GPU doesn't exist... what? (win7)

[dissonance]

So I decided to get another Windows machine running since I've been without one for almost a year now, and it's given me nothing but grief.
I've installed Windows 7, but I cannot seem to find a working driver for my 7900 gtx. I've downloaded the recommended driver from nvidia (and all 12 or so of the archived versions), but every single one returns "could not find suitable hardware" when i try to run the installer. what am i doing wrong here?

[Dr. Delta]

have you tried hitting it?

[dissonance]

actually, yes. i've sworn at it bitchslapped it, and reseated it. no luck.

[Dr. Delta]

If you'd slip in a linux live-cd you might be able to check if it's windows bitching around or that maybe your card died on you?

[dissonance]

If the card died, I assume I wouldn't be getting any display output at all. Drivers install and work just fine on linux btw.

[Dr. Delta]

Excuse me for my herp-derp-ness, seems your using your default vga plug-and-play windows drivers then. You could try installing the drivers in safe-mode, but there are tons of other possibilities too.

[dissonance]

Aye, I am using the default drivers.

Perhaps my original post wasn't clear: I cannot get the drivers that /should/ work to /actually/ work.
Safe mode, eh? I'll give that a try now.

[dissonance]

Nope, safe mode didn't seem to work.

[Dr. Delta]

I'd almost ask if you're running the correct driver setup, and not one for example mobile video-cards or a different series?

[dissonance]

Nope, according to Nvidia's website-driver-chooser-thing, these are the exact driver packages I need.

[dissonance]

Fuck this, it's not worth the trouble.
In my limited experience I haven't found any reason to use 7 over XP anyway (hell, SketchUp is the only reason I'm even trying to install Windows), so I'm starting to get bit confused as to why I even tried this in the first place.
Well, I'mma go see if I can dig up an XP disc somewhere and install that instead. If not, it's only a few days until my new parts arrive for my primary machine... maybe I'll try using Windows this time next year =P

Delta! Thank you for your help, I do indeed appreciate it.

[Dr. Delta]

Sucks man, never had the problem you're having right now so I feel kinda useless since it can be caused by various things etc and i don't know how i can really help you find out what is causing it and how to fix it, anyhow gl with it man!

[zombie@computer]

what if you let windows install the drivers?

(yes, windows update automatically installs and updates 3d drivers as well)

[MayheM]

Yeah if you go to windows updates, it will normally find and install the latest drivers. One would imagine that should work.

though seems like you are not the only one with this problem.

http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=95943

I will look around when I get home, I may have a card sitting around I could send you. I can not remember off hand what I have sitting around...

[dissonance]

It's probably about time I replied.
I did finally get the drivers working, but only after I removed, dusted-off, and reseated everything in the computer, reset and the updated the BIOS, and started with an old driver and gradually worked my way to the current version. Unfortunately, I have no idea which of these things fixed it, so if you're from the future via Google and are having this same problem... sorry bro. Try the BIOS first, that was probably it.