[FIXED] AMD Catalyst 12.4 WHQL installed but CCC says 11.5 !?

[Blín D'ñero]

It's back!

On my other PC, with 5870 crossfire / i7 920 / Win 7 x64, today i opened CCC to check on the "Information > software" tab, and it said it's 11.5! REDICULOUS. What bug is causing that?! Actually the same Cat 12.4 WHQL is installed on that PC as on this one (2700K / HD7970 CF / Win 7 x64): 8.961.0.0
Even the DXdiag reports on both machines show the exact same driver info.

EDIT 1: via CCC's "Information --> Software Update ---> Check for updates now...", i will update now, just for the fun of it...

EDIT2: Well well what do we get here, on the front before installing, on CCC's "Customize Install" menu i get this information from the installer itself:

• AMD Catalyst Install Manager - version 8.0.873.0: "AMD Catalyst Install Manager is already installed and up to date"
• AMD APP SDK Runtime - version 10.0923.1: "AMD APP SDK Runtime is already installed and up to date"
• Microsoft Visual C++2010 Redistributable - version 10.0.30319 (9.0 MB): "Microsoft Vusual C++2010 Redistributable is already installed and up to date."
• "AMD Display driver is already installed and up to date"
• HDMI/DP Audio driver: "Current version not installed" (because i never do)
• strangely, the same line a second time: Microsoft Visual C++2010 Redistributable - version 10.0.30319 (9.0 MB): "Microsoft Vusual C++2010 Redistributable is already installed and up to date."
• AMD Accelerated Video Transcoding - version 2.00.0002 (3.0 MB): "AMD Accelerated Video Transcoding is already installed and up to date"
• AMD Drag and Drop Transcoding - version 2.00.0000 (1.0 MB): "AMD Drag and Drop Transcoding is already installed and up to date"
• AMD Media Foundation Decoders - version 1.0.70405.2224 (1.0 MB): "AMD Media Foundation Decoders is already installed and up to date"
• Catalyst Control Center - version 2012.0405.2205.37728 (150.0 MB): "Catalyst Control Center is already installed and up to date"

So, the bug is, although i have the latest Catalyst 12.4 WHQL installed including all elements, (confirmed by CCC installer itself), my Current CCC Information says "11.5" and CCC's AMD Overdrive kicks me out everytime i even look at it.

EDIT3 So i update nevertheless, which results in a black screen; i have to hard reset / select "Start Windows normally" to reboot and get a Windows desktop.
In the end, CCC Software says it has:
Driver Packaging Version: 8.961-120405a-137224C-ATI
Catalyst Version: 11.5
Provider: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
2D Driver Version: 8.01.01.1243
2D Driver File Path: /REGISTRY/MACHINE/SYSTEM/ControlSet001/Control/CLASS/{4D36E968-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}/0001
Direct3D Version: 7.14.10.0903
OpenGL Version>: 6.14.10.11631
Catalyst Control Center Version: 2012.0405.2205.37728

which only difference with my newest system is the Catalyst Version (in bold):

Driver Packaging Version: 8.961-120405a-137224C-ATI
Catalyst Version: 12.4
Provider: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
2D Driver Version: 8.01.01.1243
2D Driver File Path: /REGISTRY/MACHINE/SYSTEM/ControlSet001/Control/CLASS/{4D36E968-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}/0001
Direct3D Version: 7.14.10.0903
OpenGL Version>: 6.14.10.11631
Catalyst Control Center Version: 2012.0405.2205.37728

I then checked CCC ---> Software
Sadly it still thinks it is 11.5....
So i changed in Registry the Catalyst Version to 12.4.


Then i rebooted.
And then it was obvious again, how crucial the (manually editable!) line "Catalyst version" in Registry is.
My Registry edit kicked in: I opened CCC and clicking update it now says i am on 12.4 and up to date.
Why does this software not check any deeper than the HKLM "Catalyst version" key???

EDIT 4: and yep, selecting AMD Overdrive just like previously results in the same behaviour: i get kicked out alltogether and the option disappears from CCC.

EDIT 5: because this is not the first time that it happens, i expect that any time soon one of these days, CCC will state it is on 11.5 .

[Blín D'ñero]

Solved it. By: well a long story. Too tired right now. Will post it next time.

[Blín D'ñero]

I fixed it last night. All i did was:

1. Uninstalled Catalyst.
2. Manually deleted all left over folders for ATI / AMD.
3. Rebooted into safe mode, Device Manager -> show hidden devices > delete amdkmdag and uninstall (with driver remove), each 5870.
4. In registry i deleted HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ATI\ACE\
   and
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/ControlSet001/Control/CLASS/{4D36E968-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}/0001
   , leaving /0000.
   You have to because uninstalling the drivers suite does not remove all those keys!
5. Then i went to Windows Update and it first could only install the base drivers for card 2. It took 3 reboots and retries before the first card got one too. [EDIT: THIS IS THE CAUSE FOR THE "BUG". I should not have installed drivers via WindowsUpdate. /EDIT]
6. Then i installed 12.4 WHQL, and this time the procedure was clearly virgin: you get asked if you want to enable crossfire to enable it, and if you want the base CCC or continue to Advanced Mode.
   And yes CCC's behaviour is completely restored incl working Overdrive!

[Blín D'ñero]

The bug is back! Only on my HD5870 CF machine, not on my HD7970 CF machine.
I thought i had solved the issue. but i didn't realise that i allowed the bug back by installing base drivers via WindowsUpdate..

Symptom:

1. All the numbers scream this is Catalyst 12.4 whql,
   except the line "Catalyst Version 11.5"
   
   
2. Overdrive page is corrupt:
   When i click on the "Accept" button...[/size]
   
3. ...i'm thrown on the Creating and Arranging Desktops page.
   And the Overdrive option has disappeared altogether (when
   i close and reopen CCC it's back but still corrupted).
   

FIX:

1. Uninstalled using AMD Catalyst Install Manager, all ATI software and rebooted.
2. Removed AMD/ATI files from C:/Users/*Me*/AppData/Local and /Roaming.
   I leave C:/AMD, as it contains 12.4 unpacked.
3. Checked Program Files, Program Files (x86) and Program Data, no AMD/ATI stuff.
4. Opened registry
   LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/ControlSet001/Control/CLASS/{4D36E968-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}/0000 and 0001 both now contained Catalyst driver version 11.5, which i never installed myself. So this is what Windows installs as base driver before you install any Catalyst (why this old one???) and i allowed it to. Not anymore.
5. I rebooted into Safe Mode.
   Device Manager > Show Hidden Devices: uninstalled the card with removal of drivers checked, and amdkmdag under non-plug and play drivers.
6. Reboot into normal mode.
7. Make sure Windows Update does not kick in installing ATI drivers! Cancel that!
8. In registry i deleted HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ATI\ACE\
   and
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/ControlSet001/Control/CLASS/{4D36E968-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}/0001
   , leaving /0000 (it now only contains standard plug and play vga drivers).
   You have to because uninstalling the drivers suite does not remove all those keys!
9. Then i installed Catalyst 12.4
10. In CCC > Software, there was no Catalyst version row with number.
11. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/ControlSet001/Control/CLASS/{4D36E968-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}/0000 and 0001 both were without a Catalyst_Version, so i created a new String Value, named it "Catalyst Version" and gave it the value 12.4.

---

I'll put the essential steps in order:
For those who use an Intel based machine with ATI videocards.

1. Uninstall using AMD Catalyst Install Manager, all ATI software and reboot.
2. Delete (Shift+Del) the AMD/ATI folders that you find in
   C:/Users/*You*/AppData/Local
   and
   C:/Users/*You*/AppData/Local/Roaming
   and
   Program Files, Program Files (x86) and Program Data
3. In the search bar above the Start Orb, type msconfig and hit enter. Doubleclick msconfig.exe. On the "Boot" tab check on "Safe boot" and restart the PC
4. In Safe Mode, go to Control Panel -> Device Manager. In "View" select to show hidden devices
   • Right-click on (each of) your Radeon videocard -> Properties -> "Uninstall", check the checkbox to remove the drivers
   • under non-plug and play drivers delete amdkmdag
   • Again run msconfig, this time at the "Boot" tab uncheck "Safe boot" and restart the PC
5. In the search bar above the Start Orb, type regedit and hit enter.
   • Rightclick regedit.exe -> Run as administrator
   • In registry find
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ATI\ACE\
     and delete that key.
   • Find
     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/ControlSet001/Control/CLASS/{4D36E968-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}/0000
     and look at its contents. It should just contain a handful of values, related to Standard VGA drivers.
     If that is true, you are done.
   • (Incase you have two videocards in crossfire, you might find a
     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/ControlSet001/Control/CLASS/{4D36E968-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}/0001
     and look at its contents. It should just contain a handful of values, related to Standard VGA drivers.)
     If that is true, you are done.
6. Install the Catalyst version of your choice.
7. Crossfire users always have to reboot. I'd recommend single users reboot as well.
8. That's it.