Richard2000
asked on
Problem with display settings
Hi,
I've been using my Windows '98 SE setup for years now with no serious problems. However, when I booted up my computer yesterday, I unexpectedly received this message:
"Display
There is a problem with your display settings. The adapter type is incorrect, or the current settings do not work with your hardware."
Next, the Display Properties dialogue is displayed. The dialogue will now only allow me to select 16 colours and a fixed size of 640x480 pixels. The screen is also now interlaced (flashes) slightly. These display limitations are very hard to work with and I didn't have these limitations before.
If I press Cancel on the dialogue, Windows boots up and works normally but with the display limitations as described as above. I'm now stuck with these display limitations on each boot.
I am using a Packard Bell Platinum 4200 computer. The graphics card is Voodoo 3 - 3000 (8 MB). I am using Windows '98 SE that came preinstalled with the computer (PB OEM version). Unfortunately, the computer came only with "Recovery CDs", therefore, I have no official Windows '98 SE CD, possibly making reinstallation of any drivers difficult (if this is necessary).
I haven't installed or uninstalled any new software recently or done anything with my computer that I wouldn't do normally, so I don't see why this has suddenly happened.
Could you please tell me what has caused this and how do I get it back to how it was before? I'm not sure what to do.
Thanks in Advance,
Richard
I've been using my Windows '98 SE setup for years now with no serious problems. However, when I booted up my computer yesterday, I unexpectedly received this message:
"Display
There is a problem with your display settings. The adapter type is incorrect, or the current settings do not work with your hardware."
Next, the Display Properties dialogue is displayed. The dialogue will now only allow me to select 16 colours and a fixed size of 640x480 pixels. The screen is also now interlaced (flashes) slightly. These display limitations are very hard to work with and I didn't have these limitations before.
If I press Cancel on the dialogue, Windows boots up and works normally but with the display limitations as described as above. I'm now stuck with these display limitations on each boot.
I am using a Packard Bell Platinum 4200 computer. The graphics card is Voodoo 3 - 3000 (8 MB). I am using Windows '98 SE that came preinstalled with the computer (PB OEM version). Unfortunately, the computer came only with "Recovery CDs", therefore, I have no official Windows '98 SE CD, possibly making reinstallation of any drivers difficult (if this is necessary).
I haven't installed or uninstalled any new software recently or done anything with my computer that I wouldn't do normally, so I don't see why this has suddenly happened.
Could you please tell me what has caused this and how do I get it back to how it was before? I'm not sure what to do.
Thanks in Advance,
Richard
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ASKER
Hi,
Thanks for your comments. However, before installing the downloaded file that Zee suggested, could you please clarify a few points:
1) I am using a Packard Bell OEM version of Windows '98 SE that came preinstalled with my Packard Bell computer. Will the download work okay with me using an OEM version? The reason I ask is because it says this in the license agreement on the download site:
"They (materials) do not contain OEM/manufacturer specific customizations that shipped with your hardware. Please consult your board manufacturer or OEM for supported drivers."
2) Can the installation (from the downloaded file) be later uninstalled if it doesn't work or causes problems for any reason? If so, how is this done?
3) Is the downloaded file intended to work with the *Second Edition* of Windows '98 (the download site mentions Windows '98 but not specifically Windows '98 SE)?
4) The downloaded file in a .exe file. Should it be installed by simply running the .exe from the desktop or via Update Drivers as gonzal13 suggested?
I look forward to your reply.
Thanks in Advance,
Richard
Thanks for your comments. However, before installing the downloaded file that Zee suggested, could you please clarify a few points:
1) I am using a Packard Bell OEM version of Windows '98 SE that came preinstalled with my Packard Bell computer. Will the download work okay with me using an OEM version? The reason I ask is because it says this in the license agreement on the download site:
"They (materials) do not contain OEM/manufacturer specific customizations that shipped with your hardware. Please consult your board manufacturer or OEM for supported drivers."
2) Can the installation (from the downloaded file) be later uninstalled if it doesn't work or causes problems for any reason? If so, how is this done?
3) Is the downloaded file intended to work with the *Second Edition* of Windows '98 (the download site mentions Windows '98 but not specifically Windows '98 SE)?
4) The downloaded file in a .exe file. Should it be installed by simply running the .exe from the desktop or via Update Drivers as gonzal13 suggested?
I look forward to your reply.
Thanks in Advance,
Richard
1), 2) and 3) should be YES.
But could you please check Device Manager, Display Adadpter, Voodoo 3, Properties for the driver numbers before installing the ones I mentioned?
4) They should install by launching the file (running the .EXE).
Zee
On a totally different tack, my ATI Radeon 7200 occasionally crashes to 16 colors (darn kids!). Once I've restarted the machine in 16 colors, I go back to display properties and see that I can now go to 256. I restart again and find that I can go up to 32 bit color, adjust the refresh rate, etc. All stuff I couldn't do when I was forced to boot into 16 colors. Try it. You might like it.
Ben:
I solved the 'kid' problem. I installed a seperate master HD and then a free dual boot manager.
http://www.osloader.com/download.htm
Use the setup16.exe without the 'dos icon' to install. It will go to a dos window and then hit 'I'. When you want to uninstall it, just use the same *.exe and click on 'U. I have used it for about a year. Once in a while somehow it disappears.
Also when you first install it , it lists a 'mbr' option. Just remove it with F5.
gonzal13(Joe)
I solved the 'kid' problem. I installed a seperate master HD and then a free dual boot manager.
http://www.osloader.com/download.htm
Use the setup16.exe without the 'dos icon' to install. It will go to a dos window and then hit 'I'. When you want to uninstall it, just use the same *.exe and click on 'U. I have used it for about a year. Once in a while somehow it disappears.
Also when you first install it , it lists a 'mbr' option. Just remove it with F5.
gonzal13(Joe)
ASKER
Hi,
I tried installing the drivers Zee mentioned, but unfortunately it made no difference. I then deleted the entry under Display Adapters and Windows managed to find the Voodoo card. It asked me for a disk with the drivers (which I don't have), so when it asked me for 3dfx16v3.drv I pointed it to a copy on my HD from the extracted file (the download is a self-extracting zip file). It also asked me for a C++ run time file, so I pointed it to the copy in C:\Windows\system. Windows then said everything was successful, so I rebooted.
After rebooting, I can now choose 16 or 256 colours (I couldn't get 256 colours before) but no others and the resolution still can't be changed from 640x480 pixels.
I've tried installing and uninstalling the drivers several times but it hasn't made any difference. I've also tried downloading the Voodoo 3 driver for my PC from http://www.packardbell.com, but that didn't improve matters either. It just appears to be an earlier version of the one that Zee suggested.
Is it possible that the Voodoo 3 graphics card has died? A friend has suggested to me on the phone that it sounds that one of the RAM chips may have blown on it, which is what could be causing the display limitations. Assuming the card had died, would it possible for the card to work partly (i.e. offer limited colours and only one resolution) or if it had died would the display be guaranteed to fail altogether? Is this a hardware or software problem?
Any other ideas?
Thanks in Advance,
Richard
I tried installing the drivers Zee mentioned, but unfortunately it made no difference. I then deleted the entry under Display Adapters and Windows managed to find the Voodoo card. It asked me for a disk with the drivers (which I don't have), so when it asked me for 3dfx16v3.drv I pointed it to a copy on my HD from the extracted file (the download is a self-extracting zip file). It also asked me for a C++ run time file, so I pointed it to the copy in C:\Windows\system. Windows then said everything was successful, so I rebooted.
After rebooting, I can now choose 16 or 256 colours (I couldn't get 256 colours before) but no others and the resolution still can't be changed from 640x480 pixels.
I've tried installing and uninstalling the drivers several times but it hasn't made any difference. I've also tried downloading the Voodoo 3 driver for my PC from http://www.packardbell.com, but that didn't improve matters either. It just appears to be an earlier version of the one that Zee suggested.
Is it possible that the Voodoo 3 graphics card has died? A friend has suggested to me on the phone that it sounds that one of the RAM chips may have blown on it, which is what could be causing the display limitations. Assuming the card had died, would it possible for the card to work partly (i.e. offer limited colours and only one resolution) or if it had died would the display be guaranteed to fail altogether? Is this a hardware or software problem?
Any other ideas?
Thanks in Advance,
Richard
I doubt that the card has died.
What I would try is to install the card on a second PC and see how well it works with proper drivers.
That alone will confirm if the hardware is defective or not.
If it works on another system, then we know were dealing with a software problem on your PC.
If it turns out to be a software problem, wasn't there an uninstaller to do a clean uninstall of this software? I thought I seen it before?
Good Luck,
fE
What I would try is to install the card on a second PC and see how well it works with proper drivers.
That alone will confirm if the hardware is defective or not.
If it works on another system, then we know were dealing with a software problem on your PC.
If it turns out to be a software problem, wasn't there an uninstaller to do a clean uninstall of this software? I thought I seen it before?
Good Luck,
fE
Yes, it is possible the card has lost some of its capabilities.
Also true, you can only confirm this by installing it in another PC.
Maybe also worth a look at a new video card. Most current low budget cards are much faster and better quality than that VD3.
Good luck.
Zee
Richard2000, it's very possible that your video card is starting to go bad. I've replaced multiple video cards in the past with partial failures and as a matter of fact I just replaced a Voodoo3 this past weekend. This card was causing intermittent system crashes for the last month, but the problem kept getting progressively worse.
Most hardware problems are usually driver related, but since it's been working fine up until now and since you've already tried different drivers and based on the age of the card, the chances are that the hardware is starting to go bad.
Most hardware problems are usually driver related, but since it's been working fine up until now and since you've already tried different drivers and based on the age of the card, the chances are that the hardware is starting to go bad.
ASKER
Hi,
Many thanks for your help. Here are the two drivers that I've been trying. The Packard Bell driver was taken from the Platinum section of the web site (Platinum is the type of my Packard Bell computer).
v3-10400.exe
http://support.packardbell.com/uk/mypc/index.php?PibItemNr=REFFIUP02430100&PibItemParent=platform_symphonyplatinum#show
v3-w9x-1.07.0.0.exe
http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=146
Previously, I've used both without much success. However, last night I decided to give it one last go and I succeeded! This is what I basically did as far as I can recall (and rebooted after each step):
1) Uninstalled 1.07.
2) Removed Display Adapter.
3) Installed 1.04.
4) Used New Hardware Wizard.
Unfortunately, this didn't help so I continued with this:
5) Uninstalled 1.04.
6) Removed Display Adapter.
7) Installed 1.07.
8) Used New Hardware Wizard.
I can now change the different number of colours and screen resolutions as before!! I'm really not sure why this works now because it didn't before. Maybe it had something to do with running the New Hardware Wizard? I also notice that the driver date at Device Manager->Display Adapters->3dfx Voodoo 3->Driver now shows as 11-10-2000, rather than 2-2-2000 as it did before.
So it appears to have been a software rather than a hardware problem (of course, there is always the possibility still that hardware problems could have caused it, but it now looks less likely).
Anyway, now it's working I'll leave it alone, I'm just happy that it's working again!
Best Regards,
Richard
Many thanks for your help. Here are the two drivers that I've been trying. The Packard Bell driver was taken from the Platinum section of the web site (Platinum is the type of my Packard Bell computer).
v3-10400.exe
http://support.packardbell.com/uk/mypc/index.php?PibItemNr=REFFIUP02430100&PibItemParent=platform_symphonyplatinum#show
v3-w9x-1.07.0.0.exe
http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=146
Previously, I've used both without much success. However, last night I decided to give it one last go and I succeeded! This is what I basically did as far as I can recall (and rebooted after each step):
1) Uninstalled 1.07.
2) Removed Display Adapter.
3) Installed 1.04.
4) Used New Hardware Wizard.
Unfortunately, this didn't help so I continued with this:
5) Uninstalled 1.04.
6) Removed Display Adapter.
7) Installed 1.07.
8) Used New Hardware Wizard.
I can now change the different number of colours and screen resolutions as before!! I'm really not sure why this works now because it didn't before. Maybe it had something to do with running the New Hardware Wizard? I also notice that the driver date at Device Manager->Display Adapters->3dfx Voodoo 3->Driver now shows as 11-10-2000, rather than 2-2-2000 as it did before.
So it appears to have been a software rather than a hardware problem (of course, there is always the possibility still that hardware problems could have caused it, but it now looks less likely).
Anyway, now it's working I'll leave it alone, I'm just happy that it's working again!
Best Regards,
Richard
Richard,
Great news.
Hope it keeps.
I would guess the process you followed managed a 100% cleanup of the drivers and finally when you managed a clean reinstall it worked.
Hence, the date change you moticed.
But, my guess is surely as good as ... a guess...??
Anyway, thanks for the feedback.
Cheers,
Zee
And thanks for the points too.
:)
Zee
Now go to Control Panel, System, Device Manager and then click on the card(Display Adapters).
Click on Properties, Drivers, UPdate Drivers.
All you need then is to indicate where the drivers are located.
gonzal13(Joe)