NO Vista driver for Intel 915 graphics card

[Guest]

Since Intel is being ignorant and refusing to create WDDM drivers for the
millions of us who have the standard Intel 915 shared 128mb video card, does
anyone know a good alternative to getting the aero transparency effects on
the border? I'll even take a third party app. Because Lord knows I didn't
pay for Home Premium to get stuck with Home Basic. This is really crap, you
would think they'd make the driver and we would have the choice of whether we
want to run Aero or not. If we're not happy with the performance we'll just
disable it. But this way, noone gets to run Aero. I've got a score of 4.0
on everything else except for my card because its not WDDM/ LDDM. Anyone
also know a way to override the settings and allow Aero to run? I've tried
all the regedit cracks for the betas but they don't work. THERE MUST BE A
WAY. I swear man, makes me wish I had a mac with all this upgrading bs. No
computer can even last 6 months in the world of microsoft.

 

[Pete]

Since Intel is being ignorant and refusing to create WDDM drivers for the
millions of us who have the standard Intel 915 shared 128mb video card,
does
anyone know a good alternative to getting the aero transparency effects on
the border? I'll even take a third party app. Because Lord knows I
didn't
pay for Home Premium to get stuck with Home Basic. This is really crap,
you
would think they'd make the driver and we would have the choice of whether
we
want to run Aero or not. If we're not happy with the performance we'll
just
disable it. But this way, noone gets to run Aero. I've got a score of
4.0
on everything else except for my card because its not WDDM/ LDDM. Anyone
also know a way to override the settings and allow Aero to run? I've
tried
all the regedit cracks for the betas but they don't work. THERE MUST BE A
WAY. I swear man, makes me wish I had a mac with all this upgrading bs.
No
computer can even last 6 months in the world of microsoft.

EVERYONE is scrambling to get Vista drivers. People never think ahead.
In your case it might be better to replace your MB video with a new
supported card.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Go out and purchase a good 256MB video card that is WDDM compliant
and install it. Onboard video is just basic and consumes system resources
that could be better utilized running applications.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


:

Since Intel is being ignorant and refusing to create WDDM drivers for the
millions of us who have the standard Intel 915 shared 128mb video card, does
anyone know a good alternative to getting the aero transparency effects on
the border? I'll even take a third party app. Because Lord knows I didn't
pay for Home Premium to get stuck with Home Basic. This is really crap, you
would think they'd make the driver and we would have the choice of whether we
want to run Aero or not. If we're not happy with the performance we'll just
disable it. But this way, noone gets to run Aero. I've got a score of 4.0
on everything else except for my card because its not WDDM/ LDDM. Anyone
also know a way to override the settings and allow Aero to run? I've tried
all the regedit cracks for the betas but they don't work. THERE MUST BE A
WAY. I swear man, makes me wish I had a mac with all this upgrading bs. No
computer can even last 6 months in the world of microsoft.

 

[Barry Watzman]

The problem is not that simple. The 915 was used in tens of millions
(perhaps hundreds of millions) of laptops, where there is no option to
get a new video card. Dell was still selling NEW laptops with 915 video
in DECEMBER 2006 (less than 60 days ago). Toshiba was manufacturing and
selling laptops with the 915 in the first half of 2006. The chip was
ubiquitous; it was probably used in most of the laptops made from
mid-2005 to early 2006. It's a HUGE quantity of very late model
machines, Centrino, Pentium-M and even some "Core" and "Core Duo" models.

The 915 is hardware capable of running Aero Glass. It meets all of the
hardware specs (Pixel Shader 2, 128MB of RAM, etc.). It was explicitly
identified by the Windows Vista Advisor that it WOULD run Aero Glass
(until they changed the Advisor in summer 2006). It DID run Aero Glass
in some of the very early beta versions of Vista. The only reason it
won't run Aero in the later versions (and RTM) is apparently because
Intel hasn't released a driver. But given the number of systems made
with the 915GM and how recently they were made, this is really inexcusable.

Also, I think your view of chipset video is dated. Intel GMA900 (which
is what we are talking about when we talk about the 915 chipset), GMA950
(the 945 chipset) and GMA3000 (the versions of the Core 2 Duo 965
chipset with onboard video) are ***NOT*** by any means "basic" video
systems. In fact they are quite powerful, although I'm not suggesting
that gamers would be happier with them than with a $300 to $500 discreet
video card.

 

[Richard G. Harper]

If Intel is not releasing a driver, no one will. Sorry.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

 

[Dale]

I feel your pain, Julie. It really sucks. I have EXACTLY the same problem!

I hooked my USB to Serial adapter onto my new PC (the darn thing doesn't
even have a simple 25 pin RS-232 port on it!) and then attached a serial to
20-milliamp-loop adapter so I could hook up my DEC VT50 terminal. And the
dang thing wouldn't even display AERO! Can you believe that?

It's ok, though. I've put in a support ticket to Microsoft. I'm sure the
appropriate drivers will be coming out soon.

Dale

 

[Dale]

Ok. I take it all back. I didn't realize the 915 was such a current model.
I confused it with the 815 motherboards I was building 5 or 6 years ago.
Mea Culpa and I am sorry.


Dale

 

[Bruce Sanderson]

It's not just laptops that have the Intel 915 video chipsets. IBM
ThinkCentre (desktop towers) have them on the motherboard also - we purchsed
those last year.

The XP driver supports multiple monitors, but the in-box one in Vista does
not - can not Extend the desktop to a second monitor on a second adapter
with the same chiplset.

I've worked around this problem by installing the XP driver in Vista - works
OK so far.

The reading I did suggested that the Intel 82915G/GL video chipset does not
meet XDDM specs, but perhaps I missed something.

Not being able to extend the Desktop to a second monitor (on a PCI plug in
adapter) is more of an issue for me than lack of Areo.

--
Bruce Sanderson MVP Printing
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders

It is perfectly useless to know the right answer to the wrong question.

 

[Dale]

So, I wonder if that is a "defective motherboard" in regards the OEM license
activation?

Dale

 

[BSchnur]

It's ok, though. I've put in a support ticket to Microsoft. I'm sure the

appropriate drivers will be coming out soon.

What, you trust things to Microsoft chauffeurs?

 

[Guest]

Hi Carey,

Please don't take this the wrong way but I see your response a lot in the
user groups. I would replace the Graphics chip if I could but, Dell and so
many other manufacturers have gone with integrated (cheap) soultions.

My 915 graphics chip (like millions of others) is soldered into the mother
board. I would have to replace the motherboard to get a new graphics chip.

Of course going forward I will never buy another LapTop or DeskTop that does
not have an "upgradeable" graphics board. I am also telling everyone I know
that is looking at a new PC, if you can't upgrade the graphics board, "Just
say NO".


Mark

 

[Dale]

Many motherboards with integrated graphics still have a 16-bit PCI-X slot or
AGP slot that will take an add-in graphics card. If you really want to run
Vista on that PC, you should open the case and check.

Dale

 

[Guest]

Any suggestions on what to look for. I have a Dell Inspiron 6000. I have had
the case open to Over clock it with a Jumper. Was 1.16 GHz now 2.16. I have
maxed out the ram to 2 gigs DDR2.

I would not hesitate to get one if I was sure I could use it. So, where
would the slot be for adding an additional graphics chip?

Thanks in advance.

Mark

 

[Dale]

Here's a picture of an ASUS motherboard with a 915 chipset but it has a
PCI-Express X16 slot for adding an add-on video card. This board,
interestingly, runs the X16 slot at X4 speed. Definitely not for gaming.
The PCI-Express slot is the blue one parallel to the three white PCI slots.

http://usa.asus.com/100/images/products/793/793_l.jpg

In many motherboards with embedded graphics and a video card slot, the BIOS
will automatically switch to use the add-in card when it exists. So, adding
a new video card is as simple as unplugging your PC from electrical power
and opening it. Insert the card carefully and completely.

Dale

 

[Guest]

Yea I have the same problems I am running on a laptop with the card soldered
into the motherboard. I have another laptop running the intel 945 which is
almost identical to the 915 and it runs great with aero so I don't know why
intel thinks it will slow down performance. I think they are trying to
promote their newer cards as well as push new sales. Millions of people are
carrying 915 chipsets and for them not to make a driver is ridiculous. They
don't give us much of a choice here. Settle for Vista basic or get a new
laptop. Pure BS. Since they have already made a formal statement stating
they will not be making drivers, you'll probably be looking for replacemens.
For those of you who don't mind low end laptops without upgradable video
cards, Best buy is having an awesome sale. I found an 15.4 inch HP with amd
turion 64x2 1gb ddr2, 100gb hd preloaded with vista home premium for $649 and
a compaq amd turion 64 1gb ddr2 80gb hd with home premium for $599. both
running nivdia geforce go 6150 288mb shared card. nvidia updates their
drivers often so i'm going with them from now on.

 

[Jerry McBride]

So, I wonder if that is a "defective motherboard" in regards the OEM
license activation?

Dale

Vista currently uses wddm 1.0 and with one slash deprecated a whole list of
video perfectly good video hardware. Soon to be released wddm 2.0 will
force a TOTAL move to new video hardware... Nothing made todate will
support the 2.0 spec....

Thank you Microsoft, for nothing.

 

[Guest]

Hi Dale, Thank you for your suggestions, but I realized when I looked at your
link/image, I was not very clear when explaining about my Inspiron 6000, it
is a LapTop not a desk top PC.

Sorry for the confusion and thank you for trying to help.

Mark

 

[Dale]

Oh. Sorry about that. My initial smart-assed remarks in this thread aside,
I agree with you and Julie then. That really does suck that Intel chooses
not to create those drivers and that Dell is selling those PCs as Vista
capable.

 

[SAM-R]

All Vista Capable means is the PC can run Vista. Vista Premium means the PC
can run Aero.

 

[Prince Vlad Tepes1]

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