Problems installing new GeForce 4 ti 4600

[RyeCatcher]

I am trying to install a new PNY GeForce 4 ti 4600 into my Dell Dimension 4100. After I install the card and boot up I get:
While initializing device VDD
Windows Protection Error
You must restart your computer.
I have Windows ME/DX8.1/latest Detonator 30.82/Current video card is a GeForce 256/Intel 82815E MOBO/P3 933
I tried looking for the latest AGP drivers on Intel's site but no luck.
Dell's site certainly didn't help. Reinstalling the GeForce 256 I have no problems. PNY's site didn't help much either and tech support is only open during the day from 9 to 7.
What was strange is that the card worked fine for a couple of days.
I was playing Jedi II at 1600 by 1200 and it was smooth as silk which I thought was amzing since I only have a P3 933.

Thanks for any help you might have.

Daniel

[alex666]

For what it's worth, I installed a brand new PNY GeForce 4 ti 4400 into a computer I built. Downloaded the newest drivers, etc. It worked fine for about two hours, and then the picture got really strange. Distortions, odd color streaks, etc. What was even odder was that this happened even when I was in the bios setup. The letters changed shape in front of me. It reminded me, seriously now, of a bad acid trip I had back in 1978. Anyway, I freaked. I returned the card to the Circuit City where I bought it and they promptly gave me a brand new one. In retrospect, I feel badly because I don't think there was anything wrong with the board. Rather, I went to the PNY site before installing the second card and obtained info about the various bios settings you should make using this card, stuff like shadow bios, whatever. They had all their recommendations listed. Some did not apply to my board (soltek drv5, kt333), but many did. Anyway, I made sure I made all those adjustments, and the second card has worked just fine for several months now. I was just amazed that they did not have that kind of info in their installation manual. Anyway, I don't know if this will apply to you, but perhaps it may. For what it's worth.

Marty
Verona, VA

[RyeCatcher]

Yeah I saw that too. I'm not too thrilled about screwing with my BIOS but I can try that.

Thanks,

[mjc]

This isn't the same a flashing an updated version. If you stick to only the settings outlined at the card manufacturer's site you should be ok.

[alex666]

Concur with MJC totally. This is easy stuff, not hard. To feel comfortable, just look it all over before you make any changes. Technically, you will not be "screwing" with your bios, but rather making appropriate changes. In my case, it turned out to be only 3 or 4 changes.

[RyeCatcher]

I'm not seeing the BIOS settings that were outlined on the PNY site.
The only one I saw was the AGP aperture which was set to 64 and the only other option was 32. None of the other settings were there.
I also tried the new det 40.71 but no luck.
Now I just get
Windows protection error
You must restart your computer
It doesn't even refer to a virtual device driver.

[alex666]

Hmm, after reading your last post, I looked at my wife's dell gx240 bios, and I did not see any settings as described on the pny site. Whether the mobos/bioses are the same, I don't know, but the options were limited. Hmm. NOt sure what to tell you. Hopefully there are others here who might have some ideas. Have you tried looking up windows protection error, any related messages, and see what you get? When I had the problems with my 4400, I was replacing a geforce2 card that had worked just fine. It was the 4400 that required changes in the bios. Try a search on that, you know, 4400 problems, whatever. Good luck.

Marty

[ski]

2 things to try:
-Use an older driver. If you got a driver CD with the card, install that driver.
-If the above does not work, start in Safe mode, look up the names of the drivers for all video cards in Device Manager and delete them(DO NOT delete any drivers supplied by MS or listed as 'unknown'), remove all video cards from Dev. Mgr., restart, Windows should recognize the new video card, install the drivers.