PhysX installation - how?!

[bandsaw]

I thought I'd give the demo of Need for Speed : Shift a whirl but it seems it needs PhysX software installed before it wants to do anything - no matter what I do, I can't get the darn software to install.

I've got the latest software from nVidia... doesn't install.
I've tried the next one back from nVidia... doesn't install.
I've tried an older version I found on GameSpot... doesn't install.

Every time I try installing it (any version), I get "Error 1606: Could not find network location /0".

Anyone any ideas?

[kalniel]

Sounds like you're saving it to an odd location on your hard drive. Try saving it to a folder on C: and running it from there.

[Singh400]

Save it to your desktop, and run it.

[bandsaw]

Not using any iffy folders - just My Documents. Tried running it from C: and from the desktop.
Also tried a "/quiet" command line switch I've found using Google and that doesn't work either.


Edit - also tried disabling Kaspersky and trying the install then. Still no dice.

[GoNz0]

what download are you trying to run ?

[bandsaw]

The PhysX system software (9.09.0814) from http://www.nvidia.com/object/physx_9.09.0814.html
Also tried 8.09.04 from above link.

I don't have either an nVidia GPU or a PhysX card - the demo for NFS:Shift seems to want the software though.

Go on, prove I'm a muppet, tell me I'm using the wrong thing entirely!

[GoNz0]

actually no your not, we have some games servers without a video card that require that to run some games, i wanted to check you were not trying to force nvidia video drivers

[mac124]

Oddwithout either a physx card or nvidia gpu i can't see why it would need nvidia drivers but hey ho...

As to the error message a quick google suggests its a registry issue and as such a pita to fix possibly requiring manual editing by the look of it, i suggest something like investing in reg mechanic or trying a free registry fixing tool first though.

[GoNz0]

registry tools = bad

[kalniel]

Oddwithout either a physx card or nvidia gpu i can't see why it would need nvidia drivers but hey ho...

Nvidia own the physX license, and therefore control use of the PhysX libraries for emulating physics on the CPU or GPU. In several games these days developers use these libraries for physics (like havok is used by some other games). When a game uses PhysX for the CPU then you need to install PhysX system drivers, which nVidia can update over time to provide better performance/bug fixes.

[bandsaw]

At least I've not gone completley daft then!

I'm not averse to having a dabble in the registry if I have to so I'll have another look on Google later!

[bandsaw]

After trawling through Google, it would seem the registry fixes (the ones I've found) won't help as they appear to be for slightly more defined errors - and the only one I've found that references the same "/0" error suggests deleting the "Recent" key... which I don't have.

It's not beaten me yet.