A little computer help please - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

grbh · 01-26-2004, 02:40 PM

OK so here is what happened.

A friend of mine was using my puter to surf for a new computer for himself.

When I rebooted this morning I could only open Windows in a "safe" mode. I fixed that, but now when I boot up my icons are huge, and I'm only getting 16 bit color. If I go into Control Panel, then Display and change it to 256 it requires a restart, which I do.

When it reboots I'm right back to huge icons and 16 bit color. Any suggestions?

u2sarajevo · 01-26-2004, 02:44 PM

More than likely a driver issue. What is your Vid card? I can PM you a link to download the drivers.

grbh · 01-26-2004, 02:48 PM

I can't seem to find anything labeled video card under the device manager. Am I looking in the wrong place?

u2sarajevo · 01-26-2004, 03:05 PM

Well... if it is a driver issue device mangler will not help you. Do you not recall the type of card?

To see which you are using now, on your desktop right click and select Properties... then go to the Settings tab, and tell me what is under Display: (although that is what it looks like in XP, but all Windows O/S's have a similar interface.

Drbio · 01-26-2004, 03:05 PM

If anyone here can help....it's my man U2!

The guy is a genius in matters such as these......and dating daughters. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Chiwas · 01-26-2004, 03:17 PM

grbh, ask your friend what changes made in your PC.

grbh · 01-26-2004, 03:19 PM

Thanks for the help btw.

I right clicked and pulled up properties, but I can't seem to find anything that would list what you are .looking for.

Here are the tabs I see: background, screen saver, appearance, appearance, effects, web, and settings.

I'm running Windows 98

grbh · 01-26-2004, 03:21 PM

OK, I think I found it under advanced.

Does an S3 Trio 3d sound right to you

grbh · 01-26-2004, 03:22 PM

Chiwas, I don't think he did anything. I was sitting r10 feet away while he was looking. But it wouldn't start up properly this morning. Who knows.

u2sarajevo · 01-26-2004, 03:22 PM

The card you identified, is this the one you are running? Can you verify (which would require you to either look up the documentation or opening the box and looking on the card).

grbh · 01-26-2004, 03:35 PM

Where is the card in the box.

I have no documentation, because I bought it used from a friend.

grbh · 01-26-2004, 03:36 PM

I will say that I'm pretty certain it is the right one. I can't imagine the person I bought it from upgrading their video card

Chiwas · 01-26-2004, 03:39 PM

You have problems with your friends, grbh. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Maybe if you try the "Windows Update" page of Microsoft, the scanning tells you what drive your have to (re)install, if the video card is registered. I don't remember if Windows 98 have Windows Update, though.

u2sarajevo · 01-26-2004, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: grbh
I will say that I'm pretty certain it is the right one. I can't imagine the person I bought it from upgrading their video card

First of all, Windows Update will not help you here. But the reason I need to know for certain is this: If your O/S (Windows 98) >thinks< you have a certain card (the S3 Trio 3d in this case) and you don't... you will have problems... which you are having. So in short, we need to verify the type of card you are using in your computer. If you indeed have that card, but cannot successfully change the display settings then it could be a hardware issue - flaky card, etc. But if it were a flaky card, more than likely you wouldn't be able to see anything, or garbage at best.

grbh · 01-26-2004, 03:56 PM

OK, I am going to have to open her up.

I don't know where to look for a video card. Obviously I can find the memory, ethernet cards, etc, but I don't know where a video card is?

u2sarajevo · 01-26-2004, 04:26 PM

The video card is the card that your monitor cable plugs into. The caveat to this is if it is embedded into the Motherboard. If that is the case, the monitor will not plug into a card, but into a interface on the back of the computer below the card slots.... in which case just tell me the make/model of the computer.

kingrex · 01-26-2004, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: u2sarajevo
The video card is the card that your monitor cable plugs into. The caveat to this is if it is embedded into the Motherboard. If that is the case, the monitor will not plug into a card, but into a interface on the back of the computer below the card slots.... in which case just tell me the make/model of the computer.

Is there a charge for this free online support?

Male30Dan · 01-26-2004, 04:34 PM

Not to jump into "your" case U2, but I thought I would offer my two cents... Assuming that this video card lived healthy in this PC for some time, I would think it safe to believe that you had the proper drivers loaded at one time. With that said, your friend may have simply uninstalled your video card, (hard to imagine, but this fix is much faster than taking things apart, downloading drivers, etc...). I would recommend opening up device manager, finding DISPLAY ADAPTERS, opening up the video card listed, and then click on the driver tab, and finally choose UPDATE DRIVER. All of this will vary slightly depending on your OS, but tell the wizard to find your files automatically/look for the files locally on your hard drive. This will search all of the common places for drivers, (where your original driver will hopefully still be located), and if we are lucky, you should be told the driver is found and then you can just install it.

Basically, my thinking is that the driver, (assuming it is not corrupt), is sitting on your computer. All you have to do if this is true is to tell the video card to use it, (this is accomplished from the steps above).

I hope this helps, and if not, your only real option is opening the chasis, writing down ALL CRUCIAL INFORMATION, such as model, model #, etc., and then using that to find the proper driver on the net.

u2sarajevo · 01-26-2004, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: Male22Dan
Not to jump into "your" case U2, but I thought I would offer my two cents... Assuming that this video card lived healthy in this PC for some time, I would think it safe to believe that you had the proper drivers loaded at one time. With that said, your friend may have simply uninstalled your video card, (hard to imagine, but this fix is much faster than taking things apart, downloading drivers, etc...). I would recommend opening up device manager, finding DISPLAY ADAPTERS, opening up the video card listed, and then click on the driver tab, and finally choose UPDATE DRIVER. All of this will vary slightly depending on your OS, but tell the wizard to find your files automatically/look for the files locally on your hard drive. This will search all of the common places for drivers, (where your original driver will hopefully still be located), and if we are lucky, you should be told the driver is found and then you can just install it.

Basically, my thinking is that the driver, (assuming it is not corrupt), is sitting on your computer. All you have to do if this is true is to tell the video card to use it, (this is accomplished from the steps above).

I hope this helps, and if not, your only real option is opening the chasis, writing down ALL CRUCIAL INFORMATION, such as model, model #, etc., and then using that to find the proper driver on the net.

Dan... he already stated that his computer >thinks< it's a S3 Trio 3D card. I am just trying to verify that. I wouldn't put that must trust in device mangler... but if it works do it grbh.

u2sarajevo · 01-26-2004, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: kingrex
Is there a charge for this free online support?

No charge at all... I've always >tried< to help.

Male30Dan · 01-26-2004, 04:43 PM

Hahaha... You must be a fan of Linux/Unix... Im a Sun Solaris guy myself!!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Regarding what it >thinks< it is and trying to verify it and what not. I was simply trying the easiest things first to prevent an obvious novice from having to dive into his system...

But hey, whatever works is always the best option!!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

grbh · 01-26-2004, 05:05 PM

Dan, thanks for the help too. That was actually the first thing I tried. Problem is since I bought this computer used from a friend/aquantaince I never got the Windows 98 software which it was prompting me for.

I can probably get my hands on it somewhere though.

Smiles · 01-26-2004, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: grbh
OK so here is what happened.

A friend of mine was using my puter to surf for a new computer for himself.

When I rebooted this morning I could only open Windows in a "safe" mode. I fixed that, but now when I boot up my icons are huge, and I'm only getting 16 bit color. If I go into Control Panel, then Display and change it to 256 it requires a restart, which I do.

When it reboots I'm right back to huge icons and 16 bit color. Any suggestions?

*Sigh* I remember when this happened to my uncle's computer just before a very crucial meeting. He'd been out of town, and because I was left in charge of the office in his absence he and my aunt wanted to KILL ME for neglecting to prevent this catastrophy. I thought I would die - couldn't figure out what I (or someone else) could've done.

The tech showed me how to delete unnecessary files, so that night I went to my uncles house to erase all the extra junk accumulated on his computer. I knew that if I could make his home computer work faster, he'd appreciate my initiative....

I erased the internet. It took over a week to coordinate with their tech guy to come out and fix it. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif[/img] How humbling.

grbh · 01-26-2004, 05:06 PM

It looks to embedded in the motherboard U2.

My PC is an IBM 300PL

And many thanks for your help

Male30Dan · 01-26-2004, 05:25 PM

Ahhh... Was it prompting you for your Windows 98 CD??? 95/98 is quite fond of doing so to grab information within cab files on the requested CD. If this is the case, and you dont have your cab files copied to your harddrive, (a common place is c:\windows\options), the video driver wont do you a great deal of good!!! When it prompts you for the drivers, you must give them to the OS, (again, either by CD or by a folder that has the cabs copied there).

You may just have used the incorrect terminology, but if not, this will not be as easy if you dont have the Windows 98 Installation CD!!!

grbh · 01-26-2004, 06:06 PM

That's what I was afraid of. No CD and it isn't copied to my hd either.

Is it time to give redhat a whirl.

Actually I'm sure linux isn't for me.

u2sarajevo · 01-26-2004, 06:16 PM

grbh... I need to know the four-digit part number. The 300PL has these part numbers:

IBM PC 300PL 6562
IBM PC 300PL 6565
IBM PC 300PL 6566
IBM PC 300PL 6584
IBM PC 300PL 6592
IBM PC 300PL 6594
IBM PC 300PL 6862
IBM PC 300PL 6872
IBM PC 300PL 6890

You will be able to find that most likely on the same label as the Serial Number (usually found on the back of the computer).

Also, if you don't have a Win 98 CD, PM me.

Chiwas · 01-27-2004, 12:01 AM

So...?

grbh · 01-27-2004, 04:17 PM

OK, U2 I will find out. It will probably be tomorow before I get to it, but I will find out that serial number.

Thanks again for your help, I really do appreciate it.

u2sarajevo · 01-27-2004, 04:39 PM

Just to clarify grbh... it's not the serial number I need, but the complete Part number.

Thanks.... and you are most certainly welcome.