computer problem, resolution set to 4 colors

C

Cliff Stamp

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Have a computer, running 98, fine, upgrade to XP. Monitor is stuck at 4 colors. Under settings->advanced->monitor it shows "default monitor" with properties greyed out. There is no monitor selection in the device manager. Under the adapter section it shows "vga save". There is no video card on the motherboard.

Under the device manager under video controller (vga compatible) it shows drivers not installed. I have tried reinstalling the chipset video drivers from aopen (MX4LS). Tried rebooting in vga from safe mode. This computer isn't connected to the internet nor can it be with the owners current software which in a catch-22 won't install because the color resolution is too low so I can't do a automatic driver net upgrade.

-Cliff
 
It really is too old. You will have to either put in a graphics card or new tower. I had the same issue waaaay back when.
 
First I need to know your current CPU setup (make, model, amount of RAM, onboard graphics or video card). It is difficult to nail down the problem with out knowing what type of system I am dealing with here. It is quite possible that your current system cannot handle the load of XP.
 
It isn't mine, but I don't think it is a limitation due to it being newer and significantly more powerful than the computer that I am using now. The one with the problems has a 1.8Ghz Celeron/256MB, aopen MX4LS chipset, no graphics card.

-Cliff
 
Cliff Stamp said:
It isn't mine, but I don't think it is a limitation due to it being newer and significantly more powerful than the computer that I am using now. The one with the problems has a 1.8Ghz Celeron/256MB, aopen MX4LS chipset, no graphics card.

-Cliff
Click to expand...

How old is the computer in question? What size HD does it have? From what you are telling me so far it seems that the graphics and monitor do not meet the minimum requirements to run XP.
 
Don't know the age, 40 GB hardrive, though I don't see how that size of the hard drive could influence anything. XP runs fine on a system much older with far less capability 1Ghz/PIII/20GB.

-Cliff
 
Cliff Stamp said:
Don't know the age, 40 GB hardrive, though I don't see how that size of the hard drive could influence anything. XP runs fine on a system much older with far less capability 1Ghz/PIII/20GB.

-Cliff
Click to expand...

It makes a difference because to find out what is causing the problem I need to know every spec about the unit and it's monitor and make deductions as to what the cause could be (conflicts with software & hardware). Does the unit have onboard graphics (built in)? If it doesn't then the monitor could not be working to it's full potential. What are the specs on the monitor? Brand? Model?
 
He has enough RAM, his processor is with in requirements, his graphics chip is within spec...:confused:...it's gotta' be the monitor. Are there drivers for the monitor? Some monitors require a driver. I know my Viewsonic had drivers I had to install way back when. Can you try downloading the driver from another Pc and saving it to a thumb drive for installation on this bad PC?
 
I don't claim to know everything, but it seems to me the problem is video card drivers. Saying it doesn't have a video card isn't really true; it does have one, built in to the motherboard. It won't work without drivers. (Is it really four colors, though? It should be able to display 16 colors 640x480 with just the generic vga driver built into Windows....)

The usual procedure is to install motherboard drivers first, then the operating system. Doing it the other way around might not work at all. Can you format the drive and start from scratch, installing the motherboard drivers first this time? Are the motherboard drivers still available?

If you can't do that, you could put a video card in a slot and use that.
 
Yes, have tried two monitors, the last was a Viewsonic 17GA. Both worked fine under 98. I thought it could be a monitor issue but read elsewhere it was not and was a chipset problem but installing those drivers did nothing.

-Cliff
 
P.S. In my limited experience some monitors require drivers for optimum performance, but they can do a lot better than basic vga without that; the monitor drivers are just for fine-tuning the color.
 
Cougar Allen said:
It won't work without drivers. (Is it really four colors, though?
Click to expand...

Yes, 4-bit not four colors.

Can you format the drive and start from scratch, installing the motherboard drivers first this time?
Click to expand...

Sure.

If you can't do that, you could put a video card in a slot and use that.
Click to expand...

Don't have one and this is a charity project.

-Cliff
 
Not all mobo's have on board video. Given that this one functioned prior to O.S. upgrade tells me that it does. Why can't you connect to the internet? This is where XP shows its stuff. Are you using dial up, or DSL/etc ?
 
The internet connection is cable and the setup software refuses to run due to the low resolution settings.

-Cliff
 
Cliff Stamp said:
It isn't mine, but I don't think it is a limitation due to it being newer and significantly more powerful than the computer that I am using now. The one with the problems has a 1.8Ghz Celeron/256MB, aopen MX4LS chipset, no graphics card.

-Cliff
Click to expand...

The A-Open motherboard uses an on-board video card ( I had one ) (and onboard sound). You need to go to the A-Open website (using another computer) or ask the client to find the pink motherboard driver disk that was supplied with the system.

Most of the other suggestions are spurious, it has nothing to so with the upgrade, (apart from the fact it has wiped out the driver), or the monitor, or XP. http://download.aopen.com.tw/Default.aspx?sDropDownCategory=Driver&Website=
 
I have done that already, installed the motherboard drivers. Tomorrow I'll see if it makes any difference if they are installed first and then install XP as Cougar suggested. But this seems odd to me since if XP did delete them won't it just do the same thing again.

-Cliff
 
Cliff Stamp said:
The internet connection is cable and the setup software refuses to run due to the low resolution settings.

-Cliff
Click to expand...

If you have a high speed/dsl/cable connection what set up software are you trying to run? If you are trying to run an isp cd skip it, you don't need it to connect to the www. And when you say it refuses to run what do you mean? You insert the cd and what happens? When you boot up do you come to the XP splash screen? I own 5 computers, today anyway it varies, running XP Pro, Home, and Media Center. And I can connect to the www with no monitors connected. The problem lies else where, is this a bootleg?
 
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