Korean Job Discussion Forums

[hjkorea]

i just wiped my computer and did a fresh install of windows 2000. btw, this is my family's machine so i am not really familiar with all of the specifics of the parts. it's also kind of old.

when it comes to changing the resolution, the highest it will go is 800x600. i can't tell what kind of video card is in the machine. it just says 'video controller (VGA Compatible)' the images on my computer are fuzzy so i'd like to fix this. how can i get higher resolution? 1024x768?

[Demophobe]

You need drivers. You have to find out what's inside the machine, which you should have done before wiping it all out.

control panel > system > hardware > device manager > display adapter

This should tell you. If it says "generic" or something, then you will have to look inside the box.

sisoft sandra will tell you everything about your system as well..

http://www.sisoftware.co.uk/index.html?dir=dload&location=sware_dl_3264&langx=en&a=

install and run the modules you need to know about.

You will need video drivers, sound and mainboard drivers.

Go the makers' site and download the drivers for each piece of hardware.

Video: probably ATI or Nvidia, but if it's old, it could be a number of now dead companies.

Sound: probably Soundblaster, but could be a couple of others.

Mainboard: Probably Intel. You need the .inf update utility.

[hjkorea]

my question is: do i need to know what is inside the box or do i need to know the information about the monitor? which one has to do with the display adapter.

i usually have no problems with win2k when i do a reformat. it automatically finds the driver. i had no problems with audio or anything else for that matter. it's just the video that i am referring to.

[Bulsajo]

Sure Sisoft does the trick and is a fantastic application, but in this case I think Belarc might be better to start with. At least, I've always had the impression that Belarc is more user-friendly than Sandra for newbies.

Sure it's much simpler, doesn't have all the diagnostics that Sandra has etc., but it'll give a quick "what hardware and software does this computer have?" printout on one easy-to-read page.

http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

It'll tell you what video card you have without opening the box (as will Sandra) and then you can just download the necessary drivers from ATI or nVidia.

[Demophobe]

Good call Bulsajo....

Sisoft is a bit daunting.

As for the OP...you can get monitor "drivers" (.inf files) as well, but they won't affect resolutions as windows can identify your monitors capabilities fairly well.

Without the monitor files, it will forever be known as "plug and play" monitor, instead of what it really is, and the default windows colour profile will be used instead of the real one. Not that there is any difference, but why not use the real McCoy?

On a very, very rare occasion with old, old monitors lacking the correct monitor drivers, Windows has been known to push refresh rates too high. This is very rare, so don't sweat it.

Bottom line: You really don't need the monitor drivers. Get them if you have the time.

[Dalton]

Another option just for the record.

It sounds like your system doesn't recognize your video card. Or your video card can't do any better. Assuming the former do the following:
Right click on 'My Computer' and select properties from the menu that pops up. Click on the 'Hardware' tab. Click on the 'Device Manager' button.

You'll see a list which includes 'Display Adapters'. Click on the little + in the box beside it. Right click on anything that appears in the expanded list and select 'Update Driver'. Allow it to go on line to look for new drivers.

It may be that the expanded list will state the name of your video card so you can just go to the ATI site or the nVidia site and find the correct updated drivers for your card.

With nVidia you are better off going to the windows update site because the most recent drivers available from the nVidia site are often unsigned and some games may not function without signed drivers. I found ATI does not have that problem with MS XP.

An old computer system may not have XP as an OS. For all the flaws of Windows OSs, XP does have the drivers for many, many video cards included on their install cd. An 800X600 display sounds like you don't have XP or you have a very odd, very old or very busted video card.

Some hardware may not function with XP. New videocards can be cheap at the low end- 32 or 64 MB memory. Usually nVidia or compatible.

Seasons Greetings Bulsajo and Demophobe.

[hjkorea]

when i go to device manager, there is no 'display'

the display is listed in the 'other devices' category. it just says 'video controller (VGA Compatible). of course it has the yellow circle with the exclamation point since the drivers are not updated.

i looked everywhere for drivers, including win2k cd and online at windows update. i even opened the box and i do not see a video card. is it possible that there is none? this is a pretty old machine. it was first a 233 mhz pentium ll...it was since updraged to amd 1.8 ghz processor.

i need to fix this problem! the video is at 800x600 and it's very fuzzy at times.

should i just go out and buy a video card? will that solve this problem?

also, i ran that belarc advisor thing and under 'display', it said 'none.

[Demophobe]

"none"



Sorry, but that's just gotta be heartbreaking....

Where does the monitor cable plug into the machine? Into the maiboard or into a card?

Probably an early form of onboard graphics, and you will probably have a devil of a time finding drivers for it even if you do indentify it.

Before you go and buy a video card, you should determine if the mainboard has an AGP slot. An AGP slot will be brown, or at least not white, and it will be directly below the northbridge, below the CPU.

If not, you will need a PCI card, which will plug into the white, narrow PCI slots, not to be confused with the ISA slots, which will reside in the lowest part of the left side...they are big and long.

Does it have enough PCI slots?

I would look for a used one...an old one.

Don't wanna get too high tech on Gramputer.

Look in the paper for old junkers for sale and do some surgery for a card. Don't spend much money mate...a new system can be found for probably $200~$300 that will kick that one around. I don't mean "new" new, but "used" new.

Think about doing that...getting a new used system. Until then, continue to explore inside the machine.

Get back in there with a flashlight and at least get a mainboard make and model. Then "google" it and see what the specs are for graphics. Then "google" the graphics name or number, whatever it may be, and find out more about it.

Information...you may be able to save it yet Captain! Really...keep looking in there to give you some hints. I honestly suspect that once you get the mainboard make and model, we can help you.

Please post that when you find it.

[The Lemon]

Following where the monitor's plugged in (a separate card vs. the mainboard) as Demo suggested is probably the quickest path to satisfaction. If it's a separate card (PCI or AGP), see if you can read the writing on the big square chip in the card's middle (or failing that, any model information painted onto the card itself). Should be reasonably easy to find the correct W2K drivers once you know what brand/model of chipset it is, or who made the whole card.

If it's onboard VGA, as Demo speculates, it will be less easy.


But it's one of the two, card or board.