Drivers - please clarify

[Yabbadoo]

I'm totally confused about definition of "motherboard drivers". This post
derives from answer(s) to post elsewhere, but it's a separate
subject/question for clarification, so I can understand and act on advice
given. I'm not an idiot, just don't have an in-depth degree in computerese.

What is meant when responders say "installing XPPro (on existing/working PC)
requires mobo drivers re-installed" -

I have various CD's (came with PC) including an Asus CD (A7V266E m/b) but
can't find a "motherboard driver" plus PC manufacturer "restore" disk
including anonymous files in "drivers" folders.

PC is 3 years+. None of the CD-supplied files/docs relate to XP drivers.
altho it came with XPHome pre-installed.
2 years ago, sound chip CMI8738 partially failed - spent months trying
various "updated" drivers, gave up, deactivated, installed Creative sound
card, works fine.
Couple of years ago, updated BIOS to 2002 version 1005.
A year ago, installed USB2 card (with its XP driver) which worked fine in
XPHome. Then, crashed the hdd, installed new hdd and simultaneously, XPPro,
SP2 and all later, since which (despite Device Manager saying everything's
OK) it only works at USB1 speed (with splash screen saying device would work
better if plugged into USB2 port, which it is already in).
System is devoid of all malware and fully protected with AV and various
other utilities - never infected.

Everyone's saying I should have re-installed mobo drivers - please, WHAT
drivers? The CD doesn't define a "motherboard" driver (and all files are
pre-XP). The link
http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx
above is direct to the driver d/l's, but again, no "motherboard" driver -
just updates for BIOS, sound chip, and IDE.

Can some-one please clarify the terminology for me, in simple terms?
BIOS - is the basic board OS prior to looking for a pc o/s (in simple
terms) - easier to type BIOS so unlikely to be "m/b driver"
CMI8738 driver - is exclusively for the on-board sound chip (peripheral to
the m/b, really)
So, what is/are "motherboard drivers"?
Other than CMI8738 and USB2, system's working perfectly, no conflicts.

 

[Richard Urban [MVP]]

M/B drivers = chipset drivers.

For the A7V266e you would be looking for the Via 4in1 drivers from Via. They
have different versions, so be careful. I have used both VIA_4in1437v(a) and
also VIA_Hyperion 4IN1_V451v. There are newer available.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from: George Ankner
"If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!"

 

[Guest]

M/B drivers = chipset drivers.

For the A7V266e you would be looking for the Via 4in1 drivers from Via. They
have different versions, so be careful. I have used both VIA_4in1437v(a) and
also VIA_Hyperion 4IN1_V451v. There are newer available.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from: George Ankner
"If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!"

In simple language device drivers contain the individual hardware and
software instruction of the device you use.
For Example. A bus in which you travel requires a driver to drive the bus
properly .
Similarly The device in which you work has the device driver which acts as
a bridge between your O.S.-Device - (e-mail address removed)

 

[Sharon F]

I'm totally confused about definition of "motherboard drivers". This post
derives from answer(s) to post elsewhere, but it's a separate
subject/question for clarification, so I can understand and act on advice
given. I'm not an idiot, just don't have an in-depth degree in computerese.

What is meant when responders say "installing XPPro (on existing/working PC)
requires mobo drivers re-installed" -

I have various CD's (came with PC) including an Asus CD (A7V266E m/b) but
can't find a "motherboard driver" plus PC manufacturer "restore" disk
including anonymous files in "drivers" folders.

PC is 3 years+. None of the CD-supplied files/docs relate to XP drivers.
altho it came with XPHome pre-installed.
2 years ago, sound chip CMI8738 partially failed - spent months trying
various "updated" drivers, gave up, deactivated, installed Creative sound
card, works fine.
Couple of years ago, updated BIOS to 2002 version 1005.
A year ago, installed USB2 card (with its XP driver) which worked fine in
XPHome. Then, crashed the hdd, installed new hdd and simultaneously, XPPro,
SP2 and all later, since which (despite Device Manager saying everything's
OK) it only works at USB1 speed (with splash screen saying device would work
better if plugged into USB2 port, which it is already in).
System is devoid of all malware and fully protected with AV and various
other utilities - never infected.

Everyone's saying I should have re-installed mobo drivers - please, WHAT
drivers? The CD doesn't define a "motherboard" driver (and all files are
pre-XP). The link
http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx
above is direct to the driver d/l's, but again, no "motherboard" driver -
just updates for BIOS, sound chip, and IDE.

Can some-one please clarify the terminology for me, in simple terms?
BIOS - is the basic board OS prior to looking for a pc o/s (in simple
terms) - easier to type BIOS so unlikely to be "m/b driver"
CMI8738 driver - is exclusively for the on-board sound chip (peripheral to
the m/b, really)
So, what is/are "motherboard drivers"?
Other than CMI8738 and USB2, system's working perfectly, no conflicts.

When motherboard drivers are installed - the operating system can
communicate with and facilitate features supported by the motherboard.
These drivers are software. They are separate from the instruction code
that is resident in the system board's chips.

If you repair install your operating system, those drivers should remain
intact. However if having trouble with base system functions covered by
those drivers, reinstalling them can "fix" files that may have lost their
registered information or that were overwritten.

If you replace or clean install your current operating system, the
motherboard drivers need to be reinstalled. OEM CDs customized for a
particular PC and its original motherboard include those drivers so the
process is transparent. (Note: An OEM *might* offer updated drivers in
their online driver download section. Should periodically check for update
offerings.)

Otherwise, the user reinstalls the drivers from a separate cd or from
downloaded installation files. While XP might have suitable drivers for
these things in its included driver base, the drivers from the manufacturer
are usually more complete.

Example: When I run my motherboard's driver install CD I get options to
install: onboard sound driver, onboard lan driver, SmB driver, chipset
drivers and IDE controller drivers. I recently did a clean install of my XP
setup. My board is a couple of years old now so instead of using the
provided CD to reinstall these drivers, I downloaded and installed newer
versions available from the web site for my motherboard. Typically updated
drivers include improvements and/or bug fixes.

 

[Yabbadoo]

OK, thanks ... problem is, I'm back at square one. Using the link
http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx , selecting search "socket
A", then " A7V266E", then "Downloads" tab, then the "all" tab, gets me to
the relevant d/l's from Asus. The very last item is the Via 4-in-1 version
4.37 you refer to, BUT it's for W2000 and previous - no mention of XP
compatability. Also, it's v4.37, not 4.37(a).

You advise care (and believe me, I am careful) so I would not routinely
install non-XP drivers, knowingly.

You also mention Hyperion 4-in-1. Using the link given via Everest pc
"chipset" report, gets to the Hyperion d/l site.
http://www.viaarena.com/default.aspx?PageID=420&OSID=1&CatID=1070
Lo and behold! - exact same problem. Hyperion 4-in-1 (v4.56v) is only
specifying OS support up to W2000, HyperionPro 4-in-1 (massive d/l, >5mb)
does include XP, but reading the blurb it says DON'T d/l it unless you need
RAID etc functionality - which I don't. There's also a "retro" (v 4.43 dated
2001) but again, no mench of XP.

Please advise, which is correct for me, Asus W2000 driver, or Hyperion
W2000/NT driver ? And, if it all goes pear-shaped, how to restore existing
(99% working) set-up?

There's a really old joke - How to confuse an Irishman - show him a
selection of spades and say "Take your pick". How relevant to the non-pro
pc user community, advice to "update drivers" only to find the "driver
updates" don't specify current O/S's. This is a general analogy, not a
criticism of the advice (it's the sites which are not specifying OS's, not
the advisers).

Thanks again for the help, please reply ... Regards, Len

 

[Yabbadoo]

Bless you, Sharon - always a pleasure to read you! But - I hadn't a problem
understanding that drivers are software instruction sets, nor that a "device
driver" (by definition) is an instruction set for a specific device. What
was throwing me was "motherboard" drivers (terminology - what does that
mean?)- turns out that " motherboard" and "chipset" (in this context) are
synonymous. I wasn't sure whether BIOS was also classified as a motherboard
driver either, even though that's an EEPROM hard-coded instruction set, not
a software driver - so, clearly not.
Additional problem (discussed elsewhere in this thread) is that so-called
driver "updates" do not specify that they're good for XP.

Take your point that had I been restoring an original system, the
manufacturer's "restore" disk (might have) loaded all the required drivers,
but dispute that the process is "transparent" (assuming by this, you mean
visible) - it would certainly have been automatic, but certainly not
possible to see what exactly was loaded. However, that was not the case - I
loaded a new XP-Pro onto a virgin hdd, and must have done something right,
as the system is currently 99% perfect and 100% stable. The on-board sound
problem pre-existed, it's only the USB2 problem which is "new" since XP-Pro.

My only problem now is - getting the correct updated chipset driver, having
established that "motherboard" and "chipset" are one and the same thing.

Best regards, Len

 

[Sharon F]

Bless you, Sharon - always a pleasure to read you! But - I hadn't a problem
understanding that drivers are software instruction sets, nor that a "device
driver" (by definition) is an instruction set for a specific device. What
was throwing me was "motherboard" drivers (terminology - what does that
mean?)- turns out that " motherboard" and "chipset" (in this context) are
synonymous. I wasn't sure whether BIOS was also classified as a motherboard
driver either, even though that's an EEPROM hard-coded instruction set, not
a software driver - so, clearly not.
Additional problem (discussed elsewhere in this thread) is that so-called
driver "updates" do not specify that they're good for XP.

Take your point that had I been restoring an original system, the
manufacturer's "restore" disk (might have) loaded all the required drivers,
but dispute that the process is "transparent" (assuming by this, you mean
visible) - it would certainly have been automatic, but certainly not
possible to see what exactly was loaded. However, that was not the case - I
loaded a new XP-Pro onto a virgin hdd, and must have done something right,
as the system is currently 99% perfect and 100% stable. The on-board sound
problem pre-existed, it's only the USB2 problem which is "new" since XP-Pro.

My only problem now is - getting the correct updated chipset driver, having
established that "motherboard" and "chipset" are one and the same thing.

I understand the confusion factor. I think part of it is due to the fact
that terminology in this area is painted with a very wide brush.
"Motherboard drivers" can be referring to one or two drivers or many if the
board is loaded with extras. "Chipset drivers" and "motherboard drivers" is
often used interchangeably although it could be argued that chipset drivers
is narrower in its scope.

By "transparent," I meant that the user sees no hint of motherboard drivers
specific to their system being loaded when using the OEM install/recovery
CD. I guess I should have said that this isn't always the case but it is
the more common practice.

USB problems: There seems to be quite a rash of USB problems lately. USB2
was not standardized when XP was first released. Support was added later
via Service Packs. Going by the number of posts I'm seeing lately about
USB2, I would say there are still some rough edges to this newer standard.
Hard to say if it's due to XP's implementation or in vendor provided USB2
drivers. It probably varies from case to case.

You have a USB2 card. Those are usually more solid since they've had their
own drivers since before USB2 was added to XP. Because of that (normally
solid drivers), I'm surprised that you have had trouble with your card and
have been following this thread with interest. Is there any info at the
Creative site about your USB2 card model in relation to SP2?

 

[Yabbadoo]

Is there any info at the

Creative site about your USB2 card model in relation to SP2?

Creative ? That's the new sound card ! The driver disc for the USB2 card
rejoices in the title "Via solutions for USB2 PCI Host Card" ... card itself
has no mfr name (and the box is llong gone) but it's a Via chip.

 

[Sharon F]

Creative ? That's the new sound card ! The driver disc for the USB2 card
rejoices in the title "Via solutions for USB2 PCI Host Card" ... card itself
has no mfr name (and the box is llong gone) but it's a Via chip.

Ah, well, then creative wouldn't have any news would they?

Is there an FCC number on the card? Can often look those up and connect it
with a manufacturer. Not that you need anything else to deal with right now
but it's possible that they have updated drivers that are more compatible
with SP2...

 

[Richard Urban [MVP]]

Why don't you type VIA drivers into Google as they are the manufacturer of
the chipset and drivers.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from: George Ankner
"If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!"

 

[Yabbadoo]

Another droplet of info - FCC numbers actually MEAN something !! You are a
treasure-trove of info. Thanks. Will investigate further ( it's 01.40, just
got in after a few beers with friends - NON pc type.
Sincerely, Len

 

[Thomas Wendell]

Try this (it's for all Windows versions):
http://www.viaarena.com/default.aspx?PageID=420&OSID=1&CatID=1070
Remember to take the last one, the "Retro chipset VIA 4in1 drivers" ver.
4.43 as you can read in the comments:
(The driver package below is recommended for use with the following
chipsets: MVP#, Apollo Pro## series, KT1##, KN1##, KM1##, KT2##, KN2##,
KM2##, P4X2##, P4X3##, P4M2##)



Found this by going:
www.viaarena.com -> drivers -> MS Windows -> Windows XP -> Chipset or
platform drivers
Searched at 09:10 EasternEuropeanTime Sun July 22.
--
Tumppi
Reply to group
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[Yabbadoo]

OK - Thank you all for your input. I now have a modicum of understanding of
the subject, have located/installed updated chipset drivers (and, for good
measure, the "add-on" VIA USB2 support driver for XP.

The 2 USB2 card ports are now working, however, the brand-new USB2 hub is
not. It has no driver, the documentation states it's for XP and that XP
would automatically recognise it.
It is recognised by XP Device manager, but only as a generic (USB1) hub.
Since these "updated" drivers, a new problem - the hub, even with its own
power supply in, now yields the error "USB port power exceeded" (without
anything in, is reported as "working OK" but only as generic, not under the
USB "enhanced" heading). I emphasise, this is a new error - before the new
drivers, earlier today was still working albeit at USB1.)

The USB2 device is a flash memory stick, hardly power-hungry - and it works
fine, at USB2, in the card port.

I GIVE UP. Still baffled why this USB2 configuration worked in XPHome and
not XPPro.