Can't activate PhysX with drivers newer than 185.68 (Windows 7 RC1 64Bit; 9600GT Gree

[ghost_zero5]

Hi,

actually the topic title already says it. Up to 185.68 I was perfectly able to activate PhysX over the nVidia control panel.
HOWEVER, with all newer drivers (I even tried the 190.15 Beta and a modified .inf file - otherwise I wouldn't have been able to install them) the PhysX option is completely missing from the nVidia control panel and if I open PhysX settings only the nVidia control panel pops up. The PhysX version is reported correctly by the control panel though.
I tried to edit "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Ageia Technologies\HwSelection" value to GPU but that also doesn't get it to work (tried PhysX FluidMark).
Is there some workaround here? Like maybe combining the old control panel with the newer driver?

I am especially asking because the performance speed of PhysX with 185.68 under Windows 7 RC1 is terrible. I hoped that this might have changed with newer versions.
For example: The PhysX Fluidmark Minimum FPS are about one third (about 13-15 FPS) of what I got under XP x64 (about 43-45 FPS) with the same driver version (I am not to sure anymore but I believe newer driver versions also didn't give me the PhysX option under XP x64).

[shilk]

Have you tried using Driver Sweeper and cleaning your old installation first?

[ghost_zero5]

That was already after a fresh installation of Windows 7, so there should be no need for this but yeah I also tried that one before the fresh installation.

[BelligerentBill]

I've got the leaked 7600 build of Windows 7 running right now with the 186.24 drivers and I cannot offload my Physx to my old 8800 GTS. It was working fine in Vista but in Win7 it's rendering all Physx on my new GTX 275 no matter what I select. No big deal though, I should expect issues like this when using pre-release software (lee)

[ghost_zero5]

Well: However, I had the same issue under XP x64 with newer driver versions than 185.68

I found out something though: It seems to be related to the point that I also have an ATi card installed - main reason why I am not trying Vista because there it isn't possible to install two graphic card drivers - because once I deactivate the ATi card driver in the device manager that option is available and it is gone again once I re-activate it. Of course, it is therefore the the same with PhysX working or not.
I wonder if this was done on purpose though I actually don't see any good reason for doing so.

[BelligerentBill]

Will I got Physx working on the dedicated card by connecting a cable from the monitor to the other card. Apparently they haven't worked around this requirement yet in Windows 7. One more noodle in my spaghetti behind the desk.

[ghost_zero5]

@BelligerentBill:
Actually, for that there is some kind of workaround:
In the Resolution settings of Windows 7, if you press "Detect" or however that button is called in English you should get "monitors" on your other card. If you now select that monitor there should be a Drop Down box which allows to set it to something like "Try to connect to VGA, even if there is no monitor" (don't know how it is called it exactly and how it is called under Windows 7).
Once you activate this you might also have to extend your desktop to that card and afterwards it should be possible. Maybe it is enought to just activate the "Try to connect..." option and you don't have to also activate extended desktop.