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  • #2328274

    Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

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    by dmowatt ·

    I don’t know if it is possible but… I need to know if there is a way to remove/edit/reset the current display settings in Win98… from DOS. I have spent countless hours on what I thought was going to be an easy problem. What you get when Win98 loads is a desktop with no veiwable task bar, even the Windows keys on the keyboard do nothing to help. If you open any menu or shortcut you get a larger than screen size box with a full or sometimes split view area inside that is like rainbow colors. There is nothing veiwable inside any of the boxes that open. I can tab through the OK | Cancel | Apply buttons and pick a response but I can’t make any changes inside since I can’t see anything. Could this be damage left behind from a virus? I have tried clean autoexec.bat, config.sys, win.ini, and system.ini files to no avail. I have reinstalled Windows 98, I have done regscan /restore. Nothing has gotten rid of the awful display once Windows is loaded. Of course, I have tried safe mode – the resolution is changed but not the dialog boxes. They are still covered with these terrible rainbow colors. I have decided that with out assistance, the only resolution is to backup data and format/reinstall Win98. You are my last resort for help!!! I need help quick too please!!! 🙂

    Thanks, Deb

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    • #3604792

      Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

      by syscokid ·

      In reply to Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

      Have you tried swapping out the video card?

    • #3604789

      Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

      by hootie14 ·

      In reply to Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

      Hi Deb, Have you tried reinstalling or even upgrading your video card drivers.

      • #3604706

        Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

        by dmowatt ·

        In reply to Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

        I wish I could do that. I can not do anything within Windows. As I can not see anything beyond the desktop. There is no start button in view – nor can I access it any other way I know how. When you right click the desktop you get the menu and can make a selection for properties but once the display properties box opens it is nothing but a colorfull but otherwise blank box.

    • #3604777

      Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

      by dmowatt ·

      In reply to Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

      Yes, I did add another card. The exisiting video is on board. I disabled the on board and put in a PCI card and much to my shock and horror – the settings were unchanged.

    • #3604736

      Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

      by hershel dunne ·

      In reply to Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

      I think you may have an incompatible display card with your motherboards chipset. What kind of video chipset was on the motherboard? What video card did you add to the system?

      • #3604707

        Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

        by dmowatt ·

        In reply to Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

        I removed the PCI vid card I tried at one point. Now the only other video is the on board video on the Compaq Presario 5822.

    • #3604711

      Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

      by richard_barsby ·

      In reply to Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

      Hi if you can do it as the dialog boxes are all to pot set the video adapter to standard display adapter, then reboot and reinstall the correct display drivers.

      Rich

      • #3604708

        Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

        by dmowatt ·

        In reply to Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

        I can’t do anything from Windows but I tried resetting the display drivers to the standard default vga in the system.ini but that did not help the lack of any info in the boxes in Windows.

    • #3604679

      Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

      by thechas ·

      In reply to Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

      The answer is to boot into “SafeMode”.
      If need be, edit msdos.sys in DOS mode to allow you to boot into safe mode.
      If you change the value for BootMenuDefault to 4
      the system will boot into safe mode.

      Make sure that the on-board video is fullydisabled. (BIOS settings, jumpers)

      From safe mode, set display properties to the default 16 color 640*480 resolution.
      Apply and re-boot in normal mode.

      You should now be able to take care of the driver and monitor issues.

      To avoid this kind of issue in the future, make sure to remove the old video device from device manager before shutting the system down and swapping the cards.

      Chas

      • #3604578

        Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

        by dmowatt ·

        In reply to Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

        Actually, I am uncertain how this issue started since it is not my PC – but was told someone was fooling around with the Windows display color settings. It smells like virus damage to me but the system checks out clean from DOS. It may havebeen previously cleaned but damage was done – I don’t really know. People don’t like to admit things like that. It was not a matter of 2 vid cards installed.

        I can get into safe mode by a normal means but the color selections some how remain although the resolutions does change – but does not help. I can not see anything in the dialog boxes when they are opened up. In safe mode they are all blue. No text is visable. Formatting may be my only answer.

        Thanks for all of your input.

        Deb

    • #3604347

      Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

      by rcom ·

      In reply to Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

      Deb,

      Yes this this may be the result of a virus.

      This is too simple but, are you using the same monitor that came with the system or in other words have you tried connecting a different monitor?

      You mentioned changing the system.ini. The change is display.drv=pnpdrvr to display.drv=vga.drv. This will set the colors to 16 and a resloution of 640X480.

      MAke sure the following lines are not different.

      gdi.exe=gdi.exe
      *DisplayFallback=0
      fonts.fon=vgasys.fon
      fixedfon.fon=vgafix.fon
      386Grabber=vgafull.3gr
      display.drv=vga.drv

      The other section of the system.ini that sets the video is listed below. Again make the same change to the display.drv line.

      [boot.description]
      system.drv=Standard PC
      keyboard.typ=Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural Keyboard
      aspect=100,96,96
      display.drv=NVIDIA GeForce2 MX/MX 400
      mouse.drv=Standard Mouse

      • #3604978

        Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

        by dmowatt ·

        In reply to Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

        Yes, I am using a different monitor. Also, I tried the settings you suggested and they did not help. It is format C: time!! Thanks!!!

    • #3604977

      Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

      by dmowatt ·

      In reply to Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

      This question was closed by the author

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