SoftQuadro4 howto [Retired sticky]

Retired Sticky

A couple people have asked me how to get the SoftQuadro hack to work. Most of the guides online aren't perfect, so I'll post my method. If you follow these directions to a T, it will work.

This is geared for Windows 2000. It should also work for XP. 98 will require a different base driver set, and require the user to choose the 98 specific patch scripts, but that will be obvious.

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1) Download Detonator 41.04s from http://www.nvidia.com/view.asp?IO=certified_win2k. Run setup.exe, but don't install. After the files are extracted to whatever directory you specify, you can close the Detonator install.

2) Download RivaTuner RC12 and the SoftQuadro4 script pack from http://www.guru3d.com.

3) Extract RivaTuner to whatever directory you chose. Extract the SQ4 script pack to the home directory of RivaTuner.

4) Run RivaTuner. It will build a database the first time through. Click the Power User tab. Click the Open Patch Script button (3rd from the left on the bottom). Browse to RivaTuner/PatchScripts/NVIDIA/NVStrap antiprotection, select NVStrap antiprotection w2k.rts and click Open. You will be prompted to click Continue. Do so, and now browse to the directory where you extracted the Detonator 41.04s. Chose nv4_mini.sys and click Open. Now click OK and Close.

5) Again from the Power User tab, click Open Patch Script. This time browse to RivaTuner/PatchScripts/NVIDIA/SoftQuadro4, select SoftQuadro4 w2k.rts and click open. Click Continue and browse to the same file in the Detonator folder as in Step 4 (nv4_mini.sys). Click Open, OK, and Close.

6) Click the Main tab. Click the small triangle button labeled Customize next to the description of your video card (in my case, it says "128-bit AGP NV25 with 64MB DDR memory Customize...). Click the left button (Customize low level system settings). Chose the NVStrap driver tab. At the bottom, click the Install button, and then from the pull-down menu next to Professional Quadro capabilities choose force on. Click OK. It will prompt you to restart. DO NOT restart yet.

7) Close RivaTuner and, from control panel->add/remove programs, remove your current nVidia drivers. Now you may restart.

8) Upon reboot, Windows will show up at 640X480. It will then detect a new display adapter. Close the auto-install and go in through device manager. Reinstall your drivers manually so that you can insure they will come from the folder where you patched the driver. Windows might see "newer" drivers in winnt/inf. If it does, delete/move them to force Windows to use your patched set.

After that, you're done. If you go into display properties you'll see a Quadro card, and you'll have new fun OpenGL settings to toy with.

Will this work for a GF4 440MX???

Excelsior said:

Will this work for a GF4 440MX???

Click to expand...

I've heard that it works on the MX cards, but I am sceptical (since I think they have different cores).

I haven't tried it myself. I've done it with a number of GeForce4 Tis and a GeForce2.

People say it's do-able, but like I said, I'm pretty sure they are physically different. The reson it works with, say, a GeForce4 Ti, is that the core and PCB of the GeForce4 is the same as the core and PCB of the Quadro4.

I am not findin any 41.04 drivers, so I'll try the 41.09s.



Edit:..errr, found em at guru3d, but not at the first link. I must have missed em.

Great guide, everthing seems to be right with what I've done, but how can I test it to make sure its working right?

and where are the new OpenGL settings found, they aren't under advanced-->displat adapter---->properties, but it is showing as a Quadro 700 XGL

I asked this in a similiar thread here, but never really got a answer. I know the Quadro hacks speed up OpenGL rendering programs, but what about OpenGL games?

Also, does the old Quadro3 hack still work on the newer Detonator drivers? Thier own instructions for installation always refer to the older 2x.xx drivers, and since the hack patches a file from the driver package, I'm not sure if it will work with the newer Dets.

OC Noob said:

Great guide, everthing seems to be right with what I've done, but how can I test it to make sure its working right?

and where are the new OpenGL settings found, they aren't under advanced-->displat adapter---->properties, but it is showing as a Quadro 700 XGL

Click to expand...

Under Quadro4 700 XGL, click OpenGL settings. Enable overlays, clamp behavior, etc. For performance, set vertical sync to Always off.

Mpegger said:

I asked this in a similiar thread here, but never really got a answer. I know the Quadro hacks speed up OpenGL rendering programs, but what about OpenGL games?

Also, does the old Quadro3 hack still work on the newer Detonator drivers? Thier own instructions for installation always refer to the older 2x.xx drivers, and since the hack patches a file from the driver package, I'm not sure if it will work with the newer Dets.

Click to expand...

It will speed up games that support hardware OGL, but not most newer Direct3D based games. In Quake II, for example, my framerate goes from 60 to 2000 with the Q4 hack on my GF4.

So long as nVidia doesn't lock out the SQ hacks, it will work. So far as I know, it will work with detonator versions up to and including 41.04. I haven't tried it with the newest ones yet.

cruc1fy said:

It will speed up games that support hardware OGL, but not most newer Direct3D based games. In Quake II, for example, my framerate goes from 60 to 2000 with the Q4 hack on my GF4.

So long as nVidia doesn't lock out the SQ hacks, it will work. So far as I know, it will work with detonator versions up to and including 41.04. I haven't tried it with the newest ones yet.

Click to expand...

Having the framerate jump from 60 to 2000 doesn't really sound very realistic to me. "Too good to be true". Does it really look like its running @ 2000fps, or does it just say it is and instead just seems to get a small fps increase?

Either way, I'll try out the hack on the latest Dets I got and see if it works.

U cannot notice the difference from 60 to 2000

Hmmm... I cant seem to find the GF3 -> Quadro DCC software hacks anymore. Other then the soldering trick (which I really dont want to do), I can only locate the GF2 and 4 hacks. Anyone have a link to a GF3 -> Quadro hack that works with newer drivers? I really dont want to drop back to 12.xx drivers just to play around with the hack.

Btw, yes you cant notice a difrerence between 60fps and 2000fps, but seeing as how the fps usually fluctuates it can be noticeable. If it drops from 60 to 40, you might notice some jerkiness (ie, loading something from hard drive). If its really running @ 2000fps, and it somehow dropped to 100fps, there sould be zero jerkiness in the image. Any hiccup or jumpiness will definetly show that it really isn't running anywhere near that displayed fps.

Never mind. I found the NVStrap program built into RivaTuner.

Mpegger.. i think SoftQuadro4 works with GeFroce3s.. im trying mine now.. ill let you know how it goes

nm lol i gotta follow the directions i guess

You and me both. I just applied the NVStrap patch to a fresh set of 41.09 drivers and all went well. However, when installed I still get just a regular GF3, and not a Quadro. I'm obviously doing something wrong, so if someone can help here, it would be much appreciated.

Well.. i did it but I sort of cheated.. I did it the wrong way by modifying my nv4_mini.sys in my C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers and now RivaTuner detects it as QuadroDCC..
im using 40.72 drivers btw

and how do i know that i'm getting the full performance?

I think you may have just changed the ID of the card to look like a Quadro without actually gaining any of the benefits. Check www.nvworld.ru and look around for some programs that allow you to check your vid card.

I believe the NVStrap patch that I used removes the protection in the Nvidia drivers to allow a SoftQuadro patch to work. But I can't find any SoftQuadro patch for GF3 cards, just the GF2 and GF4. I'm a little reluctant to use the GF4 patch, since my card isn't a GF4. If ANYONE can help then please! I'm dieing to try out the patch!

Mpegger said:

Having the framerate jump from 60 to 2000 doesn't really sound very realistic to me. "Too good to be true". Does it really look like its running @ 2000fps, or does it just say it is and instead just seems to get a small fps increase?

Click to expand...

you can tell that it's running more smoothly. Also, when you hit time refresh in Q2, your perspective spins 360 degrees and framerate is subsequently calculated using the time required to spin. W/out SQ, I can watch it spin and see all the stuff as it goes (takes maybe a second). W/ SQ, it spins almost too fast for me to notice (blink and you won't see it happen).

Hey Thanks for the info...after about 3 attempts it finally worked. I have full options etc now. Have to go try it out in Viz now!

hmm 3dmark recognizes it as a QuadroDCC.. if i get the chance i'll benchmark it in 3dsmax as a GeForce3 vs Quadro DCC

TerroH8er said:

hmm 3dmark recognizes it as a QuadroDCC.. if i get the chance i'll benchmark it in 3dsmax as a GeForce3 vs Quadro DCC

Click to expand...

that would be a good idea as your performance in 3dmark shouldn't be affected (whereas performance in 3Ds would).

I got it to work somewhat as well. My card is recognized as a Quadro DCC in my OpenGL apps and games, but in RivaTuner I can only adjust 1 of the OpenGL settings. I'm going to reinstall a fresh set of drivers with the patch applied correctly and see what happens then.