Solved Win 8 AMD Switchable Graphics FAQ

My problem is very similar to Rosterbyte's.

I have an hp dv6t-quad edition with Radeon HD 7690M. I upgraded to Windows 8 2 days ago, at first I was getting a message after every boot saying that ATI Catalyst Control Center needed to be re-installed. Obviously HP didn't provide new drivers for the graphics card, though I did upgrade the BIOS.

Anyways I tried uninstalling Catalyst Control Center and installing it again, tried re-installing, the same old drivers, kept getting the same message. Finally I installed the new 12.11(October 23 driver) beta drivers from AMD, now I am able to open CCC but there aren't any options for the graphics card.

On top of that it seems like Windows 8 doesn't even recognize my graphics card, it says I have an AMD Radeon HD 6700M Series graphics card, again I have the 7690M. Another thing I noticed is that, under the General properties it says this: "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)".

Here are some pictures of my current problem:
<Edit: deleted from quote for brevity>

What do I need to do to fix this issue?

P.S WiDI doesn't work either, but I am mostly concern about the graphics card.

Zetlin,

Thanks for checking in, and for the details you provided on your issue!

This is EXACTLY what I was referring to in the previous post; notice that it says "Driver Provider: Intel Corporation" in your "Intel Card driver info:" pic (screenshot) above?

However, your "AMD graphics card driver info:" pic/screenshot says "Driver Provider: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.". The Code (43) is because of the mismatch in driver signers (graphics card driver Providers).

Also, the Intel HD Graphics 3000 driver above is version 9.10.17.2867, which is the Intel Reference Driver for Windows 8 (a.k.a. "Intel HD Graphics Driver 15.28 for Win7/Win8") from the Intel Download Center. You'll see that in the post above I mentioned that Intel confirms (see the Intel FAQ links there) that this driver does not support Switchable Graphics (or Enduro).

To fix it should be simple:

  1. Roll back the Intel driver to the HP version, or use the "Have Disk"/"Choose" method to reinstall the HP driver in Device Manager.
  2. If that fails, use the HP SoftPaq for your HP Windows 8 drivers (see the first post) and run Setup.exe. You can then re-apply the AMD Catalyst 12.10 or 12.11 Beta after.
  3. Alternatively, you could install the Intel HD Graphics driver (same Have Disk method) from Leshcat's UnifL (Sep4 PT0.5 or later), like Rosterbyte did - those will also work, and are the newest AMD-signed Intel drivers (but your card may or may not still report the wrong name).

Once you install an AMD-signed Intel driver, the "Configure Switchable Graphics" menu will return. If you have AMD Catalyst drivers installed properly (it seems like you do), the Code 43 error will disappear and all will be well.

With respect to the wrong name of the card (6700M instead of 7690M/XT), this is based on what Hardware (PCI) IDs are, as reported by your hardware. Ideally, the driver should be based on the ATI Catalyst PCI Vendor ID (1002) List - see the latest list for details - but your PCI Vendor ID and Device ID matches my 6770M (I've heard that the 7690 is a rebranded 6770 with minor mods), so that is why you are seeing "AMD Radeon HD 6700M Series".

However, your Subsystem ID is different though - perhaps the HP drivers detect that also, (and is less generic, i.e. 7690M XT as opposed to 6700 Series,) better than the AMD Reference Driver.

BTW, Intel's latest WiDi release (3.5.40.0) requires at least this version (HD Graphics Driver 15.28) as a minimum for Windows 8. This is specified in the Intel Wireless Display software Readme - unfortunately, there is no (known) AMD-signed release of these Intel drivers available as yet. Post on the WiDi FAQ and let me know how it goes.

Cheers!
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 CP x64
Thank you for you help, I did some tinkering around and installed the drivers supplied at the notebookreview websites(your link in the first post) and somehow this fixed everything, windows now recognizes the right graphics card, and switchable graphics is working like it should.

Again Thank you! Going to mess around with WiDi next.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Hi, I have 6770m + intel 3000. I have installed 12.10 mobility 7900mod from benchmark3d and intel driver version 9.10.17.2867 from notebookreview hp driver page and all is working. In device manager I have intel hd 3000( provider: intel corporation) and amd hd 6700m ( provider amd). It is strange that it is works even the providers are not the same :/
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win7 64b
Hmmm...thanks for the info.

If it does that would be FANTASTIC, but based on the experiences of Zetlin, kitsune, Rosterbyte, and others (myself included) that hasn't worked out so far.

Can you provide links, screenshots, details?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 CP x64
AMD 12.10 WQHL mobility-7900 mod - AMD Catalyst 12.10 WHQL – 7900 MOD – BenchmarK3D (i downloaded ULPS off version)
intel driver 9.17.10.2867 - [Drivers] HP dv6-4XXX / dv6-6XXX / dv7-5XXX / dv7-6XXX / ENVY 14-2XXX / ENVY 17-2XXX (INTEL)
( under Intel HD Graphics 2000 / 2500 / 3000 / 4000, Current releases)

I've unistalled everything ( using driver fusion atc.....same steps as always) then I've isntalled AMD driver first, restart and install intel driver

Here is my device manager
devicemanager.png

I from Czech republic, therefore czech language but I suppose it is clear:)

CCC+intel
ccc+intel.png
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win7 64b
Ah, another 3rd-party modded driver!

Thanks, I will add it to the appropriate section on the first post.

Also, I believe the reason that you can have 2 different Driver Providers is because perhaps you are running x86 (32-bit) and not x64 (64-bit)? Windows x64 has driver-signing enforced by default, so you must have the same Provider for both drivers.

As an aside, I also noticed that Benchmark3D's AMD (official) Catalyst 12.10 WHQL downloads list an AMD Catalyst and an AMD Catalyst Mobility 12.10 download direct from AMD, although I can't find a page on AMD's Support Hub that talks about the Catalyst Mobility driver.

Time for some more testing...thanks again for the info!
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 CP x64
alphastar, I definitely run x64 windows 7 :) Dont know how it is possible it works, but I'll try to leave it alone and working :D
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win7 64b
Most (if not all) 3rd-party drivers override the 64-bit driver signature enforcement, and/or disable the "Test Mode" watermark that results.

Oh well. Once it works for you!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 CP x64
I'm completely at a loss here. HP Envy 17 3070nr, which I believe comes with a 7690M (even though as someone else noted earlier, my Device Manager lists a 6700M).

Struggled with screen turning off when I first installed Win 8 so I'm trying to update my display drivers. However, any and all Catalyst installers (e.g. 12.10, 12.11, and the previous HP OEM listing I found on Notebook Review) all fail with an error "Failed to load detection driver."

Any ideas?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8, maybe?
I see now that I can't be in Safe Mode to install those drivers... but if I "refresh" my Win 8 and try to install the thing in the conventional OS environment I can't get through it without the monitor shutting off.

Unbelievably frustrating.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8, maybe?
I'm completely at a loss here. HP Envy 17 3070nr, which I believe comes with a 7690M (even though as someone else noted earlier, my Device Manager lists a 6700M).

Struggled with screen turning off when I first installed Win 8 so I'm trying to update my display drivers. However, any and all Catalyst installers (e.g. 12.10, 12.11, and the previous HP OEM listing I found on Notebook Review) all fail with an error "Failed to load detection driver."

Any ideas?

You can try using the HP (eDiags) scan for the ENVY 17-3070nr, as there is no display driver listed for Windows 8 x64 for your notebook. Alternatively, HP SoftPaq SP58788 for ENVY 14-2xxx (and other Pavilion dv6/dv7) may (i.e. IMO you should try, can't hurt) also work.

I've never had to use Safe Mode to install drivers, though.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 CP x64
As mentioned in the 2nd post, the install error seemed to be related to trying to do it in Safe Mode. That aspect is resolved by doing it in "normal" mode... but I can't get through the install without the screen going off, and not coming back on.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8, maybe?
As mentioned in the 2nd post, the install error seemed to be related to trying to do it in Safe Mode. That aspect is resolved by doing it in "normal" mode... but I can't get through the install without the screen going off, and not coming back on.

Maybe try doing it using "Have Disk/Choose" method from Device Manager, 1 card at a time? If all goes well, then try running AMD Catalyst 12.10/12.11 Beta.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 CP x64
Is it possible to eliminate both display adapters and get Win 8 to default to some generic display? I seemed to inadvertently do this at some point yesterday, where my graphic resolution was relatively low and I couldn't bump it up to 1900x1280. In that mode, I could at least keep the monitor on.

I tried "disabling" both adapters the last time I started up but it didn't seem to do much. Maybe I had to click OK in the Device Manager dialog to get it to take?

I feel like I'm playing beat the clock every time here, of how much I can do before losing monitor. Then to be able to get back I have to do the "Refresh Windows" option which takes for ever.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8, maybe?
Hm. I did manage to get the most recent Catalyst stuff installed finally (the 10/22/2012 release). Confirmed that in Safe Mode (though it still lists me as 6700).

Go to restart in normal mode... black screen (monitor off) immediately after the boot up animation. I give up. Might do (another) factory image reset to Win 7 and start over with an in place upgrade rather than a clean Win 8 install. Perhaps that's where I f'd it all up to begin with.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8, maybe?
After installing Win 8 and beginning the set up process, I disabled Windows Update and disallowed installing device drivers. When it finished set up and loaded the OS I installed Leschat's drivers. After that I turned Windows Update back on. Now my switchable graphics are working fine on 12.9 drivers. That will work for me until more compatible drivers are out. My laptop is an HP Envy 17t-3000.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Hi, I've got a HP DM4-3060SF Beats Edition laptop, and HP doesn't provide (yet?) AMD Display drivers.
So I've managed to install Leshcat's drivers and it works like a charm...BUT I have to use Fixed mode, otherwise CCC crashes in Dynamic mode, hence no switch. The problem is that in Fixed Mode, the default graphic card used is the Radeon's one, so I hear the fans all the time. I used to use Dynamic mode in Windows 7, configuring each application in CCC, and it worked very well.
How to get back this function in Windows 8?

Thanks for replying ;)

PS : I've got a - Test Mode Windows 8 Profesional Build 9200 - watermark on the right bottom edge of my desktop, I can't ride of it without disabling Leshcat's drivers. How to?

Edit : it seems that I encounter the same problem than Rosterbyte but in my concern, it doesn't work as I want.
I installed Leshcat's 12.9 v0.5 drivers then upgraded to 12.10 with AMD's official drivers.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Hi guys,
been reading through the thread to try solve a similar issue to what's come up before. I have a Lenovo U400 with HD3000+ 6470M, and just upgraded to win 8. After the upgrade, switcheable graphics and the catalyst control panel were no longer compatible, and I lost screen brightness control, so I downloaded the latest official lenovo AMD signed drivers. Unfortunately it seems the Lenovo version fails to install properly for anyone who's attempted so far.


So I tried Leshcat's drivers (both 12.8 and 12.9) but I still failed to get any control over the AMD card (I couldn't even open the catalyst manager), and the card actually would get detected as a 7400M.


I then tried removing (again) all drivers via DriverFusion and just let windows update take care of it, but this method also detects the card incorrectly as 7400M, and provides no way to control it.


Finally I tried the AMD beta 12.11_beta4 ones; these drivers install, but I still dont get control over the switchable graphics panel. I am sure, as someone mentioned earlier, it's because the AMD beta drivers don't match the signature/version of the INTEL ones.


So my problem is... given the above, where do I find a matching AMD / INTEL driver? I saw someone mentioning an HP machine with my same graphics config, would that work or are there potential pitfalls?

I dont really mind if the driver is the latest and greatest, as long as I get back control over switcheable graphics and brightness. Hopefully it will also improve my battery life, it's been cut in half since updating to Win 8, but might be faulty power management settings. Damn lenovo....


thanks in advance, any help would be really precious!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8 64-bit
Back
Top