I find these days that the nividia clean install option does remove all traces of the previous driver plus if I really want to do a thorough job I use REVO installer which definitely removes all traces of any install.I haven't used the safe boot method in over 2 years now (when it was the norm) and I have not experienced any graphics card issues - lucky I guess.As someone said, To each his own".PeterH

I find these days that the nividia clean install option does remove all traces of the previous driver plus if I really want to do a thorough job I use REVO installer which definitely removes all traces of any install.I haven't used the safe boot method in over 2 years now (when it was the norm) and I have not experienced any graphics card issues - lucky I guess.As someone said, To each his own".PeterH

Now that you guys mention it; for the past year I've just installed over the older drivers. No issues thus far. In the past I religiously cleaned driver installs, but I've found that to be unnecessary.

I'd say that if your not doing a "clean" install with any of the latest Nvidia or ATI drivers you've been pretty lucky to not have any issues. Even the guys who make the cards recommend it as one of the FIRST things to check when you have problems.

I'd say that if your not doing a "clean" install with any of the latest Nvidia or ATI drivers you've been pretty lucky to not have any issues. Even the guys who make the cards recommend it as one of the FIRST things to check when you have problems.

On the contrary. For the newer drivers, this is less of an issue. Only sometimes is a totally clean install in order.

Hey interesting topic, I have an old E6850 with a GTS 250/1Gb graphics card running FS2004 and FSX on XP. Whilst removing dust from the graphics card late last year, I also decided to upgrade from nVidia's 260.99 driver, which had been stable for over 18months. Since then I have tried 275.33 which was OK, then 285 full, which was horrible and 290 and 295 betas, which were little better, every single time reinstalling using Driver Cleaner Pro in Safe Mode. Not a single one was as stable as 260.99, I have experienced stutters, inability to access menu bar in full screen mode, CTDs and fluctuating FPS.So I'm back to 260.99 and happy enough I guess. Hopefully it will improve with age! :-) Ray

295.51 beta seems to be working well for me too, at least feels smoother than the 285.66 which I was using, basing the performance on S43 Orbx + Turbine Duke which is my usual tweak test.I can't compare it to the "golden" 275 version since my card is a 560Ti/448 from Nov 2011 and 275 doesn't support that model, maybe that is why the newer drivers work better. YMMV.

Just an additional note which may help: I stupidly decided that 260.99 was a bit pedestrian and tried to re install 290 beta. I then got a constant 'Install Failed' message with everything I tried. Tore out what remained of my hair for a couple of days but eventually after trawling the forums, applying various tweaks and completely purging my machine of all directories, left over NV files, using reg cleaner, CC cleaner, Drive Cleaner Pro and much penitent time spent in Safe Mode, I almost went for a complete Windows reinstall.Finally I went back to 266.x. and it reinstalled the driver with no problem, so I guess I'm stuck here for the time being. Interestingly I still get a 'Low on Registry space' error message sometimes, even though I have rebuilt and increased the size of my page file (which was one suggested solution).The lesson is that if everything fails and you can't install any drivers post 270, the 260s may still install hopefully. Hope this helps someone not to mess around with graphic drivers too much. If anyone needs advice having had similar problems, I would be happy to help if I could Yours, leaving everything alone and just flying for the time being...Ray

I think my best drivers were actually 275.33. I may have to put them in to job my memory. I can set Nvida where it is most rock-solid of even single-pixel lines don't waiver but it knocks my system down to -10FPS..... bummer. Right now with AA I am testing my settings at:AA setting: 8xS [Combined: 1x2 SS + 4x MS]AA Transparency Supersampling: 8x Sparse Grid SupersamplingBut I had some offbeat setting with the 275's that seemed to rock. There easy to pop back in these days.

Edited February 16, 201214 yr by Clutch Cargo