thrillriderdan

Hello there,

I have recently aquired a '98 computer but I can't seem to do anything with it. The computer boots fine and I can see the windows 98 splash, but when it comes to show windows, all sorts of wavey patterns go across the screen. It's sort of like when you're trying to find a frequency on the TV. Also when I press the power button to shut it down, the 98 splash still shows fine. I'm not using the monitor it came with if that has anything to do with it. Could anyone help me with this?

Thanks, Danny

CTSNKY

Could be either incorrect video card drivers or the card itself is failing. Make sure your connection is tight. (I'm assuming the monitor is otherwise good.)

Try downloadng/installing the latest Win98 drivers for the card from the manufacturer's support site.

OldGrayGary

Hi Dan


Is this is a different system than the one that arrived with Win95 on it?

If you'd like, a quick test you can try is to boot the PC into Safe Mode (press F8 as the computer is starting). If the display shows a reasonably clear 640x480 screen with 16 colors - then your video card and monitor are probably OK. But just as CTSNKY pointed out, you'll have to find a good Win98 driver (you'll also want to remove the current driver, which is likely not a good match).

Let us know if you need help finding a driver.

Best of luck
... Gary

thrillriderdan

Yes this is a difffernt system than the 95.

Is the splash screen 640x480, as that would explain why that works but the rest won't. The graphics card is built into the mother board, so I presume the computer should be working O.K with it, but if I try the safemode and that works, I'll go about finding a driver.

This has been helpful thanks,

Danny

thrillriderdan

Update:

It works fine in safe mode but I'm not sure how to go about getting a driver. The graphics card is built in to the compter so I can't find much information about it.

thrillriderdan

Here's some information:

The computer is: Packard Bell (No model that I can find) and the graphic seems to be:

Intel (R) 810 chipset graphics driver

,Danny

CTSNKY

Probably this driver:

http://www.intel.com/support/graphics/intel810/

Alternatively, you can download/run the Belarc Advisor, which will give you more, specific info on your PB model and graphics card device ID

http://belarc.com/free_download.html

thrillriderdan

Thanks a lot for that CTSNKY. Before I do that does this message mean anything that appears when I start the machine normally:

"There is a problem with your display settings. The adapter type is incorrect, or the current settings do not work with your hardware"

,Danny

OldGrayGary

Hi again


That error message tells you that you're on the right track -- Windows needs the right driver.

1) Boot into Safe Mode.
2) Go to Add/Remove in Control Panel.
3) Remove any graphics-related software (drivers, "media centers" -- anything related to non-Intel graphics= ATi, nVidia, Via, S3...).
4) Try installing the Intel 810 driver that CTSNKY provided, and reboot.

Some drivers won't install in Safe Mode-- should that be true of the Intel 810, cancel any "New Hardware Found" screens, and install the driver in normal mode.

That should do it.
. . . Gary

thrillriderdan

I've just had a couple of probelms arrive on the way:

1. I have burned the drivers to a CD RW but the 98 computer won't let me open the disk
2. There is actually a special area in the control pannel for the graphics card which has all the intel drivers and such in a specialised intel control window. Should I still change the driver here or may there be another reson?

Thanks,

Danny

Jlp1928

Hi Thriller,

If you used InCD Nero, Direct CD/Drag to disk Roxio, Older CD reader can not read them. Burn it to a cd useing Creator Classic Roxio or whatever Nero calls it. The reader should be able to handle that.

Luck, Jim

thrillriderdan

Hi again,

I don't have Nero or Roxio. I burned it directly to the disk using windows vista. Is there a way I can get around this?

Thanks,

Danny

thrillriderdan

Is there a way to compress it so that I can put it on a floppy disk?

,Danny

OldGrayGary

Hi again


Try again, this time having Vista burn then to a CD-R (not the RW type). The CD-R disks are easier for the older CD drives to read. Should that not work, you may have to see if a friend can download and copy the drivers onto a CD for you.

Another option would be to try a USB key - but Windows 98's support of USB is fairly dicey --- often you'd have to install a driver just for 98 to recognise the USB key.

Don't forget to boot into Safe Mode and remove the old drivers before installing the new!

Regarding using floppies ... it's a bit messy compressing drivers after-the-fact (doesn't always work) -- but if Intel provides a compressed version on their support site, that might fit on a single floppy... If the driver would need multiple floppies, you might have to use MS Backup to get them on spanned floppies = you'd need MS Backup on both PCs if you use that program to span the diskettes. I can't say I'd want to have to go that route.

Best of luck!
. . . Gary

thrillriderdan

So you defiantely think this needs a new driver. I'm only checking twice as I have no other disks to restore the computer if something goes wrong.

There are a number of drivers for the video card for differrent applications. Do I delete them all? When I'm done I'll burn it to a CD R.

,Danny

OldGrayGary

Hi again


If they show in Add/Remove Programs - and they are graphics drivers or multimedia centers for a graphics card (ATi, nVidia, Via, S3, etc...) - then yes, you should completely uninstall them. Windows will use the Standard VGA driver (the same you see in Safe Mode) until you install the new driver. Cancel any New Hardware Found screens for the graphics card, as you will want to install from the driver package you downloaded directly from Intel.

I am assuming that you have only one graphics card present in the system (some have more than one). Take a look in the back of the 98 system and see if there is more than one VGA connector. The Intel 810 VGA connector would be located not far from the ps/2 mouse/keyboard ports (and likely two USB ports right next to those two), and in the same orientation (likely horizontal, rather than vertical). This is because the Intel 810 graphics are built into the motherboard. If another add-in graphics card is installed in the system -- that will appear on a metal slot farther away from the ps/2 ports, and likely in a vertical orientation. Such a card in an older 98 system would be installed in the AGP slot, or a PCI slot.

Usually, VGA ports are color coded blue (but not always).

If you see many different drivers for several different graphics/video cards, then the previous owner was a bit sloppy about cleaning up after old parts. You should uninstall drivers for parts that are no longer present on a computer.

Best of luck
. . . Gary

thrillriderdan

No there is just the one graphic card. The computer is a pre built model (Do you call that OEM or something?), and the previous owner doen't seem to have changed anything. It's pretty much as it was when new, which is why I'm slightly reluctant to remove the previous dirvers as I presume they came in a bundle with the computer. All the drivers are for the intel card and there don't seem to be any others.
I'm now going to install my mp3 on the 98 computer and transplant the drivers that way. I'll put USB stick driver on there whilst I'm at it.

Thanks,

Danny

thrillriderdan

Update:

I've tried to install the driver and the message was:

A software error has occurred. Please report this to technical support: Cannot install Intel (R) graphics driver on current graphics device.

To make things easier, if I bought a new graphics card for 98 would it solve the problem?

Thanks,

Danny

OldGrayGary

Hi again


Time to run the BelArc Advisor that CTSNKY linked you to earlier.

If you can get a specific model number for the Packard Bell, you might be able to get an exact match driver from them -- especially if you are in Europe, where they do most of their business nowadays (They left the U.S. market a while back).

BelArc also might provide a better idea of which Intel 810 chipset you have (there were a few different versions).

Since the video displays fine in Safe Mode, that would seem to suggest that your graphics hardware is OK, and that your driver situation is the problem. I'm puzzled that you seem to see other video drivers still installed . . . once you have a good idea of the exact video chip in the system, switch the video driver to Standard VGA, uninstall ALL other video drivers, and install an exact-match driver. If you leave other video drivers installed, they can cause trouble.

When downloading an exact-match driver, make sure you are getting the driver for the exact-version of Windows you are running. For example, for the Intel 810 there are different versions of the drivers for Win98 original and Win98 2nd Edition.

Best of luck
. . . Gary

thrillriderdan

Hi there,

I think I can possibly find a specific model number if I check in 'System'. The video displays fine when booted normally, I just can't get a higher resolution than 640 x 480 and 16 colours.

When I said there were other drivers, it was for the same card, just different bits if I remember. I couldn't find any drivers in add/remove software, so I looked in Device Manager which is where I found the drivers. I think hardware accelaration may have been one of them but don't take my word for it.

I think I've ended up confusing myself here. Would it be easier to just get a new graphics card as there is a local computer fair this weekend.

Thanks again Gary,

Danny