ATI AMD driver install package Windows Version or Hardware Identifier problem


After you try to install an updated ATI Catalyst software for your graphics card, you may find that the display driver setup failed. Some people suggest a complete removal of all AMD software and drivers, before the setup of a new version. You may do this and still face the same problem as before, AMD giving you the warning “Driver Install: Windows® version does not support this operation”, or “Driver Install: the driver package does not specify a hardware identifier.”

Do not uninstall and re-install anything, and of course do not format your disk! You just have to update your Display Driver manually, but it is very easy. Go to the Windows Control Panel, then to Device Manager; right click the ATI entry and select the Update Driver option. Choose to use a location on the PC, and browse to the ATI support folder just created by the failed setup, usually at C:\ATI\Support\etc.

Windows will update the driver without problems and it will ask you to restart the computer. Note that you have to let AMD installer finish and give you the “fail” messages, and only then use the Windows Control Panel to update manually the driver. You need to do that, because AMD installer will create the “support” folder that contains the newer driver version.

It seems that, until AMD manages to create a decent installation package, we have to update the display driver manually through the Windows Control Panel, after Catalyst finishes the setup of whatever is able to setup successfully.

8 Responses

  1. Shay says:

    thanks you thank you thank you thank you
    very very very much

    saved me the complete format.
    again thanks a lot!!!

  2. DJ says:

    Thank you! I’ve been trying to figure out why I have repeatedly installed the drivers, and yet have been getting “No AMD drivers are installed.” Finally, I actually looked at the install log which showed the error “driver install: windows version does not support this operation.” I ran a Google search and found this page. Now, if I could just get the “KDBSync” crashing problem fixed, I’ll be good. AMD needs to get their issues fixed or I’m going to NVidia from now on!

  3. Robbert says:

    Big ups! Works perfectly

  4. Ollie says:

    thank you very much! now I can open CCC. great help!
    but can I ask a question? I was wondering because before I remember (I’m not so sure) that I can see a 1920 x 1080 option when opening the screen resolution on my desktop (windows 7 home premium, lcd: hp 2009f) but now I’m only seeing 1600 x 900??

  5. Dear Ollie, perhaps you don’t remember well, because even HP 2009M won’t go above 1600×900.

  6. Ollie says:

    oh I see, because I’m sure that I saw 1920 x 1080 when I plugged our CPU to our Sony Bravia. so does it mean that the maximum resolution is affected by the output device? (lcd, led)

  7. Yes. Catalyst hides modes that the monitor won’t support, to avoid annoyances, black screens, even damages. The Windows system also hides non supported modes.

  8. Ollie says:

    now I know, thanks for all this stuff, you’ve been very helpful! :)