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Compaq Deskpro EN


Shaorin

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You don't necessarily need drivers for that card if you only want to check if it works or not. Especially on a Win10 system.

 

Once again I'm telling you what do do in BIOS on both machines: search through all possible option screens, find a setting that allows you to select where to look for a videocard first (ISA/PCI/AGP/PCIe) and choose PCI if available (not PCIe).

 

Then if you connect the monitor to the new videocard's output and reboot you should see the POST sequence and maybe the Windows boot sequence, possibly also the desktop in low colors/resolution. But as long as you see the POST sequence it means the card is (mostly) OK so you can mount it in the Deskpro, where you have to do the BIOS thing above too.

 

If you don't change the videocard lookup priority, the system will always use the built-in and ignore the PCI card (although there are boards that allow both the add-in and the built-in at the same time). That may be the only reason why your previous card didn't work (and the new one might not work either). Once you see it working on the Win10 machine you'll know whose fault is.

Edited by Drugwash
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OK; then replace "Win10" with "Win98" in my comment above and tell me what happens after you do what it says:

- did you get any visual output (even if only the POST screen) from the ATI card on that 98 system?

- did you find any setting on the Deskpro that can select PCI for video initialization and have you selected PCI there?

- did you get any visual output from the ATI card on the Deskpro after connecting the monitor to it and powering up the system?

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well i went into bios and looked i try to change some stuff that i thought i can do... but i get no screen from the ATI card and i windows dont even fin it as a unknown divaes.

i did post one time with one long beep and 2 shorter ones not sure what that means.  i did change the sound card and ati card i get the PC to boot into windows but still no screen oin ATI card it find the sound card no problem. and i get my screen from the inbuilt card 

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According to BIOS Central:

1 long, 2 short | Video error | Check the video adapter and ensure it's seated properly.  If possible, replace the video adapter

 

You said you had an old PCI card that you tried before getting the new one. Do they both exhibit the same behavior? Do you get the same beep sequence with both cards?

 

Since Windows is starting and not detecting the videocard plus the soundcard was moved - if I understand correctly - from one slot to another and it still works, that means the PCI slots are in good shape but either:

- both videocards require a newer PCI version

- both videocards are defective

- BIOS does not allow video other than the built-in

- BIOS is not set to initialize video from PCI first

 

One of these days I'll have to pull my Deskpro from under that pile of thingies and fire it up, see what it can (and cannot) do. Right now I'm out of ideas other than what I said above.

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ok thanks you help me alot. well i only get 2 card. one are shapire 9200 whits give no video on inbuilt card and the other are the rage card that give video on the inbuilt card.

 

i know you can use the riva TNT 2 PCI card. seen videos about that, 

 

but i dont know why i dont get any video from the card even fi dont get any dirvers i still should get something. i did try to cahnge some IQ setting so they all have diffrent numbers but i dont know., i know nothing about this stuff and its so furstreting. the worst part of all are that there is no dirver to be find. i wonder how people are doing it these days, 

 

i just wanted a 98 PC play old games and play areound in the 98 system but its so many problems to even get the thing to work...

and when the market are dead it cost to much to buy a system from Ebay i mean it cost up to 150€ not included shipping with is on like 100-200€ so its not cheap at all.

 

but i will still try, id ont know if 32vMB are good or not i wanted to ahve 128 mb to be on safe side but well it not working. but i will still try not giveing up yet.

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The PCI Sapphire card I've seen on a quick search is 64MB not 128MB. Only the AGP versions were 128MB. Are you sure your cards are PCI?

 

Don't mess with the IRQs in BIOS, there should be - if available - only a PCI/AGP selection for video initialization. Otherwise either the BIOS won't accept a PCI videocard or it should switch to it automatically when detected.

The fact that the Sapphire doesn't allow output video on the built-in could mean that the BIOS recognizes it and accepts it but either it can't power it up, can't fully communicate with it or the card is defective.

 

A 32MB videocard should be acceptable for old games so at this point either card would be fine if only it worked. Let me see if I can start my machine one of these days and look in the BIOS for useful settings. Don't break anything in the mean time! :D

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well i can go into bois and look and it  says AGP 64MB i can change it from 64 to 32 not sure what it does but i ahve set it for 64. and its fun for there is no APG slot in teh computer only the earlier had it or it only was the one with 2 drive bays im unsure but i seen some youtube vid on one that had APG slot.

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That may be the AGP aperture or the amount of RAM it takes for the built-in video. Either way, that means the internal video works with an AGP bus which is superior to PCI. It just doesn't have an external AGP slot for an alternative card. I think my board may be similar to yours; I'll see when I open it.

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Here we go. I fired up my Deskpro. In BIOS there's an Advanced menu item. Under it there are a few options as seen in this screenshot. Those are the regular options with no additional videocard in any PCI slot.

 

When a (compatible) videocard is mounted in a PCI slot, the same menu is modified as seen in this screenshot. Note the presence of an extra item called PCI VGA Configuration.

If that item is not present after mounting the card then something is wrong. That is, assuming your BIOS works like mine.

 

Now, if that menu item is present, opening it will display a dialog similar to the one in this screenshot. I've used an S3Trio64V2/DX videocard. The only alternative would have been a more obscure Alliance Semiconductor AT24 card; I don't have any newer PCI videocard around.

 

In that dialog the preferred video can be set as Primary VGA Device.

 

The BIOS does not allow both videocards to be enabled. The preferred videocard will be enabled while the other one will automatically be disabled, as can be seen in this screenshot.

In that same dialog (Advanced > PCI Devices) the videocard IRQ can be chosen from a few available options if there are problems with the operating system or the driver.

 

When I first mounted the S3 card and powered up the machine, the built-in video was automatically disabled. There also was a beep sequence (one long three short, I think). It took another reboot to actually get video output from the S3, then I went into BIOS and tweaked the few available settings. So you should try again with the Sapphire, make sure you connect the monitor to it before powering up and reboot again if you don't get any image at first boot.

 

When you mount the card, look if it's fully inserted in the PCI slot - you may gently bend the metal bracket if the card is not correctly aligned (sticks out a millimeter or two at the rear end).

Be careful with the riser slot, look at the contacts and if they look dirty/oxidated take a pencil rubber and clean them up, then push it down firmly but gently to make sure it's fully inserted. You can do the same to the videocard if needed, but careful not to break any components.

My riser only has two PCI and one ISA (the ISA and one PCI are shared so there's only two avaialble bracket holes at the rear).

 

If none of the two videocards works then try to find a very old one (such as the S3 I used) just to verify that the PCI slots work and the BIOS recognizes a videocard and offers the options.

Then try to test both videocards on a slightly newer machine with a "sane" BIOS that should accept them without problems and see if they actually work or are defective.

That should definitely shed some light on where the problem lies and what to do further.

 

I need some sleep now, it's 2:30 AM here. Good luck! ;)

Edited by Drugwash
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In addition the "nice try, driveragent" is incorrect. You clicked on the wrong "download" button.

 

What happens is if you click on the "right" one, you get a "driverguide downloader" file (an entirely different thing), which when run (and skip all the "optional" baloney that you don't want), you'll get the Driver in "<YourUserID>\Downloads" folder -or- (maybe) "C:\Downloads" folder.

 

You're doing it wrong. And I can't vouch for whether that's the right one. I have no need for it so haven't downloaded it. It lists as

which *may* include the VR driver. :unsure:

 

HTH

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