The PDF from 3Dmark shows the graphics card to be a 9600 series with *256* MB ram. 3Dmark sees your graphics card as a 256 MB 400mhz type where a 'normal' 9600pro (aiw) sould be 128 MB 600mhz. That was what I was on about

I have found 3Dmark to be wrong when it comes to the speed of the gfx cards but I find it odd that it thinks you have 256MB on the 9600 card.. Especially since the combination (9600 pro, 256MB, 400mhz ram) gives me some hits on google.

Ajp, could you tell exact model numbers of your Packard Bell, please?

I just spotted something in device manager. Under sound, video and game controllers I have what looks to be ATI related stuff (can't post screens for some reason print screen isn't working atm):

Quote :

ATI WDM Rage theatre audio (microsoft corporation) - with yellow exclamation mark

ATI WDM Rage theatre video (microsoft corporation)

ATI WDM specialised VDM codec (microsoft corporation)

ATI WDM teletext encoder (microsoft corporation)

ATI WDM TV audio (microsoft corporation) crossbar (microsoft corporation - one entry with yellow !

ATI WDM TV tuner (microsoft corporation)

Should I uninstall these from the right hand click menu?

Quote from JTbo :

Ajp, could you tell exact model numbers of your Packard Bell, please?

Where would I find these? My computer seems to be an odd model that I've never been able to locate on the Packard Bell website in the past even when it was new.

EDIT: http://support.packardbell.com ... ?m=home&pn=P700404001

though mine defiantly came with a Radeon 9000

Quote from ajp71 :

I just spotted something in device manager. Under sound, video and game controllers I have what looks to be ATI related stuff (can't post screens for some reason print screen isn't working atm):



Should I uninstall these from the right hand click menu?

You should left those, I think it is better let ati driver installation to handle those.

Usually model is behind of computer in sticker with numbers, sometimes letters too.

Quote from JTbo :

You should left those, I think it is better let ati driver installation to handle those.

ok is there any alternative method of installing the ATI drivers?

Quote from ajp71 :

ok is there any alternative method of installing the ATI drivers?

Don't know if this is useful?

Did you download the AIW drivers or just Radeon? Might be useful to try out both and see which work. Make sure you get the whole package and not just the drivers. The control centre is definately worth having.

I used the disc my drivers came with and have seemingly successfully installed the original drivers (catalyst version 04.1). Only problem is my second monitor isn't getting picked up will try a reboot to see if that helps.

EDIT - my second monitor came up when I rebooted and works fine in 1024 x 768, has some funny effect when I set it to 1280 x 968 (what I used to run on it) I think it's probably running in a smaller resolution and then magnifying or something, will worry about that later.

Ran 3dmark with the ATI drivers and it has gone down to 2613

Quote from ajp71 :

Ran 3dmark with the ATI drivers and it has gone down to 2613

Does it install now this new driver you did download?

Quote from JTbo :

Does it install now this new driver you did download?

Should I try installing the new driver/catalyst without removing the old version I have managed to get working?

Quote from ajp71 :

Should I try installing the new driver/catalyst without removing the old version I have managed to get working?

I have got some catalyst to work just fine that way, just make restore point before trying so you can get back if it does not work out too well.

ok this might sound like a stupid question but are the (latest) drivers for your chipset installed ?

Quote from Shotglass :

ok this might sound like a stupid question but are the (latest) drivers for your chipset installed ?

chipset = motherboard?

I updated them a while ago not sure which version of the motherboard my PC has got though. http://support.packardbell.com ... ?pn=P700404001&g=1400

Still got the same error

Are the catalyst downloads the same regardless of what card you choose? I'm sure it used to just be a choice of what OS you had.

This should be driver for your card and these should be needed other stuff

Quote from JTbo :

This

Could you give that as a link to the page with the download on, the direct link isn't allowed?

I have currently uninstalled everything using the instructions you posted earlier. The only problem I had was I couldn't get into safe mode to delete the ATI folders (did it in normal mode). When I open safe mode and get to the login screen my computer just restarts don't know why.

I then tried to install the drivers I downloaded (http://ati.amd.com/support/dri ... aiwradeon-prer300-xp.html) with no luck. I then reinstalled the drivers from my CD.

Quote from ajp71 :

Could you give that as a link to the page with the download on, the direct link isn't allowed?

I have currently uninstalled everything using the instructions you posted earlier. The only problem I had was I couldn't get into safe mode to delete the ATI folders (did it in normal mode). When I open safe mode and get to the login screen my computer just restarts don't know why.

I then tried to install the drivers I downloaded (http://ati.amd.com/support/dri ... aiwradeon-prer300-xp.html) with no luck. I then reinstalled the drivers from my CD.

From this page choose Windows XP -> All-in-wonder -> 9600 series then download that catalyst driver and ati multimedia software. Those should be what card does need.

If that driver is same that you installed, or if it does not install any better, then it makes things bit difficult as you really should eliminate that winxp default driver from installing and get that standard vga driver in to get driver to install and that would require fail safe mode and turning system restore off, chances to something go wrong are then much higher.

Download looks different, I had version 6.11 and it was 10mb larger last time IIRC. Will try the new driver later if that doesn't work I'll probably stick with the old one for now.

Ok I've decided I will reformat my hard drive/reinstall windows some weekend soon, I'm going to get a portable hard drive mainly because my mac laptop is almost full as it is and also to save what I want from my PC before I reformat.

Firstly a question about hard drives, am I being horribly misled to buy a USB hard drive, I have firewire on both computers but is it really worth the (big) hike in price to get it? I don't really need any more than 160gb but at £2 more it seems silly not to get £250, will this hard drive do the job for me or will it be painfully slow. In the end it will mainly hold videos and junk so being fast for programs is not a concern. http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/109356

Secondly, bit more complicated this one, what is the best order to reformat/reinstall windows etc. (I really need an idiots step by step instructions).

Firstly what (and how) should I go about it, I have a Packard Bell disc which I've used in the past which reformats and reinstalls windows (plus adds a load of crap) automatically. Or should I reformat my hard drive and reinstall windows (how?) IIRC I don't have a windows disc for this computer, it never came with one, does this restrict me to using the Packard Bell system then clearing all the crap off?

Next what should the install process be, eg. what first out of, motherboard drivers/graphics drivers/sound card drivers.

if you have an original version of xp home, all you have to do is put the cd into your drive and reboot (you might need to go into your bois to make sure your cd rom drive is checked for bootable media before the hard drive or else pc will just boot to xp as normal). then you will be asked if you want to boot from cd (gives you about 5 seconds). and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen. with xp home also you have 30 days to register it or else your pc will become read only until you register it (over the phone). i can't see any reason why you pakard bell disks couldn't work in the future.

whne installing drivers, i like to install cpu driver first, then and sata drivers (only if needed), then agp and then sound and network not forgetting dx9c . i also tend to reboot the pc after each install.
this should also be done offline until you have some form of internet protection installed.

of course there are lots of different orders to install drivers but i like to get into the habit of doing it only one way ( i get alot of reformatting jobs sent my way lol).
remember to double check you have everything you want to kepp backed up, i know a guy who forgot to back up his lfs (don't i gAg) and now he has to start from scratch.

Quote from dadge :

then you will be asked if you want to boot from cd (gives you about 5 seconds). and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen. with xp home also you have 30 days to register it or else your pc will become read only until you register it (over the phone).

Does the XP disc reformat your hard drive and reinstall windows all in one for you?

Quote :

i can't see any reason why you pakard bell disks couldn't work in the future.

They just install a lot of extra stuff like out dated freebies/ISP offers and drivers which are all either out of date or irrelevant for the hardware I currently have.

yeah, xp will format for you, this link will explain the screens you will see
http://www.theeldergeek.com/xp_home_install_-_graphic.htm
good luck.

if you have some sort of recovery disk that installs all sorts of packages you do have a problem
btw im quite confident that its technically legal to download a copy of windows as long as you have and use a genuine legal key