![[H]ard|Forum](/styles/hardforum/xenforo/logo_dark.png){kind=logo}
Best way to remove Nvidia drivers prior to installing 5870
- Thread starter goodl
- Start date
You could just uninstall from programs and features but many people like to use a driver tool like Driver Sweeper
Yeah it may leave some registry entries and some nVidia folders but will not affect anything. At the end of the day you could leave the nVidia drivers there and just install the ATi drivers and away you go, your OS would just not see anything that uses the old drivers anymore and point the new hardware at the ATi drivers.
I've always just removed them via add/remove programs / programs and features and installed the new drivers.
Yep...as above. Uninstall nvidia drivers, perform Driver Sweep before reboot. You always get files left, then re-boot. Upon re start run driver sweep again and very rarely you get files left then.
Continue to install new drivers.....if it does not ask you to create the folder....its not a fresh install coz the old folder is there. As in it should say that the ATi folder does not exsist do you want to create it.
Continue to install new drivers.....if it does not ask you to create the folder....its not a fresh install coz the old folder is there. As in it should say that the ATi folder does not exsist do you want to create it.
I was going to swap to my 8800GTS and my 4870 this weekend (wanna do more gaming on the PC that has the 8800GTS and more computational work on the one that has the 4870). So I might try that, just leaving the nVidia drivers there and installing the ATi ones on top. When I last swapped them I just did add/remove programs and it worked fine, no need for a driver cleaner and it was getting performance that was to be expected from reading benchmarks.
Well, I installed the 4870 after taking out the 8800GTS. Didn't touch the nVidia drivers, didn't delete them or anything, simply installed the ATI ones after putting the new card in, no issues yet (beyond what I was experiencing before). Haven't had a chance to play many games, but performance seems to be what it should be like.
+1 on using Driver Sweeper.
Absolutely no need. Just uninstall the old drivers using the supplied uninstaller, then install new. What makes you think that ATi are going to use nVidia driver files? Any 'common' files will be overwritten with the new install.
I know his isn't your exact situation, but I recently went from a BFG 9800GT to a XFX HD 5850 under Vista 64 bit.
I simply used the uninstall programs option in the control panel, removed the card and rebooted with the ATi card in place. Installed ATi drivers and all has worked great.
revenant
[H]F Squad Captain
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2005
- Messages
- 16,355
You get lucky sometimes doing that, but not always.... I still think what was posted (around post#5) above is the safest way to ensure a trouble free migration from green to red. Uninstall using windows app manager, then driver sweeper, reboot, driver sweeper once more (usually no files or entries are found this time, but just being double sure), then shut down, remove old and install new card(s), power up and install new drivers. Kind of a hassle but it can save you headaches in the long run... I went from a GTX260 sli setup on vista64 to a 5870 using the method above and it worked perfect.
Cerulean
[H]F Junkie
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2006
- Messages
- 9,476
Astronomica
Gawd
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2008
- Messages
- 755
It's not like the old days where nvidia and ati cards were like oil and water. I've done the switch 100 times, run the uninstaller, if you're feeling paranoid run driver cleaner. Honestly, nothing bad will happen even if old nvidia files remain.