Slow Desktop, Choppiness

Pootay · Nov 13, 2005, 04:54 PM

This started when I tried updating my mobo's drivers. I have a k8n Neo Platinum and a 9600 XT Radeon card. After looking around on the Omega site I think this is my problem:

"After installing the new drivers and rebooting, if your desktop is SLOW and games won't run, is because AGP acceleration has been disabled by Windows, in order to fix this you MUST re-install the latest AGP chipset drivers for your Mother Board (this also includes laptops). After rebooting check the Advanced SmartGart Options in the Omega Start Menu and see if at least AGP/PCI read are both ENABLED, if all of them are enabled, the better, but some MBs doesn't support AGP/PCI write functions, if all still disabled, just click on "Retest All" and press OK to restart."

I looked under the smart gart options and my pci/agp settings are set to off. The slowness goes away when I turn off acceleration. The thing is I believe I already installed the "latest chipset drivers" for my mobo. Maybe I don't know what they're actually referring to as I'm pretty computer illiterate. So can someone please point me to the "latest AGP chipset drivers" for the K8N Neo Platinum mobo.

Thanks in advance.

ChoGGi · Nov 14, 2005, 08:03 AM

its an nforce3 board so you'd want to install the nvidia chipset drivers.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/nforce3_winxp_5.11
try uninstalling the video card in device manager then install the chipset drivers, reboot and install the radeon drivers.
if that doesnt work try running drivercleaner in safemode
http://drivercleaner.net/
remove all the ati entries expect for the IGP ones (those are only if you have an ati motherboard). reboot and reinstall the radeon drivers again.

Pootay · Nov 14, 2005, 09:19 PM

Thx for the reply, ChoGGi.

Unfortunately those are the steps I've pretty much been repeating the whole weekend. I tried it once more for good measure, but I'm still experiencing choppiness/unable to play games when I turn acceleration on. The Advanced SmartGart still says AGP/PCI off, I ran an everest scan and it says I have agp enabled. I've tried installing the regular catalyst drivers too, and I still have the same problem.

ARGH damn this is all CIV IV fault, I wouldn't have even tried to update the mobo/video drivers if the damn game wasn't so buggy.

Anyone with more ideas? Maybe I should try to physically reinstall my vid card?

Robert McClelland · Nov 14, 2005, 10:02 PM

Did you try tune-up?
Might have formated then. OR maybe time RMA it.

Pootay · Nov 14, 2005, 11:14 PM

I just tried tune up. Useful lill program but didn't help fix my problem. Whats RMA? I'm probably going to have to reformat my comp...

Robert McClelland · Nov 15, 2005, 12:07 AM

It's return to ATI

they give you another replacement card.

Sobek · Nov 15, 2005, 01:50 AM

Oh lord, what's with all the deranged responses..Tune up? RMA...come on!

It's quite simple really. Go to start->run->Smartgart (or browse to it manually at C:/Program Files/ATI Technologies/Control Panel/Advanced Smartgart shortcut, at the bottom of the screen.).

Once you run it, hit 'retest all' at the bottom, then apply and restart when it asks/when you've applied. After your system restarts, log in, and wait for up to a minute for your screen to flash several times (this can actually take in excess of a minute..just bear with it). Once that's done, your all set!

Everything should be back as normal and your acceleration options should be normal.

This is a VERY common issue, and always leads unsuspecting people into thinking their card is damaged, the drivers are dodgy, or there's something wrong with their motherboard...this simply isn't the case. Do this, and you should be home free.

Good Luck!

Pootay · Nov 15, 2005, 03:00 PM

Hey Sobek

I tried your suggestions and I'm still experiencing the same problems. When I run Smartgart from run or just go directly to it from the start menu, all the options on it are greyed out. I can access Smartgart from desktop>properties>advanced, but it looks different then the advanced Smartgart menu and when I click retest all nothing happens. It asks me to restart which I do, but my comp just boots up normally, it seems like it doesn't do any testing at all.

H3X4D3C1M4L · Nov 15, 2005, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sobek

Oh lord, what's with all the deranged responses..Tune up? RMA...come on!

I wouldn't called them deranged suggestions....

One thing you could try is if you had another video card you could plug that in then run drivercleaner & all and then completely flush all that crap out, and reinstall it from fresh so to speak.

Failing that a reform would be good if it hasn't been done in a while

Pootay · Nov 15, 2005, 10:44 PM

BTW this is what I'm talking about when I say advanced smartgart is greyed out.

Is there anyway I can make the options on there available?

Sobek · Nov 16, 2005, 05:31 AM

That's most certainly odd, looks like a privledges problem. Do you know if your an administrator on your system?

At least you know by looking at that screen, that's the problem, what with being all set to off and greyed out. No matter of replacement cards is going to fix the issue.

It's one of two things, insufficient priveledges (not an administrator), or incorrectly installed drivers (not saying that's really your fault, but most likely the process by which you installed them). Have you by any chance used Driver Cleaner after uninstalling your drivers, before you install new ones? It just might help.

This is almost certainly a driver/permissions related problem.

Pootay · Nov 16, 2005, 05:48 AM

Yea I just checked, I'm an administrator on my comp. I also think the problem is with the installation of the drivers. The problem arised when I installed my chipset drivers and the newest catalyst drivers together.

And yea I've used DriverCleaner every time after the first install. I've probably gone over the process of uninstalling>driver clean>install like 20 times already.

Looks like I'm gonna have to reformat this thing which I can't do anytime soon since I dont have the windows cd. Thx for the help tho.

redsolar · Nov 18, 2005, 02:08 AM

Before you go reformatting, make sure you run everything in a specific sequence, with all reboots, namely:

1. Uninstall ATI drivers, and nVidia chipset drivers, reboot
2. Boot into safe mode, run DriverCleaner for everything ATI and everything nVidia, also run cab cleaner, and clean all cab files it shows.
3. Boot into normal mode, install latest nVidia chipset drivers, reboot.
4. Install Catalysts (try control panel)

If you are absolutely sure you followed the above sequence or if this still does not work, check SmartGart Uninstall utilty, and see if it can help you.

Pootay · Nov 18, 2005, 05:43 AM

Ok guys problem solved. Thx to everyone who tried to help, much appreciatted.

After I installed a previous set of catalysts I made some changes in Services.msc, to disable smartgart. I was following the instructions on this site http://www.tweakguides.com/ATICAT_4.html which claimed it shouldn't have any ill effects. It was so many reinstall attempts and what not, ago that I had forgotten I ever made such a modification.

Since RedSolar's link to the smartgart uninstall utility didn't work I did a search on google for it, which led me to the site I had forgotten about. So thanks a lot for inadverdantly solving my problem!