Color Quality Got Removed, How Do I Reinstall

[thecoralreef731]

On my windows 98 laptop, which I upgraded from a windows 95, the 32bit color doesn't work. It worked before I switched from 95 to 98, but now it doesn't. Are there any files that could be missing, that I could put back into the drive?

[eidenk]

Have you tried reinstalling your display drivers ?

[thecoralreef731]

How would I do that?

[eidenk]

Right-Click on My Computer and choose Properties. Then under Device Manager, remove the display adapter and reboot. This should work provided your graphic card has got drivers included in the Windows cabs. Anyway Windows will automatically redetect your display adapter at startup and install the best it has got so you won't be left without display at all but also maybe it will be 256 colors and 640x480 only.

If this fails maybe the best is to install Win98 without upgrading from Win95.

Also maybe you could look at which adapter you've got before deleting it and see if there is updated drivers for it to download somewhere.

[nil]

Hi thecoralreef.

I'll add that once you've found the driver for your laptops graphics adapter it's usually just a matter of double-clicking the file (if it's a .exe) after Windows has rebooted (and after canceling the 'New Hardware' wizard).

If the driver package is a .zip extract it's files to a folder of your choice then install via the 'New Hardware' wizard (or Display Properties->Settings->Advanced->Adaptor->Change) - select Next, Display a list of all..., Have Disk, then point it to the folder you created.

If you don't have a mainboard drivers CDROM or it doesn't include a suitable Win98 driver try download the appropriate file for your model from the laptop manufacturer's support pages.

Cheers.

[thecoralreef731]

Hmm... Reinstalling it didn't do anything. I want to be able to put it in 256 color mode, and the option is there, but it never takes effect after I restart my computer. Is there something wrong with the memory maybe?

By the way, I found out that I have Trident Super VGA. Not sure what you meant though, nil. I looked it up online, but there are a lot of updates that I could get. Here is the site, http://www.anime.net/~gigagon/trident/trident.htm. Please tell me if there is an update I could get.

Eidenk - I don't have my Windows 98 cd-rom easily available, and I think it is just an upgrade disk from Windows 95. Would win95 have 256 colors, or no? Any way to downgrade?

[nil]

Hmm... Reinstalling it didn't do anything. I want to be able to put it in 256 color mode, and the option is there, but it never takes effect after I restart my computer. Is there something wrong with the memory maybe?

On this recent MSFN thread umulig (who had similar problems) linked this page - both the thread and the article are well worth a read.

In the meanwhile try Display Properties->Settings->Advanced->General select "Apply the new color settings without restarting", click OK, change Colors to 256 and click Apply then OK to exit. Then reload Display Properties and check if Colors still reads 256.

If it does, reboot and see if the setting holds; if it doesn't (at any screen resolution) I can only suggest using a different driver - even Window's generic "Trident (Microsystems) Super VGA" driver should be good for 256 colours though.

By the way, I found out that I have Trident Super VGA. Not sure what you meant though, nil. I looked it up online, but there are a lot of updates that I could get. Here is the site...

I suggested checking the laptop manufacturer's site first (do a search for your laptop model and download the appropriate drivers from it's support page) as there's a good chance the graphics adapter is the same one sold with your laptop (and it will be of course if it's a built-in adapter... )

If you have no joy there download something like Everest Home Edition and get back with more specific model info about both the laptop and graphics adapter - the Trident Super VGA chipset was used by a large variety of graphics adapters so that list doesn't mean much to me either.

Cheers.

Edited November 30, 2005 by nil

[thecoralreef731]

More disappointment. I tried adding a new monitor, like you said, calling it a Dell m770, but the computer still insisted on making a default monitor.

I also tried the method of changing the advanced settings to "change settings without restarting", but it still required me to restart the computer.

If you could help more, I have an IBM Thinkpad, with a docking station attatched. Any specific downloads I could use? The link that you gave me didn't give me any customer service. Thanks for all the help.

[eidenk]

Hey corralreef, if you would read properly the link you, yourself, give, and follow the steps they give, you'd probably have fixed your problem by now, I think :

Windows 95 has a problem in setting your Trident PCI by itself. Whenever you re-install Win95, or upon installation of Win95, it will always detect your Trident card simply as 'Trident Super VGA', or it might have found your 9440/9680, but as ISA/VL. In any case, neither settings will take advantage of the 16bit or 24bit color modes your card is capable of supporting, where the onboard 1Mb of video memory is enough. To install your Win95 Trident driver correctly, go back into the [start][settings] [Control Panel] [Display] [settings] [Change Display Type] [Change (Adapter Type)] [show All Devices] [Manufacturers: (Standard Display Types)] [Models: Standard Display Adapter (VGA)] [Ok] [Ok] [Ok] and let your computer reboot. Once reboot, your PnP bus will detect a new hardware, and then you choose the [Have Disk] option to insert the disk drivers (that you have obtained from this web site, and autoextracted by running itself), and select accordingly. Remember to choose PCI. If the PnP did not show anything new upon bootup, repeat [start] [settings] [Control Panel] [Display] [settings] [Change Display Type] [Change (Adapter Type)] [Have Disk] to insert the disk drivers (that you have obtained from this web site, and autoextracted by running itself), and select accordingly. Remember to choose PCI.

The best way to troubleshoot your Trident video card is to get only the Trident video working, all by itself, and nothing else. This means a barebone computer, where all you have is the Trident video card, on the motherboard, with CPU, memory, one harddrive, floppy, and that's it. If you need the CD drive, copy drivers and your Windows .cab files onto the harddrive (into something like C:\WIN95 ) before you begin. After you get your Trident video working, go ahead and install that Voodoo 3dfx card, SCSI controller, modem, sound card, capture card, CD-R writer, etc. First get the video card working, then do the rest after, one by one.

Another way to solve driver conflits in general is to force your PC to redetect everything. Restart your computer in Safe Mode. Win95 users: hit [F8] when you see the dos scentence "Starting Windows 95..." Win98/Me users: after your computer does the memory check, keep one finger on [Ctrl] until you get the menu. Once your computer has booted to safe mode and you see the Start button:

Start

Run

type: regedit [Enter]

double-clik HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

clik Enum

on the top, Edit, Delete

close everything and restart your computer. Let it start up normally, it will re-detect everything.

http://www.anime.net/~gigagon/trident/trident.htm

[thecoralreef731]

It says that I have to install a driver from their website, but there are a lot. Does it matter which one I pick, as long as it is pretty close to what I think I have?

Edited December 2, 2005 by thecoralreef731

[thecoralreef731]

Okay, after a long time of trying, I finally got it to go to where it asks for the new hardware. But I still can't get the thing installed. I don't think my floppy drive works, and the internet is weird. Tell me if you have a clue of which one to install. It says "Remember to choose PCI". Does that mean I can choose any card that has PCI in the name?

[nil]

@coralreef.

I mean no rudeness by the following, just trying to give you a heads up on how you can help us to help you in future.

On my windows 98 laptop...

If you could help more, I have an IBM Thinkpad, with a docking station attatched...

Although "IBM Thinkpad" is less vague than "laptop" it's the model number (A20m, A20p, G40, R40e,...) you really should be mentioning. I've never owned/serviced a laptop much less an IBM Thinkpad so even that info wouldn't immediately mean much to me, but at least I would've had something more useful to search for. That said, just by googling "IBM Thinkpad" I got to http://www.ibm.com/support/us/, and a search of the site got me the following:

Software and Device Drivers - ThinkPad

Troubleshooting by symptom - ThinkPad

Troubleshooting video display issues - ThinkPad

You'll surely find something of interest in that lot.

Does it matter which one I pick, as long as it is pretty close to what I think I have?

Does that mean I can choose any card that has PCI in the name?

It's definately not a flash idea just to slap any old driver on your system based solely on a name, and near enough certainly isn't good enough in most cases. As I mentioned earlier there's a number of variations of the "Trident Super VGA" chipset, and even the same chipset can be implimented differently on different manufacturers adapters. When you work out the specifics of your display adapter you'll need to download and install the driver for the exact model you have.

But I still can't get the thing installed. I don't think my floppy drive works...

Do you actually need to use the floppy drive to install the display drivers?

I tried adding a new monitor, like you said, calling it a Dell m770, but the computer still insisted on making a default monitor.

Neither eidenk or I suggested you add a new, much less custom, monitor (driver) to your system. "Display drivers", as eidenk put it, is just another name for graphics/video adapter drivers, ie. drivers for your "video card" (which may not be a plugin card at all but rather integrated on the motherboard).

As I alluded to in a recent post on another thread, model specific monitor drivers are a little like seatbelts in cars - they may not be needed to get your monitor to work but they're something you should certainly consider installing if possible (at the very least they may allow your system to access display resolutions not available with the generic Windows monitor drivers).

If you do want to install another monitor driver for your Dell m770 the download can be found on this page. If you know you have a need to create a custom driver you'll still be wanting to stick to the manufacturers specs (otherwise you run the real risk of killing your monitor...) - try this page for that info.

Just to make things clear though, you're unlikely to solve your display problems just by adding a new monitor driver.

...and the internet is weird.

Well, no arguments here. Learn how to use search engines, and take the time to read what you find, and you'll at least find it a much friendlier place.

Good luck!

Edited December 2, 2005 by nil

[eidenk]

Hi again, thecoralreef731,

If I was you I would do this :

Right-click on the desktop. Choose Properties/Settings/Advanced/Adapter/Change/Next/Display a list/Next/Show all hardware/Trident Microsystems. There should be five different models : Trident 9320 PCI, Trident 9420 PCI, Trident 9440 PCI, Trident 9685/9680/9682/9385/9382/9385-1 PCI and Trident Super VGA. You know you don't want the last one. Try the other ones. I am almost sure the one you need is there.

Alternatively you also can :

Go in Control Panel/Add New Hardware. Choose Device not in the list. Click Next. Choose select Hardware from a list. Click next. Double click on Display Adapters. Scroll the manufacturer list until you find Trident Microsystems.