Video / Graphics really bad in DOS...HELP!!!

[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????

 

[Mulga]

The initial screens you see when you start the system are not actually DOS, they are supplied by the BIOS which is a mini operating system all of its own. It supplies a basic driver for the video output, and this driver may also be used in DOS if no DOS drivers for your card are available on the system. I would suspect that this driver is not functioning properly but as to what you can do about it I am not sure. Flashing the BIOS may work but I am doubtful. Another option would be to replace the BIOS chip if it is plug in rather than soldered and if a replacement is available. All things are possible except skiing through a revolving door.

 

[DorothyDix]

Those little cooured dots are usually indicative of dodgy memory on your video card. Some old voodoo and diamond cards were particularly prone to this. Check your vid card...try a cheapie and see if it still does it.

Let us know how you go

PAUL

 

[geekgal]

I need to mention this in onboard Video...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
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 an incomplete... or incorrect flash????
Where can I find the flash update or original BIOS flash for this board??? It's Intel FW82810 chip. Thanks for you help.

 

[Mulga]

It may well be the flash was incorrect, if so you are lucky the board works at all. It could also be a hardware fault in the board but another flash would certainly be worth a try. To get a BIOS update you need to exactly identify the motherboard. From what you say it may be an intel board, if so this site will help you identify it exactly.

http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/identify.htm

If it is not an Intel bord you will have to look at the board itself for manufacturer and model names. Updates should be available from the manufacturer's web site but it is vital you know the exact model of the board, otherwise you may get a bad flash and a totally dead board. All things are possible except skiing through a revolving door.

 

[ceh4702]

Those Intel Chipsets probably require a CDROM with the update to enable Win 98 to see the chipset hardware properly and enable the faster ATA 100 (7200 rpm) hard drives. I have a MB with the intel 815ep chipset and that is the case. If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[geekgal]

Thanks Mulga. I've been all over that site and I still can't tell which is which. There are barely any markings on this chipsets for this board and the ones that are there are very faint and hard to read. I certainly appreciate all the help I've gotten from everyone.

 

[Mulga]

Probably your easiest way out at this stage is to forget about the onboard and go with a PCI vid card, possibly sound also if the problems there are serious, although that problem sounds more like a Windows issue than hardware All things are possible except skiing through a revolving door.

 

[DorothyDix]

Hey again Geekgal

When your friend flashed the bios,did he set it up correctly? It is necessary to assign IRQs etc. and define settings for different ports/drives etc. for optimum operation.
Check the AGP memory assignment in the bios.


PAUL

 

[geekgal]

Thanks again Mulga, I have reinstalled Windows and the sound issue is resolved. And Dot, the AGP memory assigned in BIOS is 32mb... I can change it to 64mb (which made no change) and If I disable... I get nothing on the screen at all.... and then the system shuts itself down. So, that doesn't work either.