Help with new Graphics Card please.

[bjc1981]

I just got a whole new system, built by myself.
I got a Chaintech/Gainward GF3 Ti200, but I seem to have a problem with it. Under Win98, anytime I install the Detonator Drivers from nvidiva.com, the computer locks up on bootup to win98, although it works fine if I boot into safemode. I threw in my GF2 MX and it is working fine.

The GF3 works fine during installation of windows and when it is a "Standard VGA Adapter" or what ever....it's only after I install the detonator XP drivers I cannot boot up. The screen either goes 100% black during boot, or there is some jumbled stuff in the upper left corner that looks like it is all frozen.

What is my problem here, please?

I have DirectX 8.1 installed.

 

[Clarentavious]

It sounds like you have an issue with 2 display adapters. Did you remove the previous drivers from the GF 2 MX?

Does it say Standard PCI VGA Adapter, or without the PCI? Because that is the default from windows if you are just running hardware with no accelerated drivers (windows will load in 640x480, 16 colors, and all that crap).

I think you may need to go into your device manager and remove one of the adapters (although your hardware wizard might automatically try and reinstall it - in this case disable it instead of removing). Also, you might want to see if anything has a red X over it, or if there is a problem with your monitor.

Also, check your add/remove programs under your control panel and see what sets of drivers are installed.

I had a similar problem when I had an ATI Rage 128 All in Wonder PCI, inserted at the same time with a GF 2. I had to make a separate hardware profile, and do some other junk.

Sorry about the trouble man. If worst comes to worst, if you have a burner, back up your important stuff and reformat. Also, check your BIOS settings, maybe reset the ESDA.

 

[bjc1981]

I am sure there was only one device. I did a fresh format c: and win98 install...twice. The first time was because it's a brand new hard drive and system, I formated and installed a second time hoping it would fix this problem, but it did not

 

[williamc]

Hey, Bjc, sorry bout your pc agony.

Make sure you got the version of detonators for Windows 9x OS. You may be trying to install the Windows 2000/XP drives and that could cause something like this if you did manage to install those.

Also, be sure and run windows update on the computer before you intall DX8.1 and the Detonator or sound drives, its been ages since 98 or 98SE came out and there's a ton of updates out there, never know if one of em might fix a problem you don't realiez your having.

Hope one of those idea's helps.

Oh yea, always install DX before the gfx card and sound card drivers.

The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the empires state building, along came goblin, wiped the spider out

 

[bjc1981]

I tried all your advice williamc, but no avail :[

I am sure I have the win98 and not XP drivers, besides I also tried installing from their CD (both Fastest and Certified drivers) which detects the OS.

I guess I have a bum board that needs to be replaced? I suppose I will try tech support tomorrow at Gainward.

If anyone else has any ideas, please let me know. I will check back.

Thanks.

 

[bjc1981]

UPDATE:
It works just fine in my buddy's PC :[

For some reason it is just flat out incompatable in my system?? It's the only conclusion I can come to.

Athlon XP 1800, Crucial Mem, Epox 8K3A board....

Now I face a 15% restock fee....GRRR

 

[Crashman]

No, it's just that nVidia has been releasing quirky drivers for quite some time now, you need to find an earlier revision, I'm not sure which earlier revision though. Go to www.guru3d.com and try various drivers, they also have a program called Detonator Destroyer to remove any bad versions completely.

What's the frequency, Kenneth?

 

[cakecake]

It could be your mainboard and graphics card don't like each other. In your BIOS, try disabling AGP 4x (run at 2x only), AGP fast writes, and reduce AGP aperture size to 32MB.

The text in the upper left of the screen has appeared in some nvidia drivers. I know for my GF2 ultra I used to get text there whenever it was loading some 3d scene. It never caused my computer to crash though. But when I installed the newest drivers for it, the text disappeared. I don't know if the text should or should not be there but I would assume for now that it isn't the cause of your problem.

The GF3ti 200 sucks, why not get the $99 Radeon 64MB OEM from newegg.com? It comes with the 3.3ns memory, so that if you overclock you can get speeds equivalent of a GF4 Ti4400.

Censorship makes us so much more creative.