More Awesome Than You!

urgh!

I'm really beginning to believe that this computer isn't meant to ever have XP on it (unfortunately, hubby has a bee in his bonnet over it and is continuing to try!)

previously, everything went well until we installed the graphics driver for my radeon 9600 - then it all goes phoeey and I have a nasty blue and green flicker instead of a display...  after a week, we hear back from ATI's tech support, they say it's the AGP drivers, so we grab the latest version of those, and once again - phooey!  still the blue and green flicker...

at least this time hubby disabled something and I have a working computer, just no 3D graphics... 

does anyone have a clue what the problem could be?  does anyone else have a radeon 9600 running with XP?

Ness

The problem could be anything from a broke Radeon to the monitor being being plugged into the wrong socket, from the wrong driver to a hardware conflict, from a bad BIOS config to a Windoze glitch. Try running a full dxdiag and posting the results on a tech support forum eg: http://www.techsupportforum.com/

The fact that you are asking for help and your hubby isn't is somehow an amusing indictment of the bullheaded steretype of the "I'm NOT lost" male. Good luck kiddo.  ;)

Check to see if there is a hardware I/O conflict between your video card and another piece of hardware in your machine. You can check this by start > all programs > accessories > system tools > system information.

Then under Hardware Resources click conflicts/sharing

I do know that some Creative sound cards have I/O conflicts with some Radeon cards if the two cards are in slots right next to each other.  They have to be at least one slot from each other or they try to use the same ports.

Make sure you have the latest version of directx because catalyst drivers need it to work properly.

I don't think it's a hardware issue...  the exact same system runs perfectly under 98, but hubby has decided that it needs to upgrade to XP, as far as I know, I've got on board sound

I'm far from being a techy, and that tech support forum looks like it would eat me alive!

Ness

i have a radeon x600. its not the same, but its the same engine. don't you have the original cd for the board with the original drivers? maybe you should unistall the drivers you installed and install the original ones again.

Then look on ATi site for a Catalyst version that is compatible with the 9600. i don't know if the last one (5.9) is, but i think it is.
i think you must have already done this, but, heres the link anyway
https://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&folderID=27

I used to have a Radeon 9600 XT on my computer that has XP on it with no problems. Now my husband is using the same card on his computer (that also has XP).

It also needs .NET Framework from Microsoft, which btw SimPE also requires. You can get it on Windows update or by searching for it in Microsoft's download section. I believe SimPE will also automatically download it for you if you don't have it.

The thing with the drivers is, I know everyone always says to use the latest and EA's customer support seems to think the latest drivers will fix all the world's problems  ::) but if you find an older driver that works stick with it. Again with the if it ain't broke...

we have the latest direct x...  we've tried the drivers on the original disks, we've tried the drivers that windows will pick up when it looks for updates, we've tried grabbing the drivers directly and installing them manually (and it is the catalyst 5.9 driver)...  every time we do, we get the same thing as soon as we reboot after the graphics driver is installed - absolutely nothing on the display but a pretty blue/green flicker.

at least hubby has figured a way to keep the XP attempts going while I can still have a working computer under 98 - I have two hard drives, he will disable my C drive and reserve it for XP, while I get to install 98 on my D drive and work that way.

AARRGGHHHHH!

I NEVER want to install windows of any description again!  having watched XP being done about a billion times in this whole process, and knowing that 98 goes onto my computer without a hitch, I thought I would be up to the task of doing 98 by myself!!

not quite - took two attempts to go through the setup program - the first struck a glitch in the installation of the MB drivers and couldn't boot - but I've managed to get graphics and sound working...  but can't get the network working properly - my computer can see the other one, the other one can't see mine, and in no way can I get internet access - it keeps insisting on looking for a dial-up modem and refuses to acknowledge the ADSL router exists!

I guess I haven't done too badly for a first solo effort, but my brain is being forced to learn things it never wanted to!

Ness

Computers are a pain in the ass. Period. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Having built 6 computers from scratch and installed various versions of Windows more times than I care to remember, this is one thing I can attest to. I can generally get everything to work sooner or later after lots of trying, but there's periods in between where I want to just pick the whole damned thing up and throw it out the window. I think you did pretty darned well for your first try and the thing is nearly working so I wouldn't feel too bad.

Ness, why don't you install 98 on C: then install XP on D: for a dual boot system?  You can have both drives connected at the same time and it's a simple matter of rebooting the pc and selecting the drive you want to access whenever you feel like and it saves the hassle of disconnecting and reconnecting the drives.  98 has to go in first though for a dual boot with XP.

I think that's what will end up happening - hubby can have his litle pet project of getting XP to work, and I can have all my old games working - all at the same time...

I haven't yet been brave enough to install the sims - but I do have other games working which completely wouldn't on the XP install yesterday - I think I'll have huby check things out completely before I go putting something so resource hungry on...  but for a windows setup virgin I think I've done ok to get all but the network/internet connection working!

I there weren't another computer in the house that is fully functional I think i would have been seriously inclined to defenestrate the lot - or I would have bugged hubby at work all day over the phone (got to love the holidays you get as a teacher!) - for now, I'm content to sit back and play settlers 3 while I get some more of my infernal marking done!

Ness

Win98 & winXP don't like talking on a network. You're not trying to run Norton 2005 by any chance are you? With Internet Security enabled? That craps networks badly.

98 and XP have been talking to eachother on the network with no issues at all...  the ADSL router takes care of all of it...  and no nortons

I did eventually get the network (and thus internet) sorted when I realised where in control panel I told the computer that I didn't use a dial up connection - and then promptly had my sound die on me!

Ness

I found 98/XP networking easier to set up than 98/98, for some reason when both pc's were running 98 the networking would go screwy from time to time and take me forever to work it out. XP/XP networking is so much easier and so far (in a year or so) hasn't caused any problems.  I couldn't go back to those 98 networking days now since I've become spoiled with XP.

You've done great to get this far Ness, when you learn to do things like this yourself it not only gives a nice feeling of accomplishment, but gives you a sense of freedom from having to rely on others too.  I only ask for help now when I need something physically pulled out or put in - I'm too clumsy to trust myself with hardware lol  :D

I don't know anything about Radeon (I'm an NVIDIA girl), but my screen flickers when my refresh rate is set too low. Have you tried increasing it?

Would your hubby consider buying another PC (just the computer, not everything else) then linking the two with a KVM switch?  that way, you could leave the one you have running happily on 98 and he could install XP on the new one.  Then, eventually, you could add the extra monitor, keyboard and mouse and just have two PCs which could be networked. 

From experience: In case you have tried with several different drivers, go to start>run and type msconfig.
Go to startup and make sure that stuff that is not supposed to start up anymore, ie old drivers or tweak programs, isn't starting up without your knowledge.