How does one update the Nvidia driver in Bootcamp?

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Level 1

8 points

How does one update the Nvidia driver in Bootcamp?

I am running Windows 7 64bits Home edition on my MacBook Pro 17" with a Nvidia GeForce 9600 M card. In Windows 7 configuration panel, I do find all the Nvidia drivers (dating from 2011) and control panel but when I want to update the driver (valid for Windows 10), the Nvidia install programme stops because it does not find any Nvidia card on my laptop... I am NOT running with Parallels, it is not installed anymore on my machine, and I boot under Windows 7 directly as most of my software I use daily are on this OS.

Thank you for any useful input on this.

MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Sep 14, 2015 11:06 AM

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Answer 1

Loner T

Level 9

59,536 points

Sep 14, 2015 1:19 PM in response to Napoleon25

What year/model is your Mac?

Can you verify that you meet Apple's (not Microsoft's) W10 requirements using Use Windows 10 on your Mac with Boot Camp - Apple Support ?

Windows 7 drivers can be located by using Install Windows 7 and earlier on your Mac using Boot Camp - Apple Support .

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Answer 2

Napoleon25 Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 14, 2015 1:21 PM in response to Loner T

Thank you, according to that list you provided, I am out of the picture (17" is nowhere to be seen on that list) I thought I could rely on the Windows 10 upgrade test showing that only my graphic card needed a new driver.

Best regards.

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Answer 3

Loner T

Level 9

59,536 points

Sep 14, 2015 1:52 PM in response to Napoleon25

Try the following drivers and test.

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Answer 4

Napoleon25 Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 14, 2015 1:58 PM in response to Loner T

This is precisely what I did this afternoon, I downloaded this new driver covering Windows 10 but when installing it under Windows 7, it would not find any Nvidia card on my MacBook, hence my initial question in this thread, why would the installer not find the Nvidia card and components?

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Answer 5

Loner T

Level 9

59,536 points

Sep 14, 2015 2:07 PM in response to Napoleon25

Are you currently running W7 or W10?

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Answer 6

Napoleon25 Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 14, 2015 2:15 PM in response to Loner T

Windows 7 since when I check the Windows 10 compatibility tool it tells me that it can't upgrade to Windows 10 because of the Nvidia card:

"This PC cannot be upgraded to Windows 10 because the Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT has not been built to work under Windows 10. Please consult the hardware manufacturer for support".

What strikes me is that on the Apple site list of MacBook Pro, no 17" are on the compatibility list for Windows 10... So I wonder if the problem is not hardware more than software related.

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Answer 7

Loner T

Level 9

59,536 points

Sep 14, 2015 2:23 PM in response to Napoleon25

You can upgrade from W7 to W10 and use generic VGA driver for the upgrade. This will register W10 with Microsoft servers. Remove the upgraded W10, and clean install W10, and then use this nVidia driver and test.

Please ensure you have good back ups and be ready to wipe and start over again, if anything does not work as expected.

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Answer 8

Napoleon25 Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 14, 2015 2:27 PM in response to Loner T

Thank you once again for your help. I will see tomorrow (it's 11.30pm here) how to make a clean W10 install on Bootcamp, this is the only unknown part at this time. But I dont know if W10 upgrade will work at all, it may reject my attempts, I will see what happens anyway.

Again many thanks for your kind and efficient help.

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