Error: "NVIDIA software could not be installed. Why won't the Nvidia driver install? Solving all problems with installing the Nvidia video card driver
There is no need to talk about the advantages of the operator's digital entertainment capabilities NVIDIA GeForce Experience. It is better to instead pay attention to the problem when this program is not installed on the computer at all under various pretexts. There is no point in abandoning GF Experience in such a situation; the problem needs to be solved.
GF Experience comes with drivers for NVIDIA video cards completely free of charge. As a result, installing this program separately from the drivers is only possible when downloading from third-party resources. The official NVIDIA website does not supply this software separately. Considering that the program is free, you should not try to download it from anywhere. This may harm your computer and also prevent further attempts to install a licensed GF Experience.
If it is impossible to install the version of the program downloaded from the official website, then this should be dealt with in more detail. In total, besides individual ones, there are 5 different reasons.
Reason 1: Installation not confirmed
The most common situation is an incorrect installation of the driver software package. The fact is that GF Experience comes as an additional component to the drivers. By default, the program is always added, but there may be exceptions. So it is worth checking whether the presence of this program is confirmed during installation.
As a rule, after this the program is successfully added to the computer and starts working.
Reason 2: Not enough space
A standard problem that may interfere with the installation of any other programs. The fact is that NVIDIA is quite demanding on memory - first the update package itself is downloaded, then it is unpacked (taking up even more space), and then the installation begins. In this case, the installer does not remove the unpacked materials behind him. As a result, a situation may well arise that there is simply nowhere to install GeForce Experience.
The main thing is to remove the unpacked NVIDIA files for the installer. As a rule, they are located immediately on the root disk. This is necessary because the NVIDIA driver installer does not clean up the workspace, so this folder may contain files for previous drivers.
Then you need to clear up space on the main drive. This can be done manually by removing unnecessary programs, files, and data from "Downloads". You can also use specialized programs.
After this, you should try to reinstall the drivers. It will be best if by this moment there is at least 2 GB of free space on the disk.
Reason 3: GF Experience is already installed
It may also turn out that the new GF Experience refuses to install because another version of this program is already installed. The user may not be aware of this if the software does not work. This is especially common when Experience does not start with the system, and there is no shortcut to the running program in the notification area.
In such a situation, you need to figure out why GeForce Experience refuses to function correctly. You can find out more about this in a separate article.
Reason 4: Registry crash
From time to time, situations occur when when you remove or replace an old version of GeForce Experience, the registry entry about the presence of the program is not erased. Therefore, the system continues to think that there is no need to install anything new, because the product is already installed and working. The double problem here is that usually when installing NVIDIA drivers, the process forces all components to update. So a significant portion of cases where a registry entry is not deleted go unnoticed.
However, there are also really serious problems when this entry is also not accompanied by product version data. Therefore, during installation, the system cannot determine whether the program needs to be replaced or not, automatically leaning towards the second option. Therefore the user cannot install anything.
The problem is solved in two ways.
The first is to try a clean reinstall.
Now all that remains is to complete the installation. Usually after this the program is added to the computer without problems.
The second option is to clear the registry of errors.
Once the cleanup is complete, you should try installing the drivers again with GeForce Experience.
Reason 5: Virus activity
There are known cases where various malware directly or indirectly interfered with the performance of GeForce Experience. You should scan your computer, destroying any viruses that are found.
After this, you should try the installation again. Usually everything works correctly.
Conclusion
As you can see, the problem with installing GeForce Experience is resolved quite quickly and mostly without problems. There may be other reasons for the system to refuse to install this software, but in most cases these are individual problems. And they require specific diagnostics. The above is a list of the most common problems.
Despite the fact that the process of active computerization began more than two decades ago, it is still very far from completely eradicating the difficulties that arise during the interaction between the user and the computer. So, now one of the pressing problems is the process of installing control programs for this or that computer equipment.
Two bridges to the world of video
Once upon a time, video adapters for computers were produced by various companies: Trident, S3, NVIDIA, Ati, Cirrus Logic, Matrox, etc. Much has changed since then, and at the moment the most common products are from only two companies - AMD and NVIDIA. The famous Intel never presented a discrete solution, limiting itself to a line of central processors. It is believed that the popularity of Nvidia products is higher than that of AMD, so it is understandable that users more often encounter difficulties when using video cards from this particular manufacturer.
This is the main reason. It is worth noting that due to all of the above, it is impossible to say that Nvidia is not installed, while the Intel driver works stably. It is also necessary to take into account the degree of distribution of solutions from a particular manufacturer. In this article we will answer the question “why does the Nvidia geforce driver not install?” and point out ways to solve it.
Correct control program
In order for applications to display all colors correctly and be able to use 3D acceleration, you must install the video card driver. This is a special program that is installed once and ensures interaction between the operating system and the hardware units of the video adapter.
One of the reasons why the Nvidia video card driver does not install is that users download the control program from unverified sources. These can be various forums, overclocking resources, websites in specific areas. For “advanced” computer scientists, such drivers are an opportunity to increase the performance of the video subsystem or get any additional features blocked in official releases.
However, ordinary users who decide to get all these fabulous bonuses are often faced with the fact that the Nvidia driver is not installed. When you try to install, you may receive messages about some kind of discrepancy, an error in memory addresses, a driver already present in the system, etc. All this can be avoided if you download the program from the manufacturer’s official website. So, the first rule says: the driver must be obtained from the Internet resource of the company that manufactures the video chip; support disk included with the computer/laptop; website of the assembly company (Asus, MSI...).
Reading the label
Some users, having visited an Internet page, get lost in its seemingly simple menu and download the wrong thing. It is not surprising that an attempt to use other control programs leads to the fact that a topic is often created on the forums “why is the Nvidia driver not installed?” Every owner of a personal computer or laptop must know the full name of the video adapter installed in his system unit or the type of chip used. These data are provided on the website of the assembly company.
Let's look at two examples. There is an Asus GTX780TI-P-3GD5 video card. By going to the website of the same name and selecting the “Computers and Components” section, you can find the specified model. Its characteristics indicate that this card is based on the nVidia 780Ti video processor.
Or, the laptop sticker says “nVidia GeForce 8400 GS”. In this case, the name of the chip used is directly reported. In other words, the second rule is: know the exact name of the video chip!
Right choice
Avoid the question “why won’t the Nvidia driver install?” It is possible if you select a program that matches the chip. Previously, the principle was followed that the latest versions could be installed to support outdated video card models, but now this is the exception rather than the rule.
Thus, on the Nvidia website you need to go through the menu tree “Drivers” - “Download drivers”. Here the user will be asked to fill out a simple table, indicating the type, series, family and operating system. After clicking the “Search” button, a link to the most suitable program that needs to be downloaded and installed will be displayed.
The manufacturer also offers the opportunity to try a test version of the control program, which, theoretically, should have a number of advantages. The selection is similar, except that you need to follow the “Beta Versions” link. Note that trying to install it may cause an error like “Nvidia video card driver is not installed” - depending on your luck.
So, rule three: it is recommended to download and install a control program marked as WHQL (compliance tested). An indispensable condition is an accurate indication, if not of the video chip family, then at least of its series (for the 780Ti it is 700, and for the laptop 8400GS it is the 8M series).
I have contact
Sometimes even experienced computer scientists are faced with the fact that the Nvidia driver cannot be installed in any way. The reason may be not only software, but also hardware. As you know, it is inserted with a comb of sliding contacts into a special connector on the motherboard. Fixation occurs using screws or special fasteners. In some cases, in order for the card to move out of the connector a little, it is enough just to accidentally touch the rigid video adapter-monitor cord. Performance is not completely lost, but software problems arise in the form of the inability to use 3D functions, limited color gamut, and periodic artifacts on the screen. This does not install the Nvidia driver, so it is not possible to solve the problem this way.
California company problem
Users who follow the news and read thematic forums know that Nvidia has become famous for the fact that one of its lines of video chips has a factory defect, which manifests itself in the gradual degradation of BGA soldering and, as a result, complete or partial failure of the entire video card . Since there is nothing special to lose, many people practice baking such a video adapter in the oven (there is a technique), which in many cases allows you to restore functionality for a period of from several days to six months. The problem with soldering manifests itself, in particular, in the fact that the Nvidia driver takes a long time to install or displays an error message, although previously everything could work stably. Thus, the fourth rule states: problems with installing the control program can be caused by hardware failures both in the video card itself and in the logic of other components. All of them must be eliminated.
You can try to install the driver in forced mode, even if the installer displays an error message. To do this, you need to launch the desired distribution package with the program and select the unpacking folder. After the message about the impossibility of installation (assuming that it is displayed), you should follow the path “Computer” - “Properties” - “Device Manager” and select “Video adapters” from the list. By clicking on its name (as a rule, the choice here is small - one element), you need to select “Driver Update” and, when performing a search on this computer, indicate the folder where the distribution package was extracted. If everything is done correctly, a list of supported video cards will be displayed - all you have to do is indicate “Any” and agree to the installation, ignoring the warning. This method is not a panacea, but in some cases it allows you to overcome installation errors.
A program like NVIDIA GeForce Experience is always a faithful companion for owners of the appropriate video cards. However, it can be a little unpleasant when you suddenly have to face the fact that the software does not want to perform one of its most important functions - updating drivers. We'll have to figure out what to do about it and how to get the program back to work.
GeForce Experience is a wide range of tools for servicing the interaction between a branded video card and computer games. The main function is to track the appearance of new drivers for the board, download and install them. All other features are peripheral.
Thus, if the system ceases to fulfill its main responsibility, then a comprehensive study of the problem should begin. Since the functions of recording game progress, optimizing for computer parameters, etc. very often they also stop working, or their meaning is lost. For example, why require a program to configure the parameters of a new action movie for your computer if the main brakes and performance drops can only be corrected by patching the video card.
The problem can have many origins; it’s worth understanding the most common ones.
Reason 1: Outdated version of the program
The most common reason why GF Exp refuses to update drivers is that the program itself is out of date. Most often, updates to the software itself come down to optimizing the process of downloading and installing drivers, so without timely upgrades the system simply will not be able to perform its function.
Typically, the program automatically updates itself upon startup. Unfortunately, in some cases this may not happen. In such a situation, you need to try restarting the computer. If this does not help, you should do everything manually.
After installation is complete, you should try running the program again. It should work properly.
Reason 2: Installation process failed
Problems can also occur when, during the driver update process, the system crashes for one reason or another. The installation was not completed properly, some were installed, some were not. If the user has not previously selected an option "Clean installation", then the system usually rolls back to a previous working state and no problem is created.
If the option was selected, the system initially removes old drivers that it plans to update. In this case, the system has to use the damaged installed software. Usually in such a situation, one of the first parameters is to set signatures stating that the software is on the computer. As a result, the system does not diagnose that drivers need to be updated or replaced, believing that everything added is up-to-date.
As a rule, installation on a cleaned computer does not cause problems.
Reason 3: Driver failure
The problem is similar to the one mentioned above. Only in this case does the driver fail during operation under the influence of any factors. In this case, there may be a problem reading the version signature and GE Experience may not be able to update the system.
The solution is the same - remove everything, and then reinstall the driver along with all the associated software.
Reason 4: Problems with the official website
It may also be that the NVIDIA website is currently down. Most often this happens during technical work. Of course, drivers cannot be downloaded from here either.
There is only one way out in such a situation - you need to wait until the site starts working again. It rarely fails for a long time; usually you need to wait no more than an hour.
Reason 5: User technical problems
Last but not least, it is worth considering a certain range of problems that come from the user’s computer, and this prevents the drivers from being properly updated.
- Virus activity
Some viruses can make malicious adjustments to the registry, which in their own way can affect the recognition of the driver version. As a result, the system cannot determine the relevance of the installed software and does not update.
- Outdated video card
Some older versions of NVIDIA video cards may lose support, and therefore the drivers simply stop being released.
Solution: either come to terms with this fact, or buy a new video card of the current model. The second option is, of course, preferable.
Conclusion
In the end, it’s worth saying that updating your video card drivers in a timely manner is very important. Even if the user does not devote too much time to computer games, developers still often include in each new patch, albeit small, but in their own way important elements to optimize the operation of the device. So the computer almost always starts working, perhaps imperceptibly, but still better.
There are many reasons for the inability to install the NVIDIA driver. From a banal mismatch between the version of the operating system and the driver to the lack of information about the video adapter in the driver itself. We will dwell on the latter case in more detail.
First of all, you need to be sure that the video driver you are installing is compatible with your operating system and video card. If they are not compatible, you will see a message: “It is impossible to continue installing NVIDIA.”
This warning looks like this:
The installation program signals that the video adapter for which this driver is intended is missing, but this is not always the case.
The sequence of actions will be carried out in the Windows 7 x32 operating system, therefore some differences are possible for Windows XP.
First of all, you need to get into the “Device Manager”. Click “Start” “Control Panel” “Device Manager”.
Without a driver, any video card is defined as “Standard VGA graphics adapter”
Double-click on the inscription “Standard VGA graphics adapter” and in the window that appears, go to the “Information” tab. In the drop-down menu, select the “Hardware ID” item and the top line is the identifier of our video card.
Those. in our case, the video card identifier will be the line: PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0407&SUBSYS_30CC103&REV_A1, right-click on this text and select “Copy”, now the line with the device description for the driver is on the clipboard.
After the first installation, the NVIDIA driver is self-extracted by default into the directory C:\NVIDIA\DisplayDriver\301.42 (folder named driver version)\WinVista_Win7\International\Display.Driver\ Next, find the nvaa.inf file located in the Display.Driver folder
Open it using notepad or any other text editor. Using the Ctrl+F key combination, find the line inside the file. Below it is a list of video cards identified by this driver for Windows Vista and Windows 7 and without SP1
Now, you need to add the line copied to the clipboard. The same thing needs to be done under the line. As a result, it should look like the figure below.
Everything is fine, the driver has recognized our video card, and we can begin installation.
In addition to the physical breakdown of the video card, it happens that problems arise with the drivers. They either stop working properly or do not install at all, giving the error “failed to install Nvidia software.” The causes of problems with video card drivers can be solved in several ways.
Possible reasons
If drivers for an Nvidia video card are not installed, the problem usually lies in the following reasons:
- doesn't fit bit depth systems;
- user is incorrect before downloading determined the model video card and downloaded drivers for another;
- conflict between video drivers and other equipment;
- old versions;
- damaged video adapter;
- viruses.
Check system capacity
First of all, you need to check the bitness of the operating system (OS). For example, a driver for a video card that is designed for 32-bit will not work with 64-bit Windows.
How to do this in Windows 7, 8, 10:
Invalid video card model
It happens that the user has incorrectly identified the video adapter model. A downloaded video driver for another model will not interact with the installed card and will fail to install the graphics driver. To find out exactly how the model is installed without disassembling your laptop or computer (PC), you need to take the following steps:
Conflict with another device or older version
Conflicts often arise due to incompatibility between old video drivers and new ones. To delete the old one you need to do this:
Outdated versions
Viruses in the system
If the drivers are not installed or the process takes too long, then the computer may be infected with viruses. In this case it is recommended to check operating system and all files for viruses using any antivirus program.
They should then be quarantined and removed. Restart the PC and try installing the software again.
Video card not supported
If the graphics driver does not support the video device, you can try to change the code in it. First, the user will need to find out the ID of the video controller.
Determining the video controller ID
To determine the ID:
Unpack the utility
Now the user has to download unpack file and go to this directory. Typically, unpacking occurs on drive C, NVidia Display Driver directory. You should open this directory and find the file nvamn.
inf.
It will need to be corrected.
Correct nvamn.inf file
Let's make some adjustments:
Installation
After the procedure for substituting the correct identifier has been completed, you can install the video driver:
Frequent malfunctions
Drivers may not be updated due to incorrect installation, failure during operation, or the video card may be outdated and the manufacturer no longer supports it.
When the developers stop supporting updates usually display error code 28 on the screen. This indicates that the device is out of date. In this case, you should find older graphics drivers and install them.
Code 43
But error code 43 may occur after installing the drivers. It means that the file may be broken or installed incorrectly. To get rid of this error you need to:
Long installation
If the driver takes a long time to install, then recommended to clean computer from viruses, using an anti-virus utility, or try replacing the video card, it may have started to fail. Before installing any driver, you should make sure that the old ones are removed.
If none of the advice helps, then it is best to reinstall the operating system.