Inspiron 1525 w/ GM965 does NOT like new Intel drivers -- thorough description

[sargeras9]

UPDATE (12/22/08):
- 7.15.10.1537 is last working version, 7.15.10.1545 and later have the problem
- Problem only affects notebook monitor, not external displays (via VGA connection)
- adjusting brightness and gamma to certain levels fixes problem, but results in extremely bright screen (so, doesn't really fix problem)
- pictures taken from camera attached to this post, where newx.jpg and oldx.jpg correspond to the screen with the newer driver versions and 7.15.10.1537, respectively.
/UPDATE

Hello, first some specs:

Dell Inspiron 1525
Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 2.0GHz
3GB RAM
Vista Home Premium 32-bit
Mobile Intel 965 Express Chipset Family

Alright, now onto the interesting stuff!

So, I bought this laptop, and the display driver version that comes from Dell is 7.14.10.1409 - from Jan 2008. Well, that couldn't do, as Intel has been very good with updating this chipset, giving it vast performance enhancements and better support for games. So, I went to Intel's site to get the latest driver - at the time, it was 7.15.10.1537. So I installed it - it gave the whole "this isn't supported, get the driver from the manufacturer" routine, but after uninstalling the old driver and trying again, it worked like a charm. Without any surprises, my games had a HUGE performance boost (despite the fact that the Vista experience rating dropped from 3.4 to 3.1....pff), so I was a happy man.

Now things get ugly.

So, today I decided it's been a while so I should check if there have been more recent drivers - turns out Intel pushed out 2 newer versions, first 7.15.10.1545 in August, and the more recent 7.15.10.1554 a couple weeks ago. Having read the changelog, I found some nice support features, especially for OpenGL 2.0, so I was happy about getting some new drivers. So I download and install the more recent one with the .exe first. I immediately knew something was wrong - the colors on screen looked like they were melting and were supersaturated, like someone had just spent an hour eating skittles then threw up on the screen. Naturally, it was hard to see or do much in this condition, but I managed to go through some display options, thinking maybe some tweaking was necessary.

I tried everything.
Resolutions, color complexity, messing around with contrast, saturation, etc, you name it. Just for kicks, I took a screenshot and sent it to one of my friends, and he said it looked fine, nothing was wrong. Clearly, this driver was screwed up pretty badly... Well, I installed 7.15.10.1537 again, and everything returned to normal - no problems. Now I thought, well, if the most recent version is messed up, I'll try the other one - 7.15.10.1545. Installed it, same exact thing happened.

I've been going back and forth, trying all methods of install (.zip extraction, executable, update through device manager, etc) and same results. I've nearly spent all day going through Intel's site and just seeing what I can find on Google, but to no avail (Intel's support hasn't been any help, either).

I come here to you now, exhausted, asking for any suggestions anyone may have to fix the problem - it could very well be that the last two drivers are bad, but I seriously doubt it - I've seen other threads where people are using it just fine.

I've ruled basically everything I can think of - including all "dumb" stuff like corrupt files, right version for OS, etc. Will these two simply not work on my machine? I hope the trend doesn't continue with new releases... maybe I can just skip these two and wait for next month's?

tl;dr
Dell came with 7.14.10.1409
I installed 7.15.10.1537 from Intel, works amazing
Tried 7.15.10.1545 and 7.15.10.1554, colors completely screwed up on screen

Thanks in advance, guys. I appreciate anything you can think up on this.

[sargeras9]

Ah, didn't see this before, this guy is having the exact same problem as I am - http://software.intel.com/en-us/forums/showthread.php?t=60920

Yep, even the whole screenshot thing...

I've been posting this on some other tech support forums, but no answers at all in the last couple days.... does anyone here have any idea as to what's going on? I'm at the end of my rope here.

Again, thanks in advance for anything - anything - you can think of.

[anhchuong]

Quoting - sargeras9

Hello, first some specs:

Dell Inspiron 1525
Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 2.0GHz
3GB RAM
Vista Home Premium 32-bit
Mobile Intel 965 Express Chipset Family

Alright, now onto the interesting stuff!

So, I bought this laptop, and the display driver version that comes from Dell is 7.14.10.1409 - from Jan 2008. Well, that couldn't do, as Intel has been very good with updating this chipset, giving it vast performance enhancements and better support for games. So, I went to Intel's site to get the latest driver - at the time, it was 7.15.10.1537. So I installed it - it gave the whole "this isn't supported, get the driver from the manufacturer" routine, but after uninstalling the old driver and trying again, it worked like a charm. Without any surprises, my games had a HUGE performance boost (despite the fact that the Vista experience rating dropped from 3.4 to 3.1....pff), so I was a happy man.

Now things get ugly.

So, today I decided it's been a while so I should check if there have been more recent drivers - turns out Intel pushed out 2 newer versions, first 7.15.10.1545 in August, and the more recent 7.15.10.1554 a couple weeks ago. Having read the changelog, I found some nice support features, especially for OpenGL 2.0, so I was happy about getting some new drivers. So I download and install the more recent one with the .exe first. I immediately knew something was wrong - the colors on screen looked like they were melting and were supersaturated, like someone had just spent an hour eating skittles then threw up on the screen. Naturally, it was hard to see or do much in this condition, but I managed to go through some display options, thinking maybe some tweaking was necessary.

I tried everything.
Resolutions, color complexity, messing around with contrast, saturation, etc, you name it. Just for kicks, I took a screenshot and sent it to one of my friends, and he said it looked fine, nothing was wrong. Clearly, this driver was screwed up pretty badly... Well, I installed 7.15.10.1537 again, and everything returned to normal - no problems. Now I thought, well, if the most recent version is messed up, I'll try the other one - 7.15.10.1545. Installed it, same exact thing happened.

I've been going back and forth, trying all methods of install (.zip extraction, executable, update through device manager, etc) and same results. I've nearly spent all day going through Intel's site and just seeing what I can find on Google, but to no avail (Intel's support hasn't been any help, either).

I come here to you now, exhausted, asking for any suggestions anyone may have to fix the problem - it could very well be that the last two drivers are bad, but I seriously doubt it - I've seen other threads where people are using it just fine.

I've ruled basically everything I can think of - including all "dumb" stuff like corrupt files, right version for OS, etc. Will these two simply not work on my machine? I hope the trend doesn't continue with new releases... maybe I can just skip these two and wait for next month's?

tl;dr
Dell came with 7.14.10.1409
I installed 7.15.10.1537 from Intel, works amazing
Tried 7.15.10.1545 and 7.15.10.1554, colors completely screwed up on screen

Thanks in advance, guys. I appreciate anything you can think up on this.

Hi,

How did you install the newest driver? Did you just run the setup straight away or you uninstall the older driver first. Usually, to get the most advantages from the new drivers, I uninstalled the older first and setup the new one. Hope this little experience may help you.

Regards.

[sargeras9]

Quoting - anhchuong

Hi,

How did you install the newest driver? Did you just run the setup straight away or you uninstall the older driver first. Usually, to get the most advantages from the new drivers, I uninstalled the older first and setup the new one. Hope this little experience may help you.

Regards.

"I've been going back and forth, trying all methods of install (.zip extraction, executable, update through device manager, etc) and same results."

Yep, that includes uninstalling old ones first as well. I'm sure the problem isn't in the way I installed them, because I've just about gone every possible route to do it. Thanks for the suggestion - any others?

[anhchuong]

Quoting - sargeras9

"I've been going back and forth, trying all methods of install (.zip extraction, executable, update through device manager, etc) and same results."

Yep, that includes uninstalling old ones first as well. I'm sure the problem isn't in the way I installed them, because I've just about gone every possible route to do it. Thanks for the suggestion - any others?

For some reasons, when I install the newest driver by uninstalling the previous drivers first ( also uninstalled the relating software asked by Device Manager), I don't have OpenGL tab or Video Tab from the newest driver. Therefore, this may be the reason why my computer doesn't get saturated. In your case, how about trying to disable property tab in service management.

[sargeras9]

Quoting - anhchuong

For some reasons, when I install the newest driver by uninstalling the previous drivers first ( also uninstalled the relating software asked by Device Manager), I don't have OpenGL tab or Video Tab from the newest driver. Therefore, this may be the reason why my computer doesn't get saturated. In your case, how about trying to disable property tab in service management.

I'm not sure what you mean exactly - where are you seeing these tabs? Are you using XP by any chance?

And to clarify what I meant by saturation....you may want to read the other guy's post that I linked to....he may have explained the actual effect better - basically, all the colors are messed up and it's extremely difficult to make out anything, like the colors are melting.....if that makes any sense.

[Keaton]

Yes, I am the guy you reffered too. I noticed a topic about a "memory leak" which advised a BIOS upgrade, but that doesn't fix anything. the newest BIOS, A13, doesn't help. If anyone has ANY info PLEASE share!

Also, it seems that the Topic creator and I are the only people having this problem. =(

[7oby]

Quoting - Keaton

Also, it seems that the Topic creator and I are the only people having this problem. =(

I've seen one more guy with this problem:

http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_video&thread.id=179452

You're saying v15.11.1 (7.15.10.1545) introduced the problem. So it's a regression. Unfortunately the changelog only reports one single change regarding GM965, which can't be the cause since it is related to text translation:

http://downloadmirror.intel.com/16855/eng/relnotes_winvista_gfx.htm

I would call this worth pushing through e-mail technical support:

http://software.intel.com/en-us/forums/showannouncement.php?a=26

Maybe install the driver and make a screenshot with Alt+Print and another one with a digital camera. Just to "show" the difference in colors.

[sargeras9]

Quoting - 7oby

I've seen one more guy with this problem:

http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_video&thread.id=179452

You're saying v15.11.1 (7.15.10.1545) introduced the problem. So it's a regression. Unfortunately the changelog only reports one single change regarding GM965, which can't be the cause since it is related to text translation:

http://downloadmirror.intel.com/16855/eng/relnotes_winvista_gfx.htm

I would call this worth pushing through e-mail technical support:

http://software.intel.com/en-us/forums/showannouncement.php?a=26

Maybe install the driver and make a screenshot with Alt+Print and another one with a digital camera. Just to "show" the difference in colors.

Thanks man, like I said I just want to get this problem out there for other people in the same situation, as I sure as hell know there basically isn't anything useful out there.

I did contact technical support, but they just directed me to their online FAQ, which i've only read through 10,000 times already. Whatever, I guess I'll try again, and point them to this thread to show it's not an isolated incident. Keaton, thanks for being here, honestly it's hard being the only person in the world with a certain problem lol.

Any further comments/help/ideas are much appreciated, I'll post back here later with what support tells me.....now I just have to find my digital camera...

[7oby]

Maybe you read the FAQ 10,000x, but you didn't read the e-mail your recevieved sufficiently careful, did you?

It starts like this: "Thanks for contacting Intel Customer Support ... automated search ... these links ..." and then the important line: "..., do you still need help? You can escalate your question to a technical support representative." And the word escalate is a hyperlink.

[sargeras9]

Quoting - 7oby

Maybe you read the FAQ 10,000x, but you didn't read the e-mail your recevieved sufficiently careful, did you?

It starts like this: "Thanks for contacting Intel Customer Support ... automated search ... these links ..." and then the important line: "..., do you still need help? You can escalate your question to a technical support representative." And the word escalate is a hyperlink.

Sorry I didn't clarify, yes - I did read it entirely and escalated the problem, but I was referring to the representative's response I received after that. Like I said, I've opened another case pointing them to this thread, so hopefully I'll get a better response this time.

[7oby]

If you don't get a better answer this time, then kindly ask him to escalate the problem himself by forwarding to the appropriate quality control or engineering team, which you don't have access to.

[sargeras9]

Quoting - 7oby

If you don't get a better answer this time, then kindly ask him to escalate the problem himself by forwarding to the appropriate quality control or engineering team, which you don't have access to.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll make sure to do that. We WILL get to the bottom of this!

[sargeras9]

Well, I got a reply. Good news - he says it's been escalated to their research department, and I'll have a response within the next two days. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

[Keaton]

Quoting - sargeras9

Well, I got a reply. Good news - he says it's been escalated to their research department, and I'll have a response within the next two days. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Oh good. Mine never was elvated. Please post the results!

[Keaton]

Sorry for double posting, but I noticed something on the Dell Forums:

Dell says their drivers are customized for Dell laptops. I suggest you install the latest Dell video driver for your model and operating system.

That may be the problem.

[sargeras9]

Quoting - Keaton

Sorry for double posting, but I noticed something on the Dell Forums:

Dell says their drivers are customized for Dell laptops. I suggest you install the latest Dell video driver for your model and operating system.

That may be the problem.

Of course, it's always recommended that you use the manufacturer's suggested drivers, but as I've explained above, they're simply out of date, and the newer ones are giving me performance in games like Team Fortress 2 that I never thought possible. Quite frankly, when it comes to video drivers, not too many people are content with the recommended year old versions. It's obvious the problem has to do with the Inspiron 1525 that we got - the real question is how to fix it. Hopefully Intel will get back to me soon so we can begin to figure out what's going on... at the very least, they are aware of the problem now, and it might be fixed in a future driver release, who knows.

[7oby]

Quoting - some Dell forum

Dell says their drivers are customized for Dell laptops. I suggest you install the latest Dell video driver for your model and operating system.

There is no customization of the driver by Dell. I just did a byte by byte comparison of the 7.14.10.1409 (v15.7.3) driver:

Dell <-> Intel

Kit12877.inf <-> igdlh.inf
kit12877.cat <-> igdlh.cat

TVWSetup.exe differ
hkcmd.exe differ
igfxcfg.exe differ
igfxext.exe differ
igfxpers.exe differ
igfxsrvc.exe differ
igfxtray.exe differ
igfxzoom.exe differ
igxpun.exe differ

None of the executables is relevant for the driver itself. These are just utility tools and you can run the driver without them. The differences in the .inf files just relate to not supporting some other intel graphics chipsets than GM965 in the dell driver.

If you provide bugreports, please include also the VBIOS Version (found in your system bios or igfxcfg.exe / Information). I expect this to be 1566 on Inspiron 1525. I'm on XPS M1330 and having the VBIOS 1588, but since it works on the M1330 and the VBIOS versions are pretty close I wouldn't expect this to be the most likely fault. But only Intel can tell. I don't have source code nor tools to patch 1588 in the Insprion.

[sargeras9]

Hey guys, just wanted to let you know I didn't disappear or anything - the Intel guys still haven't contacted me, even though it's been 4 days and they said they would in less than two... I've sent them another email; hopefully I'll be getting a status update soon. In the meantime, I'll probably try getting some pictures with a digital camera of what exactly Keaton and I are talking about.

[jpayette]

Hi, I just registered to say that I have the exact same problem as the OP... exact same specs on my laptop, as well. Hopefully someone can figure this out!

[sargeras9]

Quoting - jpayette

Hi there, nice to see it's not an uncommon problem.

Just wanted to let you guys know that I just received an email saying one of the engineering teams is working on the issue, and will keep me posted on any updates. Misson accomplished, I guess... all we can do now is wait.