Understanding How to Customize and Debloat NVIDIA Drivers

Objective

This guide explains how to manually install NVIDIA drivers with minimal bloat, customize the installation, and manage settings without using third-party apps like NVCleanstall.

Required Tools

• 7-Zip: Download and install from the official website.
• NVIDIA Driver File: Obtain from the NVIDIA website.

Process Steps

Extracting Driver Files

1. Download & Install 7-Zip.
2. Download the NVIDIA Driver.
3. Extract Driver Files:
   • Right-click on the driver file.
   • Use 7-Zip to extract files to a directory, e.g., NVIDIA 551.52 Desktop.
   • Retain only the necessary files: Display.Driver, HDAudio, nodejs, NVI2, PhysX, PPC, EULA.txt, ListDevices.txt, setup.cfg, setup.exe.

Setup Configuration

1. Edit setup.cfg:
   • Delete specific lines at the end to exclude GeForce Experience.
2. Modify presentations.cfg in NVI2 Folder:
   • Change key values to remove ads from the installer.

Install Process

• Run setup.exe to complete installation.

Advanced Customization

• Disable Telemetry:

  • Use PowerShell or command prompt commands (provided in the video description).
  • Check Task Scheduler for NVIDIA Telemetry tasks and disable if necessary.

• Fix HDMI Audio Timeout Issues:

  • Use regedit to modify registry settings to prevent timeouts:
    • Target keys like Conservative Idle Time, Idle Power State, and Performance Idle Time.
    • Set values to eight zeros.

• Enable MSI Mode:

  • Use MSI Utility B3 to enable MSI mode for reduced GPU latency.
  • Directions to apply settings are included in the video description.

• Disable HDCP:

  • Apply a PowerShell command to disable HDCP (re-enable with another command if needed).

• Disable NVIDIA Ansel Overlay:

  • Use command prompt and command NVCameraEnable off to disable.

Recommendations

• For features such as ShadowPlay or GeForce Experience, consider using NVCleanstall.
• If preferring manual methods without third-party apps, follow this step-by-step guide for customization.

Conclusion

This guide provides a comprehensive process to customize NVIDIA driver installations manually. If problems arise using apps like NVCleanstall, these steps offer a solid alternative.

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