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Troubleshooting Display Settings Win98

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by dmowatt

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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

14 replies

by dmowatt

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.

by dmowatt

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.

by hershel dunne

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?

by dmowatt

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.

by richard_barsby

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

by dmowatt

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.

by thechas

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

by dmowatt

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

by rcom

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

by dmowatt

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!!!

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