AAAAaaaaahhhHHH

[fish]

Right...Display adaptors. I've just reloaded a PC with Win98...quite old and it will only give me 16colours and VGA. It's an integrated display adaptor and I can't get it back to normal. The monitor is a Daewoo 710b and I've loaded the right driver for that and it seems to be fine.

Any thoughts, but I've wasted two evenings on it now and I'm stumped.

[Big_Dan]

If the monitor is correct, it's usually the AGP or motherboard drivers that need installing ...

>> Edited by Big_Dan on Thursday 27th November 13:50

[agent006]

monitor has nothing to do with it.
find out what make the graphics chip is, go to their website, and download the correct driver.

[malman]

Place your bets now on which manufacturer it is. I'll go for SIS.


Sometimes graphics cards will display their make and model when you first turn the PC on or do a hard reset. Only stays on screen for a second or two so you don't usually see it unless your monitor is already warmed up. Best way is to start the PC what for the display to come up then poke the reset button and watch the top left corner of you monitor. Some of the messages are so fast you may need to reset a few times to get the whole message.

If it doesn't it should be written on the chip on the motherboard with a clue to the model number.

[Ultimasimon]

malman said:

Place your bets now on which manufacturer it is. I'll go for SIS. Sometimes graphics cards will display their make and model when you first turn the PC on or do a hard reset. Only stays on screen for a second or two so you don't usually see it unless your monitor is already warmed up. Best way is to start the PC what for the display to come up then poke the reset button and watch the top left corner of you monitor. Some of the messages are so fast you may need to reset a few times to get the whole message. If it doesn't it should be written on the chip on the motherboard with a clue to the model number.

Just press PAUSE above the PAGE UP key to pause the BIOS screen when it first starts.

[fish]

no can't see a thing. the only thing noted on any chip, apart frpm intel is award.

[Bodo]

It should come right before the 'Award' graphic. It's not easy to spot, when the monitor is in the process of becoming brighter.
Try to press PAUSE, just after you switched the computer on.

[malman]

Pause doesn't always work just after you turn on but give it a go. If not then you might need to look for a motherboard manufacturer and model number usually printed on the PCB somewhere (check the outside edges first). If you get that you can probably track it down from that.

[Big_Dan]

I beg to differ about the monitor and motherboard drivers ...

Did you get this sorted? Alternative may be to disable onboard graphics in the BIOS and throw in a cheapy card whose origin you know.

[ErnestM]

malman said:

Place your bets now on which manufacturer it is. I'll go for SIS.

My money is on an S3 Trio chip. They did a lot of motherboard vending way back when...

ErnestM

[malman]

ErnestM said:

My money is on an S3 Trio chip. They did a lot of motherboard vending way back when

Damn forgot about S3!

[fish]

given up with it for the time being...I'm trying to finish the Landrover. I'll probebly endup putting a cheapy card in.

[chim_girl]

ErnestM said:

malman said: Place your bets now on which manufacturer it is. I'll go for SIS. My money is on an S3 Trio chip. They did a lot of motherboard vending way back when... ErnestM

Another one from Adam....

Agree with Ernest on this one. S3 is a very good bet. If you haven't got it sorted, bring it over on the 13th and I'll see if I can find you some spare 'gubbins'.

[chim_girl]

And another from Adam. One of these days he'll get his own ID!

http://download.com.com/3000-2086-10163761.html

He mumbled something about this identifying what hardware you're running and then you can download the appropriate drivers.

[agent006]

Big_Dan said:

I beg to differ about the monitor and motherboard drivers ...

You'd have to be running a very odd monitor driver for it to restrict to 16 colours.

[arcturus]

agent006 said:

You'd have to be running a very odd monitor driver for it to restrict to 16 colours.

Not true. The default driver installed by the Win 98 setup routine restricts you to only 16 colours (or 2 colours if you prefer!). You only get full capability when you install the graphics chip drivers.

Dave

[malman]

I think you guys are talking at crossed porpoises. Monitor drivers and graphics card drivers. Monitor inf files should limit you to resolutions and refresh frequencies but not colours IIRC. Standard windows VGA driver (graphics driver) will only do 16 colours (or 2) and limited resolutions. Its a get you going driver so you can then install the proper one which will give you the full colour range and resolutions.

Windows does have standard monitor inf files to limit resolutions in case you don't have one for your monitor. "standard flat panel" "standard 800x600" etc


Edited because I can't type before 10:00 AM

>> Edited by malman on Wednesday 3rd December 09:30

[Big_Dan]

Even if you have the correct video drivers installed (and windows recognises the card in Device Manager) it can still refuse to give you any more colours unless you have both the motherboard and monitor drivers installed correctly.

[agent006]

or you could just buy MS approved hardware in the first place and do away with all this 3rd party driver crap.