[geeks] Windows 7: unable to install nvidia driver due to c++ runtime error

[Shannon]

I have another Windows issue.

I needed to update my nvidia drivers so I tried to do so, and it failed. 
Seems like doing that from "Geforce Experience" always has issues.

Trying to just use the driver from nvidia's website generated an error 
dialog after it unpacked the driver in C:\NVIDIA...

     Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library
     Program c:\...blah blah blah\setup.exe

     This application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in an
     unusual way.
     Please contact the application's support team for more information.

No biggie, I decided to do it the "right way" by fully uninstalling 
nvidia drivers and software, so I can do a clean uninstall. I did a full 
clean removal of nvidia and tried again: same thing.

So now I'm stuck with VGA drivers and can't install nvidia's.

I have tried for hours to fix this, and can't even get a firm idea what 
is wrong.

I have used Microsoft's own tools to remove cruft from WinSXS, complete 
registry cleanups and generally every fix I can think of where data 
might be corrupt related to nvidia.

No dice.

I have removed all of the C++ runtimes from my system and re-installed 
them one at a time, and that does not seem to be the issue either.

I'm really stuck and open to ideas.

Thanks.