wierd.
maybe i should use a direct-x uninstaller then reinstall it."

Yes, I would do that too... I mentioned them above, & have seen those programs online. I would check any files downloading site for that type of program!

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"i also wonder if there is a registry cleaner program availible that can delete old driver settings that arent in use anymore."

Mine probably or most likely, will, since it basically functions like a 'chkdsk for the registry' as its main program algorithm engine!

I.E.-> "APK Registry Cleaning Engine 2002++ SR-7" looks for references to files on disk in the registry (like chkdsk refers to the FAT or MFT$ flatfile databases tables for the filesystem), & if they do NOT exist on disk (but, do in registry as entry reference)? It lists them as candidates for removal...

E.G.-> Say, you have %WinDir%\system32\drivers\apk.sys listed in the registry somewhere... if apk.sys does NOT in fact, exist on disk anymore BUT DOES in the registry? It SHOULD list it as a candidate for removal...

DOWNLOAD LINK FOR IT (2nd program on the page, lower one):
==============================================================

http://www.hawaiihard*****.com/APK.htm

SCREENSHOT:
===============



(It was tested here by users vs. Norton Cleansweep, AShampoo, Microsoft RegCleaner, JVRegClean, & more AND beat them all... tested by users here, not me, & with their OWN registry data & systems, no 'test data' (lol, more like 'rig the test results data' like JVPowerTools & RegClean use to b.s. folks & say his stuff is the best) given by me to those users either to fake & rig the results either! 110% safe & proven so as well, not a single user to date has complained to me their systems do not work right either after using my stuff... I don't destroy or submit for destruction GUIDS for TypeLibs &/or CLSID for OLEServers/ActiveX controls is why... I filter them out, because most users & even many programmers don't know how this stuff works & what is safe to pull or what is not. I take that stress away from them by filtering out those as listed candidates for removal!)

Pure Inlined & HIGHLY optimized by compiler & by hand tuning Borland Delphi multitasking & multithreaded code (fastest there is outside of Assembler or pure C, which it rivals the latter but can be built MUCH faster) & Win32 API + Inline Assembler code for the absolute most efficiency & speed.

Has full (as you can see from the screenshot) CPU priority timeslice control built into it as well, so if you wish to run it as fast as possible (HIGH recommended for single non-H/T cpu's, realtime for H/T or SMP dual or more CPU boxes recommended) you can set it so, or for background unobtrusive operations, LOW cpu priority recommended, so you can run it as a minimized screen trayicon that animates, & when done animating there you can tell it is finished working!

You also have the flexibility of choosing WHICH registry hives to scan as well, so you can work thru it faster too...

Mine can scan them ALL, & many of my competitors shave off doing the first one & the last one because they are long & take time to scan to show greater speed, BUT also on the same hand/by the same token, less overall potential in accuracy of results as well by skipping those!



APK
[Edited by Alec§taar on 2004-07-22 14:05:52]

actually i have the newest dx9b installer, and after i used a dx cleaner program, dx9 reinstalled fine. i think the problem was when i reinstalled win2k, dx9 probably wasnt completely overwritten and so when i reinstalled dx9 from that, it didnt copy all the files over, probably because it thought that it already had done it.
thats my guess anyway.

can that program find driver settings that werent deleted correctly but arent in use anymore?
eg: viaagp.dll is in use for agp, but there is no viaagp driver present in the device manager.


everybody makes programs like startup editors nowadays, i wish somebody would make one that includes services and drivers.
im pretty sure that some spyware programs could install as a service, then how would you delete it?
in fact i think some programs that arent spyware can be just as annoying if they install themselves as a service then messup, especially stuff like norton.
because after the uninstaller doesnt work, then its HELL to fix it. ive had some programs do this before that were almost impossible to fix other than doing a fresh install.
is there any program that can clean services?
(not that i need it, but it could come in handy later)


one strange issue i still have though is with the program ati tray tools.
whenever i change any dx setting like anisotropic filtering with it, it resets my computer.
this happened before with my old board so i thought it was just the hardware, but apparently its a software conflict since it does the same thing on my nf2.
one time it didnt crash and it gave me some error, but i cant remember what it was, something about wrong display adapter maybe.
i wonder if its an old registry setting that its trying to change, like settings for an older driver i dont have installed anymore.
im thinking like display0009 is what im currently using, and display0001 is what its trying to change.
purely hypothetically speaking of course.
the program used to work a month ago, so i dont know why its not now.

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"can that program find driver settings that werent deleted correctly but arent in use anymore? eg: viaagp.dll is in use for agp, but there is no viaagp driver present in the device manager."

If it is not an OLEServer/ActiveX control registered by CLSID it probably will. You can read its mechanics above as I explained them, since it basically works like chkdsk does for the filesystem (which references NTFS MFT$ or FAT Fat-Table & then checks if those entries exist on disk... except, rather than using FAT-Table or MFT$, I use the registry as my database of filesystem entries instead & check that against disk, & will list files present in registry but NOT on disk anymore as candidates for removal EXCEPT if the file is an OLEServer/ActiveX control that uses ClassIdentifiers or TypeLibraries registrations... you start pulling those? System & apps usually start misfiring/malfunctioning! This is why You see alot of folks complaining that after running many registry cleaning programs their systems in some parts do not work right anymore... mine is guaranteed NOT to do that to you!)

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"everybody makes programs like startup editors nowadays, i wish somebody would make one that includes services and drivers.im pretty sure that some spyware programs could install as a service, then how would you delete it?"

They can, services are NOT all that diff. from normal programs (@ least usermode type services & not kernel level ones... they are written against the SCM (service control manager spec.)) & you're right, it's pretty possible to create a service level running malware or "virus" of sorts, but it would probably show up in services.msc pretty apparently & could be easily disabled.

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"in fact i think some programs that arent spyware can be just as annoying if they install themselves as a service then messup, especially stuff like norton."

Well, then you just disable them... Norton got SO complex in its makeup, that it "turned off" alot of folks I think. It's TOO complex & has room for alot of potential messup inside of itself & with all of its many "moving parts", too many, & you see folks complaining about that toolset utilities suite. Too hard to manually fix too, with all the .DLL files it uses & obscure configuration... which is why I kept the stuff I wrote SIMPLE & uses easily edited .ini files + programs in it ARE .exe PROGRAMS! Not called libs like .DLL's or .OCX's... easy to change, or fix!

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"because after the uninstaller doesnt work, then its HELL to fix it. ive had some programs do this before that were almost impossible to fix other than doing a fresh install."

Agreed!

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"is there any program that can clean services? (not that i need it, but it could come in handy later)"

Yea, services.msc, the std. Microsoft Shortcut... or, regedit.exe, by searching for their location! Recovery Console can also stop/start - enable/disable them using the LISTSVC command (shows them all + drivers), ENABLE/DISABLE commandlines with switches (self-explanatory on their function regarding turning off-on services &/or drivers).

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"one strange issue i still have though is with the program ati tray tools. whenever i change any dx setting like anisotropic filtering with it, it resets my computer."

That doesn't happen here, BUT the monitor DOES go black for a bit, & then refresh itself again... but, no reboot!

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"this happened before with my old board so i thought it was just the hardware, but apparently its a software conflict since it does the same thing on my nf2."

Maybe it's how its talking to the monitor? I don't know, just guessing here, because mine behaves as I describe it above vs. your behaviour you see there! Not same @ all...

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"one time it didnt crash and it gave me some error, but i cant remember what it was, something about wrong display adapter maybe."

Again, maybe monitor?

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"i wonder if its an old registry setting that its trying to change, like settings for an older driver i dont have installed anymore."

Could be... here is a BIG reason why fresh installations can be nice, you avoid mistakes you made in previous ones!

Originally posted by l33t-g4m3r:

"im thinking like display0009 is what im currently using, and display0001 is what its trying to change. purely hypothetically speaking of course.
the program used to work a month ago, so i dont know why its not now."

You can always strip the driver manually as I stated above, by using a CUSTOM (non ATI one) uninstaller & then looking thru the registry using regedit.exe & searching terms like ATI, Radeon, 9800, XT, etc. & then removing ANY & ALL remnants the unistallers & custom removers missed (if any).

Then, go to safe mode & install the driver again!

APK

i think i was probably too vague describing the ati tray tools, i didnt mean the one that comes with the driver, it works fine.
i meant this one: http://www.radeon2.ru/atitray/

thats the only tweaker program that does that to me though, all the other ones work.
i might as well quit trying to use it anyway since radlink is a lot better.

lol, i should have read the bug reports in the forum for that util.
http://www.thefallenangels.info/atitray/viewtopic.php?t=22