My computer guy just passed away this weekend and so i don't know where else to turn when i get out of the funeral....i just downloaded microsoft Genuine (some other guy set us up with a new harddrive with his OWN system and charged us for it and skipped town!) and after doing so, i had "wavey windows". SO i called microsoft and they took an hour and a half on the phone looking to find my DISPLAY DRIVER/adapter, (whatever that means or if it makes a difference) and says i don't have one all of a sudden!

I'm SO green on this and haven't a clue as to what to do or how to find out what i need or if i can download it myself or need a technical person to help me. I'm on a gateway but now the processor is AMD Athlon Processor XP and haven't a clue as to what other info i need to pull off of it or WHO ELSE TO GO TO with this. Our Computer guy fixed our outlook problem and died of a heart attack this weekend and so now i'm really stuck...

helP!!!! PLEASE! (and thank you).

Lisa S.

Hi

Just after windows completes the post screen (white writing on screen) and just before the XP logo appears hold F8, from the menu that appears choose

safe mode

let windows boot up, now right click on the desktop and choose properties, it will tell you what the graphics card is, set the desktop size to 600x400 or its lowest setting and apply it, now reboot and see if the problem is gone, if not repeat the process of going into safe mode and uninstall the graphics driver in device manager, to get there right click my computer and choose properties then hardware then device manager.

Make a note of the graphics adaptor and download the correct drivers for it from the web and reinstall them in normal mode.

Regards

Or you can open up your case and look at your video card and read the name and model, then go the site and update the driver or go to www.driversguide.com and search for the driver

Or... You can download Everest Home Edition and get your full system specs on the computer

thanks for hanging in there with me. I did config as one suggested but nothing changed. This all happened after i ran the microsoft GENUINE tool kit...the windows rippled in waves when i tried to move them on the screen or scroll down a webpage...and after almost 2 hours with some microsoft teckkie in India, he said my computer doesn't show the DISPLAY DRIVER in the driver manager. He mentioned at times "driver adapter" but i tried to find that out...when my husband said we had the ATI Rage Video card (saying video card and display driver is the same thing)...so i found the disk for that and reinstalled it but now it says we have a driver but that it's INCOMPATABLE!!

SO...does that mean that when i went genuine, my 4 year old video card is out of date? IS that the same as display driver? The tekki said that some of my resolution is missing and this driver would help. I'm lost now....other than having to get a whole new computer!

what do you think?

Lisa
www.stapor.com

Hi Lisa

I still dont get it,

Right click my computer and choose properties, then in the box that comes up cick hardware, then choose device manager.

See my Pic I have attached, open up device manager and find display adaptor and click the plus sign next to it. like I did in the picture.

Now on your keyboard find "Print screen" and press it, open up your image editing software and choose paste so the image goes into the image editing software and then save it as a JPG, then post it with your next post.

Regards

Driver won't install

ok, for SOME weird reason, pressing 'print screen" button on my computer does NOTHING.

My device manager NOW shows a display driver when my husband installed the old RAGE cd...saying ATI Technologies Inc., RAGE 128 GL AGP.....and when i tried to update hardware...the Hardware Update Wizard said hardware was not installed because it cannot find necessary hardware" I tried to get it to read the CD's with it and then the troubleshooting window said the Device is "not signed" which led me to a microsoft window and mumbo jumbo about compatability.

I tried to back up to the original driver (Rollback driver option) and it said no driver files have been backed up for this driver.

ATI's website said that this driver is discontinued.

I'm screwed, right?


Lisa
www.stapor.com

Pressing print screen does something, it copies the screen to the clipboard (it does it in the background,) thats why I said you have to open the imaging program and paste it in there then save it,


I get the feeling that there is a simple fix but your getting that many confusing bits of advice that its getting harder to find the truth,

You do have a graphics card, it wouldnt be wavy otherwise, its just that you dont quite know what to look for.

you really need to find out what graphics card is in it,

there are 2 ways

Open the PC and find the card, its the one the monitor plugs into, if it's a seperate card., ie one that can be removed, remove it and examine it for a model and make...

If its onboard (fixed to the motherboard ) then you need to examine the motherboard for a make and model then do a google search on it, from this you will be able to find what video card it is.

|Feel free to PM me for further help.....

regards

if i understand you correctly, (and i saw a pic on the internet of what the graphics card is), i checked the name and number on it and linked it online to ATI - RAGE 128 GRAPHICS CARD 32MB VGA TVOUT AMC NTSC

and here is a pic of my device manager (am learning how to post a photo...) i think it worked....

Lisa
www.stapor.com
Colored Pencil Portraiture

Well done lisa, that worked fine, oK so now we know what hardware you have its time to clear the problem, first download the drivers from the manufacturers website for your card.

Start your PC and go into safe mode, I told you how in earlier post.

Now remove the graphics card by going into device manager and right clicking the card and choose uninstall.

Just as a side line, when in safe mode, does the windows still appear wavy??

Now reboot the pc back into normal mode, if you get a new device wizard appear, just cancel it. then run the driver setup you downloaded.

If the wizard flies through without stopping , then wait till its finished and just run the driver setup, if you get asked if you want to overright or update the drivers choose yes.

post back and let us know

Thanks much guys...i'll have to go through this step with my hubby again. He doens't want to pay again for a new driver if we're going to purchase a new computer after the first of the year. I wanted to get THIS one working and it seems it won't without a new driver. i'm not sure if that's what you mean by "downloading the driver"....we had rage and it won't work for some reason anymore...but are you telling me to reinstall what we have from them? I have to take time with this..i'll let you know if i need further help...and THANK YOU SO MUCH!

lisa
www.stapor.com

so do not get the newest one but the exact one i already have a disc for...as that is the "fix" to it?! Is that what i should do, click on the rage 128 to match mine?

Lisa
www.stapor.com

sorry this took so long but i needed help in figuring out what to do...i tried installing the ATI Rage 128...which i had the disk for and which my computer card says it was....and i got the same note i got when i installed from the disk: "The display driver is not compatible with the disiplay adapter installed in your system".

I DON"T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO!

ALSO...my zio driver doesn't work now...all this since getting that genuine package. i can't download pics from my camera though this non-working driver.

Lisa S.

Hi Lisa

Sorry to hear that you are still having issues, it seems that now may be the time to take the PC to a shop along with all the disks you have, its possible that the graphics card is faulty and because of this your getting the error you have, I saw a similar thing with a Realtek Network Card I once had, I knew it was a realtek but the PC wouldnt accept the drivers for it.

If all this happened since downloading the GAT I would consider a stiff letter to Bill Gates and his crew.

Regards

I downloaded that driver directly from the internet link you gave me (thanks by the way) and it's still "incompatable".

my computer has 2 video production programs now that do now show the preview when i'm uploading from my camcorder and it says that the VIDEO OVERLAY is not available on my system...wanting me to ensure that my monitor is in normal landscape mode and clos other applications that use the video overlay. I'm assuming by what i read online that this also has to do with the graphics / display card and program also!

AND AMD...amd / ATI, has a charge of $1.29 per minute for tech service! I shouldn't have to pay that...but who is responcible? them or microsoft?! I DO feel like whipping out a letter to Bill & his friends!

My computer guy passed away a few weeks ago so i'm not sure where to go now. suggestions that are not expensive would help!

thanks for all your help~! SOunds like i have to buy a new comptuer or have some computer guy insall a new graphics card...$$$....?

Lisa
www.stapor.com

Hi Lisa

Sorry to hear that a PC shop over in the states is expensive, there must be someone local who is computer savvy, lord knows in the UK there is a smartypants on every corner round here,

I definately think the card is faulty, fitting a new one is simple.

Boot into safe mode, go into device manager and remove anything listed for graphics adaptor, go into add remove programs and find anything related to graphics drivers and remove them.

Buy the new card, follow the instructions supplied, most are plug and play, that is you install the card, XP finds it and asks for the drivers, insert the CD, if it autostarts then follow the prompts, if XP throws up a box about looking for drivers at this point just ignore it, once the CD has finished it will ask for a reboot, job done..

You can get a semi decent graphics card from Ebay for a few bucks.

Regards