Wow, this thread helped me alot, thank you

Hi Hi,
sorry i've been away... again!
but no luck with it, same damn messages when installing the Dell and Nvidia drivers. am i supposed to install the cds that come with the computer, per se?

Current Display Mode: 1024x768 (32 bit) (1 Hz)

Does that STILL say 1 Hz ??

KelseyKillgasm

No worries about having been away....

I've taken another and closer look into the data reported earlier given the continued problems you report. I note a couple things:
1) Appears there are a couple other drivers you should have (and don't seem to have) we should also fix
2) Tho i'm not currently thinking that's the cause of your graphics card problem.

You have an "add-on" video card in your computer. But i don't think you bought it direct from Dell. As I tried looking into the installer file for Dell's NVIDIA driver. Now, admittedly these installer files aren't the easiest to interpret but on first read i don't think the driver on Dell's support site is for the NVIDIA card actually in your computer! (Do you recall if the add-on card came from Dell? or purchased seperately?)

So i'll be following up with additional posts so
1) we first clean up other missing drivers
2) then we focus on finding/installing the right NVIDIA driver for your specific graphic card

/* EDIT */
Specifically above meaning to say the Dell NVIDIA driver is for the add-on card one could have bought from Dell. But i don't think that is the card inside your computer!

My dad setup the computer and he said it was the card in my computer now.
is there anyway of finding out what graphics card it is?

We should be able to find the NVIDIA driver needed and get your problem fixed..

But should first start by cleaning up all other devices and drivers we can. This is, in general, good practice as one can sometimes find dependencies between two devices without drivers such that you won't be able to get device B to work until you first get device A installed and running correctly.

As for the method i'm going to use for your current situation (as fyi for yourself or anyone else reading)...

1. Let's start with DirectX diagnostics i had you run earlier
Start->Run, typing dxdiag then clicking Saving Information to file. Here's the data you'll find it had reported under System Devices (note i've highlighted devices which appear to not have a driver and I’ve “snipped” the full driver file list for those devices that DO have drivers)

Code:

--------------
System Devices
--------------
     Name: Intel(R) 82801FB/FBM Ultra ATA Storage Controllers - 266F
Device ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_266F&SUBSYS_01991028&REV_03\3&172E68DD&0&F9
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\intelide.sys, 5.01.2600.5512 (English), 4/13/2008 10:40:29, 5504 bytes
<snip>

[COLOR="Magenta"][B]     Name: SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio
Device ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_266E&SUBSYS_01991028&REV_03\3&172E68DD&0&F2
   Driver: n/a
[/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR="Magenta"][B]     Name: Intel(R) 82801FB/FBM SMBus Controller - 266A
Device ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_266A&SUBSYS_01991028&REV_03\3&172E68DD&0&FB
   Driver: n/a[/B][/COLOR]

     Name: Intel(R) 82801FB/FBM PCI Express Root Port - 2662
Device ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2662&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_03\3&172E68DD&0&E1
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\pci.sys, 5.01.2600.5512 (English), 4/13/2008 10:36:44, 68224 bytes

     Name: Intel(R) 82801FB/FBM PCI Express Root Port - 2660
Device ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2660&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_03\3&172E68DD&0&E0
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\pci.sys, 5.01.2600.5512 (English), 4/13/2008 10:36:44, 68224 bytes

     Name: Intel(R) 82801FB/FBM USB2 Enhanced Host Controller - 265C
Device ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_265C&SUBSYS_01991028&REV_03\3&172E68DD&0&EF
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\usbehci.sys, 5.01.2600.5512 (English), 4/13/2008 10:45:35, 30208 bytes
<snip>

     Name: Intel(R) 82801FB/FBM USB Universal Host Controller - 265B
Device ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_265B&SUBSYS_01991028&REV_03\3&172E68DD&0&EB
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\usbuhci.sys, 5.01.2600.5512 (English), 4/13/2008 10:45:35, 20608 bytes
<snip>

     Name: Intel(R) 82801FB/FBM USB Universal Host Controller - 265A
Device ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_265A&SUBSYS_01991028&REV_03\3&172E68DD&0&EA
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\usbuhci.sys, 5.01.2600.5512 (English), 4/13/2008 10:45:35, 20608 bytes
<snip>

     Name: Intel(R) 82801FB/FBM USB Universal Host Controller - 2659
Device ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2659&SUBSYS_01991028&REV_03\3&172E68DD&0&E9
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\usbuhci.sys, 5.01.2600.5512 (English), 4/13/2008 10:45:35, 20608 bytes
<snip>

     Name: Intel(R) 82801FB/FBM USB Universal Host Controller - 2658
Device ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2658&SUBSYS_01991028&REV_03\3&172E68DD&0&E8
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\usbuhci.sys, 5.01.2600.5512 (English), 4/13/2008 10:45:35, 20608 bytes
<snip>

     Name: Intel(R) 82801FB Ultra ATA Storage Controllers - 2651
Device ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2651&SUBSYS_01991028&REV_03\3&172E68DD&0&FA
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\intelide.sys, 5.01.2600.5512 (English), 4/13/2008 10:40:29, 5504 bytes
<snip>

     Name: Intel(R) 82801FB LPC Interface Controller - 2640
Device ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2640&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_03\3&172E68DD&0&F8
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\isapnp.sys, 5.01.2600.5512 (English), 4/13/2008 10:36:41, 37248 bytes

     Name: Intel(R) 915G/P/GV PCI Express Root Port - 2581
Device ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2581&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_04\3&172E68DD&0&08
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\pci.sys, 5.01.2600.5512 (English), 4/13/2008 10:36:44, 68224 bytes

[COLOR="Magenta"][B]     Name: Intel(R) 915G/P/GV Processor to I/O Controller - 2580
Device ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2580&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_04\3&172E68DD&0&00
   Driver: n/a[/B][/COLOR]

     Name: Intel(R) 82801 PCI Bridge - 244E
Device ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_244E&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_D3\3&172E68DD&0&F0
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\pci.sys, 5.01.2600.5512 (English), 4/13/2008 10:36:44, 68224 bytes

     Name: Intel(R) 537EP V9x DF PCI Modem
Device ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1080&SUBSYS_10001028&REV_04\4&10416D21&0&10F0
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\IntelC51.sys, 2.15.0036.0000 (English), 3/5/2004 21:14:42, 1233525 bytes
<snip>

 [B][COLOR="Magenta"]     Name: Ethernet Controller
Device ID: PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4401&SUBSYS_01991028&REV_01\4&10416D21&0&18F0
   Driver: n/a

     Name: Video Controller
Device ID: PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5B70&SUBSYS_03031002&REV_00\4&166AB6CD&0&0108
   Driver: n/a

     Name: Video Controller (VGA Compatible)
Device ID: PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5B60&SUBSYS_03021002&REV_00\4&166AB6CD&0&0008
   Driver: n/a[/COLOR][/B]

2. To resolve these driver issues, go back and start with kimsland’s original advice

3. For our purpose, confirm step 2) above
It should have lead you to: Dell Drivers and Downloads for Dimension 5000 running Windows XP

4. Our first set of driver download/installs
We’ll install stuff not specific to NVIDIA Graphics driver. We use the Dell web site drivers.

Notes:
a) You could install from the CD (if you have the Dell CD) but drivers on Dell’s web site will aways be same if not newer drivers from whichever ones Dell burned your CD
b) fyi, The motherboard for your Dell Dimension 5000 includes an onboard graphics controller (that’s what you see referred to as Intel 915G graphics controller). And I see in Everest Report the Intel 915G is disabled. This makes sense because you want to be using the “add-on” NVIDIA card. So we skip installing any driver for the intel 915G

First, download/install these Dell drivers in this order
=> Chipset - Software Installation Utility
=> Video - 82915G/GV/910GL Express Chipset Family
=> Audio - ADI 198x Integrated Audio
=> Network - Broadcom - Driver

You can run
=> a new DirectX report and look for its list of System Devices and also
=> re-run msinfo32 looking for problem devices

If all well, the only thing that should be show up as problems devices or devices without drivers are VGA, graphics, video devices.

In which case you can try the Dell NVIDIA driver again but it still might not install. Give me an update as to all the above and then can finally address getting the right graphics driver.

after much looking at,
i still only got to the video driver until it said
"your system requirements do not meet the minimum,
installation will now terminate"

does this mean i can't play any games on my computer anymore?

'does this mean i can't play any games on my computer anymore'

edit: you need to check out what your specs presently are against the minimum specs of the game and the way to do that is get a Summary:

Download and run Everest Home (it is free):

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4181.html

Once you download it, click on it and let it install and then run it from the icon on your desktop. Click on file, preferences, report and uncheck the 'include debug information in the report' box. People rarely want to see that stuff.

Click on the + sign beside 'Computer', then on 'Summary', then go to the VERY Top of the screen and click on 'report'.

Note: the 'Very Top' isn't one line down, it means what it says.

Cursor over 'quick report-summary' and then click on 'plain text' and then click on 'save to file' and change the 'save in' folder to 'Desktop' and then click 'Save'.

Clear all your open windows and on the Desktop click on that 'report.txt' icon - this will open it in a text editor (probably Notepad) and then copy and paste it to here.

Take your time and read the above directions.

It's not clear from your post if you have yet installed any or all of the other drivers noted before

And MOST IMPORTANT exactly which video driver did you finally try installing that gave you that error message? Can you point me to where you found it?