Format Failure

[Guest]

Our family has a year-old PC running XP Home. The computer had been so mired up in viruses and adware that it was decided to format the disk and reinstall the OS

On our other, older computers, we had recieved a CD specifically for formatting. When the computer was booted off the CD, it would completely wipe the hard drive, then reinstall windows and all the programs and drivers that came on it from the factory. This time around, though, it was more complicated; we got a CD that would reinstall windows, but wasn't meant to totally wipe the computer. I tried to format the computer, but when I realized that it would be more complicated than I thought I realized it would be over my head. My dad, on the other hand, went ahead and tried installing it anyway in the way he was used to with our older computers

At first glance, we thought it worked fine. The computer was running quickly, and windows displayed the hard-drive as being totally free. But then the problems began. The display mode will not change from the lowest possible settings. When I go to Control Panel>Display>Settings>Advanced and click on the "Monitor" tab it says I have a "default" monitor, and cannot select the Properties panel to install my monitor. In fact, the computer doesn't seem to recognise any new hardware at all; it doesn't display the "new Hardware Found" dialogue when I physically install either my PCI modem or PCI video card

What went wrong? I've troubleshot this thing through Windows Help and Support in every respect imaginable, but it's been useless.

 

[Ted Turner]

In regards to not being able to change display settings, that is simply due
to the fact that the correct drivers for your graphics card need to be
installed. This will then give the all the available options for that card.

Our family has a year-old PC running XP Home. The computer had been so

mired up in viruses and adware that it was decided to format the disk and
reinstall the OS.

On our other, older computers, we had recieved a CD specifically for

formatting. When the computer was booted off the CD, it would completely
wipe the hard drive, then reinstall windows and all the programs and drivers
that came on it from the factory. This time around, though, it was more
complicated; we got a CD that would reinstall windows, but wasn't meant to
totally wipe the computer. I tried to format the computer, but when I
realized that it would be more complicated than I thought I realized it
would be over my head. My dad, on the other hand, went ahead and tried
installing it anyway in the way he was used to with our older computers.

At first glance, we thought it worked fine. The computer was running

quickly, and windows displayed the hard-drive as being totally free. But
then the problems began. The display mode will not change from the lowest
possible settings. When I go to Control Panel>Display>Settings>Advanced and
click on the "Monitor" tab it says I have a "default" monitor, and cannot
select the Properties panel to install my monitor. In fact, the computer
doesn't seem to recognise any new hardware at all; it doesn't display the
"new Hardware Found" dialogue when I physically install either my PCI modem
or PCI video card.

What went wrong? I've troubleshot this thing through Windows Help and

Support in every respect imaginable, but it's been useless.

 

[joust in jest]

In addition to the Win XP disk, your computer should have come with a
Drivers disk that has the Motherboard drivers necessary for Windows to
correctly see your specific hardware. Find that disk, put it in the CD, and
follow the prompts.

steve

Our family has a year-old PC running XP Home. The computer had been so

mired up in viruses and adware that it was decided to format the disk and
reinstall the OS.

On our other, older computers, we had recieved a CD specifically for

formatting. When the computer was booted off the CD, it would completely
wipe the hard drive, then reinstall windows and all the programs and drivers
that came on it from the factory. This time around, though, it was more
complicated; we got a CD that would reinstall windows, but wasn't meant to
totally wipe the computer. I tried to format the computer, but when I
realized that it would be more complicated than I thought I realized it
would be over my head. My dad, on the other hand, went ahead and tried
installing it anyway in the way he was used to with our older computers.

At first glance, we thought it worked fine. The computer was running

quickly, and windows displayed the hard-drive as being totally free. But
then the problems began. The display mode will not change from the lowest
possible settings. When I go to Control Panel>Display>Settings>Advanced and
click on the "Monitor" tab it says I have a "default" monitor, and cannot
select the Properties panel to install my monitor. In fact, the computer
doesn't seem to recognise any new hardware at all; it doesn't display the
"new Hardware Found" dialogue when I physically install either my PCI modem
or PCI video card.

What went wrong? I've troubleshot this thing through Windows Help and

Support in every respect imaginable, but it's been useless.

 

[Ted Turner]

Just to add to my previous post. If you have inbuilt Audio and Video the
drivers will be on the CD that came with the motherboard, but I thought you
mentioned a PCI Graphics card which will have also come with its own drivers
CD. If you have lost it, just download them off the net.

 

[Ted Turner]

OK, it isn't a problem with the monitor. My settings show similar on my pc.
i-e Default monitor. Its to do with, as you know a driver prob with your
graphics card. In device manager, does it show your pci graphics card under
DISPLAY ADAPTORS? Does it have a yelow exclamation mark next to it? Also
check further down to see if your pci modem is in the list and does it have
an exclamation mark?

In respect to drivers, which were mentioned by all responses so far, I had

already installed all the drivers after XP was installed; the computer did
come with a disk with default drivers. I cannot install my monitor's
drivers because I have on internet connection. I HAVE NO INTERNET
CONNECTION BECAUSE THE DRIVERS ARE NOT INSTALLING CORRECLY. The day before,
I had formatted our older PC running '98. I had successfully installed the
cabe wireless reciever and modem, the exact same as on the XP computer.

The real problem is not that the drivers are not installed, the problem is

that I cannot install the drivers because the PC doesn't even realize the
new hardware is connected.