FX5200DT Drivers problem (nVidia/Abit)

[Ilwrath]

First, exit everything you're doing, because you'll need to reboot at least once.  (Maybe twice -- so much for Windows XP not needing reboots.)

Anyhow, go into your Device Manager (from the System Properties screen, Hardware tab...) and find where it has your display adaptor, and delete whatever garbage it has detected as your video card.

Windows will grind the HD for a bit, maybe ask if you're sure, grind a bit more, rebuild the hardware database, and then prompt you to reboot.  Do it.  (Skipping this reboot is very bad.)

When XP comes back up, you'll be greeted by the "New Hardware Detected" screen.  Hopefully this time it'll find the right driver.  If not, force it to the directory you extracted the nVidia reference driver to.  (Usually c:\nvidia\win2kxp\56.64\ or whatever version you are attempting to install.)

Let it grind away and install.  If it asks to reboot, let it.  That should be it.  Now just go to your desktop properties and configure your prefs.

[Ilwrath]

@piru-
Good advice.  I've heard of this happening.  Never seen it happen, but it could, if the AV software monitors certain hardware database registry keys.

[Ilwrath]

I go to the Have Disk nVidia drawer and select the .inf file but absolutely nothing appears in the model box (there's no manufacturer box doing this) so I can't continue. I've tried 45.23 and 56.72.

Don't force it like that.  Let WinXP detect the hardware, when it pops the first prompt, there should be an option to pick in the search path that lets you type a directory.  Pick this option, and type in (it won't let you browse)
C:\nvidia\win2kxp\56.72

Click "Next".  It should sort itself, from there.

[Ilwrath]

But it looks like the registry may be at fault....
You will have to completely remove your old installation of the driver.

Exactly.  You're going to have to remove whatever botched driver there is installed.  Do this through device manager.  Remove every single display adaptor in your system.

On the reboot, Windows HAS to detect something.  (It's not a valid config for Windows to have NO display adaptor, and Windows can't just add something without going through the "New Hardware Detected" wizard)

Once in that wizard choose the option to "Specify the location of the new driver" and use the directory you expanded the nvidia reference driver to.  The "Have Disk" stuff only works for legacy drivers, not current ones.  (Honestly, I have no idea why they left it as an option, anymore.  It does more to confuse people than help them.)

[Ilwrath]

@Vincent

Hah!  I should read more carefully!

My CD has went walkabout so I've downloaded drivers from nvidia and Abit

I just assumed that meant you had an Abit motherboard, and installed the motherboard AGP driver.  I never considered that you might have meant the Abit GeForce driver.  :-P  

Anyhow, congrats on getting it working.  :-)