New Dimension 8400 purchased with WinXP SP2 "blue screens"

[Katy]

Please any thoughts are so welcome! We just purchased a Dell refurbished
8400 that first of all, shows 2 devices in Device Manager under Display, one
is Radeon x300 and the other is Radeon X300 secondary. To my knowledge
there is just one video card in the machine, & definately only one monitor
is being used, with the driver from it's install CD. We are getting blue
screens sometimes at bootup and other times while using a program. Today
was the most real informational error, and the display changed from 1024
resolution to what a 'safe mode' would look like (large text & imagery) and
an error message that stated there had been a system error and to save files
due to system restart needed due to 'display and driver'. If the 'exact'
message would be more helpful, please ask, it's so lengthy that we couldn't
write it all down but that's the gist of it.

Before this the blue screens would refer to an ati.... problem but we didn't
know what that meant until today. Now it appears it's related to our Radeon
x300 video card driver, which came with the unit and searching for a better
driver, even using the Dell CD & windows update site, found no better
driver. We've downloaded all the windows updates as well as the Symantec
Internet Security (virus) definations. This machine only went 'online'
today and these blue screens were happening all last week.

Could this be a driver problem or is it bios? We assume the bios is set up
for the AGP video card since everything that is in the computer, came with
the computer (except for a USB Dell printer and we also installed a Maxtor
2nd drive (SATA) which is seen in windows (and in bios) and the western
digital SATA that came with the machine is similar. These blue screens
happened 'before' we installed the Maxtor btw. and the error referred to
ati.... AND the latest error referred to display. We did reduce 'hardware
acceleration' by a quarter %, and removed the desktop background image,
hoping that would help stabilize it.

But we shouldn't have to do 'without' a desktop image, for a machine to work
like it should, should we? I mean it's just a windows desktop background
image.

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions???? Please anything at all is
most welcome............ TIA, katy

 

[Cari \(MS-MVP\)]

Two devices is perfectly normal... you have the option to connect a 'real'
monitor instead of using the notebook's screen.

As for the correct drivers, you should ONLY use the ones from the Dell
website, as each notebook manufacturer has the ability to order their
graphics chipsets to their own specific design so generic ATI drivers from
the ATI website may not work correctly.

 

[Guest]

This is a fix that will work for some hardware related problems. Open device
manager, delete both listed display adapters. Go to ATI's website and
download the most recent drivers for your card then reboot.

 

[Miss Perspicacia Tick]

Two devices is perfectly normal... you have the option to connect a
'real' monitor instead of using the notebook's screen.

As for the correct drivers, you should ONLY use the ones from the Dell
website, as each notebook manufacturer has the ability to order their
graphics chipsets to their own specific design so generic ATI drivers
from the ATI website may not work correctly.

Cari - Dimensions are desktops, Inspirons are notebooks. The ones from ATI
will work fine.

 

[Treeman]

This tool is used to delete all ATI related files from your system.
This includes ATI CATALYST software suite and any ATI Demos.
Filename: cat-uninstaller.exe
Download and run Utility before installing new drivers;
'ATI Uninstaller' (http://tinyurl.com/3pm2v)
The new Catalyst Drivers from ATI are here;
'CATALYST 5.4 Windows XP' (http://tinyurl.com/3pm2v)
Treeman

 

[Kevin]

Your first option should be to call Dell Customer Support and have them
assist you in fixing the system. Otherwise try downloading and saving the
drivers for the ATI video card from the Dell website then removing the card
in Device Manager and rebooting. You can then reinstall the drivers when
prompted in the New Hardware Wizard.