Multiple problems after driver install.

JWilliams · Apr 8, 2008, 01:03 AM

I don't know if on the right forum for this but I'll ask anyway. Feel free to move this to the appropriate place if you wish.
So I have a HP Pavillion A1101n and I recently upgraded from integrated graphics to a PowerColor HD 2400 PCI card. I also have a Dell monitor that I switched from an analog connection to DVI. My issue is that I assumed with those changes I would see increased performance. As far as I can tell my computer graphics haven't improved, and in some cases it seems downgraded. I'm not a gamer so I couldn't tell you if that improved but I do watch a lot of video (hd and standard) and that is where I was hoping to see a difference. Was I wrong to assume a noticeable change?
I'm also having a few hardware(?) issues. After ever restart xp runs the found hardware wizard and "finds" a new video controller. It then asks me to install the intel display adapters. I assume that is the onboard video? I did change the bios to look at the pci slot for video so I am not sure why it insists on using it. Also in the device manager there is a yellow question mark next to "Other devices" and below it it lists "video controller" also with a yellow question mark.
In order to fix my performance issue I thought it may be a driver issue so I purchased your Driver Cleaner program (I never buy software usually) and cleaned the ATI driver. I then ran Driver Version check and Installed the catalyst driver (8.3) and the hot fix. After installing and restarting, my CCC completely broke and will not start.
I know I listed a bunch of problems and I do appreciate any help I can get. Thank you.

Spyre · Apr 8, 2008, 08:11 AM

A) Driver cleaner messed up your OS hence the CCC not working, probably easier to reinstall the OS and updates than fix. This can happen if you arent careful with Driver Cleaner.
B) Sounds like you didnt disable the onboard graphics in the motherboard BIOS, if you had disabled it then it wouldnt show up in the device manager. If its not disablable in the motherboard BIOS then you are screwed since the OS will be wanting to use those graphics since they are faster. From the spec of the machine it doesnt sound like HP intended it to be user upgradable.
C) a PCI 2400 isnt going to be fast since the PCI bus is horrifically slow. it only runs at 33mhz and has a low data transfer speed. It wouldnt suprise me if that horrible intel extreme graphics card would be faster under those circumstances as at least the onboard graphics card uses the built in AGP bus.

Basically you bought a machine that isnt very upgradable. In future if you buy a PC make sure it has at least a single PCIe slot (not PCI slot they arent the same thing) so that the graphics can be updatable in the future.

JWilliams · Apr 8, 2008, 04:55 PM

A) I seriously doubt that. You might want to be a little specific with "messed up your OS". What's messed up? System files? Registry? I followed directions and the only thing I did was clean the ati drivers and reinstall them. If that was enough to "mess up" my OS then there is no safe way to use the program and I need my money back. If not then you need to be more specific an not talk to me like I'm a newbie.
B) The BIOS was changed, I believe I already told you that. Also the HP website shows directions for how to add a video card for my specific machine, so yes they did allow it to be upgradeable.
C) I talked to multiple people and that card was indeed an upgrade from my integrated graphics.

OldBuzzard · Apr 8, 2008, 06:42 PM

1. Do you have .NET installed? If not you need to do that because CCC needs it.

2. Since you are getting the message to install new Intel display drivers, you MAY NOT have it disabled in the BIOS. Look for a section that says ONBOARD DEVICES, or something similar to that, and make sure the onboard video is disabled there as well. Some boards will automatically disable onboard vid and sound if they sense an addon, but maybe yours isn't doing that.

3. If you removed EVERYTHING that said ATI with the cleaner, you probably need to re-install your mainboard drivers, as one of those ATI entries is (or at least was, since it's been a long time since I've used DC) a mainboard driver.

3. Did you follow the DC instructions to the LETTER. A lot of folks don't, and it is important to do that with DC, of you WILL get into trouble.

4. Paragraphs are your friends...especially if you want someone to easily read what your problems are all about

JWilliams · Apr 8, 2008, 10:58 PM

1. Yes I do.
2. I did disable it in the BIOS like I said twice. I also went back and double checked to make sure.
3. Already done.
4. I did, I'm not a stranger at using utilities. Like I said, the only thing I did was clean the ati drivers and reinstall them. If that was enough to mess anything up it's not user error, it's a problem with the program.
5. The browser I was trying out (Maxthon) reformatted the text, not that it wasn't clear regardless.