Device Manager Disaster

[classicsoftware]

I got a PC from a friend recently after he upgraded.

Took the PC home and it would not boot.

It POSTED but when the driver for the video card loaded, the monitor went off and the power light on the monitor went from green to orange.

Booted into safe mode.

There are yellow! after the sound card and video card.

Unable to re-install drivers.

I have rest the bios and changed a number of bios settings but to no avail.

It appears the BIOS set up for the PCI slots is not communicating the information for IRQ's to Windows. When I look for the devices by IRQ, they do not list.

System Specs:

Generic (Everex) P-III 450 mhz 8.4 GB hard disk, 128 MB RAM, D-dlink ethernet card works fine can get on my network and get on line, SoundBalster Sound Card (not working) ATI Rage pro 128 video card (not working). Award Madular Bios ver 4.5

When I download and installed the ATI driver from the website, it says I do not have the appropriate hardware for the driver installed.

Should I flash the Bios? Should I upgrade the BIOS? Should I re-install Windows? Should I remove the peripherals and try to re-seat them? This machine was working fine before I got it.

I will await the advise of minds more experienced than mine.

Thanks in advance for your prompt responses.

Michael

[mjc]

Quite often what you described will happen when the refresh rate is set wrong for the monitor....you can try removing the video driver in safe mode and letting the generic driver get installed....this should allow you to reinstall the video driver and/or update the monitor.

[classicsoftware]

Thanks MJC, but that's not the problem. I even get the yellow ! with the generic driver.....

Next suggestion please?

Thanks.

[James Bond 007]

You might ask the previous ower if the computer has any driver software for the monitor,pci cards or anything else (and reinstall that).When you turned the computer on did you smell anything funny like melting plastic?You might check and see that any of the cards inserted in the mother board arn't touching some times these things are so close the do touch.Check to see that all you connections to the rear of the computer are connected properly.What did you get exactely,the whole Computer,or the mother board by it's self?If you got the mother board and that only I would recommend re inserting the cards, they fit tightly.

[diurnal]

When in doubt a fresh install is the way to go. You probably had a bad upgrade install. If its windows 98 or ME then when you upgraded the devices it probably corrupted the OS.

I would do a clean reformat using format c: /s /u

I would not upgrade the BIOS by no means. IF the new hardware you put in the computer is not compatible with the existed BIOS, then i would upgrade the motherboard to a newer model.

Try the clean install and post back. LUCK

[classicsoftware]

When I say upgraded, I mean he got a new computer.....

This is a HARDWARE problem. Windows can recoginze PCI devices. It seems the BIOS is not generating IRQ or other resources that the OS can pick up...

[Budfred]

Just had a thought, so I thought I'd ask... does the monitor you are using have the capability to handle the resolution native to the video card? Since the problem occurred when you loaded the driver and it works in Safe Mode at lower settings, I thought it was a reasonable shot in the dark.

Good luck,
Budfred

[david eaton]

classicsoftware

Silly question, but how old is this machine?

Have you tried replacing the CMOS battery? Had all sorts of funny happening on my machine, until I realised that the battery was flat!


David

[Paul Komski]

Is there on-board video as well as the ATI card?

[classicsoftware]

NO on board video or sound.

[Paul Komski]

These may be obvious but:-

Have you tried changing the "PCI Bus IRQ Steering" options in Device Manager?

Have you considered removing the NIC and the SoundCard; and also re-seating the Videocard.