Windows 8 Hotkey / Graphics Switching Drivers????????????

[jao144]

Hi - I have the Optimus II 17" - After updating to Windows 8 - The 'Hotkey' Driver disappeared or stopped working.

The graphics button is stuck on orange continuously and doesn't do anything when you press it... I think it us using the NVidia all the time...

I've been on the Clevo website (my laptop is labelled W170HR) - and tried to find drivers but there are no Windows 8 drivers for my model. - There is however a Hotkey driver for the W170ER - which I tried to install, but there was errors in the installation....

Does anyone know where I can get 'HotKey' drivers or which drivers I need to install to get graphics switching between Intel and NVidia working again?

 

[jao144]

OKKOKOK - I think I have solved this myself. - THis post is for anyone else trying to install HotKey drivers...

I downloaded the Hotkey driver for the W170ER laptop and installed it (even though I have the W170HR). - The installation errors were caused because I did not Uninstall the previous version of Hotkey.

After Un-Installing, and installing the new windows 8 version, and restarting - it still didn't work - so - I went to MSCONFIG - then task manager (start-up tab) to see what was happening at start-up... - I found that the HotKey app was disabled at start-up -

After re-enabling the Hotkey app at start-up and restarting the laptop - There is now option for Balanced and UMA modes under power settings - AND when you press the graphics switch button, it changes colour and the screen message appears to confirm the switch over...
I've also noticed, - It is very important to do the restarts when the installers/uninstallers ask you to - if you don't, it just lead to more odd errors in installation's.........

My only problem now is the same as when switching worked in windows 7 - how can you be 100% sure that the system is using iGPU o NVidia??? lol

 

[Skylinefx]

Go to your NVIDIA control panel, Desktop > Display GPU activity Icon in notification area. It will show what programs are using the NVIDIA card.
Launch a game or a graphically intensive program and it should show that a program is using the NVIDIA GPU when you hover over the icon.