How to fix 'nvidia installer cannot continue' and 'nvidia installer failed'

AS OF MARCH 2018: If you need help and don't post your FULL HARDWARE ID (HINT: IT STARTS WITH PCI\...) AND READ THIS ENTIRE VIDEO DESCRIPTION, I WILL NOT RESPOND!

▬ Contents of this video ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

0:00 - Intro (Purpose of Video)
0:07 - Intro (Problem Description)
0:13 - Intro (Target Audience)
0:40 - Intro (Problem Background)
1:13 - Intro (Problem Demonstration)
1:36 - NVIDIA Installer cannot continue
1:41 - Step 1 (Find Hardware ID)
2:40 - Step 2 (Modify Driver Files)
5:46 - Caught Myself
5:50 - Step 2 (Driver Modification Continued)
6:48 - Step 3 (Hardware Display Name)
8:00 - Warning!
8:08 - Step 4 (Run Modified Installer)
8:45 - Step 5 (Agree and Continue)
9:01 - NVIDIA Installer (Still?!) Failed
9:31 - Step 6 (Disable Signature Enforcement)
11:02 - BOHICA
11:04 - Step 7 (Re-Run Modified Installer)
11:28 - Step 8 (Allow Modified Driver)
11:52 - NVIDIA Installer Has Finished

▬ ALL TOO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

1. I CAN'T FIND MY "GROUPING" IN ANY OF THE FILES!!!

There's a part in the video where i say "you know you have nvidia hardware". I wish I had never said this. YOUR COMPUTER MUST DETECT YOUR HARDWARE FOR THIS TO WORK. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU YOURSELF "KNOWING" YOU HAVE NVIDIA HARDWARE.

So how do you check? At 2:10 in the video, I explain how to look at your hardware ID. IF YOUR HARDWARE ID DOESN'T CONTAIN "VEN_10DE" (WHICH IS THE DESIGNATOR FOR NVIDIA'S HARDWARE!), THIS WON'T WORK. It won't matter how much you wish it will work, or how angry it makes you, or how frustrating it is, it WON'T WORK.

THERE IS ONE BIG HOWEVER:

2. Why can't I find my NVIDIA card? I KNOW IT'S IN THERE!

I don't know. That's not the purpose of this video. I've seen a lot of people complain that they updated to windows 10 and their computer no longer detects their card. Some people say that updating their windows allows them to detect their card again. I wish you weren't in this situation, but this video can't help you if your system doesn't detect your card.

3. I only see "Intel(R) HD Graphics XXXX". Where's my NVIDA??

See my answer to #2.

4. The hardware ID says "VEN_8086" (or something other than 10DE)

Anything other than VEN_10DE is wrong and this video won't work you for, no matter how closely you follow it. If you're wondering where your NVIDIA hardware is, see my answer to #2.

5. I don't even see "display adapters"!!!! AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH

In this case, it's possible (BUT NOT GURANTEED!) that your system can't find an appropriate driver and is now listed under "Other Devices" (VISUAL AID: 1:44, under "Network adapters").

So take a look under "Other Devices"... It MAY be listed here and have an intuitive name. Conversely, there may be multiple items here that you have to look through that aren't conspicuously named. Your card may even say "Unknown device"! It could say a lot of things. Or, It could TOTALLY NOT BE THERE AND YOU'RE SCREWED AND THAT'S THAT. You cannot do this video if you don't have hardware in your system that says "VEN_10DE"!

6. I can't find the NVIDIA folder!!!

No worries. After the installer begins, DON'T CLOSE IT. Instead, navigate to your C drive, copy the entire "NVIDIA" folder to your desktop (or wherever you like), and go from there! Then click close!

7. Why does your adapter say "Microsoft basic display adapter"? Should mine say that too?

No. That's just a generic display name for *my* device. My system wasn't able to identify what type of hardware it is, so it installed a generic Microsoft driver just to get some basic functionality out of the hardware.

YOURS will (likely) say something different! Check the hardware ID to be sure. The name is unimportant; the CORRECT hardware ID is KEY. It MUST be "VEN_10DE" regardless of what the display name says!

8. How do I open "find" in notepad?

Ever since I first saw someone ask this, I have intentionally chosen never to answer it. I won't even answer it here. The fact of the matter is if you can't figure this out, you shouldn't even be attempting this video. I know that seems harsh, but it's so simple that if you can't self help, you'll bury yourself.

SO GO GOOGLE IT!

9. Does this work on windows 7/8/8.1?

Yes. Google "disable driver signature enforcement windows XXX", replacing "xxx" with your windows version. If there's any other part of this video that doesn't line up with your version of windows, GOOGLE IT!!!!!

..OR..

If you're on windows 7, google "show extensions for unknown file types".

11. I DID EVERYTHING RIGHT AND IT STILL DOESN'T WORK!!!!!!

Take a look at the PINNED COMMENT by Omri Ramzi. I have found that this is helpful for a LOT of people, and so have a LOT OF PEOPLE!

[vazgrim]

After 6 hours of googling and digging for a solution for the exact same problem. I reached your video. Thank you sir! Everything is okay now apart from my partially bald head.

[udaykiranneelayadora]

7 years old video and still serving the purpose 🤠

[nhull]

I really don't understand why on earth anyone should have to go through all this to get an application to work. Why the fuck does it not just work

[filipzaezny]

Can't find the number in the files. Anyone had the same problem?

[mcfragger]

apparently, Nvidia fucked up big time considering how recent all of these comments seem to be

[destroyX]

guys who cant find the nvidia folder i have an way when you start
the dowload the file start getting downloaded in your c drive just move the folder from there and place it in your desktop and
its done just after finshing the transfer cancle the nvidia
download

[ota]

I do all the steps, but installing freeze on the beigning!!!

[emrysdev]

The problem is I don't have the folder on my PC, I download the nvidia drivers in google but it not installed

[natdanairuengvarapit]

Oh my god. This video is 6 years ago, but it still help me. Thankyou so much:)

[ZomBiiNaTiioN]

worked for my 1060, you don't know how badly I wanna kiss you my friend LOL

[tiagoaguiarguitar]

**FIX** Not working for me anymore. Already did this 2 times in previous versions and worked. Yesterday i tried to update it and its not working dunno why. Geforce Experience will not detect new drivers, you have to check it for yourself.
But i managed to update the drivers easier than this method.
Go to Device Manager, right click on your Graphic Card and "Update Driver Software", then select "Browse my computer for driver software" then choose the driver folder location. Just wait to finish and its done.
P.S... The installation will be trough windows menu and not the nvidia driver menu. On a clean instalation i dont know if installs all the nvidia utilities like GF Experience, but is a good way to update the drivers =)

[jsmg]

TooCrooked I CANT FIND MY DEV AND SUBSYS
ON THE LIST I TRIED EVERY NOTEPAD FILE BUT IT DOESNT WORK
please help me!

[DanielsYoffe]

SOLVED! FINALLY!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS TUTORIAL!!! I've spent 40 hours googling! =D

@&%% NVIDIA!!!!

[BasedManRich]

For everyone that uninstalled their drivers or GPU go to your system settings and click or type in search restore system ! I did this on my windows 10 and they restored the Nvidia card I uninstalled.

[tiagoaguiarguitar]

*UPDATED SOLUTION November 2018*

- First of all, after the error dont close the nvidia window or the nvidia folder will be deleted! Copy the folder to other location THEN close the installation window.

- I guess editing any INF files is not working anymore, you must edit the INF of your manufacture!
<< Acer & Gateway = nvaci.inf
; Asus = nvami.inf; Apple = nvaoi.inf; Compal = nvcti.inf; Clevo (Sager & other brands) = nvcvi.inf; Dell & Alienware = nvdmi.inf; Fujitsu = nvfmi.inf; HP = nvbli.inf; HP = nvhmi.inf; LG = nvloi.inf; Lenovo = nvlti.inf; MSI = nvmii.inf; NEC = nvqni.inf; Siemens = nvfui.inf; Sony = nvszci.inf; Toshiba Qosmio = nvtdi.inf; Toshiba = nvtsi.inf >>

- First, YOU MUST edit the exact same way like in this video, BUT in your manufactuer INF file! Remember to save all the lines you edited to the next step! Then you do the next steps!
*One more thing, when you edition a section like for exemple Section=050 and if ID appears again in a 050 section YOU DONT NEED to edit. Editing 1 time per section is enough!*

- Again on your manufacture INF search for [Manufacturer], bellow you will find a line with some windows version/compilation. The problem happens because nvidia is not adding the recent compilations. Looks like this:
%NVIDIA_A%=NVIDIA_Devices, NTamd64.10.0, NTamd64.10.0...14310, NTamd64.10.0, NTamd64.10.0...16299
Just add your compilation with this at the end in my case 17763
After adding will look like this: %NVIDIA_A%=NVIDIA_Devices, NTamd64.10.0, NTamd64.10.0...14310, NTamd64.10.0, NTamd64.10.0...16299, NTamd64.10.0, NTamd64.10.0...17763
*You if dont know how to check your version Settings->System-> About, u will see OS Compilation!*

- All the section lines you edit in this video are below a compilation group and looks like this:

%NVIDIA_DEV. etc etc etc
%NVIDIA_DEV. etc etc etc
%NVIDIA_DEV. etc etc etc
%NVIDIA_DEV. etc etc etc
Just create a group for *with your current compilation* like in my case (17763): and paste bellow all the section lines you edited that i told you to save for later. I advise you to save in a notepad the compilation group you created with the lines for future updares!

- *I advise you to block windows update from updating nvidia drivers, it will install older drivers if you not block! Just search google for "blocking driver update by ID with group policy", in my case is the first link from howtogeek website.*
Happy driver updates!

[georgegalkin]

143k views; 143k people looking for support and you're telling me that this hasn't been patched?

[ELCENA]

For those that don't find their numbers just copy any line and change the numbers in every chunk

[shiori]

Ok, I think I have the necessity to lend a hand by telling how I fixed this problem. Let's start:

-The problem: Windows 10 wouldn't recognize my GTX 1080ti after a clean install, no matter what I tried. In device manager it showed "Basic Microsoft Display Device" where should be GTX 1080ti.

-What is causing this?: The version of Windows 10 you are using is outdated, and the newest GPUs are not recognized (most likely GTX10 series).

Don't panic try to relax. I spent a lot of time trying to fix this and I came up with an easy solution.

-How to solve this problem:

1)You are going to attempt to update by writing "update" in the Cortana search box.
2)Click "Check updates", download them, restart, and install them.
4)Download it, install it, running, update it again. It will take some time.
5)Once it is done it should restart automatically, and the resolution should upscale to your native monitor resolution, it means your graphics card is recognized, and now you can install the drivers.

PD: I think my problem was different from the one in this video, but it is a very simple solution that worked for me.

[lntarsi]

I can’t find Microsoft basic display adapter

[homosapien]

After doing all this the drivers installed but now device manager is showing error 43. Please help