Cannot instal VGA Driver!l

[Chris Curtis]

In preparation for installing the XP catalyst 5.7 drivers I carefully
followed the ATI uninstallation proceedures for the previous driver. Indeed
I have done this a few times now since getting the 9800XT last year.
When I try to install the new drivers and indeed any of the 'older' ones I
get a critical error message advising me to install a default vga driver and
try again.
So I go to Display Properties and there is no adapter listed; in Advance
Settings under Adapter it tells me the type is VgaSave. There is no method
of updating drivers from here!
More bizarrely there is no display adapter listed in Hardware Manager!
If I try the Add Hardware applet in Control Panel I only get options for
'older' ATI cards and Intel (the onboard graphics controller which is
disabled).
I'm not sure what happened though I'm suspecting it might have been prudent
to have installed a VGA driver before removal.
Anyway, can anybody help please!

Chris

 

[vellu]

Chris Curtis kirjoitti:

In preparation for installing the XP catalyst 5.7 drivers I carefully
followed the ATI uninstallation proceedures for the previous driver. Indeed
I have done this a few times now since getting the 9800XT last year.
When I try to install the new drivers and indeed any of the 'older' ones I
get a critical error message advising me to install a default vga driver and
try again.
So I go to Display Properties and there is no adapter listed; in Advance
Settings under Adapter it tells me the type is VgaSave. There is no method
of updating drivers from here!
More bizarrely there is no display adapter listed in Hardware Manager!
If I try the Add Hardware applet in Control Panel I only get options for
'older' ATI cards and Intel (the onboard graphics controller which is
disabled).
I'm not sure what happened though I'm suspecting it might have been prudent
to have installed a VGA driver before removal.
Anyway, can anybody help please!

Chris

The way I've always done CAT upgrade is: uninstall previous CAT's ->
reboot -> click CANCEL to the winxp "new hardware found" prompt ->
install new CAT's -> reboot. Done.

So I never actually "install" vga drivers...

So far, I've never had any problems doing it like this. And having
followed this forum for quite a while now, ATI's driver cleaner utility
usually fixes the "install vga drivers" error message.

 

[Chris Curtis]

Chris Curtis kirjoitti:

The way I've always done CAT upgrade is: uninstall previous CAT's ->
reboot -> click CANCEL to the winxp "new hardware found" prompt -> install
new CAT's -> reboot. Done.

So I never actually "install" vga drivers...

So far, I've never had any problems doing it like this. And having
followed this forum for quite a while now, ATI's driver cleaner utility
usually fixes the "install vga drivers" error message.

Well that is how I normally do it!
But I didn't get a winxp 'new hardware found' prompt on reboot.
I'll try running the driver cleaner utility again but I'm not hopeful..

 

[Christian Atteneder]

I'm not sure what happened though I'm suspecting it might have been
prudent
to have installed a VGA driver before removal.
Anyway, can anybody help please!

That's a not so uncommon problem with Windows and the Catalyst drivers. Do a
search in Google for "ati" and "vgasave" and you will see that this happens
quite often. Unfortunately there is no foolproof or proper way to repair
this issue, but you can try something like:

1. As vellu suggested you can try running the ATI driver cleaner - it cannot
get worse as it is.
2. Check your Device Manager for unknown devices or devices with a question
mark - delete all of these. Also delete all entries in the graphics card
categorie and search for ati*.* files - delete them too.
3. You also could try to install/reinstall your mainboard chipset drivers
and DirectX 9.0c before installing the video drivers.
4. If everything else fails, do a "repair" installation of your XP. To do so
boot from the CD. On one of the first screen choose a normal installation -
don't choose the repair installation jet! Now Windows searches your
harddrives for any existing Windows installations. When your recent
installation is found you can now choose to repair it.
Doing this, all of your programs, data and configurations are preserved and
Windows only checks your hardware.
After this repair installation you should reinstall the latest Service Pack,
your chipset drivers and finally get the Windows updates again.

Good luck!
Chris

 

[Chris Curtis]

That's a not so uncommon problem with Windows and the Catalyst drivers. Do
a search in Google for "ati" and "vgasave" and you will see that this
happens quite often. Unfortunately there is no foolproof or proper way to
repair this issue, but you can try something like:

1. As vellu suggested you can try running the ATI driver cleaner - it
cannot get worse as it is.
2. Check your Device Manager for unknown devices or devices with a
question mark - delete all of these. Also delete all entries in the
graphics card categorie and search for ati*.* files - delete them too.
3. You also could try to install/reinstall your mainboard chipset drivers
and DirectX 9.0c before installing the video drivers.
4. If everything else fails, do a "repair" installation of your XP. To do
so boot from the CD. On one of the first screen choose a normal
installation - don't choose the repair installation jet! Now Windows
searches your harddrives for any existing Windows installations. When your
recent installation is found you can now choose to repair it.
Doing this, all of your programs, data and configurations are preserved
and Windows only checks your hardware.
After this repair installation you should reinstall the latest Service
Pack, your chipset drivers and finally get the Windows updates again.

Good luck!
Chris

Many thanks for that; I didn't think of using that combination of words in
Google!
I'll see how I get on!

Chris

 

[patrickp]

Many thanks for that; I didn't think of using that combination of words in
Google!
I'll see how I get on!

Chris

I've used two opposite methods with different cards and Windows OSs,
Chris: what ATI and most people recommend is to cancel out of the New
Hardware wizard when it runs; then install the drivers. This has
always worked for me with older cards and Win9.x.

On the other hand, it often doesn't work with W2K and more recent
cards/drivers: in that case, I let the wizard run and find the driver
itself: it'll usually find the appropriate VGA driver (there are
different ones, and different cards seem to need different ones). At
any rate, it'll install _a_ VGA driver; if there's still a problem,
look in Device Manager and you should see one or both (on dual display
cards) display adapters showing a problem.

Open the properties window and run the update driver wizard. This
time, it should find the appropriate one; do it for both if it's a
dual display card.

HTH Patrick

<[email protected]> - take five to email me...

 

[Chris Curtis]

On Wed, 3 Aug 2005 19:06:40 +0100, "Chris Curtis"

I've used two opposite methods with different cards and Windows OSs,
Chris: what ATI and most people recommend is to cancel out of the New
Hardware wizard when it runs; then install the drivers. This has
always worked for me with older cards and Win9.x.

On the other hand, it often doesn't work with W2K and more recent
cards/drivers: in that case, I let the wizard run and find the driver
itself: it'll usually find the appropriate VGA driver (there are
different ones, and different cards seem to need different ones). At
any rate, it'll install _a_ VGA driver; if there's still a problem,
look in Device Manager and you should see one or both (on dual display
cards) display adapters showing a problem.

Open the properties window and run the update driver wizard. This
time, it should find the appropriate one; do it for both if it's a
dual display card.

HTH Patrick

<[email protected]> - take five to email me...

Hi Patrick

The problem here is that the New Hardware Wizard doesn't run!
And there is no Display Adapter listed in Hardware Manager (even displaying
'hidden' devices) so I can't use the update driver wizard
I'm running XP pro SP2. I'm familiar with the scenarios you describe having
encountered them in previous years!
For the moment I'm thinking of restoring a fairly recent Ghost Image with a
view to eventually doing an XP re-install.
But thanks for the input.

Chris

 

[patrickp]

Hi Patrick

The problem here is that the New Hardware Wizard doesn't run!
And there is no Display Adapter listed in Hardware Manager (even displaying
'hidden' devices) so I can't use the update driver wizard
I'm running XP pro SP2. I'm familiar with the scenarios you describe having
encountered them in previous years!
For the moment I'm thinking of restoring a fairly recent Ghost Image with a
view to eventually doing an XP re-install.
But thanks for the input.

Chris

Have you tried opening the Add/Remove hardware app in Control Panel
and then closing it? AIR that often used to kick-start the wizard in
W98. Never had the problem in W2K.

Patrick

<[email protected]> - take five to email me...

 

[Christian Atteneder]

The problem here is that the New Hardware Wizard doesn't run!

And there is no Display Adapter listed in Hardware Manager (even
displaying 'hidden' devices) so I can't use the update driver wizard
I'm running XP pro SP2. I'm familiar with the scenarios you describe
having encountered them in previous years!
For the moment I'm thinking of restoring a fairly recent Ghost Image with
a view to eventually doing an XP re-install.

Do you have a recent system restore point? Maybe it's called a bit different
because I use a german version of XP.

 

[Chris Curtis]

Do you have a recent system restore point? Maybe it's called a bit
different because I use a german version of XP.

I'll check when I get home but it would have been a good idea to have
created one!

 

[Chris Curtis]

I'll check when I get home but it would have been a good idea to have
created one!

I've done a ghost image restore so for the moment all is OK.
I'll just have to put it down to experience!
Thanks for everyone's input.

Chris

 

[Ian]

In preparation for installing the XP catalyst 5.7 drivers I carefully
followed the ATI uninstallation proceedures for the previous driver. Indeed
I have done this a few times now since getting the 9800XT last year.
When I try to install the new drivers and indeed any of the 'older' ones I
get a critical error message advising me to install a default vga driver and
try again.
So I go to Display Properties and there is no adapter listed; in Advance
Settings under Adapter it tells me the type is VgaSave. There is no method
of updating drivers from here!
More bizarrely there is no display adapter listed in Hardware Manager!
If I try the Add Hardware applet in Control Panel I only get options for
'older' ATI cards and Intel (the onboard graphics controller which is
disabled).
I'm not sure what happened though I'm suspecting it might have been prudent
to have installed a VGA driver before removal.
Anyway, can anybody help please!

Chris

I have had problems with the installer on 5.6 and 5.7 so I now update my
ATI drivers through the adapter tab on the display properties screen.
Repeat this for the primary and then secondary adapters if your card has
two outputs. The only uninstall and install you have to do then is the
control panel.

Ian.


---
avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean.
Virus Database (VPS): 0531-3, 04/08/2005
Tested on: 05/08/2005 03:09:57
avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2005 ALWIL Software.
http://www.avast.com

 

[Chris Curtis]

I have had problems with the installer on 5.6 and 5.7 so I now update my
ATI drivers through the adapter tab on the display properties screen.
Repeat this for the primary and then secondary adapters if your card has
two outputs. The only uninstall and install you have to do then is the
control panel.

Ian.

Interesting, especially since I didn't bother with 5.6!

Chris

 

[Not4wood]

I just got here, I had the same problem. I know its August 6 and a few days
late.

I had just installed the Radeon 9250 and was having the same message. Its
the installer on the CD thats at fault not yours. I went to the radeon web
site and they have a new controller and drivers available for download in an
EXE file. Will install itself and take care of all the problems.

Good luck.

Mark G
Not4wood

 

[Chris Curtis]

I've done a ghost image restore so for the moment all is OK.
I'll just have to put it down to experience!
Thanks for everyone's input.

Chris

For what it is worth, having done the Ghost image restore I have discovered
that the Display Adapter isn't listed in the Device Manager and obviously
wasn't before uninstalling the old Catalyst driver. This could be the cause
of the problem.
In fact, the Network Adapter is missing as well, yet everything seems to be
working OK!
I'm off to the XP forums now....

 

[Ian]

For what it is worth, having done the Ghost image restore I have discovered
that the Display Adapter isn't listed in the Device Manager and obviously
wasn't before uninstalling the old Catalyst driver. This could be the cause
of the problem.
In fact, the Network Adapter is missing as well, yet everything seems to be
working OK!
I'm off to the XP forums now....

Since updating to XP SP2 various devices, including the display adapter,
no longer appear in device manager for me, yet they do work. If you can
get to the device properties some other way, such as via the adaptors
tab in display properties, then its ok to update drivers from there. But
there are some devices where I can't find an alternative and it is a
real bugger, frankly. If you ever find out why this can happen with
SP2, perhaps you'd let me know?

Ian.


---
avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean.
Virus Database (VPS): 0531-4, 05/08/2005
Tested on: 06/08/2005 13:04:38
avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2005 ALWIL Software.
http://www.avast.com

 

[patrickp]

Since updating to XP SP2 various devices, including the display adapter,
no longer appear in device manager for me, yet they do work. If you can
get to the device properties some other way, such as via the adaptors
tab in display properties, then its ok to update drivers from there. But
there are some devices where I can't find an alternative and it is a
real bugger, frankly. If you ever find out why this can happen with
SP2, perhaps you'd let me know?

Ian.


---
avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean.
Virus Database (VPS): 0531-4, 05/08/2005
Tested on: 06/08/2005 13:04:38
avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2005 ALWIL Software.
http://www.avast.com

Try selecting View -> Show hidden devices in Device Manager.

Patrick

<[email protected]> - take five to email me...

 

[Chris Curtis]

Try selecting View -> Show hidden devices in Device Manager.

Patrick

Well I'm glad it is not just me!
And they don't show up as hidden devices either.
I'll report back if/when I discover anything.

Chris