Microsoft Plus! Screensavers are working!

[Guest]

I tried to post this in Microsoft Plus! newsgroup but an error kept popping
up saying was unable to receive post, sorry for posting here.

I bought Microsoft Plus! Superpack because I wanted the aquarium
screensaver. After I installed the software a few days ago, it said I
couldn't use the screensavers options and some of the games because I didn't
have at least 16mb of memory. I was planning to buy a video card to add to my
2002 E-Machines 1 GHz tower with onboard graphics controller.
SO today, I updated the Intel onboard graphics controller at the Intel
website. I found out that it was the last available update and they would no
longer be offering support. I gave it shot, before the update, I had only 4MB
of memory and now it's 32MB. I installed the update and restarted the
computer, I reinstalled Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP. Low and behold,
instead of seeing "install" screensavers or games, it read "start"! I'm
just happy to see the aquarium and games working, but my questions are these:

Without adding a new video card, how was an update able to allow me more
memory to use the screensavers and games?

Will my computer eventually crash because it can't continue to support the
memory usage for the graphics with the screensavers and games?

Did I just get lucky, or is it only temporary?

I did get a new 19in. flat screen monitor about a month ago and tried to
install drivers from their unsupportive website which didn't work.

It just seems illogical that the superpack would work without adding a video
card.
Thanks,
Jan

 

[Galen]

In JanV had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

I tried to post this in Microsoft Plus! newsgroup but an error kept
popping up saying was unable to receive post, sorry for posting here.

I bought Microsoft Plus! Superpack because I wanted the aquarium
screensaver. After I installed the software a few days ago, it said I
couldn't use the screensavers options and some of the games because I
didn't have at least 16mb of memory. I was planning to buy a video
card to add to my 2002 E-Machines 1 GHz tower with onboard graphics
controller.
SO today, I updated the Intel onboard graphics controller at the Intel
website. I found out that it was the last available update and they
would no longer be offering support. I gave it shot, before the
update, I had only 4MB of memory and now it's 32MB. I installed the
update and restarted the computer, I reinstalled Microsoft Plus! for
Windows XP. Low and behold, instead of seeing "install" screensavers
or games, it read "start"! I'm just happy to see the aquarium and
games working, but my questions are these:

Without adding a new video card, how was an update able to allow me
more memory to use the screensavers and games?

Will my computer eventually crash because it can't continue to
support the memory usage for the graphics with the screensavers and
games?

Did I just get lucky, or is it only temporary?

I did get a new 19in. flat screen monitor about a month ago and tried
to install drivers from their unsupportive website which didn't work.

It just seems illogical that the superpack would work without adding
a video card.
Thanks,
Jan

It's likely that the update also grabbed more memory. As it's onboard (the
card) it's able to grab system memory and reserve it for the use of the
graphics controller. As for your monitor, is it working? If not then, well,
what sort of monitor is it and someone might be able to find the drivers for
you or even have the same monitor and be able to walk you through it.

--
Galen - MS MVP - Windows (Shell/User & IE)
http://dts-l.org/
http://kgiii.info/

"We approached the case, you remember, with an absolutely blank mind,
which is always an advantage. We had formed no theories. We were simply
there to observe and to draw inferences from our observations." -
Sherlock Holmes

 

[Guest]

Hey Galen, thanks for your reply.
The monitor is a cheapy: IC Powerhouse 19in and it works fine, before and
after the update. I went to their website soon after I purchased it and
downloaded the update, it was very vague and didn't seem to do anything. It
was more like a read/help file with no information about an update. Anyhoo,
the monitor seems to be working great, the update worked like a charm to make
my fishy screensaver work... no bugs yet. I am hopeful but fear eventually
I'll have to get a video card soon or just scrap it all and get a new tower.
I've been very lucky installing new hardware over the years with the cheapy
emachines! ( I just found about what static can do to the innards while your
working inside the tower, bless me running but no worries so far).

Oh yeah, the computer only came with 128MB of memory installed, I took out a
memory card from my old compaq pres. that was compatable, installed it in
this tower. Maybe the update took some memory from the new card? Who knows,
maybe it will all blow up while we're sleeping, hehe for all I've done to it.
Thanks for listening and for your help, have a great evening.