Another Problem: Safe Mode after installing Graphics Drivers

[Two|Bit]

Yesterday, I reinstalled Windows ME on my Brother's computer. I ran into come problems but managed to figure them out.

I remembered that I didn't install the video drivers for it yet today, so i went to Nvidia's website to download. Here's the link: http://www.nvidia.com/object/win9x_81.98.html. When I ran the drivers the first time, it said that the file was corrupt and that I needed to download again (I don't know if that it relevant to my problem or not).

I downloaded again and ran, and it went fine. It told me to restart and i did. I walked away while it was restarting and I came back to see the screen saying something like "The last time windows loaded, it was unsuccessful". It had options to load in Safe Mode and such. I decided just to load regular and it showed the "Windows ME Splash screen" and the flash line, and then the computer just turned off.

I went into safe mode, after restarting, and got a help file It suggested to try a system restores (didn't work), removing the driver (wasn't there), going into MSconfig and removing some start up files (didn't work), restoring the registry (didn't work), and now it suggests REINSTALLING!!

What should I do? What else should I try? This is ticking me off. What would have caused this?

[ktkendall]

Sure sounds like loading those vid drivers caused all your problems, and this does happen to be one of the downfalls of Win ME. Are you sure they were the correct drivers for your model of vid card?? You at this point may just have to reinstall windows fresh, then make sure you create a restore point before loading vid drivers, then go ahead and load them, making sure they are the right ones. You may want to to use the one found on the actual website for the actual manufacturer of your vid card. This is also why I have changed over to ATI based vid cards, those NVIDIA drivers were just driving me nuts, so now I have both PC's here in my home are Intel/ATI based machines, and yes they cost a bit more than the usual AMD/NVIDIA based machines I used to have but they are rock solid, no driver problems and I think I just may have these 2 machines around for quite awhile..

[Two|Bit]

Can I reinstall windows and still have everything there, like programs and stuff? I bet if they are still there though that they would be flacky right, like unstable? Im pretty sure those are the drivers, i remeber getting them before. Would making a restore point before installing these the first time make it possible to go back and do it properly?

[ktkendall]

Yes I do remember reinstalling windows overtop and fixing things so windows will boot and keeping everything else intack. Yes when you get windows up and running stable and how you want it, create a restore point, then do your vid drivers and if they hose everything up again just do a system restore to the point you just created right before you tried to load the vid drivers.
Can you post back some specs on that PC also??

[Two|Bit]

I decided just to do a clean install, because I had accidently partitioned the drive, and my bro didn't understand what that was all about, but now i don't know what format to use for the drive... I tried FAT32 (LBA) and FAT 16, and the install didn't seem to like those... i don't know which one to use. Im kinda ticked.

The computer is an old dell Dimension 4100, i think its a 400Mhz pentium 3, 256 RAM, 20GB hardrive, nvidia TNT graphics, thats about all i can say

[Panama Red]

I've had trouble with nVidida drivers for older cards, both from nVidia and from Windows Update. I use the ones from the Dell (or applicable manufacturer) site for that machine. Works every time.

[Two|Bit]

Ill keep that in mind, thanks red

[glc]

Use *ONLY* the official Dell drivers for that machine. Use FAT32.

[Two|Bit]

OK, this is an Update. When I use FAT32(LBA) windows loads fine. It seems when i don't use this (LBA) windows won't install. I have another problem though.

When I got to install windows, everything will happen fine, except when it gets to the first restart. After the first restart i will select load from harddrive and it will give me a long string of wierd characters, percent signs, happy faces, greek letters, stuff like that.

After the first restart, I am supposed to choose load from harddrive, correct? thats what it defaults to. I have tried many times, but windows won't install...it went off without a hitch yesterday, i don't know why its not working today...

[ktkendall]

Sounding like possible defective harddrive or IDE controller.. I would run diagnostics on the harddrive..

[GaryRouth]

. . . just a note of caution here: if you change the type of drive in a computer's Bios after already having data written onto it when it was set to another type of drive, you risk corrupting that data & possibly losing it entirely! (Put the bios settings for the drive to "Auto" if possible, and leave it that way).

Try this: use a WinMe boot diskette from http://www.bootdisk.com to startup, then use the tool fdisk to delete all current partitions, and to create one Primary DOS Partition - and mark it active. You can let the Windows Me Setup program format the drive for you -if asked to "Enable Large Hard Disk Support?" answer Yes (this will let the installation format the drive with FAT32).

If you attempted to use ForceWare drivers on a WinMe system, that could be interesting, since the Tnt series isn't supported in many of the recent versions. You have to use one of the older versions from the archives. Some are available on this webpage at nVidia's site http://www.nvidia.com/object/win9x_archive.html

See if that does it.
. . . Gary

[glc]

Gary, if it's a Dimension 4100 with "TNT graphics" it has a TNT2 M64 card. Dell has the correct drivers on their support site. Forceware drivers will not work properly.

http://ftp.us.dell.com/video/M64W9A03.EXE

[Two|Bit]

OK, I know what drivers to use for next time, the problem is installing now...Install works fine, until the system restarts. I get these funny characters and two beeps of the computer...maybe i have partitioned and formatting too much? I have been doing it alot since its been messing up all the time...

[GaryRouth]

Did you use fdisk to delete the old partitions, create new ones, and start over yet - [while first setting the hard disk to "Auto" in the Bios]?

If not, try that. -- and glc has pointed you to the right drivers.

________

I'm not sure about the two beeps. On many computers, two beeps indicates that a setting in the Bios Setup is incorrect - but there are several different codes around, depending on the Bios & version (for example, on some systems two beeps indicates a video error). Strangely enough, the troubleshooting guide for your model mentions flash codes (the three lights on your keyboard) and screen error codes, but nothing about beep codes (for those, they suggest calling Dell!).

When things are OK, you should hear one single beep = this indicates that the power-up self tests (POST) have finished OK.

Did you run the complete, "extended" Dell Diagnostics? If not the extended tests yet, try those.

. . . Gary

[remember - put the hard disk to Auto in Bios Setup - not to LBA, Large, or anything else - put it to Auto = the bios will auto-detect its capabilities - then delete/create your partition(s), run the diagnostics, and try the install again]

[Two|Bit]

OK I got ME installed again... i didn't use the Fdisk, but I used the partitioning software i have to make a partition of DOS FAT32. I don't know why, but when windows installed, it formatted over that, i selected Large disk, and away the install went. http://support.dell.com/support/down...6&fileid=27231 This the video driver is am going to use. Is this one ok?

OK guys don't worry about it. EVERYTHING is fixed. Im typing on the ME machine WOOT! Thanks everyone for responding

[Two|Bit]

OK, now when my brother plays games on this computer, like CS, it gives horrible performance, due to OpenGL not being supported. What can i do to solve this? Should i set a restore point and get the latest versions of the software?

[glc]

A TNT2 M64 is not really a gaming card. Your only choice is to risk your stability and use the Nvidia Forceware drivers.

Try an older version - http://www.nvidia.com/object/win9x_archive.html

[Two|Bit]

Originally Posted by glc A TNT2 M64 is not really a gaming card. Your only choice is to risk your stability and use the Nvidia Forceware drivers. Try an older version - http://www.nvidia.com/object/win9x_archive.html

Sorry, but are the Forceware drivers different from the type of driver that i have? Maybe just getting a newer card might be a good idea, that card is pretty out dated. By older version, do you mean anything before version 81.98... i tried to check the version that i have installed, and it didn't match that of the site you recommended... what version might i want to try? Would setting a restore point guarentee that, should anything go wrong, I won't have to reinstall the OS ?

[glc]

Setting a restore point in ME really doesn't guarantee *anything*. The driver you have is the Dell driver, they don't follow the Nvidia numbering scheme. The card supports OpenGL - are you saying the Dell drivers do not?

You can't put a much stronger card in a 4100 - it has a 200 watt PSU and it's proprietary.

[Two|Bit]

The dell driver doesn't support OpenGL... I couldn't put in a Radeon 9600? Thats takes too much power?

[glc]

A 9600 should be okay - I did have a customer running a GF4 Ti4400 in a 4100 for a while with no problems. The danger is if you do pop the stock power supply, it's difficult and expensive to find a stronger one that's got compatible wiring. Do not EVEN try to put a standard ATX in there - you will instantly blow the PSU and possibly the motherboard when you apply power.

[Panama Red]

Or you could use this adapter with a standard ATX psu.

http://www.endpcnoise.com/cgi-bin/e/...=dellconverter

[GaryRouth]

[nice link, Panama - I used to make adapters like that by hand a few years ago & what a pain that is (I usually made adapters for the Dell case connectors too) - $15 seems like a fair price to avoid the aggravation and risk]
. . . Gary

[kev7555]

WOW! All that trouble just to run Microsoft's worst operating system.

At 400MHz and 256 RAM that old Dell WILL run XP, although a bit slower then newer machines. I have several happy customers out there running XP on that same machine.


-Kev