Dual-boot video card problem

[Eric Legge]

I have been asked for help someone with the following problem.

Has anyone any advice to give? Here is his message to me. -

The problem is that I'm trying to get an ATI Radeon 9000 Pro (128MB) to work with Windows 98SE as part of a dual-boot system - it works fine in XP Pro so I know it's not a fault with the graphics card. Basically, the card works fine as a bog-standard VGA adapter using the 98 drivers, but as soon as I install the enhanced drivers for it and reboot, the monitor seems to lose the signal - it goes blank and the power LED flashes, as if the monitor's been disconnected from the port on the graphics card. The annoying thing is that the system doesn't actually hang - the wave file that's been set to play when I log on still plays and I can even restart or shut the computer down as normal! I'm using the latest chipset drivers for the mainboard (which were the first drivers to go in) and the latest drivers for the graphics card, but still with no joy, and I've tried using the DVI connector instead of the VGA connector but have the same problem.

In case you can answer my question, my spec is:

P4 2400
512MB PC2100 DDR (one module)
Abit BD7II mainboard
SoundBlaster Live! 1024 Player
and the annoying ATI Radeon 9000 Pro AGP 128MB (model RV25A)

I know the card is compatible with 98SE because the manual shows how to install it in this OS - I even made sure that the graphics adapter was set to 'PCI Standard Graphics Adapter (VGA)' as said in the manual and on your site. The only worry I have is that you mentioned a driver called Vgartd.vxd, which I haven't got on my system - is this the problem??

Eric,

http://www.legge40.freeserve.co.uk/BuyerBeware.htm

[AllGamer]

What about the 2nd Video card?

is it an Oboard or a PCI?

most likely 98 does not have the proper video drivers setup

it's a matter of CHIECKEN and the EGG

basically you just need to SET primary for the car you want

in this case seems like the ATI 9000

so that leaves us with the 2nd Unknown video card to be the Primary, which the guy believes is the 2ndary

so ... not being able to see

he'll have to set and do the changes Brindly

Is not impossible just a little annoying but not too hard

there however many ways to change the settings

like via remote
or via login script
batch file
etc
etc

just lots of ways

depending on the guys skills

and in the worse case scenario

well remove the 2nd card

boot set exit

turn off

remove card

put 2nd card in remove 1st card

boot

set

turn off

put back 1st card

monitor on each

now it should do just fine

oh you need to set both with a monitor

else you get a black screen

so suggestion is dissable PNP for monitor

and both monitor use Standard Monitor

until it's fixed

:t

[Kruzin]

Sounds to me like when he is going into win98, the card is set at too high a refresh rate for the monitor to handle.
The monitor is shutting itself off to protect itself from the high refresh rate.
Boot into safe mode, and force a lower refresh rate.
Nothing to do with any "second video card", as there is no mention of any second video card.

[Eric Legge]

Thanks for the replies.

I have passed the link to this thread on to the affected party.

I would download the 98 and XP drivers, install the standard VGA driver in XP, boot into 98, remove the drivers from the Device Manager and Add/Remove Programs, install the downloaded 98 driver file, reboot into 98 to see if it works. If it does I would then boot into XP and install the drivers.

For some reason it sometimes happens that you can't use a device in 98 but you can in XP. Someone using this forum had this problem with a printer. This could be because you have to install the drivers for 98 first just as you have to install 98 first to dual-boot with XP.

Eric,

http://www.legge40.freeserve.co.uk/BuyerBeware.htm

[kimike]

Hi Eric..It seems that i am having the exact same problem as your friend, I just bought a ATI radeon 7000LE today and installed it in win 98se...after I install it, I get old black screen
I think it loaded but I can't see anything

This system that I put the card in has a triple boot with win 98se, win 2k and win xp....2k and xp worked right off the bat no problem

I will try downloading new drivers for it as other new stuff I got with CD's have not worked until I do.

Kruzin...I cant seem to find that setting...sound likeit might work though.

[Eric Legge]

kimike,

Thanks for the reply.

If you sort the problem out, please be sure to keep the link to this thread so that you can post the remedy.

Eric,

http://www.legge40.freeserve.co.uk/BuyerBeware.htm

[kimike]

I tried the drivers from the ati site and still no joy....I am getting close to giving up on it but if I get a brewak through I will let you know.