Can't get display right in Win98

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bob Nocshus
  • Start date Start date
B

Bob Nocshus

I worked on a Windows 98 system yesterday that had display problems I
couldn't fix. The main symptom was that it couldn't get any more than 256
colors or change screen resolutions. Classic, right? Just get the right
drivers for the display card. Done it a million times.

Customer had the CD that came with the ATI card, so I used its Setup
program. Didn't work. Then tried just installing the drivers manually from
here. Didn't work. Went to the ATI website to look for something new, but
those didn't work either.

At this point I decide the card must have gone bad for some reason, so I
swapped it with a known good one I had, and then installed its software.
Same result. Where do I go from there? This is a new situation, to me.
What does this suggest? Windows or motherboard? I wonder if a PCI display
card would have yielded different results. If so, would that mean the AGP
part of the motherboard may have gone bad? Questions questions...
 
Did you try uninstalling the driver from safe mode first? . Did you check
your bios settings? Does this board happen to have onboard video? I doubt a
PCI card is better.
 
What does uninstalling the old driver from Safe Mode accomplish? I've never
approached it that way. I thought any new ones would just replace old ones.
I don't approach application installations/replacements that way, but I
guess I've always done it this way with drivers. I don't know if the
motherboard has onboard video or not, but I know the monitor was only hooked
up to these AGP cards.
 
Bob Nocshus said:
I worked on a Windows 98 system yesterday that had display problems I
couldn't fix. The main symptom was that it couldn't get any more than 256
colors or change screen resolutions. Classic, right? Just get the right
drivers for the display card. Done it a million times.

Customer had the CD that came with the ATI card, so I used its Setup
program. Didn't work. Then tried just installing the drivers manually from
here. Didn't work. Went to the ATI website to look for something new, but
those didn't work either.

At this point I decide the card must have gone bad for some reason, so I
swapped it with a known good one I had, and then installed its software.
Same result. Where do I go from there? This is a new situation, to me.
What does this suggest? Windows or motherboard? I wonder if a PCI display
card would have yielded different results. If so, would that mean the AGP
part of the motherboard may have gone bad? Questions questions...
Click to expand...


Was it that there was no option for increasing the colors and resolution...
or were you able to set the colors higher...but the monitor was just not
able to display them?
 
garwhite said:
What does uninstalling the old driver from Safe Mode accomplish? I've never
approached it that way. I thought any new ones would just replace old ones.
I don't approach application installations/replacements that way, but I
guess I've always done it this way with drivers. I don't know if the
motherboard has onboard video or not, but I know the monitor was only hooked
up to these AGP cards.
Click to expand...

I haven't used 98 for a while, but I have had to remove display drivers in
safe mode to cure display problems. It has something to do with entries in
the registry, start in normal mode and you just see the current display
entry in device manager. Start in safe mode, on a problem 95/98 system, and
you'll probably see two or three display entries in device manager.

HTH

--

Ian

A7N8X Deluxe v1.04
Uber Bios 1006 + Sata Bios
XP2500 @ 2400MHz
Corsair Twinx1024-3200LLPT
200 x 12.0
ATI Radeon 9700Pro
2 x Maxtor 120GB 8MB SATA RAID 0
 
The colors and screen resolution settings wouldn't budge -- exactly the way
they behave when you have the wrong drivers (or none but default) installed.
 
Interesting, but I'm not sure I was having that problem. Any time I tried
different drivers, Device Manager would display that change. Also, there
was never more than one display adapter showing there, and, as I said, it
changed every time I tried something different.

Does this sound like the kind of situation that would likely have changed if
I had first removed the drivers in Safe Mode. I'm thinking the solution
lies elsewhere, but maybe not. I truly don't know.
 
garwhite said:
Interesting, but I'm not sure I was having that problem. Any time I tried
different drivers, Device Manager would display that change.
Click to expand...

Yes it normally shows just the new driver, even when you have problems with
it, unless you start in safe mode.
Also, there was never more than one display adapter showing there,
Click to expand...

Did you get a chance to look in safe mode? I've only seen multiple entries
from safe mode.
Does this sound like the kind of situation that would likely have changed if
I had first removed the drivers in Safe Mode. I'm thinking the solution
lies elsewhere, but maybe not. I truly don't know.
Click to expand...

Display drivers in 95/98 have caused me hours (days?) of fun and games in
the past, until I started clearing old drivers out first. The system had
corrupt display drivers already by your description.
I've never had a graphics card or an AGP slot fail, it's normally always
software related IMO.


--

Ian

A7N8X Deluxe v1.04
Uber Bios 1006 + Sata Bios
XP2500 @ 2400MHz
Corsair Twinx1024-3200LLPT
200 x 12.0
ATI Radeon 9700Pro
2 x Maxtor 120GB 8MB SATA RAID 0
 
garwhite said:
The colors and screen resolution settings wouldn't budge -- exactly the way
they behave when you have the wrong drivers (or none but default)
Click to expand...
installed.


then it must be some type of AGP problem (i'd guess)

look in the bios to see if there is anything to tweak for the video
 
I worked on a Windows 98 system yesterday that had display problems I
couldn't fix. The main symptom was that it couldn't get any more than 256
colors or change screen resolutions. Classic, right? Just get the right
drivers for the display card. Done it a million times.

Customer had the CD that came with the ATI card, so I used its Setup
program. Didn't work. Then tried just installing the drivers manually from
here. Didn't work. Went to the ATI website to look for something new, but
those didn't work either.

At this point I decide the card must have gone bad for some reason, so I
swapped it with a known good one I had, and then installed its software.
Same result. Where do I go from there? This is a new situation, to me.
What does this suggest? Windows or motherboard? I wonder if a PCI display
card would have yielded different results. If so, would that mean the AGP
part of the motherboard may have gone bad? Questions questions...
Click to expand...
If I don't use the install disk that came with my SyncMaster 955DF
monitor, I get results like you have.
__________
If you give a little they give a lot.
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/disco
 
Bob Nocshus said:
I worked on a Windows 98 system yesterday that had display problems I
couldn't fix. The main symptom was that it couldn't get any more than 256
colors or change screen resolutions.
Click to expand...

I would try completely removing the old drivers with driver cleaner or nasty file remover or
both (in safe mode, of course) as well as chipset drivers.

Jon
 
Good tips from all you guys. I like having things to try, especially when I
thought I was out of 'em. I should be back there soon. I'll give these a
try. Thanks!
 
Thanks for the lead then. It sounds like you're onto something. Good
lesson to learn. I'll try it when I'm there next.

Thanks!
 
The easiest way to install a new driver in windows 98 is to install standard
vga adapter from the available list, restart and install install the new
driver then.

This solves haing to boot into safe mode and is a little less hassle aswell.

Windows 98 is a driver s nightmare always disappearing for no apparent
reason. This goes for Sound, Video and Modems aswell as a host of others.

Jaks http://www.askhow.net
Free Nonprofit Support Forums, Humor and More.....
 
garwhite said:
Thanks for the lead then. It sounds like you're onto something. Good
lesson to learn. I'll try it when I'm there next.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

go over to www.guru3d.com . I think they have one or two free driver remnant
removal programs to remove those entries that old drivers leave hanging
around to pester you. I forget the name of the one for W98, but for XP it is
NFR (nasty file remover) and it works for about all video cards. The driver
installers by both NVidia and ATI are notorious for not removing no longer
needed entries that can, and do, cause headaches like what you are
experiencing on occasion. BTW, have you tried a different monitor just to
make sure that isn't the problem? Dying monitors can also give you similar
problems.

Ed
 
Would a bad monitor prevent you from changing those settings in Windows, or
just prevent changes from being displayed (on the monitor)?

Thanks for the tip on the driver removers. I'll look for them.
 
Bob said:
I worked on a Windows 98 system yesterday that had display problems I
couldn't fix. The main symptom was that it couldn't get any more than 256
colors or change screen resolutions. Classic, right? Just get the right
drivers for the display card. Done it a million times.

Customer had the CD that came with the ATI card, so I used its Setup
program. Didn't work. Then tried just installing the drivers manually from
here. Didn't work. Went to the ATI website to look for something new, but
those didn't work either.

At this point I decide the card must have gone bad for some reason, so I
swapped it with a known good one I had, and then installed its software.
Same result. Where do I go from there? This is a new situation, to me.
What does this suggest? Windows or motherboard? I wonder if a PCI display
card would have yielded different results. If so, would that mean the AGP
part of the motherboard may have gone bad? Questions questions...
Click to expand...

Clean out the old drivers and when you install the new one, make sure
you install ATI's control panel. If you skip this part you won't be able
to change to 16 bit or 32bit colors as well as other settings.

Bob
 
u are OP?
seems so as your both from comcast anyway,

This is a VIA chipset board? 4in1's must be done first(check VIA's site if this is the case). I believe that this board does
have OB video(deluxe) this must be disabled. The video settings must be 'standard VGA adapter' before installing ATI's drivers. Is
this an 'All In Wonder' 9700p?
 
Back
Top