Forced into Vista already having problems... Vista color managementdoesn't like my LCD

[RMZ]

So I bought a Gateway E2140 Pentium Dual Core Desktop this past
weekend and before even turning it on I popped in a new PCI-E GeForce
7600 GS graphics card (on board video always disapoints). So I boot up
and hit nVidia's website and download and install the latest Vista 32-
bit Forceware drivers, download all recommended Vista Home Premium
updates through the Microsoft update utility and reboot.

Vista welcome screen comes up, and then I see my desktop appear, then
after a few seconds the screen dims ever slightly. the best way to
describe it is to say it's similar to the effect you get when the
power adapter is pulled from a Notebook PC and the screen dims as it
changes profiles, but as stated this is a desktop PC experiencing the
problem. So I'm mystified over this, I checked the Power Options and
it's set for High Performance, so I believe the problem is the new
Windows Vista Color Management system.

The monitor is a new 22" Westinghouse LCD and it's connected by way of
DVI cable, I had an older Dell with the same video card running on
Windows XP Pro connected to this same monitor and I never experienced
this problem under XP.

So I need to know how to confirm Windows color management is the
problem and find a way to disable it.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

You need to open the motherboard's BIOS and disable
the default on-board video, then set the PCI-E as default.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

---------------------------------------------------------------

:

So I bought a Gateway E2140 Pentium Dual Core Desktop this past
weekend and before even turning it on I popped in a new PCI-E GeForce
7600 GS graphics card (on board video always disapoints). So I boot up
and hit nVidia's website and download and install the latest Vista 32-
bit Forceware drivers, download all recommended Vista Home Premium
updates through the Microsoft update utility and reboot.

Vista welcome screen comes up, and then I see my desktop appear, then
after a few seconds the screen dims ever slightly. the best way to
describe it is to say it's similar to the effect you get when the
power adapter is pulled from a Notebook PC and the screen dims as it
changes profiles, but as stated this is a desktop PC experiencing the
problem. So I'm mystified over this, I checked the Power Options and
it's set for High Performance, so I believe the problem is the new
Windows Vista Color Management system.

The monitor is a new 22" Westinghouse LCD and it's connected by way of
DVI cable, I had an older Dell with the same video card running on
Windows XP Pro connected to this same monitor and I never experienced
this problem under XP.

So I need to know how to confirm Windows color management is the
problem and find a way to disable it.

 

[Dwarf]

Hi RMZ,

A few things to check. When you next start your PC, enter the BIOS and check
that the on-board graphics have been disabled (they should be, but don't take
it for granted that they will be). Another thing - have you installed the
drivers for your monitor? These tell your PC about features in your monitor
such as refresh rates and colour balance profiles. Check that your monitor is
set to its default resolution, in your case probably 1440 x 900 (assuming
that it is a widescreen model). Also, use the auto-adjust function on the
monitor. Unfortunately, by installing the video card you have, in all
likelihood, invalidated the warranty.
Dwarf

 

[RMZ]

Hi RMZ,

A few things to check. When you next start your PC, enter the BIOS and check
that the on-board graphics have been disabled (they should be, but don't take
it for granted that they will be). Another thing - have you installed the
drivers for your monitor? These tell your PC about features in your monitor
such as refresh rates and colour balance profiles. Check that your monitor is
set to its default resolution, in your case probably 1440 x 900 (assuming
that it is a widescreen model). Also, use the auto-adjust function on the
monitor. Unfortunately, by installing the video card you have, in all
likelihood, invalidated the warranty.
Dwarf

Thanks for the input.... Regarding your question about the monitor
drivers, the monitor is a 2007 Westinghouse LCD (model is still
manufactured today), the resolution is set to the LCD's native
resolution, however Westinghouse does not offer drivers for their
monitors. From their FAQ, they state "our monitors are fully plug-in-
play compatible and do not required drivers". I could have sworn under
Windows XP plug-in-play the monitor was properly recognized, however
under Vista 32-bit it shows up as "Generic PnP Monitor" in device
manager.

I have suspected from the start that this might be a monitor driver
problem.... drivers and general incompatible horror stories from
people switching from XP to Vista is the reason I have avoided the
Vista operating system. So far I have been underwelmed by it. In an
unrelated story, I have a few 3D games that I played regularly on on
Pentium IV system with ran XP Pro and also had 2-GB of RAM and the
GeForce 7600 GS video card (albeit on a slower AGP slot). All of those
game applications actually seem to run a tad slower on this brand new
dual core system, idential graphics card and faster PCI-E video bus, I
find that that very hard to accept and I've considered sucking up the
restocking fee and just purchasing a new hard drive from my old Dell.

It's a little shocking to think Vista is as bad as negative press
would have you believe, I'm not sure it is that bad, but unless there
is a good explanation for my performance difference in those game
apps, I think that's a pretty shameful thing for Microsoft and I think
consumers are wise to avoid Vista. Beyond what I've said here, I
haven't used it enought to say "don't buy it", but I can say after a
few days with it (set this new box up on Friday) I'm generally
unimpressed and disapointed and just want XP Pro back. My opinion
seems to mirror a lot of what has been written, the UI changes are hit
and miss, the performance differences, while nominal are surprising (a
dual core based 2007 desktop should smoke a 2003 Pentium IV XP). I've
followed Vista's development since it was called Longhorn and it seems
it got convoluted along the way.

 

[Michael Walraven]

You can try opening 'Color management' and disabling any color profile
associated with your monitor (or selecting a correct one if it is
available).

Michael
Vista Home premium

 

[RMZ]

So, in the BIOS setting I have changed it from "Auto" to PCI-E, I have
also disabled power management on the PCI-E port and still no luck
when Windows Vista starts... Welcome screen appears with proper
brightness color, then my Vista desktop appears and after a few
seconds the screen noticeably dims. This is obviously some background
process/service kicking in and forcing a change (hince my suspicion of
Vista Color Management).

Why can't I just disable color management? Is there a process/service
I can manually force to shut down to disable color management, that
should solve it, since it's not working for me.

 

[DP]

So I bought a Gateway E2140 Pentium Dual Core Desktop this past
weekend and before even turning it on I popped in a new PCI-E GeForce
7600 GS graphics card (on board video always disapoints). So I boot up
and hit nVidia's website and download and install the latest Vista 32-
bit Forceware drivers, download all recommended Vista Home Premium
updates through the Microsoft update utility and reboot.

I'm not saying this to dis you or berate you, but just to have a
conversation and see what other folks think.
Pretty ballsy to open a computer before you even turn it on, yes? I mean,
wouldn't you want to make sure the thing works as sold to you before you go
messing with it?
What if the motherboard had been fried before you even got the thing, would
you be able to prove that to your vendor? I'm just using the motherboard as
an example of one of any number of things that could be wrong with a "new"
computer.

 

[RMZ]

I'm not saying this to dis you or berate you, but just to have a
conversation and see what other folks think.
Pretty ballsy to open a computer before you even turn it on, yes? I mean,
wouldn't you want to make sure the thing works as sold to you before you go
messing with it?
What if the motherboard had been fried before you even got the thing, would
you be able to prove that to your vendor? I'm just using the motherboard as
an example of one of any number of things that could be wrong with a "new"
computer.

Good points, but the chance of a new computer from a major vendor
having motherboard fault would be pretty rare I would think.... Anyone
know off hand the statistics on that? Regardless it is a good point
and well taken, but the motherboard in this case seems to be fine. I
guess to prove this I could take the card out and switch back on the
motherbords Intel graphics, but if that doesn't solve the problem what
does that tell me? It doesn't mean the motherboard is bad, again.. the
system boots at proper brightness and noticably dims at the same point
after a dialog box quickly opens and then vanishes before I can read
it (it's not an error best I can tell). It appears there is a process
of some sort that kicks in and causes this effect.

 

[Ashton Crusher]

So, in the BIOS setting I have changed it from "Auto" to PCI-E, I have
also disabled power management on the PCI-E port and still no luck
when Windows Vista starts... Welcome screen appears with proper
brightness color, then my Vista desktop appears and after a few
seconds the screen noticeably dims. This is obviously some background
process/service kicking in and forcing a change (hince my suspicion of
Vista Color Management).

Why can't I just disable color management? Is there a process/service
I can manually force to shut down to disable color management, that
should solve it, since it's not working for me.

It may not be Vistas color management that's doing it but something in
the nvida driver controls. I can adjust my HP monitor itself OR I can
change the brightness and contrast thru the "system" controls. To me
it sounds like what others have suggested, that there is a utility
running that is turning down the brightness. Try uninstalling all the
drivers so it just uses the basic stuff that comes with vista and see
what happens.

 

[Drew]

What they threaten to break your legs ??...No one can force you to buy
Vista...Not when xp is still on the market as well as mac's and linsux

 

[DP]

Good points, but the chance of a new computer from a major vendor
having motherboard fault would be pretty rare I would think.... Anyone
know off hand the statistics on that? Regardless it is a good point
and well taken, but the motherboard in this case seems to be fine. I
guess to prove this I could take the card out and switch back on the
motherbords Intel graphics, but if that doesn't solve the problem what
does that tell me? It doesn't mean the motherboard is bad, again.. the
system boots at proper brightness and noticably dims at the same point
after a dialog box quickly opens and then vanishes before I can read
it (it's not an error best I can tell). It appears there is a process
of some sort that kicks in and causes this effect.

Well, as I said in my original post, "I'm just using the motherboard as

an example of one of any number of things that could be wrong with a 'new'
computer."

I'm sure people could tell you lots of horror stories of things that arrived
DOA with a new computer. Bad monitors, memory chips, drives etc.
I would just want to test the thing out of the box before making any
changes. However, you made it through the experience with no problem. So
congratulations.

 

[DarkSentinel]

So, in the BIOS setting I have changed it from "Auto" to PCI-E, I have
also disabled power management on the PCI-E port and still no luck
when Windows Vista starts... Welcome screen appears with proper
brightness color, then my Vista desktop appears and after a few
seconds the screen noticeably dims. This is obviously some background
process/service kicking in and forcing a change (hince my suspicion of
Vista Color Management).

Why can't I just disable color management? Is there a process/service
I can manually force to shut down to disable color management, that
should solve it, since it's not working for me.

It's not Vista. It's the nVidia drivers. Open your nVidia control panel.
Display. Adjust desktop color settings. Adjust brightness, contrast, and
gamma to your preferences.