ME laptop display problem

[Roanmt]

A friend just cleaned off my hard drive and re-installed ME back on my dell laptop. Now it won't go beyond 16 bit display. Also I only have this very small display. It doen't fill the screen like it did befor. Does anyone have any solutions for this. He thought that it may be my video card?? Help!!!!!!!!
Also, can a new video card be put into a laptop with out damaging the motherboard?? Thanks for any help out there.

[rjfvillarosa]

It sounds like your friend didn't use the original DELL CD that came with your machine in which case you are now missing the neccesary correct drivers for the graphics and Windows is using generic drivers.
Go to control panel>system>device manager and check to see if there is a yellow exclamation next to your video/graphics adapter, if there is you will need to go the DELL site and download the neccesary drivers.

[GaryRouth]

. . . and Dells usually have an easy-to-read sticker on the bottom of the unit with the model numbers and customer IDs you'll need as you search the Dell support site (you can get to it from dell.com if you're not sure).

rj has you going in the right direction - you need an "exact-match" driver, that's all.

By the way, while in Device Manager (see rj's instructions on how), make a note of ALL yellow exclamation points or red Xs.... You'll need drivers for all devices that are "flagged" in that way. Don't worry, they'll all be on the Dell site. [Note: if you happen to have the Dell "Resource CD" lying around, your drivers might be right there on the CD. Might be a bit out-of-date, but should work. You can always update them later.] And don't go on the Internet without a firewall and antivirus in place! You'll want to visit Windows Update as soon as possible to get current with Security Patches.
. . . Gary

[P.S. ... noticed that this is your first post here. Welcome to the PC Mechanic forums! ]

[Roanmt]

I did check the Device Manager and there are no yellow exclamation points or red X's there. It says everything is working properly. I have 4 disks for installation. Reinstallation CD WME, Dell Tools CD, Reinstalling Dell System Software, and Backupell-installed Programs. Nothing labeled Resource CD. I don't know which one or ones that he used to reinstall ME.
Is it posible that it could be the video card gone bad?? If so, can a new one be installed without problems?

[bailey]

I don't think your video card is bad, sounds like you didn't get all the drivers installed correctelly, at least the correct drivers for that system.

[rjfvillarosa]

Roan, first thing, is everything else working OK? (don't worry about no exclamation marks).
Go to device manager and try and make a note of any numbers or letters or even a name that appears in your graphics adapter tag. Now as Gary explained to you using the numbers from the bottom of your DELL, goto the DELL site and download the drivers for your graphics, try and match every number from the model number of your laptop to any numbers or letters you found in device manager. This way you will make more certain of getting the correct driver for your display, I doubt if there is more than one driver anyway but just to be certain. Try and download this driver onto another computer, as Gary says you don't want to be on the internet with your lap top if its not fully protected. Once you have downloaded the driver you can put it on a floppy or CDRW and just "update" the driver again in the device manager, when windows prompts you with an automatic search select to specify the driver/file and direct windows to where ever you have the driver file stored, just click browse and follow the drop down menu until you find the floppy or CDRW, whatever you used.




on a personal note...........hey Gary how you doing?

[Roanmt]

I went to dell and got the drivers. I downloaded them and then it said to restart. So when I restart my laptop, it comes up in hibernation mode. Then I shut down and it restarts in safe-mode. I restored to before I put in the new driver to get it to come back to windows. Any ideas? Thanks for the info about the drivers.

[rjfvillarosa]

Thats a bit strange, maybe there are motherboard drivers for this machine that you need to install first.
Can you take a look in device manager again and see if there are any exclamation marks now?

[Roanmt]

No, no exclamation marks in the device manager.

[rjfvillarosa]

Originally Posted by Roanmt Reinstalling Dell System Software

.

You said further back in the thread that you have this CD, it's possible that this CD contains motherboard and other system hard ware drivers, try installing what is on this CD and see where we get from there. If you can before you install this CD, put it in the laptop and post the list of things it has on it in the welcome screen of the CD, it should be a self launch CD so just put it in and see what happens.

[Roanmt]

This is what it lists for Me:
Application
Audio
Communications
Diagnostics
Documentation
Input
Utilities
Video

[rjfvillarosa]

I know this is probably getting you crazy, but better safe than sorry. Start with the obvious and install the video driver, if you get the chance ( I know it will be quick) see if you recognise any of the files (by name) during the video install as being the same or anything like the files that you downloaded from DELL

[Roanmt]

I got as far a s Diagnostic and it ran thru and found no errors, but it went into dos and I don't know how to get back. It says R:\DIAGS>
What do I do now??

[rjfvillarosa]

Can you not select just to install the video drivers only? and that message coupled with the problems you are having is leading me towards a hardware fault now.

[Roanmt]

I have to get out of this dos befor I can try to install video driver

[rjfvillarosa]

Won't it just restart, please don't tell me its stuck in DOS?

[Roanmt]

I finally got it out of dos and installed the video driver that was on the Cd. when i restarted the computer, it came up in hibernate again. I guess I will have to take it into the shop. I give up. But thank you all for trying to help. I really appreaciate it. Thank you.

[rjfvillarosa]

This is looking more and more like a hardware fault.
Can you tell me why your friend did the original format and reinstall of ME?

[Roanmt]

it was coming up in safe mode and I took it into a shop to have it looked at and they told me that windows was messed up and the hard drive needed to be cleaned off and windows reinstalled. But they wanted $300 to do it and I just didn't have the cash. My friend took out the hard drive and took off my music and pictures and cleaned it off and reinstalled with the software that I had from Dell. 16 colors is how the monitor came up as. So he thought that I needed another video card. But I didn't want to put one in because he never did that befor, to a laptop.

[rjfvillarosa]

It is a bit debateable as to wether you could change the video card, all lot of laptops have the video on board (in other words it is part of the motherboard) To be honest I am more inclined to think that it is a hard drive fault. Can you reasearch the hard drive and try to establish if it is DELL's own make or if it is another brand. You can then attempt harddrive diagnostics and see if the hard drive is faulty and if recovery is possible.
What model and year is the laptop.

[Mesaeus]

Roanmt, could you tell us all relevant info (like the model number and serial number, the page you visited to get the drivers (link please) ? Just want to go over there with a comb, because it just HAS to be a video card driver acting up. Also, Windows will not normally indicate a lack of a video card driver with an exclamation mark like the other hardware, it will use something like "Standard VGA" instead. Is it showing something like that under Display Adapter ?

Whatever you do, don't go spending the 300$, it's WAY too much for a simple Windows reinstallation and I'm betting that won't fix it either (and is probably all what that "shop" is able to do).

[Roanmt]

I bought it in 2001, it is a insprion 4000 . I believe the hard drive was a Toshiba brand.

[Roanmt]

Yes, it did show a standard VGA card when I looked up the card. And I tried to change it but it wouldn't let me. I just don't know why it goes into hibernation whenever I try to install something. I just tried to put in Mcaffee and it when into hibernation again when I re-started. The book says it takes a ATI Mobility M3 card, 128-bit accelerated,and A05 (M6.31.62.T01) THat is what is on the re-install disk.

[rjfvillarosa]

Roan can you try out this hard drive tool and I will check out that video card to see if it is available or if anyone else has had a problem with it.

This link will take you to a site to download a free trial of active smart.
http://www.softpedia.com/public/cat/13/8/13-8-38.shtml

[rjfvillarosa]

I have been looking around and I can't find any retailer that sells that video card, I have a feeling that is going to be a card unique to DELL, maybe one of the others here might know differently.

[Roanmt]

Ok put the active smart on and it says everything is Ok. Good status. Also says the hard drive is IBM

[rjfvillarosa]

At this point considering you haven't been able to get it to work properly, so no data loss, personaly I would now be thinking of a fresh format and reinstall of ME. This time watch every move it makes to see if there is the slightest hiccup or if a mistake was made during the last install. If this doesn't work then we are looking at a video or motherboard fault and unfortunately those are going to be DELL only parts I believe.Also try doing the reinstall using the DELL disks.

[Roanmt]

Ok, thank you all for trying to help. Good night.

[rjfvillarosa]

Your welcome and by the way welcome to PC Mech, please come back and let me know how you get on.

Richard..

[GaryRouth]

Hi all

Roanmt - Just for the heck of it, try this driver - slightly different from the one you mention, but from Dell and for your model Inspiron 4000 Ati Mobility M3/M4 http://support.dell.com/support/down...6&fileid=42474

Instructions are there on the download page, you might want to print them out.

[The ATi Mobility M3 probably isn't a separate "card", but an onboard part (soldered onto the mainboard) - that's why it won't usually be found in a search of add-on AGP cards. It looks like it was based on the Rage 128 chip - a nice performer in its day.]

Hope you have better luck this time!
. . . Gary