Drivers question

Windows Vista Home Premium SP2 - IE8
Avast Antivirus Pro 5
Windows Firewall

I just did a Dell Factory Image Restore. Everything is really working super, but I'm having a problem with Secunia PSI that is very strange. Every time I try to click on the Download Solution I get a pop up (see attached.)

If I click OK it takes me to Windows Update page online. All updates are installed, including SP 1 & 2. I can click on other links within PSI and they work. IE8 has never worked better. The thing that makes me think it could possibly be a driver is that Acronis program icon in my Add/Remove shows as just a white box instead of it's normal icon and in googling that something was said about it being a driver problem.

I am not knowledgeable about such things but I went into Device Manager, ticked each item and just looked to see if it was operating properly. I found 7 items under the System Devices tab that tell me there are no drivers installed for these items. Surely they should all have drivers??? When I right click each, all the options are accessible: Update Driver, Uninstall, etc. If there's no driver there to begin with I would think they'd be greyed out. Can someone help me please? Below are the 7 items.

Direct Memory Access Controller
High Prevision Event Timer
Intel(R) ICH8 Family SMBus Controller - 283E
Numeric Data Processor
Programmable Interrupt Controller
System Speaker
System Timer

 

Hi, Nikilet.

I would guess that you need to download and reinstall your chipset drivers - what's your Dell Service Tag #?

 

One item I gave above is wrong. Remove that Intel(R) ICH8 item from the list.

I'm not sure if I'm able to install something like chipset drivers. I've been told they are rather touchy. My service tag is 8XQ45D1.

 

Need to know if you're running 32- or 64-bit.

 

Sorry. 32 bit

 

Flashing your BIOS is touchy - for the most part, though, device driver installation is painless.

For what it's worth: I (and I think many here would agree) don't recommend using driver and patch harvesters such as Secunia - they can be rife with mistakes and unnecessary downloads. If your machine is working well, then don't fix it.

However, if those Device Manager flags are too bothersome, this Dell page for your machine contains everything you need: files, instructions, etc. (make sure you click on 'All XPS/Dimension files').

I'd strongly suggest you reinstall your relevant software - it may not solve your problems with Secunia, but at least you'll know that the machine software is OK.

 

I have worried over this psi thing to the point where I'm ready to give up the darned program. But I do need some driver help. You suggest reinstalling relevant software. Are you referring to these chipset drivers?

I don't even know what "flashing your BIOS" means. I updated my NVIDA driver and another one yesterday and everything went good. I had used a clean boot to do this and then restarted back into the selective boot after each driver install. When I had the two installed I went into msconfig and selected normal startup. When my desktop came up I got a window that says:
Error in C:/Windows/system32/nvsvc.dll
Missing entry:nvsvcStart

I click on the OK and my desktop finishes loading and everything appears to run as it should.

 

Thanks to both of you for helping me out. I have installed the chipset software and rebooted twice just to make sure.

Before I do the Nvidia thing, should I use the newest driver from Nvidia site, or should I use the one suggested for my service tag at Dell?

I updated SigmaTel High Performance CODEC yesterday. I think I may have the wrong driver, altho the sound is ok. After installation instead of showing the description given, it showed High Performance Audio Device. Two driver scan programs I used still show this as out of date.

 

I'd use the Dell driver first, as there may be instructions written in the code specific to your equipment: if all goes well, fine - if not, check out the generic nVidia software.

Again: drivers are usually updated to address specific problems with specific programs: just because there's a driver update available doesn't mean you have to update, especially if you're not experiencing any problems.

 

Thank you!!

 

In Programs/Features there are two items and I'd like to know if I should uninstall both: NVIDIA Drivers and NVIDIA Display Control Panel

I've noticed ever since I installed that chipset update IE8 has been running really slow and seems to have trouble loading pages. Before it was really working good, fast. I was enjoying that. Would the chipset update cause that?

 

Yes: uninstall both - the nVidia control panel is not necessary.

That statement reinforces the maxim 'Don't fix it if it ain't broke'. Couple of quickies you could try: manually run Windows Update, see if some rearranging needs to be done by Windows; download and run CCleaner (I'd suggest running both the file and registry cleaners); try another browser (Firefox is pretty much the standard non-IE browser).

 

I had CCleaner so ran that and then Registry Mechanic, which only found 2 items. Things seem better. Maybe it was just a momentary burp. Thanks all, for info. I will let you know how things turned out ... providing I've still got a connection. (Probably shouldn't joke about things like that.) :>)

 

I had a bit of a mishap, I think. I uninstalled NVIDIA and it said I had to restart. I forgot to press F8 key so it booted normal and then that thing started running to automatically install hardware down in my taskbar. I tried to stop in and finally it seemed to work.

Well here's the situation. When I go into Device Manager/Display Adaptor there is a different item there than what was there before, but I think it's one that was picked up by that auto hardware installer on startup. What's bothering me is that there is no entry at all in my Programs/Features for this NVIDIA Driver. Shouldn't there be?

So do I go into Device Manager and use the uninstall button there and then follow through with the restart in Safe Mode, run DriverSweep, then reinstall the driver I had downloaded from Dell, or what?

 

Just forget the post I made above. I had set a restore point before uninstalling the driver so I used it to get me back to square 1. I followed Halo's instructions exactly this time, but the same thing happened. The minute my screen opens in Safe Mode that thing runs in the taskbar telling me it's updating hardware and then that it has been updated and is ready to use.

Now I've got the driver I originally started with. I didn't have a chance to run DriverSweep or install the driver I had downloaded.

 

You must be getting sick of me since no one has answered, but please help. Now every time I boot I get the window attached.

I have no idea what it is referring to because I haven't plugged anything into my computer. The only thing I've done is open my CD and DVD drawers.

 

Sorry, but we lead normal lives, too.

Quick questions: is this a video card, or are you using onboard graphics? And, why are you booting into Safe Mode?

 

I didn't purchase or order a special video card so I assume this would be onboard graphics.

Halo's instructions above were: Afer removing NVIDIA boot into Safe Mode, run DriverSweeper and then install the diver I had downloaded previoiusly. But when I reboot, whether I do it in Normal or Safe Mode, that tool starts running immediatley in the taskbar telling me it's downloading driver software for my device, so I don't get a chance to run DriverSweeper or install the driver I downloaded. Right now I'm back to the driver I originally started with, but now I'm getting the window I attached above. I tried selecting the first option in the window, but after running for a very long time it just comes with some kind of message indicating it couldn't find this driver. I honestly believe it's from all this monkeying around with the NVIDA driver and not from any new device.

I looked in Device Manager and there is now a new item there called Other Items which was not there before. In it is Unknown Device with a little yellow thing on top of it. There is no way to tell what it is referring to because everything you click just refers to "unknown." I decided to disable it and see what happens. So far everything that I have used is working normally.

Please let me apologize for my impatience. I get so rattled when something like this happens because I have no knowledge. I'll try to do better.

 

No problem.

I agree: no doubt we've caused some confusion within Windows (and elsewhere: I know I'm confused!) as to what's installed and what isn't. It's not serious, however, supported by the fact that the machine seems to be working properly.

You might try looking at any 'Add new hardware' wizards and routines, see if there's anything there you can disable to stop the Taskbar alerts. And, if you feel froggy, you might try using those same routines to try to discern the best procedures for enabling the 'unknown' device(s): most likely, though, you'll just be entering the same loop you've been experiencing.

Hang in there! :major

 

Thanks for the support. Even that helps.

I have no idea how to look at "any new hardware wizards and routines." That Installing New Hardware tool is a part of the system, but can I actually go to it somewhere and see what's happened?