Hoo boy, this is bad

[Kraken]

My desktop PC won’t “post”, I think is the term. Nothing happens when I turn it on.

The last thing I did before I went on vacation was download the latest Windows update and shut the PC down normally. It then sat unused for four days.

My office was extremely hot and humid, so I installed my air conditioner, cleaned all the very dirty dust filters, and blew out the case. I didn’t think that would work, and it didn’t.

The power indicators inside the case look normal and fans are spinning merrily. My monitor complains that it’s not receiving an HDMI signal. I never hear the usual beep that usually sounds before Windows loads.

How can I isolate the failure? I don’t have any old components, such as video cards or RAM, that I can swap in, and my hardware tech skills are weenie level. I suspect the CPU since I should hear that beep and it should try to load the BIOS even if the video card is fried (right?). Could it hypothetically be the SSD?

I can afford to replace the whole machine if it's not easy to define and fix the failure, but of course I would rather not.

The PC and all parts thereof is five years old.

[Daehawk]

This the PC you got from the eCollege place?

[Anonymous Bosch]

Based on what you have described, I would also tend to suspect CPU failure. But the symptoms you describe could well be caused by other issues.

So, if you can afford to do so, I would recommend taking it to a local PC repair shop to have them diagnose the system for you. Because they ought to have the appropriate components and hardware you're lacking to swap in, thereby allowing them to reliably isolate the failure. This should allow you to accurately evaluate the cost to repair vs. replacing the entire system.

[Blackhawk]

It wouldn't be completely unreasonable to try unplugging and replugging everything, from cards to power connectors. It's a long shot, but I've seen it help before.

[Kraken]

Yes, it's the eCollege PC. I should clean it more often when my office is so hot; wouldn't surprise me if it had heatstroke.

Thinking hard about it, I believe I remember having one bad start earlier last week, where the PC started to boot and froze without loading Windows. Cycling the power fixed it that time and I just chalked it up to space weather, since it was a one-off.

So, if you can afford to do so, I would recommend taking it to a local PC repair shop to have them diagnose the system for you. Because they ought to have the appropriate components and hardware you're lacking to swap in, thereby allowing them to reliably isolate the failure. This should allow you to accurately evaluate the cost to repair vs. replacing the entire system.

That sounds like a plan. There is a sales/service shop nearby that I’ve donated a couple of old laptops to years ago. They refurbish them and give them to poor people. IDK if they handle desktops but I’ll stop by and ask. Would be nice if I just have to replace the CPU...although I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't enjoy a whole new computer.

Fortunately all of my pictures are on D:, which is a mechanical drive that should be easy to move to a new machine. My docs are on MS OneDrive, and I theoretically have a backup on AWS via JungleDisk, although I've never tried to restore from there. This is a big nuisance but not a catastrophe.

Now it’s time to see if my laptop is up to Stellaris. It installed and launched, so we’ll see.

[Carpet_pissr]

You seem to think this is heat related. Just how hot/humid is your office?

[Kraken]

You seem to think this is heat related. Just how hot/humid is your office?

When I tried to fire up my machine tonight it was 90+ degrees and humidity was as high as it can get when it's raining. IDK if electronics know about humidity but I don’t imagine they’d like it. My dust screens and fans were surprisingly caked since I’d just cleaned them a few months ago. Someone needs to look into global dusting.

IDK if it was hot enough to fry a CPU but it was plenty hot.

I would like to blame Windows update, but that’s a stretch.

The good news is that my laptop runs Stellaris just fine, so I don’t have a gaming emergency.

[Kasey Chang]

Can you get into BIOS? Does the MB POST at all?

[Alefroth]

If absolutely nothing happens, sounds like a power/PSU issue.

[hitbyambulance]

my (initial) goto answer for anything like this now is 'check the PSU'

[Carpet_pissr]

If absolutely nothing happens, sounds like a power/PSU issue.

He’s getting power (he mentioned fans spinning).

[Isgrimnur]

But is he getting enough power?

[Kraken]

Can you get into BIOS? Does the MB POST at all?

Nope. Indicator lights look normal and fans spin up normally, and that’s it.

I’ll mention PSU to the repair dude when I go see him this after. Would be nice if it’s that simple.

[Kasey Chang]

Try disconnect from wall and try a different plug in the house.

[Alefroth]

If absolutely nothing happens, sounds like a power/PSU issue.

He’s getting power (he mentioned fans spinning).

Ah. Yeah, re-reading it he even mentioned power indicators look good.

[Kraken]

Dude at the local computer shop will diagnose for free. Now I just have to find the time to take it in and wait around (if he's busy). I'm pretty busy the first half of this week but would really like to get my PC back on the road, or replace it if that's the smarter move.

[hitbyambulance]

If absolutely nothing happens, sounds like a power/PSU issue.

He’s getting power (he mentioned fans spinning).

Ah. Yeah, re-reading it he even mentioned power indicators look good.

i've seen this symptom occur with a faulty PSU several times - yes, it powers up, but it's not delivering power in the uh, right quantities (malfunctioning 12V rail or whatever)

it's pretty rare the CPU 'just goes bad'. more likely is bad capacitors on the motherboard.

[Kraken]

If absolutely nothing happens, sounds like a power/PSU issue.

He’s getting power (he mentioned fans spinning).

Ah. Yeah, re-reading it he even mentioned power indicators look good.

i've seen this symptom occur with a faulty PSU several times - yes, it powers up, but it's not delivering power in the uh, right quantities (malfunctioning 12V rail or whatever)

it's pretty rare the CPU 'just goes bad'. more likely is bad capacitors on the motherboard.

Is that something modular that can be replaced, or would it be new mobo time? Cuz a bad mobo probably means a new PC.

This guy has owned his shop for probably going on 10 years now. I think he’ll deal fairly with me. But I also know he’d like to sell me a new PC.

[Kasey Chang]

Motherboard has to be replaced whole, but we haven't seen the insides... Unless you can spot the leaking or busted caps and know how to solder and can source the replacement parts.

[Alefroth]

If absolutely nothing happens, sounds like a power/PSU issue.

He’s getting power (he mentioned fans spinning).

Ah. Yeah, re-reading it he even mentioned power indicators look good.

i've seen this symptom occur with a faulty PSU several times - yes, it powers up, but it's not delivering power in the uh, right quantities (malfunctioning 12V rail or whatever)

it's pretty rare the CPU 'just goes bad'. more likely is bad capacitors on the motherboard.

And even if the CPU did fail, it would still POST something.

[Carpet_pissr]

My money is on fried mobo.

And yes that dude totally wants to (and likely will!) sell you a new PC.

[hitbyambulance]

If absolutely nothing happens, sounds like a power/PSU issue.

He’s getting power (he mentioned fans spinning).

Ah. Yeah, re-reading it he even mentioned power indicators look good.

i've seen this symptom occur with a faulty PSU several times - yes, it powers up, but it's not delivering power in the uh, right quantities (malfunctioning 12V rail or whatever)

it's pretty rare the CPU 'just goes bad'. more likely is bad capacitors on the motherboard.

Is that something modular that can be replaced, or would it be new mobo time? Cuz a bad mobo probably means a new PC.

This guy has owned his shop for probably going on 10 years now. I think he’ll deal fairly with me. But I also know he’d like to sell me a new PC.

capacitors CAN be replaced on a motherboard, but your soldering skills better be up to par. just see what the repair tech says - if it is a bad PSU, that's an easy swap

[Isgrimnur]

And if one capacitor goes bad, how long are you going to trust the others, likely from the same lot?

[Anonymous Bosch]

Is that something modular that can be replaced, or would it be new mobo time? Cuz a bad mobo probably means a new PC.

This guy has owned his shop for probably going on 10 years now. I think he’ll deal fairly with me. But I also know he’d like to sell me a new PC.

If it is a faulty motherboard, it's worth finding out what the repair bloke would charge to perform the replacement. Because it may well be significantly more convenient and affordable to just have him replace the motherboard for you vs. replacing your entire system.

[Kraken]

I appreciate all the input because I know this fellow is biased toward selling new computers. The more info I can take in with me, the more likely I am to get a solution I want.

I didn’t tell him it’s a gaming PC so he probably expects an off-the-shelf Best Buy special.

[Blackhawk]

If it is relatively old, he may not be able to replace the motherboard as easily, as he'd have to get one with the out-of-date sockets compatible with your current CPU and RAM, and if it is a gaming PC, he may not get one that's designed around that kind of performance.

It's worth asking if you go that route, but you'd almost be better off seeing if he'd be OK with you buying a new mobo, CPU, and RAM and having him install them (if you don't want to mess with it.) It'll likely also be an upgrade without having to buy a whole new PC.

[Isgrimnur]

If you went with the Gigabyte B360N Wifi, NewEgg has them for $290.

[Kraken]

If it is relatively old, he may not be able to replace the motherboard as easily, as he'd have to get one with the out-of-date sockets compatible with your current CPU and RAM, and if it is a gaming PC, he may not get one that's designed around that kind of performance.

It's worth asking if you go that route, but you'd almost be better off seeing if he'd be OK with you buying a new mobo, CPU, and RAM and having him install them (if you don't want to mess with it.) It'll likely also be an upgrade without having to buy a whole new PC.

I like my case. It's short and fat and fits under my shelf in a tall and skinny age. Everything else is negotiable.

If you went with the Gigabyte B360N Wifi, NewEgg has them for $290.

Those sure are words and numbers!

[Carpet_pissr]

If you went with the Gigabyte B360N Wifi, NewEgg has them for $290.

Those sure are words and numbers!

LOL

[Kraken]

Stopped by the repair shop today and asked the tech how it’s going. He removed everything from my case and put it back together, and the machine posted fine. The video card failed once; he reseated it and it’s fine again. He thought it might be a driver issue so reinstalled all drivers, and it hasn’t had a problem since. I do remember performing a routine NVIDIA driver update shortly before it died, so maybe. He wants to keep testing it for a couple more days just to make sure the gremlin is gone and everything's nice 'n' solid. I should be able to pick it up on Monday, with no new parts. Of course, I’ll want to watch it boot before I bring it home.

I’d feel better if he’d found and fixed a defect, rather than “it’s a mystery,” but if it’s running reliably that’s all that matters.

[Kasey Chang]

I need to replace the PSU in my PC. The fan inside is going wonky.

[Daehawk]

PCs and cars about the same..have problem until you try to show the guy who is gonna fix it then its suddenly ok until you go to take it home and it does it again but then it wont when ya get back to the guy with it.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Stopped by the repair shop today and asked the tech how it’s going. He removed everything from my case and put it back together, and the machine posted fine. The video card failed once; he reseated it and it’s fine again. He thought it might be a driver issue so reinstalled all drivers, and it hasn’t had a problem since. I do remember performing a routine NVIDIA driver update shortly before it died, so maybe. He wants to keep testing it for a couple more days just to make sure the gremlin is gone and everything's nice 'n' solid. I should be able to pick it up on Monday, with no new parts. Of course, I’ll want to watch it boot before I bring it home.

I’d feel better if he’d found and fixed a defect, rather than “it’s a mystery,” but if it’s running reliably that’s all that matters.

If it was an issue of driver cruft, I'd recommend using Display Driver Uninstaller to cleanly install a fresh driver set:

If you have not yet done so, try performing a CLEAN install of your graphics card drivers, by following the instructions detailed below by Tom's Hardware. This uses the Wagnard tools Display Driver Uninstaller to thoroughly cleanse prior rogue registry entries and incompletely uninstalled display driver cruft:

How to do a CLEAN install of your graphics card drivers using the Wagnard tools Display Driver Uninstaller

Also, if you use Nvidia hardware, you're typically better off using NVCleanstall to install Nvidia drivers sans unnecessary boat, as explained and demonstrated here:

[Blackhawk]

Installing them 'wrong?' Uh, no. Maybe there's an alternative he prefers, but the old-fashioned way isn't 'wrong' (sorry, that part just rubs me the wrong way - it's arrogant as hell.)

In general, I really dislike that approach to maintaining a PC. It isn't solving the problems it claims to be solving. Yes, it frees up a few megabytes of disk space and RAM - in an era when you can get a terrabyte SSD for under $40, and 32 gigs of RAM is almost down to $100. Yes, it stops it from sending telementry. So? Everything under the sun sends data. Scads of it. Constantly. The only way to avoid sending this vaguely defined 'data' loss would be to completely remove myself and my system from the internet entirely. Sending your social security number is one thing, but some people treat 'data' in a way that borders on paranoia.

The problems it solves are by, and large, not problems. At the same time, it has a lot of potential to actually create real problems. Unless you're an Nvidia engineer, you probably don't have a full picture of what those components do and how they interact, and I doubt that the summaries in those installers present the whole picture, nor are they likely going to remain accurate as the drivers change over time. Personally, I don't want to have to take into account which driver elements I did or didn't install when troubleshooting every misbehaving game. And I sure as hell don't want to help other people fix problems (which I still end up doing more often than I expect) when they've picked and chosen driver components to install.

So, I get the point behind that.

I'd still recommend installing the drivers the old fashioned way.

[Kraken]

I appreciate AB’s advice, but I lack the expertise to second-guess Nvidia’s installer. Was GEForce to blame? I've probably run it 50 times over the past five years without issues, but that's not to say the 51st didn't blow up my machine. I’ll ask the tech for his opinion because I'm out of my depth.

[Blackhawk]

I appreciate AB’s advice, but I lack the expertise to second-guess Nvidia’s installer. Was GEForce to blame? I've probably run it 50 times over the past five years without issues, but that's not to say the 51st didn't blow up my machine. I’ll ask the tech for his opinion because I'm out of my depth.

Based on what you've said, possibly. It might have been a corrupted driver or failed install. And yeah, using Display Driver Uninstaller and reinstalling the newest ones (like AB recommended) would have been the fix. It's also something you should do any time you change video cards, and I'll do it every year or two just to make sure that everything is nice and clean. It's not a tech-heavy process. It's the video driver version of 'turn it off and then back on.'

[Anonymous Bosch]

Installing them 'wrong?' Uh, no. Maybe there's an alternative he prefers, but the old-fashioned way isn't 'wrong' (sorry, that part just rubs me the wrong way - it's arrogant as hell.)

YMMV, but I construed his video title as wry, tongue in cheek humour. Keep in mind, such clickbait-y "rubs you the wrong way" titles are simply the coin of the realm for most Youtube content creators.

Yes, it stops it from sending telementry. So? Everything under the sun sends data. Scads of it. Constantly. The only way to avoid sending this vaguely defined 'data' loss would be to completely remove myself and my system from the internet entirely. Sending your social security number is one thing, but some people treat 'data' in a way that borders on paranoia.

I think this demonstrates a common, but flawed binary perception of user privacy. There's no such thing as 'perfect privacy' and the belief that a particular type of user, software, or service is either 'private' or 'not private' is similarly flawed. Because realistically, every type of software or service has some privacy and security concerns. Either directly, because of something it collects or does, or indirectly, because of something it could do better or perhaps doesn't necessarily excel at. So the notion that "Something isn’t perfect, therefore it shouldn’t be used" boils down to a nirvana fallacy. The point being, perfect privacy doesn't really exist at all. All that exists are improvements that align with your own privacy goals, which are plenty realistic for a vast number of people and very far from being futile or paranoid. Hence the purpose of threat modelling. Knowing what you value, what you want or don’t want to implement, and what improvements you can make within your threat model in light of new information are key to achieving practical personal user privacy.

More importantly in a broader sense, when you adopt a defeatist attitude towards user privacy, you actively enable other powers to advocate for you instead, e.g. [Eye of Sauron Mark Zuckerburg image here]. As the old adage goes, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Refusing to advocate for user privacy equates to tacitly allowing others to take advantage of an already broken system. Big tech, governments, and others in power will always insist they are the ones who are private, set their own standards for privacy in the world, and advocate for their vision of privacy status quo. Meanwhile, the kind of software and services that should be normalized are then labelled and relegated as extreme and unnecessary for the masses, thereby slowly killing them off. So whether or not you choose to actively follow and implement even a single privacy precaution in your life, one can still make it less futile by advocating the importance of good user privacy.

Granted, by default in 2023, with a majority of software and services, your privacy is simply not protected. Those in power control the narrative of what is permissible to be commodified and what is not; which in 2023, tends to be your data and rights to privacy. Alas, adopting the notion of "I have nothing to hide," only serves to further enable and empower the entire behemoth of surveillance capitalism. Acknowledging the grimness of the situation is fine, but I prefer to use it as means to help empower and encourage others to do something about it instead of adopting a defeatist attitude. Feeling hopeless about the situation is normal and understandable, and we all feel it sometimes. But it doesn't actually do much to help. In fact, I'd argue this generally makes things worse. Taking an attitude of "None of this matters, so why even try?" not only accomplishes nothing, it actually worsens the situation by reinforcing there is both no hope, and nothing for individuals to do to protect themselves. When in fact there is hope, and there are plenty of things individuals can do to protect and improve their privacy.

Unless you're an Nvidia engineer, you probably don't have a full picture of what those components do and how they interact, and I doubt that the summaries in those installers present the whole picture, nor are they likely going to remain accurate as the drivers change over time.

Right, because Nvidia surely knows better than us what is best for their hardware, so we should never tamper with their software. Well, not necessarily, as this also implies Nvidia would know what is best for us. However, we're all individuals and do not use our systems in the same way. Just as GPUs evolved from 'Graphics Processing Units' to 'General Processing Units,' so did their driver packages. They're no longer basic pieces of software for enabling other software to display graphics upon our screens. Nowadays, they're also hefty bundles of apps that take advantage of a GPU's advanced features. And yet, a significant portion of users will probably never use most of these features. Nvidia's drivers include components like the FrameView Software Development Kit, support for Stereo 3D glasses, support for the Shield console, the Shield Wireless Controller, Shield Streaming Service, and so on, and so forth. Personally, I have no reason to waste storage space on the necessary cruft for Stereo 3D glasses or the Shield Wireless Controller if I don't even own them. And YMMV, but I certainly have no compelling reason to constantly spoon-feed telemetry user data from my system to Nvidia servers.

Personally, I don't want to have to take into account which driver elements I did or didn't install when troubleshooting every misbehaving game. And I sure as hell don't want to help other people fix problems (which I still end up doing more often than I expect) when they've picked and chosen driver components to install.

So, I get the point behind that.

Fair enough, but I think you're making a bit of a mountain out of a molehill here. I have been using DDU and NVCleanstall for de-bloating Geforce driver packages for a very, very long time, and have quite literally never ran into any of the issues you fret over here. Keep in mind, NVCleanstall helpfully provides three presets in its components selection window, namely:

• All - enables every component, as with a normal Geforce driver installation.
• Recommended - enables only the Display Driver, PhysX, and HDMI Audio. In my experience, this provides everything necessary to run 99% of games flawlessly, with significantly less bloat and overhead than conventional Geforce driver installation.
• Minimum - enables only the bare basics to keep the GPU useable, AKA the display driver itself.

One option you have in this regard is to install the minimum number of components and then verify whether everything works as intended. Because you can always just run NVCleanstall again to install any components that you require if you do subsequently wish to install support for a Shield Wireless Controller and such. Also, when customizing your selection of components -- e.g. if you wish to enable ShadowPlay to record gameplay footage -- NVCleanstall automatically enables all of the other components necessary for that component to work correctly. Granted, I do not deny the potential to create problems may exist if you were to carelessly manually customize your selection of installed Nvidia components and ignore the repeated warnings NVCleanstall helpfully provides. But the same could be said of building your own PC for gaming, installing, repairing, or replacing various PC software and hardware components, and countless other tasks that have been shared and discussed over the years here in this forum. So, customizing your installation of Nvidia drivers may not be for everyone or your Great Uncle Albert, in much the same way that constructing a gaming PC or upgrading PC components isn't necessarily advisable for everyone either. But I do think it provides a worthy option for the type of PC gamers and enthusiasts that tend to read and use this forum.

[Blackhawk]

More importantly in a broader sense, when you adopt a defeatist attitude towards user privacy

I do not have a defeatest attitude. I have an attitude of indifference past a certain point.

Unless you're an Nvidia engineer, you probably don't have a full picture of what those components do and how they interact, and I doubt that the summaries in those installers present the whole picture, nor are they likely going to remain accurate as the drivers change over time.

Right, because Nvidia surely knows better than us what is best for their hardware, so we should never tamper with their software.

That is not what I said. I said that we're screwing with a complex, ever-changing, interconnected system that we have an imperfect understanding of.

Personally, I have no reason to waste storage space on the necessary cruft for Stereo 3D glasses or the Shield Wireless Controller if I don't even own them. And YMMV, but I certainly have no compelling reason to constantly spoon-feed telemetry user data from my system to Nvidia servers.

Again, indifference. On the prior because cutting the install size by 50% would save me (checks a calculator) around 0.0004% of the space on my OS drive, and it isn't a drive that I'm worried about space on. Indifference on the second part because again, I don't care if Nvidia sees the kind of data that they're collecting.

So whether or not you choose to actively follow and implement even a single privacy precaution in your life, one can still make it less futile by advocating the importance of good user privacy.

I actually do a fair amount. I have multiple ad, script, cookie, and tracker blockers active. I avoid Chrome. I do disable some telemetry (ShutUp10, for instance.) When I genuinely want privacy, I have a good-quality VPN, and may even use TOR when warranted (not that such extremes are generally necessary.) I have throwaway email addresses not connected to the company I keep my real ones on that I can use when needed. I just think that there's a line between reasonable privacy protections and redoing my entire routine and system to maximize it.

Personally, I don't want to have to take into account which driver elements I did or didn't install when troubleshooting every misbehaving game. And I sure as hell don't want to help other people fix problems (which I still end up doing more often than I expect) when they've picked and chosen driver components to install.

So, I get the point behind that.

Fair enough, but I think you're making a bit of a mountain out of a molehill here. I have been using DDU and NVCleanstall for de-bloating Geforce driver packages for a very, very long time, and have quite literally never ran into any of the issues you fret over here.

Maybe, but I didn't mention any specific issues, let along 'fret' over them. Everybody occasionally has a game that are crashing a lot, or a setting that isn't working right, or visual artifacts in a game. When that happens, you troubleshoot. If I had an incomplete driver install, I'd always have to add that to the troubleshooting process, and it would be a pain in the ass to check. And twice the pain if I were troubleshooting for someone else. Megaluple the pain if it was over the phone or via text.

Let me say this: I get where a lot of the suggestions you make when it comes to PC configuration come from, and we have a lot of people here that are very tech savvy and could benefit from them, but as a general recommendation - even here - I think a lot of them are excessive and potentially problematic. Believe it or not (you may not, from my arguing), I actually have a lot of respect for you and your knowledge. I even respect your views (re: privacy), and don't entirely disagree - it's more a matter of scale. I've just dealt with enough non-tech people who have tried to fix things following suggestions like this and ended up causing far more problems in the process. Even here on OO, I still believe that the best suggestion, unless you know you're talking to someone with a strong foundation in tech, is the foolproof solution that doesn't require specialized understanding, especially in six months when they're trying to figure out why something went wrong, and have minimal memory of what they changed from the norm (dear god, let all system 'optimization' guides die in a fire!)

[Kraken]

I should probably disclose that I work for NVIDIA twice a year, and those two contracts bring in 20% of my annual income, so I don't begrudge giving them whatever data they want about my video card's antics.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Unless you're an Nvidia engineer, you probably don't have a full picture of what those components do and how they interact, and I doubt that the summaries in those installers present the whole picture, nor are they likely going to remain accurate as the drivers change over time.

Right, because Nvidia surely knows better than us what is best for their hardware, so we should never tamper with their software.

That is not what I said.

I understand, but this is what you imply, hence my response.

I said that we're screwing with a complex, ever-changing, interconnected system that we have an imperfect understanding of.

Again, the same could be said of innumerable aspects of installing, repairing, improving, or otherwise tweaking and adjusting various aspects of PC hardware and software. This is the nature of the beast for plenty of PC gamers and enthusiasts. But I speak from years of experience having tested and used DDU and NVCleanstall extensively across multiple OSes, systems, and even those of other users' to whom I have introduced these tools. Whereas I get the impression that you have spent little, if any, time at all actually using them yourself, though I could be mistaken. In which case, your particular concerns over their usage seem more hypothetical than empirical.

Indifference on the second part because again, I don't care if Nvidia sees the kind of data that they're collecting.

Given your indifference, somehow I doubt you're performing sufficient GlassWire or Wireshark packet analysis to know what of kind of data Nvidia routinely collects from you, how it is used, or with whom it is shared or sold. That's OK; I don't either. But since it's effortless to use NVCleanstall to disable Nvidia telemetry, this is my preference. Because in terms of surveillance capitalism, experience has demonstrated time and again those entrusted with the power to harvest user data rarely ever handle and use it responsibly. So, given the choice, when I have utilized a free and useful tool that makes it painless and easy to disable the collection of such telemetry data with negligible user disruption, I feel no shame in sharing and helping others do the same if they so choose.

So whether or not you choose to actively follow and implement even a single privacy precaution in your life, one can still make it less futile by advocating the importance of good user privacy.

I actually do a fair amount. I have multiple ad, script, cookie, and tracker blockers active. I avoid Chrome. I do disable some telemetry (ShutUp10, for instance.) When I genuinely want privacy, I have a good-quality VPN, and may even use TOR when warranted (not that such extremes are generally necessary.) I have throwaway email addresses not connected to the company I keep my real ones on that I can use when needed.

Sincerely, I salute your efforts.

I just think that there's a line between reasonable privacy protections and redoing my entire routine and system to maximize it.

As do I, hence my comments and link above detailing the purpose of threat modelling for achieving practical personal user privacy.

Personally, I don't want to have to take into account which driver elements I did or didn't install when troubleshooting every misbehaving game. And I sure as hell don't want to help other people fix problems (which I still end up doing more often than I expect) when they've picked and chosen driver components to install.

So, I get the point behind that.

Fair enough, but I think you're making a bit of a mountain out of a molehill here. I have been using DDU and NVCleanstall for de-bloating Geforce driver packages for a very, very long time, and have quite literally never ran into any of the issues you fret over here.

Maybe, but I didn't mention any specific issues, let along 'fret' over them. Everybody occasionally has a game that are crashing a lot, or a setting that isn't working right, or visual artifacts in a game. When that happens, you troubleshoot. If I had an incomplete driver install, I'd always have to add that to the troubleshooting process, and it would be a pain in the ass to check. And twice the pain if I were troubleshooting for someone else. Megaluple the pain if it was over the phone or via text.

Honestly, your experience with games that are crashing a lot, settings that aren't working right, and visual artifacts in games does not match my own. So, I'm pulling your leg a wee bit here, but perhaps your system stability would be improved by using DDU to cleanly install fresh and less cruft-filled drivers by way of NVCleanstall.

Let me say this: I get where a lot of the suggestions you make when it comes to PC configuration come from, and we have a lot of people here that are very tech savvy and could benefit from them, but as a general recommendation - even here - I think a lot of them are excessive and potentially problematic. Believe it or not (you may not, from my arguing), I actually have a lot of respect for you and your knowledge. I even respect your views (re: privacy), and don't entirely disagree - it's more a matter of scale. I've just dealt with enough non-tech people who have tried to fix things following suggestions like this and ended up causing far more problems in the process. Even here on OO, I still believe that the best suggestion, unless you know you're talking to someone with a strong foundation in tech, is the foolproof solution that doesn't require specialized understanding, especially in six months when they're trying to figure out why something went wrong, and have minimal memory of what they changed from the norm (dear god, let all system 'optimization' guides die in a fire!)

And just to reiterate, I fully understand that customizing the installation of Nvidia drivers may not be for your Great Uncle Albert or every other user on the planet, in much the same way that building a gaming PC or installing, repairing, improving, or otherwise tweaking and adjusting various other aspects of PC hardware and software aren't necessarily advisable for every PC user either. But having used DDU and NVCleanstall extensively for a very, very long time as a PC gamer, I do think they provide a worthwhile option for the type of PC gamers and enthusiasts that read and use this forum. However, if this does not appeal to you, that is certainly your prerogative. Caveat emptor, proceed at your own risk.