Graphics / Video really bad in DOS

[geekgal]

I can't explain this any better way... SO HERE GOES
When I start my computer the initial dos screens are really bad... funny colored dots scattered about... very hard to see the information on the black screen. Even the Win98 splash screen is distorted with funny little colored marks all over it. Then when the system has completely loaded into Win98SE everything is normal... the graphics look perfectly normal and clear... If I reboot in DOS Mode I get the same funny little colored dots. MY QUESTION??? How do I remove the funny little colored dots in DOS????

 

[alforjj]

I have an old video card that does the same thing. It is a standard 4MB card that was so popular for a while. Unfortunatly, the company who made it is out of buisness and no drivers have been made sense Win98a. It won't even work in NT/2K/XP at all.

If you can find new drivers or flash BIOS upgrade for the card you have, try that. Otherwise the only way I found to fix my problem was to purchase a new card.

 

[geekgal]

I need to mention this is on board video....

 

[alforjj]

Is the machine pre-built (such as Dell or Compaq) or a custom-built (such as you or someone you know put it together)?

If it is a pre-built you can probably get the driver from the manufacturer's web site.

If it is custom-built you should be able to get the driver from the motherboard manufacturer's website.

Failing that, if you know the brand and model of the video card, try the card manufacturer's site or search

http://www.driverguide.com

to see if you can find it there.

If you can't find a driver, you might look into getting a new video card. You should be able to disable the onboard card with either a jumper switch or inside the BIOS. You can download a copy of the manual from the manufacturer's site. That will tell you how to disable it.

 

[geekgal]

Intel 810 chipset.... Custom built system, no brand name. It also has onboard sound... (SoundMax I think) and by the way I'm having problems with that as well. It will not play any of the standard windows sounds. However, I can play the media files they just won't play as part of sound theme... But I can play CD's fine... the sound drivers are all ok and working properly...so it says!! haha

 

[geekgal]

OK. I just tried disabling the on board video and installed a standard PCI video card. The video cleared up instantly. So, this tells me I either have the wrong Intel 810/815 graphics driver... and probably the sound driver is incorrect as well. But, I gotta tell you a friend of mine did some work on this board for me... initially it would reboot constantly. It would be fine until Windows was installed and then it would just start rebooting itself... alot!!! So, my friend told me he flashed the bios and now the board stays on just fine... but then I started having the video and sound problems... could that be the problem and incomplete... or incorrect flash???? Thanks for you help.

 

[alforjj]

From my experience, a rebooting machine means either the powersupply or the motherboard is going bad. Sense you flashed it and it seemed to fix the re-booting problem but now has on-board video and sound problems, I think your MB might be going. That's the problem with "compleate package" MB's. If one part starts to go, you're probably going to loose the whole thing.

If the flash upgrade messed up, then you shouldn't be able to even boot the machine. I've never seen a machine with an incorrect flash, so I don't know what that would look like. In theory, it shouldn't boot either.

 

[geekgal]

OK, so I really appreciate your insight to this problem. I am considering replacing this board all together. I could however use it without the onboard video and sound. But I honestly think there's something wrong with the drivers I'm installing. I have tried several different sites requesting drivers for this MB. The best I can tell it's an Intel FW82810 chip... that's all I know about this MB.

 

[alforjj]

You might try getting some information about your MB from

http://www.motherboards.org

. It's a pretty good site.

 

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