Silvafox

iTrader: (1)

I'll try and keep this short and clear...

Last week my computer froze when installing a USB device and XP wouldn't boot other than in dafe mode. I backed up all my files on to an external drive and decided to do a fresh install of XP. This went ok - apart from I can't get into the 'Display' setting either by going through the Control Panel or by right clicking on the desktop. Therefore, my monitor is only showing in a crap resolution and I have no way of adjusting its settings!

I have my suspicions that the graphic chip has gone faulty (onboard crappy S3 Graphics ProsavageDDR) and was responsible for the original failure. Would this account for me not being able to get into the Display settings? OR has XP got a problem?

I'm pretty certain I'm gonna get a new graphics card anyway, just wondered if I should try anything else before shelling out on a new card?!

Thanks.

mike1210

have you installed the graphics card drivers? Is it being shown control panel, system and device manager

Silvafox

iTrader: (1)

Yes, I downloaded and installed the very latest drivers, and the graphics card is reported in the Device Manager as being present and working correctly with releveant drivers. The only difference the new drivers made was a change in the 'size' of the fonts and windows etc...but the screen is viewing in what looks like a really crude colour range like 16 bit.

mike1210

yeah id be leaning toward the graphics card. Double check all other drivers are present etc and connections (doubt it would be that to be honest). Bios settings but if they werent changed then......

Silvafox

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for your advice...! Everythings connected properly etc and all the other hardware is running correctly. Are there any settings in BIOS that can affect the screen resolution etc? I ask because I did alter a couple of things when the computer initially froze on me. I thought I'd put everything back to normal but maybe I missed something? I 'think' the BIOS was just set to load optimal settings....

mike1210

is there a restore to default option in the BIOS, may not solve anything but best to pursue all avenues to be sure

Silvafox

iTrader: (1)

I'll check when I get home. Cheers.

Edited to add: Tried messing with some BIOS settings and its made no difference. Installed Service PAck 2 as well just in case...but no change. New graphics card it is then! Cheers for help anyway!

Silvafox

iTrader: (1)

Took a graphics card out of one my machines here at work to try at home before I bought a new one and guess what....no change?!

The colour looks like its now 32bit and the reolution is better but I still can't bring the Display setting up in Control Panel or by right clicking on the desktop?!

The card I have tried in it was a 3D Prophet 9000 Pro 128mb AGP and works fine in the other machine........what can it be?! I downloaded the drivers but XP kept changing the driver back to one it found off the Microsoft update site automatically then renamed the card Radeon 9000 series.

Anyone got any ideas? Is there something wrong with my XP? I'm a graphic designer so I need access to the display panel! Never seen this before.

mike1210

What muppet told you it was the graphics card........oh yes that was me

the bios may be pointing xp to the motherbord graphics card which now needs to be disabled and the VGA output changed to AGP.

Should be an option to disable it in BIOS, make sure its disabled in xp as well

But yeah need xp to see the new card and ignore the other one. It looks like it sort of has already but may be a conflict

check in control panel, system and device manager for exclamation marks and conflicts

Silvafox

iTrader: (1)

LOL. I reckon it was the graphics chip that originally caused it. I've got a horrible feeling that when I was messing with the BIOS on the original failure I changed a few things (stupid I know). Is there anyway of defaulting the BIOS back to how it was when I got the machine? I've looked for a 'revert to default' but can't see one.

One thing I definately remember doing/trying was clicking the LBA to ON to try and get XP to boot up.....this worked. However since then I have completely reinstalled XP and now the LBA is still switched on and when I turn it off (as it used to be) XP fails to boot and says error loading operating system!

Its getting clsoe to going in the bin as I have work to do!

Thanks for your help....

mike1210

must be an option in BIOS "restore system default" or words to that effect. Then disable on board graphics. Depends on the BIOS chipset as to where the option is located. If you can the exact model you may be able to check their support site. Belarc adviser is a package which could identify this for you

Silvafox

iTrader: (1)

I'll look again, I couldn't see anything last night. Would it matter if the PC was a cheapy with a crappy motherboard? The PC only cost me £250! ITs only a stand in whilst I'm waiting for another one to be built.

mike1210

The graphics card is part of the motherboard in this instance so yes it would a factor. On a PC its best to get a separte graphics and sound card. Double check motherboard drivers and the like but.....also there should be a restore to default option in the bios somewhere, its easier to find on some than others.

Silvafox

iTrader: (1)

Maybe a stupid question....but I've just had a look at the BIOS and on every 'page' theres a key saying F5 - Old Values.... I assume that's equivalent to default? It looks like I'll have to press it on every page.

mike1210

possibly, but it may be previous setting you have selected. Id give that a go though. On most BIOS, restore to default is usually the last page along with save and exit etc.

Silvafox

iTrader: (1)

Right, managed to sort the BIOS out and the machine is working fine now except for one thing. I can now change all the screen setting via the ATI control panel which is the main thing I needed, however, I still can't open the Display Setting box to turn off the screensaver and stuff. Something must have glitched when I installed XP. Can't work out how to switch the screensaver off now but do have a 32 bit 1280x1024 screen now!

mike1210

yeah something not quite right there, main thing is though that it's working and possiblly a glitch in xp due to the conflict. If its a temp PC you could just cut your losses and plod along. Maybe getting the most recent driver may help but seems like an xp problem to me. Rebuild should sort it.....and i stress the word "should"

jpor

iTrader: (1)

Mike. It's good to see that my advice is rubbing off.

mike1210

advise where? what you on abbaaaart

jpor

iTrader: (1)

Whooops. Sorry wrong Mike.

bioforger

iTrader: (1)

Your gfx drivers aren't installed correctly. Uninstall the drivers from device manager, or control panel if your using the ATI catalyst drivers now. Reboot and let XP install the standard VGA display driver. Reboot. Now install your onboard card drivers. Then it should be ok.