Tom's Guide | Tom's Hardware | Tom's Games
 |
 |
 |
Hi, I found 2 computers in the trash recently. I have 2 PCs already, but one monitor, because Win98 crashed and we got a new computer but not a monitor. I am using the Packard Bell 1401s monitor with the old 98 Pentium II I already mentioned. However, I have a problem:
The monitor will only go up to 16 colors, and I am therefore unable to run many apps.
Is the monitor itself only capable of up to 16 colors(?) or is there something else I need to do? I cannot find a driver; I know my computer is capable of high color mode, but I all I need is at least 256 colors.
Please help, thank you!
I found the monitor on the street lol, someone threw it away, so I do not have a driver for it. I have searched on the web, and have found that, apparently, no one else can find a 1401s driver either; maybe I can ask the person who threw it out though... However, I believe I do have the video card driver (installed?)... I'll have to check it out though, because this computer has not been used in over a year, and I just reformatted the HD and reinstalled Win98 last night. I think it should be preloaded, because it's a standard VGA adapter.
Any suggestions?
0 
OK, that was no use. It did not have an installer or anything, just a bunch of system files and one "gfxdrv.drv" driver. It says it's for Intel i740, it came with the computer god-knows-how-many years ago. I made a list of those files and copied them to my system directory, but I am still unable to do anything to set myself up in at least 256 color.
I use a Packard Bell 1401s monitor, anyone got specs on that? Can it even do 256? I would think any non-monochrome monitor can...? Thanks for any help, I'll be hanging around here for a while.
I can't do anything in 16 color, except MS-Paint and Notepad haha; I appreciate your help.
0
It's probably a video driver problem, not a monitor driver problem. Monitors rarely need special drivers installed.
Determine which video card (or integrated video) is used in your computer, then download & install the appropriate Win98 compatible driver.
0
The monitor has little to do with your problem - specific drivers for that are not essential. They sometimes exist but only give a little extra functionality.
What you need is display (video) drivers. If you are unsure what you need download one of the following programs:
EVEREST
or it's predecessor:-
AIDA32It will give you wadges of stuff about your hardware. Look under Windows Video.
DerekW
0
Thanks, I have to go to lunch now, but I'll try that when I get back. Thanks for the help guys!
0
OK, I ran everest and it gave me bad info about my monitor and tried to send me to the Intel site. I am currently searching for a chipset driver from Intel on their site. It seems I'm using a "82371AB/EB" Intel chipset... Is this the Intel 820 class? Intel gave me a listing of classes, I'm going to try to download their chipset software installer.
Any advice?
I'm still in 16 color and it really stinks... I have a win95 with 16MB ram in 256 lol but the '98 with 192MB is useless without at least 256 colors.
Thanks again, I appreciate any help.
0
If you told us what video card you have, or what motherboard, or the make/model of your computer, maybe someone could point you in the right direction. You need to install the video driver...not the monitor driver, not the chipset driver...the VIDEO driver.
"intel.ectual"? I think not. lol
0
Yeah I finally realized that... I'm sorry, but I'm a programmer, not a hardware person :p
The problem is, it's not listed on the card itself, and I'm still digging around in my 10-year-old manual lol.Intel, as usual, is unhelpful.
I'm currently digging around in manuals looking for the name of my adapter. I'll get back as soon as anything happens
Thanks for the advice, I'll try to figure out what driver I need, but in the meantime, my mum is trying to pull me out the house to go shopping... Bleargh!
Thanks again everyone
O and yeah my mum just said I've g2g now... Ill get back asap though
0
It just tells me I'm using a standard PCI video adapter... I think that's what Win98 defaulted to when it could not find a driver for my video card.
It also tells me I only have 64K video mem.
Oh and I just found this: I am (supposedly) using an Intel i740 A-2 video adapter... I guess that would explain why my old Intel "utilities" CD is labeled i740. Download driver for that and try it maybe?
Well, I have to go now before my mum kills the crippled computer 'cuz it's too much trouble. I'll be back later, though, and thanks again for all the help. I think EVEREST will be more useful than I first thought.
256, or even High Color, HERE I COME!
I hope that was not too early...
Thanks!
BTW, how do you format your messages? I don't think HTML tags are working for me...
EDIT: Oh, and on the HTML thing...I think I used a non-Netscape tag; I'm using FireFox haha
0
"If the computer itself" is a Packard Bell 1401S
I think this might be what you need:http://members.driverguide.com/driv...
DerekW
0
... we overlapped. The machine model number is the best first step - unless a video card has been added.
DerekW
0
"I'm a programmer, not a hardware person"
Yes... of course you are - a 'programmer' who is stymied by computer basics and HTML, living with 'mum'
Me? I'm a jet pilot ; )
I'm not one of those who think Bill Gates is the devil. I simply suspect that if Microsoft ever met up with the devil, it wouldn't need an interpreter.
0
"I'm a programmer, not a hardware person"
OMG...you should have warned us WAY earlier in the thread! lol.
OK, "Packard Bell 1401S" is the monitor, not the computer, so that info is pretty much useless to us. We need to know the video card make/model & apparently it's an Intel i740 A-2?
Try this:
0
The computer is not a PB;
Stop implying that I'm a n00b;
I do actually know (essentially) what I am doing;
All I need now is a driver for the abovementioned video card;Sorry I'm getting a bit angry, but I've had a hard day with everyone (at home) interrupting me and causing all kinds of stress, besides the fact that I've been away from school (my heaven) for almost a week now due to spring break (GAH! They should not make us go away for a week!!!)
So, I think I'm looking for an Intel i740 A-2 driver.
I'll go look for that now, try it if it works.
If you guys have any more suggestions, TYVM
Ciao for now
0
OK I think I have the driver.
It's the thing Jam mentioned, but I am wondering, how do I install it? The help file wasn't helpful, nor was the readme... It mentions files that were not extracted from the exe in the first place. Can you explain what I should do?Thank you very much for your time.
0
Alright, I got it installed, waiting for reboots...
Windows users spend half their time working, half their time rebooting, and half their time making math errors because most of them use Intel processors
BTW, I'm switching to Mac as soon as I get out of high school...
0
PROBLEM SOLVED
Thank you all, Sorry if I sounded like a N00b, but I really am not a hardware person.
Thanks again, everyone!
0
"Sorry if I sounded like a N00b, but I really am not a hardware person"
Nor are you a software person, nor a programmer.
0
Glad to hear it worked out for you.
I'm very happy to accept lack of familiarity with computers (either generally or in specific areas), also we can all make mistakes....
Harder to accept the italics in #20 as having any bearing on this issue though (or many others). What you needed was the correct information to download the appropriate Video Driver. I'm sure that even on a Mac you have to get things right.
I'm no MS hugger but so often they seem to get stick when the problem really lies in other directions.
DerekW
0
"Yeah I finally realized that... I'm sorry, but I'm a programmer, not a hardware person :p"
How can you be anything when you are still in highschool. There is an old addage that you know everything when you are 18 and keep getting dumber after that. Maybe you'll get a little smarter before the decline.
0  |
 |
 |
This post is quite old and has been locked from receiving new replies. Please create a new posting instead.
| Ads by Google |
