Nvidia Geforce 650m driver problem for windows 8.1 on macbook pro

DemetriAA wrote:

no this does not work. bootcamp drivers are broken for windows 8.1 on an efi install. apple is withholding the discreet gpu drivers from microsoft to trick people into thinking osx is more stable/efficient and thus windows cannot detect which gpu it is supposed to use when it can see both. the discreet gpu is hidden in the fake bios setup that bootcamp wants you to install with. the problem with doing this is that the more powerful gpu is all you can use in windows so the computer runs more hot and is louder which is annoying and hard on the battery life.

thanks apple, if i knew that when i bought the laptop i would have gone with something else.

This is not correct. If you force an EFI installation on a preUEFI Mac, you will see GPU and Audio errors. A non-EFI Hybrid MBR installation works correctly. Does Windows have the ability to switch GPUs? OS X, using external monitors, uses the non-Intel discreet GPU and the machine does not run hot. If Windows can provide dual-GPU support (which they have) and also provide GPU-switching (missing), this can be done. Can it be done for older hardware, highly unlikely. MacRumors has threads with PCI Register changes to expose the Intel GPU and the machine still runs hotter.

From Bootcamp Info.plist...

<key>PreUEFIModels</key>

<array>

<string>MacBook7</string>

<string>MacBookAir5</string>

<string>MacBookPro10</string>

<string>MacPro5</string>

<string>Macmini6</string>

<string>iMac13</string>

</array>

You can verify your Model Identifier from How to identify MacBook Pro models - Apple Support. The 2012 MBPs are 9,x models.

im on a mid 2012 retina macbook pro. gpu switching works fine in osx, but apple did not provide ms with any drivers for their dual gpu hardware setup, which is why i cant use a windows 8.1 efi install correctly

yes it does. and once you install the correct geforce drivers, usually the screen goes blank because it thinks you are on a dual monitor setup and you cant change anything. sometimes you can get it to boot up properly, but it still thinks you have 2 monitors (it thinks you are on monitor 2) and the sound wont work because the intel hd 4000 drivers go a bit crazy.

DemetriAA wrote:

yes it does. and once you install the correct geforce drivers, usually the screen goes blank because it thinks you are on a dual monitor setup and you cant change anything. sometimes you can get it to boot up properly, but it still thinks you have 2 monitors (it thinks you are on monitor 2) and the sound wont work because the intel hd 4000 drivers go a bit crazy.

Is this using Bootcamp drivers or nVidia drivers? This also implies that Windows GPU switching is not working as desired. The OS should be able to handle this scenario correctly, as OS X does, by relinquishing the nVidia GPU when only the internal display is connected. There is some discussion regarding this in reference to nVidia CUDA toolkit on nVidia Dev forums which you can look at.

The Sound issue is related to the Intel drivers, not Bootcamp drivers.

its the nvidia drivers from the bootcamp driver package

The culprit is more likely the OS, rather than the drivers. As a test disable/uninstall the Intel driver and test.

i think i am also in the same boat (mid 2012 rMBP 15" with Intel4000/650M). the install was previously BIOS based using Windows 7 and then upgraded to version 8.1 and transferred uisng Winclone to a external EFI boot drive, which boots fine. then sometime later i had the occasion/need to get the Nvidia 650m working in Windows, and like doofus i went to Nvidia's site and downloaded the driver which black-screened just after starting installation.

after agonizing hours recovering from that (basically trying to time the F8 Boot menu keystroke on startup when booting it (it's on an SSD), but not impossible to do - just really really tricky), i removed the driver files, then i went and downloaded the latest BootCamp version mentioned previously, which then also black screened during install.

after several more agonizing hours recovering and wiping every trace of that previous driver install via Regedit and other tools, i tried installing the older 5.0.5033 Bootcamp, that at least didn't black screen but the NVIDIA driver failed install (refused) even doing it manually after the fact. still have no sound either, but at this point i'm giving up. it's not a primary machine or install, but it really irks me nonetheless. i avoided getting one of the Iris Pro MBPs because of the cost and non-upgradability but this isn't a much better situation either.

anyway, just saying that i'm in the same boat as everybody else. wish there was a better/more reliable solution.

scott

Iam also in the rMBR 15' Mid 2012, however I format my SSD and do clean install Windows 8.1 and it's working in EFI with only nvidia GPU.

Iam using Bootcamp 5.1.5621:

- Working: Nvidia GPU, internal sound, sleep, resume, trackpad..

- Non-working: The intel GPU, Headset sound, Apple Thunderbolt to network Adapter (I replace with an USB network).

Anyone know how to have Headset sound please let me know, thanks.

Here is the Device Manager:

Your 2012 MBP is preUEFI. Devices are not exposed correctly via EFI, but they are, when using CSM-BIOS. On a 2012 13 MBP, this is what a BT-paired headset looks like.

I have issue like this as well, but still not quite like it. My screen doesn't go black, but other things go dark (and text and apps are very, very small).

Another thing that concerns me is that neither my Nvidia Geforce 650M or intel hd 4000 are visible in my Device Manager's Display Adapter.
I have installed Windows 8.1. I have a MBP Retina 15" - early 2013.

I installed Windows because I wanted to play Sims 3, but the game is dark and lags all the time. A message keeps popping up says that the game can't recognize my graphic card. But it's not even visible in my Display Adapter! Does anyone have a clue what to do?

People also say that this is an issue in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. Was it not like this with Windows 7? If that is the case I will install Windows 7 instead, but I would appreciate if someone knew (so I don't do it without being necessary, so to speak), and could let me know.

Thanks guys!

Update: I checked my Display Adapter now. When I start Windows in VMware-mode I have "VMware SVGA 3D" in my Display Adapter-folder. When I start Windows in the Alt key-mode (from where I am going to run Sims 3, so this is what matters) I have "Microsoft Basic Display Adapter" in my Display Adapter. What's up with that? I saw one of the pictures you guys (Van Thu, i think it was) uploaded, and there were Nvidia visible. How did you do that??

The brightness issue is probably windows 8 adaptive brightness, here is a guide to disable it

http://acer--uk.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/34067/~/enable-or-disable-a daptive-brightness-in-windows-8-and-8.1

Your windows are small because windows supports higher resolutions than osx. You can magnify the windows in the display settings of the control panel. 125-150x should mosty fix it but some apps will look messed up

As for missing hardware devices, the Bootcamp drivers should fix it, if not than try getting the drivers from nvidia and Intel online. If that doesn't fix it than maybe give up on the efi boot and go mbr instead

Thanks for a quick answer, DemetriAA.
I know exactly nothing about Windows - even less about Windows 8 - since I haven't used it since the XP-version. I am trying to learn. It annoys me a lot that my game can't find my graphic cards and that it is not visible in the Display Adapter. Despite that the apps and the text are small (mostly in the VMware-mode) the graphics runs great on Windows, it's just in my game.

I am mostly worrying about my missing graphic cards, though. They are hiding from me, and I don't like it. My brother tried to download the drivers from Nvidia, but when he ran them the installation stopped. He looked in Devicer Manager, and was confused when he couldn't find anything in the Display Adapter.

I don't have access to internet either, only when I run windows with VMware (with OS X in the background). When I run windows without OS X (opening it up with the alt key) I have no internet connection. Windows can not locate either mine nor my neighbors wi-fi. There is just... nothing. Do I need drivers for internet as well, or what's going on there?? As said earlier; I know pretty much NOTHING about Windows...
Its just so annoying.

Well, I will check your link and tips up, DemetriAA. Thanks!

Ps. The most stupid question of them all; efi boot and mbr? What's that? (Yes, I know NOTHING about this technological stuff.... especially not some of the english expressions. Swedish, you see...) 🙂

Edit:

I went to Nvidias site to check the drives. I did this "Auto-detect your GPU". The scan searched my Windows 8-system and detected none Nvidia-products. Is that normal???

There are two methods of installing Windows on a Mac.

1. Macs before the Late 2013 versions are not compliant with Intel's Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). These Macs mimic PCs by emulating BIOS using a compatibility layer called CSM-BIOS.

2. On macs after 2013, you can use EFI boot, which is faster layer allowing drivers to communicate with hardware using a well defined and extensible set of APIs.

Macs between 2011-2013 are in various stages of UEFI compliance, are partially capable of running Windows using method 2. It causes hardware to be invisible. This is causing to you to see a generic display adapter.

You need to download drivers appropriate for you Mac model/year from System requirements to install Windows on your Mac via Boot Camp - Apple Support and Boot Camp: Install or repair Boot Camp drivers.

Oh, I will try that. This doesn't make me have to re-install Windows, I hope?

No, this just repairs the drivers for the Apple hardware. Do you see any entries in Windows Device Manager which have yellow triangles and exclamation marks?

This is an example from an iMac5K before BC drivers were correctly installed.