Zugg Software :: View topic - Windows XP, Day 2 (help for NVidia users)

Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2001 7:43 am

This is a continuation of my Windows XP rant. A bit better experience today, although still frustrating.

When we last left our intrepid hero, he was on his way to buy a new graphics card and sound card. Choosing the inexpensive but fast GeForce2 Ti and the new Soundblaster Audigy Gamer, our hero returned home to face the 3-headed monster called "Windows XP" (sorry, just got back from seeing Harry Potter).

OK, I uninstall the existing graphics card, open the computer, remove the TNT2 card and install the GeForce2 card. Also remove the Soundblaster 16 and insert the Soundblaster Audigy. Gee, I notice, I've now relaced *every* card in this computer.

Turn computer on. Autodetects new hardware. Go to System control panel...GeForce2 card still displays yellow exclamation point, complaining about "Error 10". Gee, what a useful error message! The solution to Error 10 is just *so* obvious, right? Right...load IE and go to DejaNews.Com and search for "GeForce2 XP Error 10". Most messages are useless. "Install latest drivers". Yeah, idiots, if it was that simple do you think we'd be looking in the newsgroups? Geez. Finally, a spark of hope. "Make sure you have the 'Assign IRQ to VGA' option set in your BIOS".

Boot the computer and go into the BIOS. Sure enough, there is a "Assign IRQ to VGA" setting, and it is disabled. Change it to Enabled and reboot. Lo and behold, the card now works! In fact, even the old TNT2 card works! Buying a new graphics card was a complete waste of money!

Obviously, the "Assign IRQ to VGA" option was the first thing I should have checked. I mean, this is a well-known option that any Windows user should know about, right? My grandmother routinely checks her BIOS settings all the time. How in the world did I not think of this? Obviously I'm a total newbie.

When installing the sound card software things went a bit smoother. The XP drivers on their web site require that you first install the CD that comes with the card...Hopefully this CD knows about Windows XP. Insert the CD and install stuff. Geez this sound card comes with a lot of crap. I mean, the IEEE 1394 interface *might* be useful since I do have a digital camcorder. But why does it start installing "Universal Serial Drivers" that XP complains are not certified? Partway through the installer, XP pops up an ominous message about certain critical system files being overwritten and prompts me to insert my original XP disk. Of course, I'm stupid enough to follow directions.

When I put the XP disk in, first the Soundblaster installer program, which is actually still running (!) complains that it can't find it's files (of course not, stupid, I removed your CD!). Then, of course, the Windows XP autostart screen comes up. Geez, why don't they disable the Autostart stuff when an installer is running. The warning about system files seems to be gone, so I switch CDs again. Now the Soundblaster installer is all confused. Half the stuff didn't install. In the middle of it installing, now the Autostart for the Soundblaster CD comes up. Now the installer is running twice. OK, fine, let's kill all this stuff and just start over! Grrr..

Run the Soundblaster installer again. This time, when the Windows XP warning about system files shows up, I happily ignore it. When the Soundblaster installer is finished, I select *not* to reboot. Then I insert the XP disk and let it do it's thing to replace the system files. Then I reboot.

Houston, we've got sound! Cute startup and login sounds eminate from the speaker. Oooh, Chiara is just going to love this...now her computer makes noise!

Install the XP update from the CreativeLabs web site. All is well. Upgrade Outlook to the Outlook in Office XP. The Office XP upgrade actually runs flawlessly. Guess those Office guys have an easier time than the OS guys. Of course, even though I told it to install Office on the E: drive, it still eats up a bunch of space on my C: drive. Stupid software. Why does everything want to be on the C: drive? and in the Windows directory?

Anyway, looks like Chiara's computer is now back in operation. So, she'll be able to start answering emails again. Hopefully XP will now run flawlessly and be nice and stable the way it should be. (Of course, she still can't print anything to our nifty color printer, even though every other computer in the house can).

So, if you are having trouble with your video card in XP, go into your BIOS and make sure the "Assign IRQ to VGA" option is on. Might help.

Apprentice Joined: 14 Nov 2001 Posts: 100

Thanks, Zugg! My friend can now stop sending S.O.S. with her PC speaker.

~~Deca

P.S. I will stick with win98 if it's all the same to you ;-)

Newbie Joined: 20 Nov 2001 Posts: 5 Location: Australia

My best friend went looking for updates for his graphics drivers a little while back, found that the newest version modifies that value in your bios for you. He freaked out and steered clear. I agree with his logic though - anything that tries to modify a bios setting with apparently no regard for what type of motherboard / bios you actually have can't be good.

Well, that was nearly relevant.

=====
Tokai

"Life is white and I am black,
Jesus and his lawyer are coming back"
- Novacaine for the soul, by The Eels

GURU Joined: 28 Sep 2000 Posts: 434 Location: USA

lol Zugg, you crack me up with your obvious sarcasm

I personally wouldn't install WinXP if you gave it to me.

Carabas
------
I like work; it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.
- Jerome K. Jerome

Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2001 3:28 am

Odd you know, I installed WinXP Pro and had no problems with my GeForce2-MX....

Microsoft just luvs ya Zugg

Icechild
Coder of Arthanox

GURU Joined: 24 Sep 2000 Posts: 1237 Location: USA

Beware of the hidden evils of Outlook XP. Very useful features like Net Folders (share contacts/calendars without Exchange) are removed, and cannot be installed.

zMUD 6 Online Help: All the power you'll ever need.

Newbie Joined: 30 Oct 2000 Posts: 2 Location: USA

It's amazing.. I have 5 computers at home... 4 are linux and 1 is windows... wanna know the 3 and only reasons I use windows.... ZMUD, VB and Visual C++.

-Dakkon/Halo/Rathu1

-Matt

GURU Joined: 10 Oct 2000 Posts: 609 Location: USA

Hmm, all these people with problems.

My upgrade from Win98 SE to WinXP went flawlessly. I have yet to blue-screen or crash, or even experience a graphics anomaly. Every application except Worms:Armageddon runs without a hitch.

I even upgraded from my Voodoo3 to an Abit-based GeForce2 MX400, and XP only choked once. And even that was just because the drivers on the CD were over a year old. I grabbed the latest Detonator XP drivers, and have been enjoying the alarmingly-green faces of my friends ever since.

BTW, for anyone who has never upgraded both monitor and video card in the same, short period--unnnnngh. It's niiiiiiiiiice.

I've got 17 diagonal inches of precisely-placed, bright, fully-rendered dots. *drool*

Okay, I'm done now.

,
Jouster

Implementor/Head Coder of

coolmud.com:6658

Beginner Joined: 18 Oct 2000 Posts: 15 Location: USA

You updated and no problems? It doesn't count if you haven't booted it up.

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