Video card driver error with updated Radeon HD 7670M on Windows 8

[RightyTighty]

So yeah I have a pretty new Toshiba laptop, yet I get the http://i.imgur.com/pqBWyGV.png 'video card drivers did not install properly' issue. I haven't found a decent fix and after having done a clean re-install of this game it did the same thing. 

[Thinkerer Melville]

Go to the Radeon update and get the latest driver.  Drivers supplied by MS (including MS update) are usually out-of-date.

TKR

[Peggy Paperdoll]

The error message is telling that you either have a corrupted (damaged) video driver, or you have an out of date video driver, or you video adapter/card is not supported by the Second Life software.  Re-installing your viewer will not fix that.  You need to fix the problem which has something to do with your video capabilities.  Did you install or re-install the driver as LL suggested?  If it's merely a driver issue that should fix it for you.......it's it due to your video adapter/card being unsupported then the fix is to get another adapter/card that is supported (and having the proper driver for that video adapter/card).

[RightyTighty]

Well I only reinstalled the viewer because like 3 people told me it would help. Well, I've reinstalled the driver already and stuff, but in general Windows 8 is pretty great with drivers so that would be weird. I downloaded the latest driver from the website and **bleep**, but it doesn't help. 

[Peggy Paperdoll]

Actually Windows 8 is pretty poor in the driver area.  Being a new operating system all Microsoft includes in their driver pool are generic and/or old drivers.  Most people with Windows 8 have driver issues (do a quick search of the forums and you'll see a pretty good sampling of the issues others are having with drivers).  Use the search "Windows 8 problem"......most of the problems are driver related.

So you re-installed the driver for your video.........I hope you did a "clean" installation instead of installing the new driver over the top of the old one.  That leaves your graphics device and it's compatibility.  If you would simple do the obvious and list your computer specs you might get some advice or suggestions from some of the people here.  I know I'm not going to just throw out guesses until, on the very off chance, something works.  You have to help a little yourself......giving specifications is just about as easy as it gets.

[solstyse]

The big question is where you got the driver from. If you got it right from AMD, you shouldn't be having this problem. Also, did you get the driver only and install it manually, or did you download the latest Catalyst Control software to go with it?

Always remember, proprietary manufacturer supplied drivers (supplied by those who made the chips, not those who used it to make the computers) are always the best, most up-to-date drivers you can get. Often you'll have to go directly to the source. Windows update will try to get them from Microsofrt, and HP or Toshiba will never release new drivers as fast, or for as long as AMD, Nvidia, or Intel will.

[RightyTighty]

Sorry, I realise I was being very vague. Well, here are my specs

 

Operating System: Windows 8 Pro 64-bit (6.2, Build 9200) (9200.win8_gdr.121119-1606)

System Model: SATELLITE L850-1GE

 Processor: Intel® Core i7-3610QM CPU @ 2.30GHz (8 CPUs), ~2.3GHz

Memory: 6144MB RAM

---------------Display Devices---------------          Card name: AMD Radeon HD 7670M       Manufacturer: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.          Chip type: AMD Radeon Graphics Processor (0x6840)           DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)        Device Type: Full Device         Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_6840&SUBSYS_FB311179&REV_00     Display Memory: 3801 MB   Dedicated Memory: 1005 MB      Shared Memory: 2795 MB       Current Mode: 1366 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)       Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor      Monitor Model: unknown         Monitor Id: SEC3150        Native Mode: 1366 x 768(p) (59.998Hz)        Output Type: Internal        Driver Name: aticfx64.dll,aticfx64.dll,aticfx64.dll,aticfx32,aticfx32,aticfx32,atiumd64.dll,atidxx64.dll,atidxx64.dll,atiumdag,atidxx32,atidxx32,atiumdva,atiumd6a.cap,atitmm64.dllDriver File Version: 8.17.0010.1140 (English)     Driver Version: 8.982.10.6000        DDI Version: 11     Feature Levels: 11.0,10.1,10.0,9.3,9.2,9.1       Driver Model: WDDM 1.2

[RightyTighty]

Sooooo, I uninstalled my driver and reinstalled it with the Catalyst thingy, which did not work. It reinstalled it, but did not fix the initial problem. Now, I did this because when I go on the good ole' AMD website and fill in my driver specs http://i.imgur.com/7cfdUUj.png I come to this page http://i.imgur.com/FBOs8cO.png  and I download the program and install it. Then it tells me this http://i.imgur.com/bo0L3oG.png . So yeah I have no clue how to get this working. Other games have not given me any issues, by the way. 

[Peggy Paperdoll]

I know it's very common here in the forums to always tell users to go to the graphics chipset manufacturers for any driver update.  And that's usually sound advice........for desktops.  However, for many (if not most) laptops that's not the place to go for graphics drivers.  Laptop makers are constantly fighting battery issues (the batteries just don't last that 6 hrs they spout in the promos).  One way the manufacturers help to extend the battery life is that they ask (or commission) the graphics manfufacturers to develop drivers that are easier on the batteries.....in other words they use customized drivers.  Lots ot times (and I believe you are experiencing one of those times) the drivers you get from the graphic chipset manufacturers just don't work properly......the computer is wanting (and needing) a the custom driver written for the specific computer the graphics hardware is installed.  You need to go to Toshiba for your graphics driver.  But betore you install that driver, since you already have a driver installed that is probably incorrect for you system, before installing the driver you get from Toshiba. 

Another common advice given in the forum, which is just as dangerous, is that you need the latest driver.  That's absolutely false.  You need a driver that works for you and what you need it to do........that is often not even close to the "latest" driver.  Yes, you got a message that your driver may be out of date and were advised to update the driver.  Normally that fixes the problem........but, if it doesn't then you have to find one that does work for you.  Dropping back a one (or more) versions is the fix.  That's true for desktops as well as laptops.  If you are having driver issues or suspected driver issues, then try updating.  If that fixes the problem then great.......if it doesn't then you havee some other problem (and dropping back to an earlier version is often the fix).  Video drivers are tricky.  They really should be installed carefully and properly.  When they are not then you get some real strange problems that just don't make much sense.  You need to be systematic in finding the problem and correcting it.  Throwing the kitchen sink at the problem causes confusion, which causes you to do more unnecessary stuff, which leads to more problems (mostly unrelated to the original problem).  It gets complicated and it really should not.

Rule of thumb for video drivers.  For desktops go the graphics chipset manufacturer's driver site.  For a laptop go the laptop manufacturer's driver site.  The driver you get there is probably not going to be the "latest"......but that driver should work.  If it doesn't then contact the laptop manufacturer.

[solstyse]

Wow, your Toshiba wants the exact opposite of what most HP's that I see seem to want.

Peggy's advice is sound, except that since the computer is on such a new operating system, I'd add "verify the compatibility of the older driver with Windows8 before downloading" to the checklist. I think if she had the same faith in AMD that I do, we'd be 100% in agreement. AMD does check and verify the compatibility of the new drivers before they'll give them to you, as you have already experienced.

Both Peggy and the AMD corporation seem to agree that your next step is to check to see if Toshiba has a fully compatible version of your driver. I have to agree. Maybe Toshiba's OEM software/firmware is more invasive than HP's.

Since SL is a legacy application anyway, if all else fails, then try going to the desktop, right click on your viewer, and click on troubleshoot compatibility. Tell us what the results are.

[Peggy Paperdoll]

I have faith in AMD.  Just about the same as I have with nVidia (the chipset manufacturer I happen to use and prefer).  It has nothing to do with AMD.........it has everything to do with Toshiba (in this case).  I haven't explored AMD's driver site in about a year but I know they used to caution users to get the laptop drivers from the computer manufacturer..........as did nVidia.  Since I don't use a laptop, I can't say they still caution users (but I bet they do).

Generally speaking when updating or installing drivers (any driver, but especially video drivers since graphics are so critical to any computer) to read the proper way to install the driver and all cautionary notes.  Things change in the driver installation area so, even if you do know what you are doing, it's a good idea to read the "how to" every now and then.

[solstyse]

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Peggy Paperdoll wrote:

I have faith in AMD.  Just about the same as I have with nVidia (the chipset manufacturer I happen to use and prefer).  It has nothing to do with AMD.........it has everything to do with Toshiba (in this case).  I haven't explored AMD's driver site in about a year but I know they used to caution users to get the laptop drivers from the computer manufacturer..........as did nVidia.  Since I don't use a laptop, I can't say they still caution users (but I bet they do).

Generally speaking when updating or installing drivers (any driver, but especially video drivers since graphics are so critical to any computer) to read the proper way to install the driver

and

all cautionary notes.  Things change in the driver installation area so, even if you do know what you are doing, it's a good idea to read the "how to" every now and then.

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See, my experience with AMD and ATI (which were formerly different companies, but not he same, for all those lurking) is that they're both very conservative, and very good to the end user. I consider anything to come from AMD as relatively foolproof. And I only say relatively because there's that old saying, "Nothing is foolproof to the sufficiently talented fool." I really wish I could remember who coined that phrase so I could give credit where it is due.

As the OP had pointed out, if any of the issues that you're concerned with are present, AMD/ATI will simply refuse to provede a faulty driver for Window based 64 bit systems. Now, linux has me wishing I had Nvidea hardware, but that's a different story altogether.

To make a generalization, my philosophy is that for hardware issues, you want to go as far "upstream" as you possibly can. For OS or software issues, you want to got "downstream." My take on it isn't 100% accurate, but I'd say maybe 90%. In a different thread, I discovered that the manufacturer of my laptop (HP) considers my computer "unsupported or untested" for Windows8. Was it you, Peggy, who suggested that I should email HP to tell them that after a driver download from AMD Win8 worked better than the Win7 that the computer as shipped with?

Peggy, your experience and mine are quite opposite. I found nothing useful from the manufacturer of my laptop, and the perfect answer from AMD. You and the OP have both found that AMD is referring people to the site of the laptop manufacturer.  I think we cam agree that you're correct by saying "Things change in the driver installation area so, even if you do know what you are doing, it's a good idea to read the "how to" every now and then."I think the difference is that Toshiba seems to exhibit the kind of behavior that you're referring to (get the drivers from the ones who assembled the machine) while HP seems to exhibit the kind of behavior that I'm referring to (go to the manufacturer we purchase from.) I honestly think that if the OP is willing to do some work, then the two of us can give different enough viewpoints that something will work for the op.

[Peggy Paperdoll]

"...And I only say relatively because there's that old saying, "Nothing is foolproof to the sufficiently talented fool." I really wish I could remember who coined that phrase so I could give credit where it is due.

..."

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiot_proof