Defective laptops? Or defective video drivers?

[MarkLamp]

So as I posted in a previous thread (i'm pretty noob at this) I had to exchange out my first G46 for another one after I had downloaded the Nvidia video drivers that came out on 3/25. Every single time I do this, and restart my laptop, the "start menu" icons are all switched around, a lot of the screen appears black, and any attempt to goto the desktop or open an application ends with a few black flickers, and then back to the password screen.

This is now Asus G46 2/2. I do not live anywhere close to where I originally bought it, and exchanged it. There doesn't seem to be a mass scale of people complaining about this issue, but it seems pretty cut and dry to me.

I figured the first one was a fluke, and now i'm not so convinced. Obviously it's a software issue...but the regular "mandated" nvidia drivers are knocking out the G46VW completely?

Also note: As another user helped me find out in my previous thread, the two G46's I had purchased were different. Power adaper, and the new processor had changed.

Anyone else experiencing these issues? I do not want to look like a fool and exchange for a 3rd one, but I don't have too many other options. I love the hardware of this laptop and want to give Asus a shot.

Any help is GREATLY appreciated. Thanks guys.

[Pitcher1]

are you download driver from asus website or do the factory recover?

[dstrakele]

MarkLamp wrote:
I do not want to look like a fool and exchange for a 3rd one, but I don't have too many other options.

Welcome to the ROG Forum, Mark! Not to worry... You already look like a fool. But hey!, we've all been there at some point in our lives. The key is to learn from your mistakes. Spend some time reading the previous posts on this forum and arm yourself with knowledge...

There's no guarantee a brand new NVIDIA driver (or any other driver or update) will work on all laptops. The NVIDIA version that ships with the G46 has been tested to make sure it performs properly.

In your particular case, you may need to repair your Windows installation (see http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/http-wwwbleepingcomputercom-tutorials-automatically-repair...). You may even need to boot into Windows Safe Mode to do so.

If this succeeds, download the NVIDIA driver version from the ASUS website and perform a 'clean' NVIDIA install (launch the NVIDIA installer, choose "Custom Install" and check the "Clean Install" checkbox).

Some people will attempt to update the NVIDIA drivers from Device Manager. That is another way to create problems.

In the future, consider creating a Windows System Restore Point prior to driver installation, so you can easily UNDO that installation if it causes problems. You must always run the NVIDIA Installer from the installation file set you download to properly install the drivers.

Also consider scheduling regular backups of your System to allow you to recover from future software problems.


NVIDIA has an official feedback thread on their forum for each new driver version where you can report problems and provide information about your laptop that will help them to correct the problem in the next driver release.