Why?... Intel 915p (PCIE) chipset with an SiS AGP filter driver and VGA manager

[RalfG]

Not a problem as such because it works, but why it exists has been puzzling
me since I got this computer.

OS is XP MCE 2005 SP2, all MS updates installed. In the list of installed
drivers, non-plug and play section, XP always, always, includes an SiS AGP
filter driver which loads on boot. The motherboard is an OEM model from ASUS
with an Intel i915P chipset. The video bus is PCI Express, not AGP. If the
driver entry is removed, XP puts it back. If I try to update it XP never
finds a better driver.
The system has been re-installed twice since I got the PC (apart from
separate attempts to remove the SiS driver) and XP always installs the SiS
driver. Installing updated Intel chipset drivers does not make any
difference.

I can't find any trace of SiS chips on the motherboard and the graphics
adapter is an ATI x600 PCIE card. The actual file name is SISAGPX.sys, the
file version having the note "built by WinDDK". A second SiS system file
that also loads is an SiS VGA Driver Manager, SRVKP.sys. Windows SFP
protects a third SiS file that is configured for manual loading, SISGRP.sys.
It is an SiS Compatible Super VGA driver, but this driver is not usually
running.

Everything works, just wondering if it might work better. It always seemed
strange that XP managed to load some redundant Intel graphics adapter driver
files but does not load Intel drivers for the functions these SiS drivers
cover.

Anybody know what the deal is with XP and these driver files?

 

[Andrew E.]

I doubt xp OS is to be blamed,the 915 chip needs the chipset installation
utility installed,however intel also offers an additional chipset
installation for
the board,for details you'll need to chk out
intel.com/downloads/chipset/soft-
ware.Actually the 915 is the only chip that requires additional
installations....

 

[V Green]

Actually, he states he applies ALL the MS updates,
which I would assume means also the gawd-awful MS
hardware drivers, which are to NEVER be installed, as they
can seriously BREAK your system.

Solution:

Install again, and NEVER, EVER allow MS driver updates from
the Windows Update site. ONLY get them from the mgfr. of
your hardware.

There was a nasty problem with a VIA driver last year
due to MS's bungling in this regard.

 

[RalfG]

No no no no no... no MS hardware updates. Those are usually optional anyway.
Just mfgr and/or OEM hardware updates. The MS updates refers only to their
own software and XP. The SiS drivers were already installed when the PC
came out-of-the box.

 

[V Green]

Then ignore it and go on with life.

Even though it doesn't seem on the face of it
that there's any SiS silicon in the machine, there
must be, or it's a false trigger due to faulty hardware
detection in which case you will
beat your head bloody against the wall trying
to "fix" it.

 

[Paul]

No no no no no... no MS hardware updates. Those are usually optional anyway.
Just mfgr and/or OEM hardware updates. The MS updates refers only to their
own software and XP. The SiS drivers were already installed when the PC
came out-of-the box.

As a mystery lover, I'd probably start with a copy of Everest, and
see what hardware is enumerated there. (Everest it the former AIDA32
program - current commercial version available from lavalys.com .)

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4181.html

A second option, would be to boot a Knoppix (knopper.net) or a
Ubuntu (ubuntu.com) Live CD. Those two Linux distributions will
run without installing anything on a hard drive. (In fact, I've
unplugged all hard drives, and just run with the CD.) You
can use built-in functions like "lspci" and "lsusb" to
enumerate hardware in that environment. The "dmesg" command
is also good for ferreting out info. Those distros give an
alternate view of hardware, so you can compare what happens
to you in Windows, with the results from another OS.

Based on the files you mentioned, I found this page:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic21003-15.html

SiS315: system32\DRIVERS\sisgrp.sys (manual start)
SiS AGP Filter: system32\DRIVERS\SISAGPX.sys (system)
SiSkp: system32\DRIVERS\srvkp.sys (system)

The sisgrp.sys may be something related to an automatically
started service. So at least that could be a remnant from
a previous video driver install (like if the boot drive had been
moved from another computer into the current one).

If you did a repair install, I would have expected the old drivers
to go away. I don't really know the mechanics of a repair install,
so maybe that isn't the case.

Paul

 

[RalfG]

Most of the time I do ignore it. Every so often though I feel this
need-to-know urge.

 

[RalfG]

As a mystery lover, I'd probably start with a copy of Everest, and
see what hardware is enumerated there. (Everest it the former AIDA32
program - current commercial version available from lavalys.com .)

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4181.html

A second option, would be to boot a Knoppix (knopper.net) or a
Ubuntu (ubuntu.com) Live CD. Those two Linux distributions will
run without installing anything on a hard drive. (In fact, I've
unplugged all hard drives, and just run with the CD.) You
can use built-in functions like "lspci" and "lsusb" to
enumerate hardware in that environment. The "dmesg" command
is also good for ferreting out info. Those distros give an
alternate view of hardware, so you can compare what happens
to you in Windows, with the results from another OS.

Based on the files you mentioned, I found this page:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic21003-15.html

SiS315: system32\DRIVERS\sisgrp.sys (manual start)
SiS AGP Filter: system32\DRIVERS\SISAGPX.sys (system)
SiSkp: system32\DRIVERS\srvkp.sys (system)

The sisgrp.sys may be something related to an automatically
started service. So at least that could be a remnant from
a previous video driver install (like if the boot drive had been
moved from another computer into the current one).

If you did a repair install, I would have expected the old drivers
to go away. I don't really know the mechanics of a repair install,
so maybe that isn't the case.

Paul

Mysteries, yes... Like why are there any AGP related drivers installed with
a PCIE video bus in the first place? I've been thinking that the SiS files
might simply provide for some generic video support/functionality that XP
needs, but I haven't found any confirmation of that. Wishing I had a similar
system to compare mine with to at least confirm whether or not it is a
normal scenario.

The computer is an OEM, HP, and the files were already on it from new. I
came across them almost immediately while checking for ghost drivers to
remove. Repair install is via recovery discs, which just puts everything
back on the system again so no relief there.

I've had all three of those apps for a while now. Everest doesn't show
anything SiS related. Never looked at the hardware detected with Ubuntu or
Knoppix. I always got fed up with them too quickly when they never
recognised my Atheros based WLAN adapters. PC is hardwired to the router at
the moment so I should probably check again. Thanks for the ideas.