Advice Needed

payton_fulton · 01-21-2008, 05:59 AM

Greetings,

My place of employment has an old "IBM PS/ValuePoint 466 DX2/2" computer hooked up to a CMM Machine. They use a dos looking program for it, and the interface was a blue screen with yellow letters. The operator now has a black screen with white letters. I changed monitors and still has a black and white screen. Could it be the video card? I am going to open it up later this afternoon to see what type of video card it is. Thank you in advance for your responses, they are appreciated.

**emosun** · 01-21-2008, 09:09 AM

I think one of the F keys changes the color. But is the text not readable? Or just a black background with white text. I would Imagine a machine like that wouldn't have a video card in it but some sort of onboard video.

payton_fulton · 01-21-2008, 10:30 AM

Letters are legible, they are just being picky and want their blue background back. No video card, oboard video. Any ideas???

**emosun** · 01-21-2008, 10:37 AM

Whats the name of the program? If it has a manual see if they accidently pressed a key to take away the color.

payton_fulton · 01-21-2008, 11:07 AM

The name of the program is called Geopak 2000 series

**emosun** · 01-21-2008, 11:10 AM

Does color work on anything else? If it does then the program probly should be fixed if you just reinstall it.

payton_fulton · 01-21-2008, 11:12 AM

Nope, the entire program is black and white. It is a dos based program, no windows.

**emosun** · 01-21-2008, 11:23 AM

Is there anything that you can put in that is a colored program to make sure its not the pc itself?

payton_fulton · 01-21-2008, 11:28 AM

I wish, the pc has just an A: disk drive, and the only software I have for that is geopak. Today is the first time I have ever messed with this software, I haven't even seen it until today. I have looked all through the manual and can't find anything that tells me how to alter the color display.

**emosun** · 01-21-2008, 11:30 AM

Does the pc have any color objects on its bios boot screen?

payton_fulton · 01-21-2008, 11:37 AM

It's all black and white, it has got to have something to do with video configuration. And with a PC this old I probably don't have many options.

**emosun** · 01-21-2008, 11:53 AM

Man with a 486 system it has to be at least 13 years old. I don't even remotely know anything about the video configurations on something like that. I really cant imagine a machine like this still being usefull , what does the program actually do? I would say if the program isn't dependant on color then don't worry about it. But I would recommend a newer pc pretty soon if this is starting to go. After this amount of time that power supply and motherboard's compacitors will start leaking and the machine I bet has accumulated a fair amount of gunky dust.

payton_fulton · 01-21-2008, 11:57 AM

I am in the same boat as you, I don't have much knowledge of dos, and I can't find too much help with this pc model anywhere online. The pc was purchased 14 years ago and I believe it has served it's purpose. The computer is hooked to a big measuring device for quality control, and has basically just been overlooked since it does what we need it to do. And about a week ago it lost color, so at least it has given a warning sign. Thanks for your help it is appreciated!

**FreoHeaveho** · 01-21-2008, 12:14 PM

Try replacing the video cable.

01-21-2008, 05:59 AM	#1 (permalink)
payton_fulton Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 45 OS: XP Professional, XP Home Media Center Edition	Advice Needed Greetings, My place of employment has an old "IBM PS/ValuePoint 466 DX2/2" computer hooked up to a CMM Machine. They use a dos looking program for it, and the interface was a blue screen with yellow letters. The operator now has a black screen with white letters. I changed monitors and still has a black and white screen. Could it be the video card? I am going to open it up later this afternoon to see what type of video card it is. Thank you in advance for your responses, they are appreciated.

01-21-2008, 09:09 AM	#2 (permalink)
emosun Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: usa Posts: 7,096 OS: xp pro sp2 My System	Re: Advice Needed I think one of the F keys changes the color. But is the text not readable? Or just a black background with white text. I would Imagine a machine like that wouldn't have a video card in it but some sort of onboard video. __________________ Gpu Benchmarks Cpu-Z Power supply information and selection Gpu-Z Video card quick list

01-21-2008, 10:30 AM	#3 (permalink)
payton_fulton Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 45 OS: XP Professional, XP Home Media Center Edition	Re: Advice Needed Letters are legible, they are just being picky and want their blue background back. No video card, oboard video. Any ideas???

01-21-2008, 10:37 AM	#4 (permalink)
emosun Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: usa Posts: 7,096 OS: xp pro sp2 My System	Re: Advice Needed Whats the name of the program? If it has a manual see if they accidently pressed a key to take away the color. __________________ Gpu Benchmarks Cpu-Z Power supply information and selection Gpu-Z Video card quick list

01-21-2008, 11:07 AM	#5 (permalink)
payton_fulton Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 45 OS: XP Professional, XP Home Media Center Edition	Re: Advice Needed The name of the program is called Geopak 2000 series

01-21-2008, 11:10 AM	#6 (permalink)
emosun Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: usa Posts: 7,096 OS: xp pro sp2 My System	Re: Advice Needed Does color work on anything else? If it does then the program probly should be fixed if you just reinstall it. __________________ Gpu Benchmarks Cpu-Z Power supply information and selection Gpu-Z Video card quick list

01-21-2008, 11:12 AM	#7 (permalink)
payton_fulton Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 45 OS: XP Professional, XP Home Media Center Edition	Re: Advice Needed Nope, the entire program is black and white. It is a dos based program, no windows.

01-21-2008, 11:23 AM	#8 (permalink)
emosun Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: usa Posts: 7,096 OS: xp pro sp2 My System	Re: Advice Needed Is there anything that you can put in that is a colored program to make sure its not the pc itself? __________________ Gpu Benchmarks Cpu-Z Power supply information and selection Gpu-Z Video card quick list

01-21-2008, 11:28 AM	#9 (permalink)
payton_fulton Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 45 OS: XP Professional, XP Home Media Center Edition	Re: Advice Needed I wish, the pc has just an A: disk drive, and the only software I have for that is geopak. Today is the first time I have ever messed with this software, I haven't even seen it until today. I have looked all through the manual and can't find anything that tells me how to alter the color display.

01-21-2008, 11:30 AM	#10 (permalink)
emosun Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: usa Posts: 7,096 OS: xp pro sp2 My System	Re: Advice Needed Does the pc have any color objects on its bios boot screen? __________________ Gpu Benchmarks Cpu-Z Power supply information and selection Gpu-Z Video card quick list

01-21-2008, 11:37 AM	#11 (permalink)
payton_fulton Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 45 OS: XP Professional, XP Home Media Center Edition	Re: Advice Needed It's all black and white, it has got to have something to do with video configuration. And with a PC this old I probably don't have many options.

01-21-2008, 11:53 AM	#12 (permalink)
emosun Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: usa Posts: 7,096 OS: xp pro sp2 My System	Re: Advice Needed Man with a 486 system it has to be at least 13 years old. I don't even remotely know anything about the video configurations on something like that. I really cant imagine a machine like this still being usefull , what does the program actually do? I would say if the program isn't dependant on color then don't worry about it. But I would recommend a newer pc pretty soon if this is starting to go. After this amount of time that power supply and motherboard's compacitors will start leaking and the machine I bet has accumulated a fair amount of gunky dust. __________________ Gpu Benchmarks Cpu-Z Power supply information and selection Gpu-Z Video card quick list

01-21-2008, 11:57 AM	#13 (permalink)
payton_fulton Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 45 OS: XP Professional, XP Home Media Center Edition	Re: Advice Needed I am in the same boat as you, I don't have much knowledge of dos, and I can't find too much help with this pc model anywhere online. The pc was purchased 14 years ago and I believe it has served it's purpose. The computer is hooked to a big measuring device for quality control, and has basically just been overlooked since it does what we need it to do. And about a week ago it lost color, so at least it has given a warning sign. Thanks for your help it is appreciated!

01-21-2008, 12:14 PM	#14 (permalink)
FreoHeaveho TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Australia Posts: 3,226 OS: Windows Vista Ultimate 64 SP2, Windows XP Professional SP3, Mac OSX Leopard My System	Re: Advice Needed Try replacing the video cable. __________________ PC Wizard-VGA 2009 Charts-Power Supply Info-Multi/Single Rail PSU?-Speedfan-Driver Sweeper