Monitor / Color Display Issues

I have recently reinstalled my operating system (Win2k) and have installed Office XP, however when I go into Word and type the characters and line of text black out - as if highlighted.

I've been told this is because the monitor is set at 16bit color and needs to run on 32bit, however in the Display Properties Settings I am only offered 16 Colors.

Please could someone let me know whether the lack of 32 color option is likely to be due to the need for an updated Driver?

Thanks

 

Did you install your motherboard drivers and/or your video card drivers (if you don't have on-board video) after you installed your operating system?

 

Thanks for the quick reply, No I haven't reinstalled any drivers. Basically reformatted the C drive and then insalled the O/S.

I was naively hoping that the monitor would work fine, because it was the one that shipped with the pc.

As you can probably tell this is the first time I have reinstalled an O/S!

 

Hey! We all start somewhere right? Do you have an OEM computer (Dell, Gateway, Compaq, etc.) with a restore disk or do you have separate disk's for your operating system and drivers?

 

Its a Dell (Optiplex GX150)and I used the Dell re-installation of O/S CD, there is no mention of drivers or utilities. This is the only disk I can find...

Thanks for your assistance witht this, much appreciated

 

If that's the only disk you can find lets see if maybe it is some type of restore disk and the drivers are there so try this first.

Insert your disk and when/if it auto runs close it out. Go into your control panel > system > device manager and look for your video controller. Right click and choose properties. Select update driver and follow the prompts...have it look on the disk to see if the driver is there. If it is, install it. If not we need to determine what video chip you have so we can hunt down the latest driver for it. You can use Belarc Adviser or Everest to find this information if you don't know it. Both of these programs are free.

 

OK, have run Everest hopefully what we're looking for is below, will cut and paste anything that looks like it may be relevant:

(Had a look in Device Manager and the Video Controller has a big yellow ? by it and right clicking and properties produces the messages Drivers for this device are not installed, Device type: unknown.)

Display:
Video Adapter Intel i752
3D Accelerator Intel i752

Graphics Processor Properties:
Video Adapter Intel 82815 Chipset - Integrated i752 Graphics
GPU Code Name i752 (Integrated 8086 / 1132, Rev 04)

Integrated Graphics Controller:
Graphics Controller Type Intel i752
Graphics Controller Status Enabled
Shared Memory Size 1 MB

-------[ PCI / AGP Video ]-----------------
Intel i752 Video Adapter
Intel i752 3D Accelerator


--------[ GPU ]------------

[ Integrated: Intel 82815 Chipset - Integrated i752 Graphics ]

Graphics Processor Properties:
Video Adapter Intel 82815 Chipset - Integrated i752 Graphics
GPU Code Name i752
PCI Device 8086 / 1132
Bus Type Integrated
RAMDAC Clock 230 MHz
Pixel Pipelines 1
TMU Per Pipeline 1
Vertex Shaders Not Supported
Pixel Shaders Not Supported
DirectX Hardware Support DirectX v6.0

Graphics Processor Manufacturer:
Company Name Intel Corporation
Product Information http://www.intel.com/products/browse/chipsets.htm
Driver Download http://support.intel.com/support/graphics

 

Bingo! The drivers aren't installed at all so you are essentially running off the default MS drivers which give you the 16bit color.

This confirms to me that you don't have a restore disk but rather an OS disk so we need to hunt down the drivers for your board to get you back where you need to be. Look in Everest for the make/model number of your board and we should be able to find the drivers for it.

Is there anything else in device manager with a question mark next to it?

Also, have you run windows update yet?

 

Also Yellow ?'s against Multimedia Audio Controller & PCI Device.

Presumably this is the Motherboard info we're after:
CPU Type Intel Pentium IIIE, 1000 MHz (7.5 x 133)
Motherboard Name Dell OptiPlex GX150
Chipset Properties:
Motherboard Chipset Intel Solano i815E
Memory Timings 3-3-3-7 (CL-RCD-RP-RAS)

I haven't run windows update, because that machine is not connected to the internet yet.

 

Looks like there may be several things you need. Check out this page.

 

My apologies as I forgot to add this to my last post. When you do run windows update we usually recommend that you do not install the updated drivers they offer. Stick with the drivers that are offered directly through dell and/or your hardware manufacturer as often times people run into major conflicts with the MS drivers.

 

Doh, feel embarassed that the Dell website wasn't my first port of call!!

Still haven't got it working, but at least we've sussed out which drivers I'm missing and you've pointed me to all the drivers.

Many thanks for your time and patience

 

You have nothing to feel embarrassed about so don't even go there! As I said before, we all start somewhere and all of us get stuck sometimes on the simplest things that any other time we would just 'know' without giving it a second thought. LOL

You say you don't have it working...were you able to download the installers you need and transfer them to that computer? If you are having trouble with the installation I or someone else here at MG's I'm sure can help you with it if you need it.

Glad to help when I can.

Welcome to MG's Dunners!

 

Thanks for the welcoming!

I managed to download the drivers and transfer them to the other machine. But, when I follow the Dell instructions - Display Properties, Settings, Advanced and then Monitor - I find the Properties box they refer to is greyed out.

I then tried going through Device Manager, right clicking the Video Controller and selecting Properties and then attempted to use the 'Reinstall driver' button - however when I go through the wizard, pointing it at the files it displays the message 'Windows was unable to locate a driver for this device. To search another location click back'

???

 

Are the drivers you downloaded .exe files?

[EDIT] Monitor drivers and video drivers are two different things. Did you download both? [/EDIT]

 

No .Exe files - there are 5 files that came in each download:

Security Catalog
ICC Profile
Set Up Info
2 x text Docs

 

I've got to head off now, will continue this mission tomorrow.
Cheers

Dunners

 

Ok..but for video you need this > Intel 815 Series Integrated Video

I downloaded this file and it's a self extracting zip. I unzipped it but didn't run it so I could check the contents and as expected there are many files in there. Go ahead and run it and it should automatically install the drivers for you. This is a Win2000 version.

 

Fantastic - all sorted

Cheers Abby Sue

Have a good weekend!

Dunners

 

Wonderful! So glad I could help and to hear it's all sorted out!

Have a great day!
AbbySue

 

I tried to download the Intel Corporation Intel 810, 810e, 815 and 815e Video Driver and I get an error saying setup unable to find installation languages......When I try to d/l anything it gives another error before it said I was missing directx 8 I down loaded that then tried dling the video driver. I also have a bunch of yellow question marks in device manager. CI single chip,multimedia audio controller,PCI device,PCI simple communication controller,video controller. I hope someone can help. Thanks Linda


Windows 2000 pro
Dell opti plex Gx240