Vista - How to reset to DEFAULT video driver

Have a HP notebook that was dropped. Screen destroyed, but otherwise system works fine. Got screen replaced. Now the system will boot to a BLACK SCREEN with a MOUSE CURSOR only. SAFE BOOT same. SAFE BOOT with COMMAND LINE same. Tried booting to VGA resolution - same results. So I can't get to a UI to do anything. Tried Vista recovery disk, but there doesn't seem to be a way to reset the video driver. Have confirmed by replacing the system disk that the screen is fine (installed Windows 7 RC without a hitch on another disk as boot device. Would really like to retain/recover the original boot drive, but I can't boot from it until I can get the video driver to get stupid enough to handle the replacement screen (which appears to be same resolution as the original judging from the Windows 7 test build). Anyone know of a way to reset to the DEFAULT (generic) video driver on a system when you can't get to the UI for it?

I'm guessing you disabled restore points...

Yeah, my kid (this was his PC at college) did not have any restore points. Besides, it would have to have been rolled back to initial config a year ago to get to the generic driver, if that was there at the beginning anyway. Probably came preconfigured from HP.

This sounds like a perfectly feasible request to do from the recovery console on an install disk. Is there something you want on the computer that's preventing you from doing a fresh install if you're getting this back from your son?

I'd prefer to not have to do a clean install, since I'm pretty sure the only issue is the video driver. If I can just revert to the plain vanilla video driver to get a good boot, I can reinstall the driver for the screen and it will work. That's what the Windows 7 test install tells me. Perfectly good Vista system, it's running, but the UI won't come up. Used to be, in older Windows, you could MSCONFIG, or REGEDIT and tweak the driver. But I can't figure how to do that with Vista under the Recovery Disk (booted and running from CD).

Only reason I suggested a clean install, is if the computer was used by someone else for an extended period of time, there's no telling what bloatware they may or may not have downloaded. I couldn't acquire someone elses computer and not wipe it clean. If you new how to set the vga mode in the boot.ini via msconfig, vista uses bcdedit in recovery console. The datatype is VGA with a value of yes or no. I've never messed with boot.ini (but I'm about to learn since you got me interested).

I built the system for him last year. Just would be easier to rebuild if I could manage to get it to boot so I could inventory exactly what was installed so I didn't miss anything on the rebuild. Also, as he has iTunes installed, I wanted to deauthorize that PC so his library can be moved and reinstalled. Don't mind rebuilding, just wanting to get the system booted so I can be sure I've got everything I need to handle it. Would the command line UI on the Recovery Disk CD be the way to mod the boot drive as you suggest? Didn't think MSCONFIG would run there.

Well I didn't actually mean msconfig in the repair console, I tried it anyway but no luck. bcdedit is the boot.ini editor in command prompt. If you feel safe adding a vga yes value in there it would boot as you want (or would vga no be proper?)

So if you really strong men

I've never tried this method on graphics card only on simpler devices like mouse or keyboard but netherless you try it

First of you meet how to edit registry remotly and what kind of ControlSetXXX key related to CurrentcontrolSet key - read all from post 17 this thread:
Can't Delete Registry Key

Now when you well -knowed with remotly registry you can read below:

1.Load hive SYSTEM to regedit as REM_SYSTEM
open key HKLM\REM_SYSTEM\ControlSet00X\Control\Class\{4d36E968-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}

and check in this key exist phrases UpperFilter,LowerFilter in this key -if yes -remove them
2.Most important open key HKLM\REM_SYSTEM\ControlSet00X\Enum\PCI
and find in this key the word "display".every subkey of this key which included the word "display" is responsible for graphics card.You will find info about *.inf file - this file is located in C:\Windows\inf and included information about modules from graphics card - when you read what you know remove this *.inf file and subkey which include the word "display" (attached image of course from my system level)

in this example to remove is key

HKLM\....\Enum\PCI\VEN10DE&DEV_.....

but remember this example -another hardware configuration -another VEN....
If you decide to this method I wish you good luck because you will really need it

EDIT
Have you tried "Last know good configuration" option (link below)? -I suggest to try it before you decide to this above hardcore
Advanced Boot Options