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General FreeSpace => FreeSpace & FreeSpace Open Support => Topic started by: ARSPR on April 02, 2008, 09:31:09 am

Title: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: ARSPR on April 02, 2008, 09:31:09 am
As probably most of you already know, Forceware 169.xx driver series have texture corruption issues with FS2_Open. Depending on the exact GPU, OS, ship model and used textures you can get:


Avoid these driver series. So you can:


(Maybe any administrator should make this post sticky, so no more people complain about it).
Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: Herra Tohtori on April 02, 2008, 09:47:53 am
I use 160.02 Quadro drivers on my 7600GT. They have thus far worked pretty much ideally at least compared to any recent drivers actually designed for GeForce cards. :rolleyes:
Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: Wanderer on April 02, 2008, 09:50:54 am
Minor detail being that AFAIK users of new cards using G92 or newer chips - like newer GTS 8800 series cards - shouldn't use anything lower than 169.xx
Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: ARSPR on April 02, 2008, 11:15:55 am
Minor detail being that AFAIK users of new cards using G92 or newer chips - like newer GTS 8800 series cards - shouldn't use anything lower than 169.xx
Yes because of that I've waited till there has been a new general and working version, (not only restricted to some cards/OSes) before posting the advice.

Nevertheless, I've edited my first post.

I use 160.02 Quadro drivers on my 7600GT. They have thus far worked pretty much ideally at least compared to any recent drivers actually designed for GeForce cards. :rolleyes:
This does seem THE HACKTM, but not a good general advice  :lol: :lol: :lol:
Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: Herra Tohtori on April 02, 2008, 12:15:09 pm
I use 160.02 Quadro drivers on my 7600GT. They have thus far worked pretty much ideally at least compared to any recent drivers actually designed for GeForce cards. :rolleyes:
This does seem THE HACKTM, but not a good general advice  :lol: :lol: :lol:


Actually, I would place it more onto the category of things that Make Absolutely No Sense At All but since they work you don't want to **** with them... :rolleyes:

Honestly, I was having some weird stuttering on some DirectX graphics games, and the Quadro drivers somehow reduced that to prectically zero. Trying them was pretty much just a spur of a moment kinda thing, and I fully expected them not to work at all on the GeForce card, but what do you know, they actually feel like working better than the official drivers for GeForce cards. :rolleyes:

It shouldn't be surprising though since the Quadro cores are pretty much just GeForce cores that have gone through more vicious quality control and have some features unlocked probably via BIOS. The drivers recognize as ForceWare drivers even though they are installed from a quadro driverset install pack. :lol:
Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: lostllama on April 02, 2008, 03:56:34 pm
Hey thanks for this, I've been searching for threads related to this problem. We have a 6800 XT in our comp, I will try one of those solutions.

EDIT: Am still using 3.6.9 though. I know that some people with this problem have used a certain 3.6.10 beta build to solve it.
Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: DarknessKnight on April 04, 2008, 09:51:18 am
yes and it seams im one of the people with this problem, i have the nvidia geforce 8800 ultra with 169.xx drivers :hopping:, is there any solution from the developers/users that works to correct that corruption (cant go back on drivers since theres none in the site to choose from and some games i have demand the 169.xx drivers to run (hellgate london) but i didnt want to go out without playing this amazing mod). If no correction is on use i beg the developers to at least think about a patch to solve this textures problem, as i said its sadning not being able to play your excelent mod.
Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: taylor on April 04, 2008, 10:41:37 am
IT IS A DRIVER BUG!!!  NVIDIA CONFIRMS IT IS A DRIVER BUG!!  THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO TO FIX IT!!

All you can do is upgrade your drivers.


(...hopes the message finally gets through that it's not a FSO bug and there is nothing we can do about it...)
Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: MP-Ryan on April 04, 2008, 02:14:33 pm
(...hopes the message finally gets through that it's not a FSO bug and there is nothing we can do about it...)

I wouldn't count on that.

In other news, the Catalyst 8.3 series seem to be a good choice for older ATI cards (9500-9800 GPUs).
Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: ARSPR on April 04, 2008, 02:26:06 pm
(...hopes the message finally gets through that it's not a FSO bug and there is nothing we can do about it...)

I ask for again: Please make this advice thread sticky.
Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: karajorma on April 04, 2008, 05:37:11 pm
Stickying the thread doesn't help if people are going to reply to it without actually reading it. :p
Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: Colonol Dekker on May 21, 2008, 11:48:59 am
Wahh. . .
I just got a sense of deep-rooted panic as i updated my drivers recently, i've not played FS2 since. <shock horror> so i'm gonna check as soon i've finished my home refurbishments.
Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: Colonol Dekker on June 01, 2008, 07:54:36 pm
I've just found out i get the Stripes :( how the heck do i downgrade? I've never needed to. As some people may know, i run the 8600 GS. (Two of the buggers)
Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: Antares on June 01, 2008, 10:54:33 pm
Downgrade your graphics drivers, you mean?
Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: phreak on June 01, 2008, 11:52:18 pm
the new 175.xx series drivers work.  I am using them on my laptop, using an 8600 mobile.
Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: Colonol Dekker on June 02, 2008, 06:23:48 am
Yes :) downgrade my graphic drivers. Installing and updating is one thing but what do i do if it says my drivers are already the latest version?
Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: Herra Tohtori on June 02, 2008, 07:33:01 am
ForceWare 163.75 for XP (http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_163.75.html)
ForceWare 163.75 for Vista 32-bit (http://www.nvidia.com/object/winvista_x86_163.75.html)
ForceWare 163.75 for Vista 64-bit (http://www.nvidia.com/object/winvista_x64_163.75.html)

...and the rest of them (http://www.nvidia.com/Download/Find.aspx?lang=en-us), feed appropriate values and hit search, and select the one you want to install.

Download the file you want, remove and clean up the installed drivers*, re-start, run the new driver installation and restart again.

*This is the recommendable procedure. I usually skip it though and I've never had any apparent problems related to it, but if you do have problems with video card after installing new drivers directly on top of old ones, remove and clean up the drivers, and re-install the new driver.
Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: ARSPR on June 02, 2008, 07:33:37 am
I've just found out i get the Stripes :( how the heck do i downgrade? I've never needed to. As some people may know, i run the 8600 GS. (Two of the buggers)
Are you saying that you are suffering texture corruptions with a different driver serie than 169.xx?

That can be quite BAD...
Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: Colonol Dekker on June 02, 2008, 07:51:40 am
Drivers are dated as 16/10/2007
Version is listed as 7.15.11.6732...

Also regarding the links above, how do i know if i've Visat 64 or 32, all i know is it's home premiujm  :confused: :nervous:

Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: ARSPR on June 02, 2008, 08:54:34 am
Drivers are dated as 16/10/2007
Version is listed as 7.15.11.6732...

Also regarding the links above, how do i know if i've Visat 64 or 32, all i know is it's home premiujm  :confused: :nervous:


Those should be 167.32, a really really strange driver version. Why the hell don't you get LAST drivers (175.16) from nvidia homepage?
Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: Colonol Dekker on June 02, 2008, 09:10:14 am
I'm used to gertting them off PC Gamer discs. Ok i'll go get them now  :rolleyes:

edit -- wait a sec whats this though

Drivers are dated as 16/10/2007
Version is listed as 7.15.11.6732...

Also regarding the links above, how do i know if i've Visat 64 or 32, all i know is it's home premiujm  :confused: :nervous:


Doesn't that read as right?
Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: ARSPR on June 02, 2008, 03:58:56 pm
I'm used to gertting them off PC Gamer discs. Ok i'll go get them now  :rolleyes:

edit -- wait a sec whats this though

Drivers are dated as 16/10/2007
Version is listed as 7.15.11.6732...

Also regarding the links above, how do i know if i've Visat 64 or 32, all i know is it's home premiujm  :confused: :nervous:


Doesn't that read as right?

Don't worry, as example my 175.16 actually are 7.15.11.7516. So I just made a guess about the "short" version number.
Title: Re: Nvidia GPU users: Avoid Forceware 169.xx series
Post by: Colonol Dekker on June 02, 2008, 04:58:44 pm
Ok :yes:
I've come out of flid mode and twigged that i'm running 32 bit vista. Also i downloade the GForce 1.75.16 drivers. So i should be good to go. . . . . . .shouldn't i :wtf:
Thanks for your patience guys, i've been stuck in idiot mode all week. All my normal operational routines have been overwritten with uv mapping and texture creation capability. :nervous: