Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.videocards.ati (
More info?)
You wrote in news:Xns95668490B8B14jajii1netscape@205.188.138.161 thusly:
> Mark <Mark@nolocation!.com> expounded in
> news:Xns95622E3A85F9EMark1234@127.0.0.1:
>
>>
>> You wrote in news:Xns9561BC2E0A069jajii1netscape@205.188.138.161
>> thusly:
>>
>>> Mark <Mark@nolocation!.com> expounded in
>>> news:Xns95614B6D9F0CFMark1234@127.0.0.1:
>>>
>>>> I just upgraded from Cat v4.6 to v4.9 using the smaller of the two
>>>> and original Control Panel FULL installation package for my AIW
>>>> 9800 Pro (NTSC) GFX card. To prepare for this, I used ATI's
>>>> un-installer and removed everything ATI.
>>>>
>>>> Afterwards, the computer (using a ASUS P4C800-E Deluxe motherboard
>>>> so SmartGART drivers are not needed as it is Intel based) rebooted
>>>> and I began installing the Full, but smaller, v4.9 Cat driver
>>>> package and then rebooted.
>>>>
>>>> After the reboot the ATI software falsely said that there were no
>>>> Display drivers installed. But that's only because after the reboot
>>>> XP Pro hadn't finished updating the various AIW stuff. Think ATI
>>>> would have caught that silly little timing bug. Anyway, a reboot
>>>> after all detection was finished fixed the problem as by then the
>>>> driver installation was completed.
>>>>
>>>> I then finished up by installing the new v9.02 MMC software (silly
>>>> of ATI to miss label the previous version v9.1 when it should have
>>>> been v9.01) and rebooted. Sheeet, another version of MMC which is
>>>> unstable and can crash the entire system due to low-level hardware
>>>> bleeding.
>>>>
>>>> Anyway, after the dust settled I went into the Settings/Advanced
>>>> and noticed that the SmartGART tab is now missing in the Control
>>>> Panel. Not a real biggie because under Options/Details it shows
>>>> that my AIW 9800 Pro is still set for 8x AGP.
>>>>
>>>> Am I correct in thinking that it is not worth an additional 65.4MB
>>>> of downloading (42.3MB for ATI's new colorful Control Center and
>>>> 23.1MB for .NET) just to have a SmartGART tab which is probably
>>>> already set correctly?
>>>
>>> I'm currently using Catalyst 4.7. I used to have a SMARTGART tab,
>>> but at some point recently after installing some new ATI
>>> software/drivers, that tab disappeared.
>>
>> I don't know whether SmartGART is the only tab or for that matter,
>> function, that has turned up missing with the new v4.9 Cat drivers
>> (Old Control Panel [OCP] version). I would not have expected any tab
>> to be removed, let alone that one and because of that, didn't list
>> them out prior to the v4.9 Cat install to compare.
>>
>> Perhaps we can compare versions? Currently, the v4.9 OCP version has
>> the following tabs:
>>
>> Color, Options, Rotation, Overlay, 3D, VPU Recover, General, Adapter,
>> Monitor, Troubleshoot, Color Management and Displays.
>>
>> Because 'Fast Writes' is located on the same panel as the SmartGART
>> information, I am unable to determine whether Fast Writes is enabled
>> or disabled. I can only hope that the previous setting was adopted
>> and Fast Writes is set to disable.
>>
>> That's wishful thinking and Fast Writes is probably enabled. I had to
>> reinstall the monitor INF and ICM files and change other settings
>> back to what they were after the new Cat install.
>>
>> I jumped from v4.6 to v4.9. I saw the SmartGART tab in v4.6. Since
>> you are using v4.7 and it is missing, then they must of removed it in
>> v4.7.
>>
>>> I don't know why, but FWIW, I found that I have a SMARTGART shortcut
>>> in "C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI Control Panel". If I
>>> double-click on that, I get a SMARTGART window.
>>
>> I have the same shortcut located in the same directory. However....
>>
>>> I don't know if that shortcut was installed with the current
>>> software or is a left-over from the old ATI control panel, but you
>>> might see if you have a similar shortcut.
>>
>> Nope, its unlikely a leftover. The shortcut also gets installed with
>> the Cat v4.9 OCP version, because I used ATI's un-installer to remove
>> everything ATI before installing v4.9 and I have it, too.
>>
>> However, the shortcut does nothing when double-clicked. I've checked
>> the shortcuts path and it appears to be correct and set to:
>>
>> "C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI Control Panel\atiprbxx.exe" /g
>>
>> Since it appears on both of our hard drives, appears that the
>> shortcut is set correctly, but works with your version and not mine -
>> I've come to the conclusion that ATI screwed up (some might say,
>> again) with the Full Cat OCP v4.9 package in a rush to get the driver
>> out. In addition, ATI removed the SmartGART tab 3 minor versions ago.
>>
>> The next step will be to see what happens to atiprbxx.exe (and
>> associated software). Will atiprbxx.exe be fixed so SmartGART tab
>> appears or will the shortcut be completely removed from the Cat
>> package.
>
> Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner.
No Problem.
> Interesting. That shortcut path is the same as mine. I don't know
> why it doesn't work for you. I assume you have an atiprbxx.exe in
> that directory.
Yes.
> Maybe something has changed in atiprbxx.exe between 4.7 and 4.9. Or
> it may even be because I'm running Win98 and you're running WinXP.
I've seen the shortcut before in older versions of the CAT drivers, but
had forgot about it until you mentioned it. In the older versions, it
did bring up the SmartGART tab.
Why ATI must of felt that the OCP version of the v4.9 CAT didn't need a
SmartGART tab in the control panel and then not remove the shortcut is
odd.
> FWIW, my control panel tabs are slightly different. I don't have "VPU
> Recover" or "Troubleshoot" tabs.
The VPU Recover tab has options to recover the card in case of a crash.
It often causes more problems then it is worth, so most people normally
turned VPU Recover off.
The Troubleshoot tab deals with Hardware Acceleration (eg: adjustable
from None to Full) and whether Write Combining is enabled or not. The
latter is something I'm not familiar with and don't know what Write
Combining should be set to. There are no subjects in this group with
Write Combining in them going back to June 27, 2003.
> I assume they were added after this version.
AFAIK, the VPU Recover tab has been around awhile. I can't remember
whether the Troubleshoot tab was there before or not. It might have been
previously titled Performance.
> And I have two tabs you didn't mention, "OpenGL" and "Performance" (I
> assume the "3D" you mentioned was short for "Direct3D"). Provided you
> have an OpenGL tab, your list of tabs seems close enough to mine.
The 3D tab combines both OpenGL and Direct3D. Their individual options
are toggled by a radio button on the left side.
> As for determining whether or not "Fast Writes" are enabled, there are
> other programs that will tell you. For example:
>
> WCPUID - http://www.h-oda.com/
Got it and thanks. "Fast Writes" are indeed enabled, shoot. I would hate
to think that ATI is trying to use strong arm tactics to get users to
install their bloated Control Center.
--
Mark
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