ATI drivers

[Howard Brazee]

I have been having troubles with my monitor flickering a lot. I
decided to try buying a replacement video card, hoping it would also
get rid of my computer lock-up troubles (I already replaced my hard
drive).

My new card is an ATI Radeon 9250, and is very similar to my old card,
complete with analog and digital outputs.

I followed instructions and uninstalled my old drivers, installed the
new drivers. I can't find any difference, so I decided to put my old
card back in. Except rebooting with the new card gives me a black
screen when I get to the Windows screen. So I looked all over for my
old installation disk and couldn't find it. I have 7 days to return
my card (and buy a monitor instead), but fear that I am stuck with the
new card.

Any advice?

 

[Blair]

You could try downloading the Catalyst Control Center Package from ATI

https://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&folderID=27

I have a MSI 9200SE AGP and I recently downloaded and installed this bundle.
I'm not sure if I'm playing with fire, this is an "ATI Powered" card, but it
seems to be working great, no problems so far after a couple of weeks.
NIce control panel too. The link above is for XP, which I'm assuming this
your OS. If your old card is similar to your new card I'm assuming the old
card is a Radeon too?

 

[Howard Brazee]

You could try downloading the Catalyst Control Center Package from ATI

https://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&folderID=27

I have a MSI 9200SE AGP and I recently downloaded and installed this bundle.
I'm not sure if I'm playing with fire, this is an "ATI Powered" card, but it
seems to be working great, no problems so far after a couple of weeks.
NIce control panel too. The link above is for XP, which I'm assuming this
your OS. If your old card is similar to your new card I'm assuming the old
card is a Radeon too?

I think my old card is Radeon. It's very similar looking to my new
one. I already found that page, but didn't see anything that
looked different from the Catalyst Control Center that installed from
my new card's CD. I downloaded it and it wants to install into
C:\ATI\SUPPORT\6-1_xp-2k_dd_ccc_wdm_enu_29602
I already have from my new card's CD
C:\ATI\SUPPORT\wxp-w2k-catalyst-8-042-040803a-016701c

I suspect they are different versions of the same thing.

 

[Glen]

You need to download the drivers for the old card. With the new card in (the
one which windows still works) uninstall the drivers. Power down computer.
Change graphics card. Reboot. Windows should now start with default drivers
allowing you to install the newly downloaded drivers. If windows starts with
a black screen reboot into safe mode and try installing drivers there. I use
nvidia cards so can only give general advice. Someone with ati experience
could tell you if there is anything specific you need to do.

Glen P

 

[Howard Brazee]

You need to download the drivers for the old card.

Which means minimally I need to identify my old card. But even with
the CD that came with my new card, I had a choice between 3 drivers
without any guidance about which to use. I'm clueless.

 

[Bob]

Which means minimally I need to identify my old card. But even with
the CD that came with my new card, I had a choice between 3 drivers
without any guidance about which to use. I'm clueless.

I suggest that you let XP install the drivers if you insist on keeping the
card. Unless you are a gamer, they will work fine. Installing ATI Radeon
drivers has historically been problematic. I had a 9250, and I returned it
before install after I read the CD Install disk contents. There were no
9250 drivers. Drivers for 9280 and 9520, but no 9250. I have found it
best not to use Autorun to install. Run setup.exe from the OS directory.
Autorun often puts you in a loop, and then you are finished.

 

[Glen]

Windows should tell you if the drivers aren't suitable. Have you actually
tried installing any of the driver sets. What is the name of the old card.
If you dont know, see if there are any numbers on the card itself and google
to see if you can find out what the card is. Otherwise I would put the card
in, reboot and see if windows finds and installs the drivers. If the old
card is very similar to the new card it might cause windows some confusion.
Reboot in safe mode and try installing drivers from there. You either need
to identify the card or try installing the drivers you have and reboot.

Glen P

 

[Howard Brazee]

I suggest that you let XP install the drivers if you insist on keeping the
card. Unless you are a gamer, they will work fine. Installing ATI Radeon
drivers has historically been problematic. I had a 9250, and I returned it
before install after I read the CD Install disk contents. There were no
9250 drivers. Drivers for 9280 and 9520, but no 9250. I have found it
best not to use Autorun to install. Run setup.exe from the OS directory.
Autorun often puts you in a loop, and then you are finished.

I identified the card as a 9200, and spent a few hours installing and
uninstalling drivers. A couple of times I couldn't boot anything
visible and figured I was screwed, but got past that. But I never
got my old card working. So I'm out the cost of the 9250.

Thanks anyway.

 

[Bob]

I identified the card as a 9200, and spent a few hours installing and
uninstalling drivers. A couple of times I couldn't boot anything
visible and figured I was screwed, but got past that. But I never
got my old card working. So I'm out the cost of the 9250.

Thanks anyway.

A suggestion for the future. Buy an inexpensive PCI video card. Windows
will have drivers for it. If you are trying to determine if you have a
monitor or video card problem, swap the cards.

 

[Howard Brazee]

A suggestion for the future. Buy an inexpensive PCI video card. Windows
will have drivers for it. If you are trying to determine if you have a
monitor or video card problem, swap the cards.

I found an even better solution - I borrowed my wife's laptop. Should
have thought of that sooner.

But I also have some Windows lock-ups where whatever was on my screen
stays on the screen, and my only solution is a hard reboot. The shop
replaced my power supply and my hard drive, and I was hoping that
replacing the video card would make a difference. It didn't.

 

[Howard Brazee]

Windows should tell you if the drivers aren't suitable. Have you actually
tried installing any of the driver sets. What is the name of the old card.
If you dont know, see if there are any numbers on the card itself and google
to see if you can find out what the card is. Otherwise I would put the card
in, reboot and see if windows finds and installs the drivers. If the old
card is very similar to the new card it might cause windows some confusion.
Reboot in safe mode and try installing drivers from there. You either need
to identify the card or try installing the drivers you have and reboot.

The cards were very similar. Googling showed that my old card was
9200 and the new one 9250 - both have the ability to display to two
monitors.

 

[frodo]

for help w/ ATI cards and driver issues, this is the place:

http://www.rage3d.com/board/showthread.php?t=33738545

review this forum thread, then visit the site's other assets.

=====

FWIW, ATI cards do have a rep for problems w/ flickering displays on the
DVI connector w/ some brands of lcd; the thread does identify some
remedies. Use the analog connector to get things going, then switch over.

Good Luck.

 

[Howard Brazee]

FWIW, ATI cards do have a rep for problems w/ flickering displays on the
DVI connector w/ some brands of lcd; the thread does identify some
remedies. Use the analog connector to get things going, then switch over.

I used both connectors when I had two monitors - but without a digital
monitor, I only use the analog one.


I'm trying to decide whether to spend the money on a Gateway FDP2185W,
which has digital and analog inputs. Trouble is, I took my wife's
laptop to the store, plugged it into the monitor, and discovered some
problems with wide screen.

1. To have non-distorted pictures, I need native 1680x1050, which is
OK as an only monitor. I guess if you use a monitor with a laptop,
you need them both to have the same resolution.

2. It doesn't say what the native resolution is when the monitor is
vertical. But I need to set it manually every time I switch between
horizontal and vertical.

3. I ran a VGA game, and significant parts of the picture were off
the monitor. I needed to reset resolution to a VGA level before
running the game.

4. Switching monitor resolution by hand to run a game is not a
desirable feature.

 

[Mike G]

For whatever it is worth....I have a 9250 installed, driver info =ati,
9/29/04, 6.14.10.6483. It works great with one digital lcd monitor (dell
1801US)and an ancient 15" analog monitor(NEC4fge). Winxpmedia. Beautiful
display on both.