Windows 8.1 upgrade help

minimoose · April 7, 2014

So I am finally making the jump from Windows 8 to 8.1, and I was wondering if I needed to reinstall my Nvidia drivers before or after the upgrade, and how I did that?

minimoose · April 7, 2014

Download the latest driver from nvidia.com and install.

I already have Windows 8 drivers installed, do I need to uninstall those first? Also how?

minimoose · April 7, 2014

Well, if you wanted to do a complete reinstall of the drivers - just run driver sweeper / driver cleaner (be aware that your screen may go black after the drivers are removed). reboot and install the latest drivers.

I don't care that much, I just don't want old drivers cutting my FPS in half.

GoodBytes · April 7, 2014

Do not use driver sweeper. It does more harm than good. Use it only for fixing a problem that can't be fixed easily.

Nvidia drivers features a clean install option, available under the Advanced setup section. It will scan the system, and clean everything releated to the drivers, and install it's drivers afterwards.

How to upgrade from Windows 8 to 8.1:

- First, make sure that all your drivers are updated, including your mouse software, especially if its Razor. Some drivers in some hardware have been detected to cause issues with the upgrade process.

- Then, if you have an A/V or any security software, be SURE to uninstall it before starting the upgrade process. Many times, security software can block system files from being upgraded thinking it's an attack on the system. And the results will be a system that won't operate properly, or fail during the upgrade process at some point, which may or may not lead to a system that can't be recovered. This applies to any service packs or Windows upgrades. If you use Microsoft Defender part of Windows 8 (called Windows Security Essential in Windows 7 and bellow), that is fine, you don't need to worry about it. It knows when you are doing an upgrade process.

Warning:

-> If you have used a registry cleaner at some point in time, or used a system tweak tool, namely the ones that replaces Windows files: it may make the setup fail at some point in time. It would be best to backup your things, format and re-install Windows, install your drivers, and then start the upgrade process.