GeForce driver update disabled my Nvidia Control Panel... HELP!

Hi. It's been a few years since I've been here to Major Geeks. Since my last visit, I bought a new laptop.

1st the specs, as you will probably will need:
HP Envy... Model 15t-J100
Windows 8.1 (64 bit) (not by choice & I hate it, but that's for another time!)
(Do you need anything else?)

Here's my issue:
Each time I go to install a new GeForce driver update for my video card, it starts to work fine, but then about 1/2 way through the install, Windows crashes & I get the dreaded BSOD. (Yes, I've even tried doing a clean install, still same effect!)

However, once it's booted back up, I go to the display under device manager & it shows the driver is up to date. *sighs*

So, then I try to go to the Nvidia control panel to make sure the Nvidia card is the default, NOT the Intel card... but that's when I get a wlMerger.exe error message.

Last time I had this issue, I found if I did GeForce / Nvidia's recommended install, instead of a custom install (where I can select clean install)... it worked... and I could access Nvidia control panel, without a problem.

But, this most recent update, I tried doing the recommended way 1st... however, it failed, as mentioned above.

I've tried researching how to fix this problem & so I won't have it again... but everything I look at has different solutions.

My question for you Geeks.. is what is the proper way to fix this and keep it from happening again, the next time I need to update the driver??

Fixing, meaning, allowing the driver to install without Windows crashing & getting the BSOD... and still have the ability to access Nvidia's control panel.

btw, as of right now, I have no access to said control panel.

Also, I've disabled the Nvidia video card... running on the Intel Graphics 4600 card that was also installed (again, not by choice & something for another time.)

Furthermore, I've been running AVG scans every other day (ran it today as well)... the very first scan (after installing AVG last week), had found 6 errors & fixed them... but I have no clue what they were (I hit archive, instead of view, or something like that... and now I can't find what those problems were.) Anyway, no other threats have been found since then.

Earlier today, I downloaded MalwareBytes & it ran a scan and found nothing.

What else do I need to run / do?

Also, I saw suggestions of running a DDU... However, before I run that, I want to know if it really is what I need to do? If so, I do need to run it in SAFE MODE?? (Would this allow me to install everything from the very start again, or what??)

I sure hope one of you can help. I'm quite frustrated with this.. and I do not want to have to take it to Best Buy. (even though I bought this straight from HP!)

Ok, I think that is all for now. Please let me know if you need anymore information. Thanks, LH99 :cool

P.S. What's with the ad pop up's for CDW on certain words... (they're green & double underlined?) ... it's quite annoying. Is there some way to disable it so when my mouse goes past those certain words, it doesn't pop up?

 

Where are you getting the update from, and what is the model of your nVidia graphics card?

 

The update is from Nvidia / GeForce... request to update was sent to me by them, through the GeForce Experience icon / panel or whatever they call it. I have the 740M card. :cool

 

HP shows one Nvidia driver for your model
http://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers...8/model/6521380#Z7_3054ICK0KGTE30AQO5O3KA30R1
these are the details
version: 9.18.13.3233
size: 350.9 MB
date: Jun 2, 2015

Truthfully, the safer way is to start at the HP site for your Envy 15t-J100 and let it scan your laptop to see if you need the driver that you are trying to install
http://support.hp.com/us-en/product/HP-ENVY-15-Notebook-PC-series/6521378/model/6521380/drivers/
Use option 1 check now

 

Only one problem with this... the link you have, shows a touch screen, mine is the Quad Edition... So, I did the "not mine" (or whatever it said)... it pulled up the correct one & showed me a whole load of drivers & updates I need.

If this is the case, then why hasn't Windows given me the notifications via the "action center"? (Especially the one for the Intel Graphics driver)??

Should I be downloading all those updates HP shows I need? (They were found, by using their program thingy (don't know what to call it), that it asked me to download & install, so it could detect all the I have with this computer.)

I hope this make sense... because, honestly, I'm confused as to why I see over 30 drivers / updates HP has found, when the Action Center has nothing.

Plus, why would I download a driver from HP for a Nvidia product? See my confusion?

Thanks. :confused

 

Even more so, now... I just went to the Device Manager, right clicked on my Intel HD Graphics 4600, chose properties, then clicked "Update Driver" & had it search for the most recent update... and it came back and send my driver is up to day... HOWEVER... on that HP site, it says it is not!
So, which one do I believe??

If it's HP... then why is the device manager / Windows not picking up on the same thing (that was supposedly released over a year ago)?? :confused

 

Ok, I broke down & chose to install ONLY the Nvidia driver via the HP site... and low & behold it worked!! :dancer

However, with the Nvidia control panel working again, it has a "notification" posted that the driver is out of date again. (Because the HP site installed a driver that is one step behind (332.33) the Nvidia one.)

So, I tried to update again with the Nvidia control panel, which then opens GeForce (which is what my card is, I guess), which then finds the newest driver 353.30... but yet again, upon 1/2 way installing, it fails. Which, again, disables (breaks) the Nvidia control panel. :banghead

Then I went back to the HP driver and tried to install it... it too then fails. So, I let computer do it's restart thing... and tried one more time... This time it works.

Everything is back to "normal", so to speak... However, I still have an outdated driver, as per Nvidia. So, I've "exited" the little notification button, so it won't bug me for now.

With that said... I take it then I should wait for HP to get the updated driver, and install it that way?

What about all the other drivers and etc (including a BIOS update) in which the HP site has found needs updated... should I do them all??

*sighs* Still confused as to why HP is showing it all needs updated, but the Windows Action Center has nothing! (Though, I guess I should never trust Windows. LOL) :confused

I'm going to wait to update the BIOS and etc, that HP wants me to do, until I hear back from one of you, to let me know it is safe to do.

Thanks :cool

 

If everything is working, don't update any driver. You only update a driver when there's a problem. And leave the BIOS alone.

 

Shut down the update notifications from the Nvidia Control Panel. They are causing more harm than good as you discovered a few times.

If you have problems, only then do you look for driver updates. You go to the HP site to see if there is an updated driver.

 

Bookmark this. It's the best advice. And the same applies to BIOS and Firmware updates.