I need to "uninstall" my malfunctioning graphics card in order to boot but Windows XP keeps putting it back. How can I prevent this?

I’d find out the make and model of the graphics card either by looking at the specs of your computer model or by running a system analysis tool like Belarc Advisor.

I’d then look on the card or chipset manufacturer’s website for the most up-to-date driver, download that to the desktop folder and then open Start Menu > Control Panel > System > Device Manager, and right click on the graphics card and select ‘Update Driver’. Tell it not to connect to Windows web search for drivers, and choose ‘Select the location automatically’. Then browse through the file tree and select Desktop and press OK. It should pick up the new driver there and install it, and once that’s done it should hopefully stop bugging you.

If it’s a desktop machine and the problem continues, I’d recommend you buy a new graphics card and fit it, as this is really very simple (just large scale meccano really) and would certainly fix the problem.

If it’s a laptop replacing the hardware is probably not an option.

It’s a SONY laptop and as such updated drivers can only come via SONY’s website. Why would I want to update the driver to get rid of this problem?

Oh, I don’t know, to get rid of the problem? The chances of it being a hardware problem rather than a software one are quite low.

When you uninstall it, you’re just removing the driver – which Windows then installs again when you reboot as it needs a driver to run the graphics card which is responsible for running your display. Clearly the driver Windows is re-installing is causing your machine to crash, hence the recommendation to seek out the most up to date driver for your machine’s GPU.

There is also a chance that it’s a corrupt Windows installation causing the problem, so if updating the driver doesn’t end up helping a re-install is likely to clarify the source of the problem further.

What model of laptop is it?

VGN AR 250G

OK,

The Sony Drivers page lists, under the ‘Video’ category, nVIDIA® GeForce® Go 7400 and 7600 GT Graphics Controller Driver version 8.5.1.3 – I’d begin by downloading and installing this and then rebooting.

If this does not work, try the 2008 176.37 driver from Open Drivers

Tried the SONY drivers page. No change.

Open Drivers?

It’s still a driver for your graphics card, it’s just not the version Sony is offering. Sony’s one dates back to 2006, the Open Drivers one is summer 2008, so with any luck should fix the issue.

Installed the Open Driver. No change.

Why are you still on SP2? SP3 has been out for about a year now, though I don’t know that this would cause the problem you are experiencing.

From your other questions, I would say that it’s time to start saving for a new laptop.

I’d say 1: Try installing SP3
If not, 2: Try re-installing Windows.

@benseven , the Windows reinstall will happen after I backup certain stuff but before I give it to SONY.

I have no problem going to Best Buy and buying another. Right now I want to get the system booted so I can do a Ghost BU.

All the documentation I’ve read says if you kept up with Windows updates, no need for SP3. I have kept up.

You might be able to get it working by reducing your graphics resolution to 640×480, 16-bit color. This will use the least amount of video memory on your card, and it may stay up while you do additional troubleshooting.

Any luck with safe mode?

@IchtheosaurusRex
carcar (click my link)

@Mr_M
carcar (click my link)

@benseven
carcar (click my link)

@carcar

I tried your link, but oh, dear. It seems that you’re just a 404 now, and you have a nice, fat, boot-print (well, okay, maybe the Fluther guys wear Adidas) on your butt cheeks.