Driver installation question

[Ughmahedhurtz]

For Windows 7 installs, I never install motherboard drivers that come on discs in the box with the sole exception of RAID drivers. Always go to the chipset manufacturer (Intel, AMD, SiS, etc.) and get the chipset INFs direct from them. Once those enumerate, just use the native stuff. Those discs you get in the box usually also have these "tweak" utilities that get installed that, IMO, are the buggiest pieces of shit I've ever dealt with (except for S3 graphics drivers on Win98 but I digress).

TL;DR version:

1. Install Win7
2. Manually initiate Windows Update and let it finish. If you have to reboot, initiate it again until it reports no new important updates.
3. Install chipset drivers IF THEY DO NOT ID PROPERLY. If you look in Device Manager-->System devices, you should see several "Intel(R) ICHxx ?????" devices. If you don't, go grab the latest from Intel.
4. After updating chipset drivers, go get the latest generic WHQL ATI driver for the 5770 from ATI's main site.
5. Manually initiate Windows Update and let it finish. If you have to reboot, initiate it again until it reports no new important updates.
6. Once you finish that, check Device Manager for "banged out" devices (show a yellow triangle and report that no driver is installed). If you're sure what the device is, grab the manufacturer's latest driver for them. Otherwise, post which ones are banged out and the hardware PnP IDs for them and we can help with those. (To see the HW PnP ID, right-click the device in device manager--> Properties--> Details tab--> Pull down the "Property" list and select "Hardware IDs."
7. Manually initiate Windows Update and let it finish. If you have to reboot, initiate it again until it reports no new important updates.