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Almost Seeminly impossible problem to solve

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Karl Blessing

Programmer
Feb 25, 2000
2,936
US
I have gone through weeks trying several configurations, 2 different<br>motherboards, 2 different graphic adapters, several formats and<br>reinstalations of windows 98, litterally everything. I bought this<br>Athlon/600 from icompz.com and they have ignored several emails so far. you<br>can see some screenshots of the problem, and the huge listing of information about my system , which is too large to put on this forum (13 pages to be exact) <A HREF=" TARGET="_new"> <p>Karl<br><a href=mailto:kb244@kb244.8m.com>kb244@kb244.8m.com</a><br><a href= </a><br>Experienced in , or have messed with : VC++, Borland C++ Builder, VJ++6(starting),VB-Dos, VB1 thru VB6, Delphi 3 pro, Borland C++ 3(DOS), Borland C++ 4.5, HTML, ASP(somewhat), QBasic(least i didnt start with COBOL)
 
I didn't see any system specs on your site??? Can you list them here for us ?<br><br>Looks like a driver prob to me ... first thing to update is your main board drivers (like agp,ide, usb, ect), If I know the mainboard chipset your using I could point you to them. Also make sure you have the new drivers for your video card as well as DirectX 7.0a ver. (7.0 has probs).
 
Hey Karl,<br><br>did you try one of those POS Voodoo cards?<br><br>(hah hah).<br><br>List some specs on the system. It looks a little more involved than a driver issue to me.<br><br>Al
 
To both - when I redflaged my post, the one I wanted to keep had the huge description, unfortunatly thats not seen.<br><br>Arua - not a driver prob, installed every possible driver, tested two different motherboards (irongate chipset, and KX133 chipset) along with two different video cards, Elsa Erazor X2 (Geforce DDR), and TNT2 Ultra.<br><br>ATcal - no, I wouldnt touch Voodoo I have a V1 though, but it hasnt been in my systems for a very very long time.<br><br>I'll remake the huge list of specs and put them on the URL I posted above. I didnt expect the small post to remain. <p>Karl<br><a href=mailto:kb244@kb244.8m.com>kb244@kb244.8m.com</a><br><a href= </a><br>Experienced in , or have messed with : VC++, Borland C++ Builder, VJ++6(starting),VB-Dos, VB1 thru VB6, Delphi 3 pro, Borland C++ 3(DOS), Borland C++ 4.5, HTML, ASP(somewhat), QBasic(least i didnt start with COBOL)
 
Ok I added a link to the top of the page to the list of system information saved from Microsoft System Information program, also heres a short decription of the current system<br><br>Athlon 600 (bought from icompz.com they still ignoring my emails)<br>Abit KA7 Motherboard, with bios updated flasehd, and everything plus drivers updated<br>512M Rams<br><br><br>Replacing the old Motherboard(MSI K7 Pro) with the ABit, changed nothing at all, I feel I must point out, when I use 2 different motherboards, 2 different video cards, several formats and installs of win98,&nbsp;&nbsp;removal of all cards, except for video (for monitoring) , removal of all rams, and sticking each one in at a time, or in pairs(almost any combinations), checking for power supply( I have 2 powersupplies on one system both at 250Watt, one powers the board componets, the other handles cooling equipment). <p>Karl<br><a href=mailto:kb244@kb244.8m.com>kb244@kb244.8m.com</a><br><a href= </a><br>Experienced in , or have messed with : VC++, Borland C++ Builder, VJ++6(starting),VB-Dos, VB1 thru VB6, Delphi 3 pro, Borland C++ 3(DOS), Borland C++ 4.5, HTML, ASP(somewhat), QBasic(least i didnt start with COBOL)
 
Karl,<br><br>From looking at your system information, it looks like you don't have the latest version of DirectX, which is 7.&nbsp;&nbsp;The versions of your DirectX files indicate you have 6.1.&nbsp;&nbsp;Most of the latest display adapters require DirectX 7.&nbsp;&nbsp;It's a long shot, but from looking at the examples of the problems you are having, it definitely looks software related.&nbsp;&nbsp;
 
I already installed DX7, and it doesnt make sense that all games, including those that ran fine with Dx5, also how does DX7 explain problems with OpenGL games like Quake3, Quake2, etc? <p>Karl<br><a href=mailto:kb244@kb244.8m.com>kb244@kb244.8m.com</a><br><a href= </a><br>Experienced in , or have messed with : VC++, Borland C++ Builder, VJ++6(starting),VB-Dos, VB1 thru VB6, Delphi 3 pro, Borland C++ 3(DOS), Borland C++ 4.5, HTML, ASP(somewhat), QBasic(least i didnt start with COBOL)
 
Just so you know since it doesnt seem to be shown on the page.<br><br>I Have tried two different motherboards, first board was a Microstar(MSI) K7 Pro, which carries an AMD-751 Irongate chipset, at first I thought this was a AMD-751+ Geforce problem, poped in my TNT2 Ultra, so with 2 different video cards, and 2 different motherboards, along with removing all cards, and testing it with no cards, some cards, all cards, and combinations, also took out all but one ram stick, and alternated the position of the ram, and testing each one as well as runing dianostic progs on the rams, with all these changes, swap out, different cards, different boards, different rams, the problem was EXACTLY the same, even after formating, and reinstalling windows like half a dozen times. <p>Karl<br><a href=mailto:kb244@kb244.8m.com>kb244@kb244.8m.com</a><br><a href= </a><br>Experienced in , or have messed with : VC++, Borland C++ Builder, VJ++6(starting),VB-Dos, VB1 thru VB6, Delphi 3 pro, Borland C++ 3(DOS), Borland C++ 4.5, HTML, ASP(somewhat), QBasic(least i didnt start with COBOL)
 
Oh also the current board, the Abit KA7, thats carries a VIA KX133 chipset. <p>Karl<br><a href=mailto:kb244@kb244.8m.com>kb244@kb244.8m.com</a><br><a href= </a><br>Experienced in , or have messed with : VC++, Borland C++ Builder, VJ++6(starting),VB-Dos, VB1 thru VB6, Delphi 3 pro, Borland C++ 3(DOS), Borland C++ 4.5, HTML, ASP(somewhat), QBasic(least i didnt start with COBOL)
 
Only thing i can think of is that the CPU is bad... Maybe the 3D now is corupt ?<br><br>Looks to be the only thing you have not replaced or tried. I have almost the same setup as you and seen this with mine in .avi's, ect caused by an outdated media player.<br><br>
 
3dNow! cant be corupt, I play WinAmp all the time including on shoutcast, and it runs perfectly , and from what I understand, WinAmp uses 3dNow! since the release of the K6-2.<br><br>as far as software goes, I have the latest codecs, latest media players, I got absolutly everything downloaded at windowsupdate.microsoft.com. <p>Karl<br><a href=mailto:kb244@kb244.8m.com>kb244@kb244.8m.com</a><br><a href= </a><br>Experienced in , or have messed with : VC++, Borland C++ Builder, VJ++6(starting),VB-Dos, VB1 thru VB6, Delphi 3 pro, Borland C++ 3(DOS), Borland C++ 4.5, HTML, ASP(somewhat), QBasic(least i didnt start with COBOL)
 
Winamp is an audio program right ? I don't see how that would efect it if there is a prob with graphics. Anyway it was just a thought ... something else to rule out.<br><br>To me it still looks like a classic driver prob.
 
Its not a driver problem, I have used the following<br><br>DX6.1, DX7 for DX drivers<br><br>*Elsa Latest driver for Erazor X2<br>*Nvndia latetest Reference driver<br>*Nvidia beta Driver 5.16<br><br>for the TNT2 I used Creative Lab's Latest, also nVidia latest and latest beta. I have download all patches, Chipset updates, bios flashes, etc for either board.<br><br>So for the last time it does not seem to be a driver problem.<br>(especially since I formated and reinstalled windows several times, after several different configurations)<br><br>also it doesnt seem to be an Nvidia card related problem becuase I tried an old SiS PCI graphic adapter (although this cannot play most 3d games, it showed very similar attributes of the problem). <p>Karl<br><a href=mailto:kb244@kb244.8m.com>kb244@kb244.8m.com</a><br><a href= </a><br>Experienced in , or have messed with : VC++, Borland C++ Builder, VJ++6(starting),VB-Dos, VB1 thru VB6, Delphi 3 pro, Borland C++ 3(DOS), Borland C++ 4.5, HTML, ASP(somewhat), QBasic(least i didnt start with COBOL)
 
Also just so you know, I have tried different drivers, configs, etc for almost 2 months now. <p>Karl<br><a href=mailto:kb244@kb244.8m.com>kb244@kb244.8m.com</a><br><a href= </a><br>Experienced in , or have messed with : VC++, Borland C++ Builder, VJ++6(starting),VB-Dos, VB1 thru VB6, Delphi 3 pro, Borland C++ 3(DOS), Borland C++ 4.5, HTML, ASP(somewhat), QBasic(least i didnt start with COBOL)
 
I got an email back from icompz.com (people I bought the atlon CPU itself)<br><br><FONT FACE=monospace><br>we are not ignoring you, for some reason this is the first email on the suject that i have recieved. please fill out the online RMA form or just give me a call at [*some phone number*], sorry for the inconveniece i am looking in<br>to why I did not recieve your first to mails.<br><br>Anthony<br></font> <p>Karl<br><a href=mailto:kb244@kb244.8m.com>kb244@kb244.8m.com</a><br><a href= </a><br>Experienced in , or have messed with : VC++, Borland C++ Builder, VJ++6(starting),VB-Dos, VB1 thru VB6, Delphi 3 pro, Borland C++ 3(DOS), Borland C++ 4.5, HTML, ASP(somewhat), QBasic(least i didnt start with COBOL)
 
Karl,<br>Borrow another CPU and give that a shot. Seems to be the only factor you have not eliminated.<br><br>Al
 
Thats one of the factors I cannot do, I have no one to borrow an Athlon from. and yet there is no software that I know of that can test a CPU (mainly cuase it seems awkward to have a program run a test on the same CPU thats running the program) <p>Karl<br><a href=mailto:kb244@kb244.8m.com>kb244@kb244.8m.com</a><br><a href= </a><br>Experienced in , or have messed with : VC++, Borland C++ Builder, VJ++6(starting),VB-Dos, VB1 thru VB6, Delphi 3 pro, Borland C++ 3(DOS), Borland C++ 4.5, HTML, ASP(somewhat), QBasic(least i didnt start with COBOL)
 
Some Ideas to try:<br><br>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;Multiple installations of device drivers creating a conflict:<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Boot into safe mode.&nbsp;&nbsp;Start device manager and look to see if any devices are installed twice.&nbsp;&nbsp;Win98 has a bad habit of doing this.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also check for both a Microsoft and vendor diver for the same device.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you find any, remove all copies and then reboot into normal mode and let the drivers re-install.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Start in safe mode again and check that you only have one of each.&nbsp;&nbsp;Double drivers can sometimes be hard to get rid of.<br><br>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;Loaded program conflict:<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Click Start-Run, type msconfig, click OK.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Select Selective Startup then uncheck all the boxes below this.&nbsp;&nbsp;Reboot.&nbsp;&nbsp;If this works, re-enable one at a time until you track down the culprit.<br><br>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hardware problem:<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;CPU,&nbsp;&nbsp;RAM<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;Reduce the frontside bus to below 100MHz and set the clock multiplier to give a CPU clock speed of +/- 400MHz.&nbsp;&nbsp;If the problem goes away the either CPU or the RAM is not living up to its rated speed or has been labled incorrectly either accidentally or intentionally.<br><br>I hope that this gives you some ideas.
 
Also just for kicks, I installed my old Voodoo1 along side my Geforce DDr, installed the newest drivers from Canopus Corp for their Pure3D V1 card, and I experience the same mess up as with the Geforce, so this is obviously not a driver related problem as far as DirectX or OGL goes, it has to be hardware, if it had this problem with an SiS board, 3dfx Board, and Nvidia board(god knows I want the play them games on this Geforce DDR) <p>Karl<br><a href=mailto:kb244@kb244.8m.com>kb244@kb244.8m.com</a><br><a href= </a><br>Experienced in , or have messed with : VC++, Borland C++ Builder, VJ++6(starting),VB-Dos, VB1 thru VB6, Delphi 3 pro, Borland C++ 3(DOS), Borland C++ 4.5, HTML,Visual InterDev 6, ASP(WebProgramming), QBasic(least i didnt start with COBOL)
 
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