Dear NVIDIA,
Because of you and your inability to provide stable video card drivers for my NVIDIA based 6800GT video card, I’m now running Microsoft Windows Vista without any video drivers - just the generic adapter drivers Microsoft provides (”Standard PCI Video Card”)
Why, you ask? Because whenever I seem to boot my Windows Vista based PC, I’ve begun receiving a blank screen which shows up right where the login screen works. Safe mode works fine, and on the rare occasion Windows will actually boot using some form of NVIDIA drivers.
Without proper video card based acceleration and drivers I’m very limited in what I can do on this machine - I can’t play back videos or use Windows Media Center (the primary reason I have this machine), dragging Windows takes a ridiculously long time, and generally it’s just a major loss of productivity on my behalf.
Because you seem to lack the ability to actually provide support for your customers on widespread issues such as these, I’ve done your work and mine and taken the liberty of preparing a list of questions which I’ve also prepared the answers for.
When did this start happening?
This started happening in the middle of last week for absolutely no reason at all. I rebooted my Windows Vista based desktop PC and was presented with a blank screen right after the “Loading” animation and right before the login screen. Sometimes I’ll receive a dreaded blue screen of death (for nvlddmkm.sys) as a result.
I have not changed any of the hardware in this machine.
How do you know it is our crappy drivers?
When I boot in to Windows Vista using safe mode, I am alerted to the fact that Microsoft Windows has recovered from a serious error and asked if I’d like to report this to Microsoft and check for solutions. Of course I would - so I do.
Running the “Problem Reports & Solutions” applet in the Control Panel lets me know the problem was caused by an NVIDIA Graphics Driver and there is no solution available but I should check to see if there is an updated driver available, or contact yourself for other support options.
Windows Vista is only new - we haven’t had the time to polish our drivers.
Don’t give me that rubbish - you’ve had plenty of time. NVIDIA is a Microsoft Partner, you have had access to all of the beta releases throughout the Windows Vista development period and adequate information and assistance from Microsoft for developing WHQL based drivers - in fact, how are these drivers even signed WHQL drivers if there are so many problems with them?
This is not a widespread issue - our drivers work perfectly fine for everyone else.
No, they don’t. There’s a 90 page thread scattered with problems over on the official NVIDIA forums, a long with a 48 page thread on driver issues, and a similar 11 page thread filled with even more problems.
What’s more is you don’t seem to care very much about your customers - yes, you’re pushing forward a few new driver releases but it isn’t solving much and you aren’t communicating very well with your customers either. Acknowledge there are severe driver related issues with Windows Vista and actually participate in your forums a bit more to establish common causes and problems.
What version of the NVIDIA drivers are you using?
I’m currently running your latest “stable” drivers for Microsoft Windows Vista, v. 158.24.
Have you tried reinstalling our drivers?
Yes. Numerous times. I’ve completely removed the NVIDIA drivers from my system as well as run Driver Cleaner to remove all traces left by your drivers (you should really fix that too - when I uninstall something, I actually want it uninstalled)
The drivers will install again and I’ll be able to boot in to Windows Vista generally for the first reboot - subsequent reboots leave me with the blank black screen again.
Maybe it is your video card?
My video card works fine with Microsoft Windows XP and under the latest release of Ubuntu Linux. Don’t even try and tell me it is my video card.
I’ve also installed your “nTune” application which monitors the GPU of the video card - it’s well within a suitable temperature range and has not once overheated. The card is adequately cooled by the two fans also attached to the video card itself.
Could your RAM be faulty?
No. I’ve checked, double checked and then checked again for peace of mind. There are no problems with my RAM.
It could be your Windows Vista installation. Have you tried reinstalling?
Not yet. I don’t have the time at the moment but if it comes down to it, then yes, I will also try reinstalling Windows Vista but I don’t hold much hope.
Why would things go “bung up” for no apparent reason?
I’m not particularly happy here - as can be established from the above. I’m looking for a solution however everything I’ve tried has worked once and then the same problem still persists.
Comments
alephresh (July 13th, 2007, 5:22 pm)
I blame Canada.
SonicSam (July 13th, 2007, 5:45 pm)
Agreed.
dt (July 13th, 2007, 7:41 pm)
Im also quite shocked at the nvidia drivers for vista, they haven’t worked for me for ages, my problem is quite like yours though when i reboot windows just bsods saying it couldnt reload the nvidia driver :
University Update - Linux - Dear NVIDIA… (July 13th, 2007, 8:11 pm)
[…] Link to Article linux Dear NVIDIA… » Posted at SurfiOnline on Friday, July 13, 2007 [ […]
.Lou (July 13th, 2007, 9:35 pm)
I’ve no problem at all with mine, but that could be because my video card is ASUS NVIDIA. I hope you can get your issues cleared up :
Chris Boulton (July 14th, 2007, 12:13 am)
Yeah that is the worst part - some people have issues and some don’t.
It also depends on what model card you have - which NVIDIA chipset it has.
brian (July 14th, 2007, 1:34 am)
Of course they don’t care if your driver doesn’t work; as long as they’ve made their profit on selling the card; they don’t care about you anymore.
.Lou (July 20th, 2007, 1:19 pm)
Chris: also, I don’t know about you, but when I bought my card there was a vista compatibility logo on it, So :S
The Wicked Flea (July 20th, 2007, 11:05 pm)
No offense Chris, but you are asking for support on a card that is two generations old. Microsoft no longer supports Windows 98 you know. nVidia won’t leave you hanging forever, but they will prioritize those customers who bought 7X00 and 8X00 generation cards before you.
In a way it’s just business, but it still ticks us off.
By way of a side note, have you cleaned with Driver Cleaner and installed a different (possibly older) version of the Vista drivers? I had to do this recently when SupCom came out as the newest drivers I thought were decent really chopped the game up.
Chris Boulton (July 20th, 2007, 11:25 pm)
Wicked Flea, the problem isn’t that the graphics card is two generations old. nVidia is developing Windows Certified drivers for Windows Vista which support this card - give the nVidia site a visit, you’ll see that when you select this series card you’re presented with the downloadable driver package for the 6xxx series - not to mention all nVidia drivers are developed to be backwards compatible.
nVidia also still actively develops Windows Vista drivers for the FX 5000 series of cards - all WHQL certified too.
I’ve cleaned the installation out numerous times with Driver Cleaner Pro. Right now the system seems to be working on some Vista RC2 based drivers from 2006 however video performance in gaming is absolutely terrible.
Yam (July 23rd, 2007, 8:09 pm)
The problem is only because Microsoft.
nVidia blameless.
John Anderton (July 29th, 2007, 11:51 pm)
Honestly, its got nothing to do with the fact that Chris’ card is 2 gens old. Mine is a 7600 and I still have problems. First it was the fact that games would randomly, for not apparent reason, crash at that *exact same position* every time. And this wouldn’t happen with all games either.
Now the latest problem is going in and out of full screen video (for an application which is not Windows Media Player) breaks stuff. What exactly happens is that the screen just doesn’t update. I need to refresh it. Like I’m watching a movie and when I come out of full screen, the desktop and the task bar are all black. Refresh on desktop unlocking the task bar fixes it. Not acceptable at all. 
Basically, I have a new problem every time I install Vista with NVIDIA’s drivers. Go on. Accept it. You have code that is quite randomly and erratically giving people problems. Very rarely do 2 people have the same issues.
I moved to xp and viola, it was all fine
Subsequent releases to the NVIDIA Vista Drivers don’t seem to fix much, if anything with these issues. Sure they might have fixed someone’s problems but jeez, as Chris said, you’re a MS partner. By now, if I’m not mistaken, its should have been over 2 years or so since you (should) have been working on WHQL drivers.
Pull your shiz together. Make drivers that works for everyone please.
Windows Vista and Graphics Drivers at eXoenDo’s Blog (August 8th, 2007, 5:43 am)
[…] this post is very similar to SurfiOnlines post “Dear NVIDIA…” but I really dont care because I have the same sentiments. I’m using a brand new notebook PC, […]
Matt (August 10th, 2007, 1:19 pm)
Actuailly they do, because they want you to buy again.
Anyway, I’ve heard about problems, but when I used Vista Beta2 and my GeForce 7800GT with nvidia’s drivers, I didn’t have issues. I haven’t tried installing the drivers on Vista final yet, because the built in drivers seem adequet.
Anyway, I installed Vista on my laptop (P3 700Mhz with 256MB of RAM and a RAGE Mobility 128 M3), and I played Counter Strike with about 20FPS avarage, which I say is pretty good. I played for hours and had no issues also.
And I was using the XP or 2000 drivers.
Bas (November 27th, 2007, 2:46 am)
Hi,
I must say I’m sorry to see you have problems with your graphic card.
Is your OS x86 or x64?
Here is my experience with Nvidia cards.
I currently posses nvidia 4600 TI and 7950 GT cards.
Both cards work fine on Vista Ultimate x64 with latest stable drivers installed.
I had some problems with Vista Ultimate x86 though, mainly stability problems and booting problems.
I think Vista 32 bit (x86) sucks bigtime!!
When you find some free time reinstall Winblows and than bash nvidia.
Faulty Vista can really be the source of your problems!
You can try ATI cards, but I don’t recommend that. They have the worst drivers of them all.
I tried few ATI cards and they suck. Always driver problems and instability, and always something not working as it should work.
Anyway that is only my opinion.
Regards
Bas
shadowtiger (February 27th, 2008, 1:50 pm)
Blame Canadians? For what? Microsoft is an American company..or are you all too hot headed that you forgot to take a look in your own backyard. I suppose you’re too busy blowing up the other half of the world to realize half of the s*** is coming out of your own A**. good job guys. I highly applaud you. Oh btw, if another one of you americans says “do what now”, I’m not really asking you to do anything, it’s not even a grammatically correct response. When I ask you to say something again, you don’t give me a hick response, you say “excuse me what did you say?” or “sorry I didn’t hear you”. The most likely reason the American education system is so overpriced, is because they have to push for more educated teachers to teach all of you dumb people. More expensive since they keep have keep churning you all through again and again until “you dun der get it”. Oh by the way, try pronouncing your “O’s”, like O’s, not A’s. When you grow a plant, it’s called a pot, not a pat. When it’s summer, it’s hot, not hat. Oh, by the way, to all of you Southerners, I hope you all enjoy having a Black or Female president. THANK GOD! Some actual culture to rule your veins. Are you scared? Most likely you’re just bigots. “aww kleetus, den dur presidunt is a black man!” “oh no pa! better geet out dem der shotgun of ours and get eem!” good luck. oh i can’t wait for you republicans to be squashed. then this whole god damn war mess will be resolved. weapons of mass destruction? well no further than your local store my friends! it’s your own god damn faults anyways. cheers and hope we all viper you in the neck soon!