Please verify GOOD or BAD advice to delete driver

Though I make my living on my PC, my tech knowledge is very limited, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Windows XP is my OS.

My pc reboots, goes to black screen, or hangs up at random times.
Microsoft messages says it is caused by my video driver, and I need to update it.

I finally found out what type video card I have, found the updated driver, downloaded it and am ready to install it.

Here's my question: I was told to delete the other driver first and disable my virus protection before installing the new driver. Is that good advice?
 If I delete the other driver first, won't my monitor screen go blank?
Forgive me if that's a stupid question, but as I said my tech knowledge is very limited.

My sincere thanks for any help.

No, you can safely remove the previous driver installed. Windows will automatically switch to a default driver that can be used until you install the proper Windows drivers.

Make certain all your fans are in working order and that dust isn't clogging air-intake.

WOW! That was QUICK!!
Thank you very much Raptor!

I know you guys don't get anywhere near the amount of praise you deserve, so let me say:

The world needs MORE people like YOU and the others here, who freely give of themselves unselfishly to help others.

I raise my glass in a toast to you, and all the others!

Be assured I will praise Computerhope at every opportunity.


Joe A. Nesbitt  AKA: XP_Fatal_Error
CEO Nesco Enterprises

No problem, Joe. You're welcome to post back anytime when you've got troubles.  

[Moderator]

And keep in mind that whenever you are required to disable your protection in order to properly install something make sure the machine is dis-connected from the web...

patio.  8-)

Thanks Patio, Good Advice!

[size=16]IT DIDN'T WORK!!! [/size]

I installed the updated driver, NO CHANGE!

I'm ready to hurl this S.O.B. out the window!

The restarts, black screens, screen freezes, lost work, MORE LOST WORK, save work, STILL wind up LOOSING IT, unable to produce any income for TWO MONTHS NOW, it"s driving me crazy!!

Will somebody, PLEASE, JUST SHOOT ME! Put me out of this misery!

OK....I feel better now. Nothing better than a little screaming, whining and ranting to clear the head before getting down to business.

It seems that Microsoft was WRONG! I really hope one of you guys can help.

My OS is Windows XP
A couple of months ago my pc began restarting from time to time. After a while, in addition to restarts, the screen started just going black with no restart, forcing me to press restart button.

Each time upon rebooting I got a microsoft message saying something like:
"The system has recovered from a serious error". "A report of this has been made..blah blah..." Send Report   Do Not Send Report.
I sent the report each time. Got message: "Error caused by a device driver", "No further info available". "Check newly installed hardware driver."
I had not installed any new hardware.

As time went on restarts became more and more frequent. Then after sending hundreds of these reports to Microsoft, one day instead of getting message that said: "Error caused by a Device Driver", It said: "Error caused by a VIDEO DRIVER"

It gave two fixes. #1:Install updated video driver.
#2. Move hardware acceleration to "NONE"
I opted for #2. and moved the hardware acceleration to none.
No change.

I began trying to find out who made my video card. After weeks of dead ends and much frustration trying to learn what chip set is and "North and South" and downloaded SIS SANDRA program which said it was made by VIA, went to VIA website, but driver KMM400 was not listed, told to download VIA "Driver Package"  did that, installed "Driver Package" That didn't help! Checked Windows Updates several times, no video driver but Updated driver for Printer and cable modem. That didn't help.

Then I learned that the video driver is listed in Device Manager under display adapter. Found out that driver is VIA/S3G Unichrome ??something. Couldn't find it on VIA website. Finally found updated driver on HP site. Downloaded it, installed it yesterday. DIDN"T HELP!!!

I noticed a very strange thing a week or so ago. When I log on to Windows under MY NAME, and try to work. restarts, black screens and hang ups are almost continuos. Sometimes as many as 8-10 in 20 mins. time. HOWEVER, my wife logs on to Windows under HER NAME, and plays silly games UNINTERRUPTED for 2 or 3 HOURS!! Not a single restart! Not just sometimes, EVERYTIME! I started using HER name, for a while the restarts weren't as numerous, but now they are increasing, and are almost as bad as when I use my name.

I update and run AVG virus scan daily. I run SPYBOT and Ad-Aware on a regular basis. I have cookies set on "custom" to prompt before allowing, and always select DO NOT ALLOW. I delete temporary internet files regulary. I run microsofts MALWARE prorgam each time a new version comes out. I have Windows Updates set on Auto. I've got TONS of free ram, dram, memory, disc space.....  both hands are now full of hair and my head hurts ........  a LOT!

ANYONE have ANY ideas? If not, anyone got a gun I can borrow!?

[Moderator]

1) Turn off 'Automatic restart on system failure'.

2) Download, unzip, install and run Everest Home Edition
http://www.comcen.com.au/~fed/everest.zip

Select Computer>Summary from the left hand screen.
Right click in the right hand screen & select Copy All
Paste the details in here.

3) Does it restart in 'Safe Mode'?

Test the memory as well using Microsoft Memory Diagnostics(Click)

[Moderator]

After following the excellent advice above you can also try borrowing a known good video card from a friend, swap yours out and install the drivers for the borrowed one and see if the situation improves.

The one thing that jumps out at me though from your latest post is the fact that your wife can run it for hours with no problem...this leads me to believe you're profile on that machine might be corrupt...

Don't toss the machine out the window just yet...we'll get you there somehow.

patio.  8-)

Thanks Fed.

First to answer your question, yes, it does reboot in safe mode, eventhough [highlight]I turned off Automatic restart on system failure a while back[/highlight].

Raptor,
I'm currently trying to download Windows Memory Diagnostic, but stop errors are coming in bunches like bananas this morning! <chuckle>
Thanks, my friend, I'll post info from it once I get it.

Thanks Patio,
 Having the same thought, I created a new user account. It did fine for a few days, but now I'm getting stop errors with it the same as the others.

Fed,
Here's the information from EVEREST: Computer Summary, as requested above:

Field      Value
Computer      
Operating System      Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
OS Service Pack      Service Pack 2
DirectX      4.09.00.0904 (DirectX 9.0c)
Computer Name      SCREAMMACHINE (Joes Computer)
User Name      Administrator2
      
Motherboard      
CPU Type      AMD Athlon XP, 2083 MHz (12.5 x 167) 2600+
Motherboard Name      Epox EP-8KMM3I  (3 PCI, 1 AGP, 2 DDR DIMM, Audio, Video, LAN)
Motherboard Chipset      VIA VT8378 UniChrome KM400
System Memory      480 MB  (PC2100 DDR SDRAM)
BIOS Type      Award (08/05/03)
Communication Port      Communications Port (COM1)
Communication Port      ECP Printer Port (LPT1)
      
Display      
Video Adapter      VIA/S3G UniChrome IGP  (32 MB)
Video Adapter      VIA/S3G UniChrome IGP  (32 MB)
3D Accelerator      VIA/S3 UniChrome
Monitor      ViewSonic A90  [19" CRT]  (NP93000089)
      
Multimedia      
Audio Adapter      C-Media CMI8738/C3DX Audio Device
      
Storage      
IDE Controller      VIA Bus Master IDE Controller - 0571
Floppy Drive      Floppy disk drive
Disk Drive      SAMSUNG SP1203N  (120 GB, 7200 RPM, Ultra-ATA/133)
Optical Drive      LITE-ON COMBO LTC-48161H  (DVD:16x, CD:48x/24x/48x DVD-ROM/CD-RW)
SMART Hard Disks Status      OK
      
Partitions      
C: (NTFS)      114494 MB (103099 MB free)
      
Input      
Keyboard      Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard
Mouse      PS/2 Compatible Mouse
      
Network      
Network Adapter      VIA Rhine II Fast Ethernet Adapter  (72.242.36.147)
Network Adapter      WAN (PPP/SLIP) Interface  (172.164.230.52)
Modem      Agere Systems PCI Soft Modem
      
Peripherals      
Printer      CAPTURE FAX BVRP
Printer      Lexmark X1100 Series
Printer      Quicken PDF Printer
USB1 Controller      VIA VT83C572 PCI-USB Controller
USB1 Controller      VIA VT83C572 PCI-USB Controller
USB1 Controller      VIA VT83C572 PCI-USB Controller
USB2 Controller      VIA USB 2.0 Enhanced Host Controller
USB Device      Generic USB Hub
USB Device      Lexmark X1100 Series
USB Device      USB Printing Support

By the way, THANK YOU for Everest, what a GREAT PROGRAM! Wish I had it MONTHS AGO! It would have saved me a lot of work and much searching trying to find out specfics about my system.

ALL you guys are great! If nothing else comes of my time here, I'm truely grateful to you guys for the knowledge and education you're providing.

Health, wealth, and happiness to you and yours.

I'm currently trying to download Windows Memory Diagnostic, but stop errors are coming in bunches like bananas this morning! <chuckle>
Thanks, my friend, I'll post info from it once I get it.

You should really download it from a stable system to ensure data integrity.

What kind of errors are you seeing?

[Moderator]

Try this one.
http://display-and-video.free-driver-download.com/VIA/11913/VIA-VT8378-(KM400)-Display-Driver-16.94.32.11-Windows-2000-XP.html

I clicked on the link above and went to the site. I clicked on "Download it"
The Windows pop up box that ask: Do you want to RUN or SAVE appeared for a split second then was gone. I looked behind the page, behind the next one and then minimized my internet connection window, but it was nowhere to be found. I looked up at the top of the page on the website and it said: "Download in progress". Now, 48 minutes later, it STILL says Download in progress.
It's never taken 48 minutes to download ANYTHING!
Should I try the download again?

Use download location 2.

OK... Download done. How do I install it? I double clicked on it, it just opened the files. I don't see an "exe." file. I opened properties, where it says "TYPE" it says "FILE FOLDER", that doesn't seem right, shouldn't it say "APPLICATION"?