Windows ME display adapter problems

[WomanOnJupiter]

Hi, coming here for help.

I plugged in a new set of speakers and ever since my computer will only start in safe mode. I have a Compaq Presario 5WV285 desktop.

I'm also getting display adapter error messages. Tried to re-install the driver, but lots of files weren't found. Then I tried to install a new driver but whenever I try to reboot for the changes to take place, I get a blue screen. When I turn off the computer and reboot that way, it starts in safe mode and the display adapter process starts again.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

[Joeberg]

Welcome to PCMech :)

What version of Windows are you using?

Hmm... I'm guessing you did not actually change the sound card, but just connected a set of speakers, right?

Did you make any drastic changes, hardware wise?
Did you install any new software recently? If so, have you tried unintalling the software?

Do you know the exact video card you are using? Have you located new drivers and have you tried uninstalling- reinstalling them?

[WomanOnJupiter]

Thanks for responding.

I'm using Windows ME. The blue screen (when I tried to reboot) said "NVCORE(01) + 000402 ED Error:0E: 0028: 0164AD6D."

All I did was unplug earphones from the back of the computer and plug in new speakers. All downhill from there.

[Joeberg]

Hope this will help:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];Q246880

For some reason the link on the Microsoft page is dead - but it seems that there is a problem, and it will need to have a new video driver installed - Do you know the exact video card model #?

-Joe

EDIT:

Found the drivers:

Uninstall the video drivers, and install these:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?dlc=en&lc=en&os=209&product=93930&lang=en&cc=us&softwareitem=33655

For reference, these are all the drivers for your PC:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?dlc=en&lc=en&product=93930&lang=en&cc=us&os=209

Odd that this is a video problem, but that's what I'm understanding from the errors... Weird....

[WomanOnJupiter]

Ok, I uninstall the old driver...then it's going to tell me to reboot. Do I reboot and how exactly do I install the new driver? I've downloaded it and it's in an exe file.

Thanks again.

[Joeberg]

Ok, you go to Control Panel>System>Device Manager>Display Adapters. You will right click your video adapter, and click 'properties'. Under the driver tab, you will click uninstall. It will proceed, and then reboot. Once you reboot, install the new drivers by running the exe program... That should cure the problem...

-Joe

[WomanOnJupiter]

And that should cure the problem of the computer only booting in safe mode?

Ok, going to try.

Will check back soon. :)

[Joeberg]

Hopefully - that should cure the error itself, which should stop the computer booting in safe mode...

[WomanOnJupiter]

Back again.

Your fix helped alot...no longer getting the error messages and there's no conflict with the display adapter now, however, it appears my machine is still booting up in safe mode OR for some reason, I can only get 16 colors in settings (no other options given) and all the desktop icons are big.

Any more ideas?

Thanks.

[GaryRouth]

Hi WomanOnJupiter

If you were booting into Safe Mode, you'd likely know it = a screen displays during the boot telling you so.

It sounds like the file you downloaded didn't run an installation for your driver yet, and you are stuck using the "Standard VGA" driver that is built into Windows Me. [You can check this by right-clicking on your "My Computer" icon, selecting "Properties", "Device Manager", and then click on the plus (+) sign next to Display adapters - it will likely either say Standard VGA or the name of your video card].

If you see "Standard VGA" listed in Device Manager, and you ran the .exe file that you downloaded, what you might have done is simply extracted the compressed files contents into a folder on your computer - a common place is in the Temporary Files folder, or a folder created with the vendor's name. If you can find those files, look for one named "setup.exe" (or similiar). This should start the installation.

The other alternative is to download the files again, and try again.

If you see the name of your video card displayed, check to see if you can change the screen settings. Right-click a blank area of your desktop, select "Properties", then "Settings", and see if you can choose more colors and a higher resolution. If you can, then the driver did install after all. (And you can use this "Settings" screen to make changes. To make such changes easier to do, click the "Advanced" tab to the lower right of the "Settings" tab - look for an item "Show settings icon on taskbar" and place a checkmark in the box next to it [this will allow the Win9x "QuickRes" utility to run - you'll have one-click access to screen changes]).

Best of luck
. . . Gary

[WomanOnJupiter]

You're right. I'm not in safe mode...it's just the way everything looks with the diminished video capabilities.

I appear to be in some kind of looping hell.

Every time I uninstall the old nvidia drivers and reboot, I get a message saying windows has found new hardware and is loading the software for it.

Occasionally a wizard will pop up and let me update the drivers. I get a list with the following:

Nvidia Vanta (6-8-2000)
Nvidia Vanta LT (Compaq) v. 1247 (5-16-2001)
Standard PCI Graphics Adapter (VGA) (6-8-2000)

When I select one of the first two, it says files are missing.

Not sure what I've done, but I'll try to find that setup.exe file and try again.

Thanks.

[glc]

Try some generic Nvidia drivers.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/det_xp_win9x_28.32.html

[WomanOnJupiter]

Think they/it will be compatible with Windows ME?

[Joeberg]

They should be...

-Joe

[glc]

Yes, that's an older driver that's compatible with 95/98/ME and a Vanta/Vanta LT adapter.

[WomanOnJupiter]

Just my luck. When I try to d/l those generic drivers, I only get a "This page Cannot Be Displayed."

[glc]

Try this one.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/det_xp_win9x_29.42.html

[WomanOnJupiter]

The update device driver wizard popped up and when I tried to install the new driver after executing the exe file, I got the files missing messages again with the option of browsing for the missing files. Why are the files missing?

Thanks.

[glc]

When you ran the executable, it probably extracted the package into a folder - look on your hard drive for Nvidia folders.

[WomanOnJupiter]

It's the only nvidia folder on my computer.

[GaryRouth]

Hi again

I'd guess that the cpqdrv folder contains either the original video drivers, or the drivers from the Compaq download that Joe linked you to [which look like they should have worked = they usually install OK].

One way you can find the file(s) that the driver installation is missing - is to leave the "file so-and-so.drv is missing" window alone, but make a note of the name of the file(s) it's looking for: then use Windows Explorer to search your system for you --> then you can click the "Browse" button on that original "file is missing" window - and point the installation to the correct location by browsing to it's location.

Since this is a WinMe system: if you've had System Restore running, you have the option of trying this: boot into Safe Mode (start tapping the F8 key as the system is starting up) - and try a System Restore to a restore point from before the new speakers & crazy video problem.

I'm not sure how a speaker would effect a video driver - unless you had a short-circuit of some sort, and experienced some data corruption as a result. Just out of curiousity, when you look in Device Manager, do you see any yellow exclamation marks or red X's? [you can find Device Manager if you go to the "System" icon in Control Panel -- it's available from one of the tabs in that applet]

I'm also curious to hear if the system is keeping the correct time and date - a lot of motherboard batteries from the Win98/WinMe era are due for replacement about now (they only cost $1.50, so it's no big deal - it's a little coin battery about the size of a dime).

I imagine you might have more questions - let us know.
Good luck!
. . . Gary