question for computer gurus re video driver

Charlene · Post by **Charlene** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 2:15 pm

I just bought a new video card for my computer, because we bought a game and it won't run with the card that is in here.

I have an e-machines T1096 running Windows XP which we bought in 2002. I have SP2 on it.

The instructions with the new card say to remove the old driver by using the "add/remove programs" - but when I look at the list of programs there I don't see anything that says "driver" as part of the program name.

On the front of the CPU there's a sticker that says I have "3D AGP graphics Intel Direct AGP". I don't see anything resembling that in the add/remove list either.

A thought - do I have to log in under the administrator account before I can see the driver in the list??

Anybody know what it's likely to be named?

I'm going to Google and see if I can find any info about this myself, but you folks are really good at giving suggestions in plain English so I thought I'd see what you say. If all else fails I'll call the store I bought the card at and see if they can walk me through it.

If my husband and daughter had checked the system requirements first, or if I had read them before my daughter opened the game and installed it, I wouldn't have to do this!

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 2:51 pm

Do eMachines have the video card built into the motherboard, or will
you have to remove a card to put the new one in? Either way, I've
never had to remove a video driver in XP before installing a new card,
XP is pretty smart about the driver situation, compared to old versions
of windows...

Charlene · Post by **Charlene** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 2:58 pm

fearfaoin wrote:Do eMachines have the video card built into the mother boards, or
will you have to remove a card to put the new one in? Either way, I've
never had to remove a video driver in before installing a new card,
XP is pretty smart about the driver situation, compared to old versions
of windows...

I don't know - would it say that in the documentation that came with the computer? I actually do still have that (and even know where it is!) I haven't opened the CPU yet.

I've been talking with my husband, and we may just not even bother - I have 21 days to return the new video card and I just might do that. I'm 99.9% positive we can't return the game since it's been opened. I'm going to look for the receipt later this afternoon when I have time.

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 3:07 pm

I wouldn't worry about it, Charlene.
The Video board manufacturer is covering himself in case you've loaded another video driver previously, and that one doesn't work with your board.
It is possible to load video drivers WITHOUT loading the hardware - and they do make a difference.
The default video driver, the one that came with your machine, will just sit there quite happily, and appear when it is needed for things like Word and Xcel and Desktop. Your super-duper video-card will not be interested in these, and will just pass control along to the regular software.

In any case, the video driver that you already have, even if your new software deletes it - which is just possible, though unlikely - will still exist in the CDs that should have come with your computer - they will be in CAB files ("cabinet" files which store all those drivers and things). You can, if necessary, reload the things. I'd doubt very much that it would be necessary.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 3:10 pm

You should ask here before returning anything, it's the Unofficial
eMachines Desktop Hardware Forum:

http://www.dexplor.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=13

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 3:13 pm

Is your new card PCI or AGP? If it's PCI, you might want to go here and read:

http://www.dexplor.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7747606

If it's AGP, someone on that thread claims that you just plug the card
in and insert the new driver CD, and it works.

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 6:11 pm

Better yet, pay a computer shop $25 to install the new card for you. Way less hassles, and if it doesn't work, its their fault, not yours.

djm

Zildjian · Post by **Zildjian** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 6:56 pm

djm wrote:Better yet, pay a computer shop $25 to install the new card for you. Way less hassles, and if it doesn't work, its their fault, not yours.

djm

Yeah, I second this opinion. Sounds like the best choice.

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Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 7:47 pm

This is pretty complicated for a non-computer person to do..
It's pretty easy for a computer person.

You can go to the device manager and find your video card and remove the drivers there. Reboot and install the generic VGA drivers. Some cards (notably some ATI cards I've installed in the past, as well as some Creative Labs cards) this is a requirement, or the drivers won't load correctly.

You can find the device manager by right clicking "my computer", selecting properties, and going to the hardware tab. But since this is video stuff, and the consequences of a mistake can be pretty drastic (not being able to see your windows desktop when you boot, for instance) it's probably better to find someone who is more experienced, or pay $20.00 or so to have a computer professional spend the 10 minutes this will require.

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 10:29 pm

Since when is it $20 or $25 for a 'guru' to look at a computer? I'm hearing numbers double that just to put it on the bench and plug it in.

Charlene · Post by **Charlene** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 10:32 pm

Well, 3 hours ago I followed the directions to uninstall the old driver, then shut everything down, uplugged, and opened up the CPU. Cleaned out 4 years of dust and a mummified fly. Finally managed to get the strip off the side where the new board has to stick out (whatever that's called - I think if it was an electrical box it would be called a "knock-out plug"). Installed the new board. Put everything back together. Tried running the installation disk.

In the middle of installation my husband asked me something from the other room, and since he couldn't hear me from where the computer is, I went to answer him. I must have missed my chance to click on something, because when I came back the screen was black like a DOS screen with the cursor flashing up in the left corner. When it stayed like that for 10 minutes I first cursed the thing up one side and down the other, then had supper, then shut it down and changed the monitor plug back to the original slot.

It's working now on the old system, and I can get on line and everything else.

I'm going to turn everything off and plug it into the new slot again, and see if I can reinstall anything or if I still get a black screen. If that happens, I'll open her up, take the board out, and take it back tomorrow.

And yes, I did make sure to ground myself beforehand so I didn't zap it.

I'm also supposed to be making potato salad for tomorrow and my daughter has a gaggle of girls over for a sleepover.

Charlene · Post by **Charlene** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 10:34 pm

Tony wrote:Since when is it $20 or $25 for a 'guru' to look at a computer? I'm hearing numbers double that just to put it on the bench and plug it in.

Thank you Tony - that sounded low to me too. I was thinking at least $65 an hour for something like this, and that's darn near it a day's pay for me.

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 12:11 am

If you mentioned it I didn't notice...

Is there a plug-in video card on the original system or is it built-in video?

Removing the knockout doesn't tell the whole story.
If you had a plug-in video card that was PCI and you are changing to an AGP (or vice versa) you would have to open a slot. Removing a card to insert another card is OK, Sometimes Windows will detect the new hardware and ask for the disk containing new drivers. It may take a few rounds of rebooting for things to settle down.

I suspect you have onboard video and the two are conflicting.

Adding a card to replace a built-in video requires you to 'turn off' the onboard video.
Most machines have a diagnostic screen accessable when you first turn the computer on. Usually it's pressing the 'delete' key when you see it 'posting' things like memory and what devices are connected. If you wait too long it's already loading Windows and you have to shut down Windows and try again... It may be tricky for a novice to find it and hopefully you have an explaination in the owners manual. Many times that stuff is too techy and omitted from many user manuals.

I have a few computers and it's on Advanced Setup or PCI/Plug & Play screens. When you get to that screen you will see 'onboard video' (or something like that) and a selection to Enable or Disable.
Select Disable and save the value into the system BIOS then shut the computer off and install the new card.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 6:29 am

Tony wrote:Since when is it $20 or $25 for a 'guru' to look at a computer? I'm hearing numbers double that just to put it on the bench and plug it in.

You must be going to the wrong gurus

djm · Post by **djm** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 7:07 am

Tony wrote:Since when is it $20 or $25 for a 'guru' to look at a computer? I'm hearing numbers double that just to put it on the bench and plug it in.

Who cares? How much is Charlene's time and aggravation worth? An expert can have the whole thing up and running smoothly in half an hour. A newbie can spend days messing with this stuff. Is it worth it? That's up to the individual to determine.

djm