Son's computer not starting up

@nova1987

Try these things first. I had this same problem as well and it fixed the BSOD problem. It has also seemed to fix hundreds, quite possibly thousands of others with this X51 issue.

1. Download Ccleaner and clean the registry. The X51's is kinda crappy.

2. Uninstall the GTX 555's current drivers. Go to Nvidia's website here: www.geforce.com/.../43996 and install the 296.10 version driver.

3. If you haven't updated BiOS to AO2, then do so here: www.dell.com/.../DriverFileFormats

;)

Thanks will try those things.  However, can't get the machine to boot up now.  Dell thinks it can be a corrupt windows file so will have to do a restore then try those things you suggest.

Also make a note of which .sys file the BSOD mentions.  Agree with updating to the latest video driver.

Based on a brief conversation with a Dell tech it appears there may be an issue with a corrupt windows file.  He said that I should restore the computer and install the windows updates again.  My question is - if the computer is not booting up normally how do I go back to a restore point?  Do I need to boot from the disk?

Have you tried tapping the F8 key right after you hit the power button untill a screen pops up with choices of how to boot i'nto windoes ect? Then select safe mode and see if it will boot into windows and then restore it to a previous time? If youi can't get into windows safe mode then you have to use the disk and maybe even have to let it restore it back to factory install of windows.

Ok so after 2 hrs and a fresh install of windows 7 we're up and running again. However we uninstalled the dell driver gor the video card and tried to install the new one above and received the message "no compatible hardware found". So I tried to reinstall the dell driver and got the same message. What do I do now?

Right now it's running on the intel integrated card.

Did you go to Nvidia.com and download the driver for the GTX555 version 296.10? There are two different drivers for each version, one for laptops and one for desktops, the difference is a M after the gx555, m means mobile or laptop. They are having problems with the 3oo series drivers so don't downlead them.

Yes, that was the driver I downloaded and tried to install.  It gave me the error "The graphic driver cannot find compatible graphics hardware."

Which is when I tried to go back and re-install the dell driver and I got the same message.  It doesn't appear that it is seeing the graphics card.  

I un-installed the driver and then restarted the machine in safe mode and ran driver cleaner to remove all Nvidia files.

Did you go into Device Manager and see what it said under display adapters to see what it said? I would uninstall the video card in device manager and restart the computer. Then try installing the driver again.

it says something like intel integrated - sorry not at that computer right now.  But I know any reference to the nVidia drivers is now gone.

should that be uninstalled as well?  It looks like the only video driver left.

Look under Unknown, see what is listed there and also uin device manager at the top go to the view drop down menu and click on hidden devices and the see if you something not right in device manager. You could have it where the computer has registered it as something else or you might have a video card problem.

My son is trying to play Blacklight retribution, which tells you the graphics card you are using, and it is telling him that he is using the intel card even though the GTX 555 is installed and running.  He also tried to change the anti-aliasing using the nvidia control panel in order to play Minecraft but it said that you can't change the settings.  He also claims that nvidia is not saving his settings.

Is there any way to get nvidia to save his settings?  He tried to install the driver above (BTW, the above driver is for the 32 bit system not the 64 bit system that he has) and wound up changing the settings on his computer so that it wouldn't recognize the GTX 555 at all.  Another 1 hr phone call to dell fixed that problem and we re-installed the old nvidia driver, which is now giving my son problems.

What is the correct way to uninstall a video driver?  The tech said to use the add/uninstall feature in control panel but i've read that you need to uninstall the driver a few times or use a driver cleaner type program to ensure that everything is gone.

Yes you should use the add/uninstall featurew and then use a driver cleaner. You will have to make sure you reboot after you use driver Cleaner and after it reboots load the driver you want to use. Ther is 32 bit & 64 bit drivers for both the Desktop and Laptpop so you have to becareful to get the correct one.

I'm sorry but do you know how/why some games are using the intel integrated graphics rather than the nvidia card?  Doesn't make sense to me.