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Hi everybody,
Recently I changed my Matrox G-200 for a G-400 dualhead OEM. I could not get it to work. I installed the drivers (the ones in the original CD ) but after rebooting the system crashed, the screen showed funny colours and the cursor was transparent. I could not see the desktop. The only conflict that the System Manager would show was that the Intel 82371 AB/EB PCI to USB controler was not installed or was incorrectly installed (it said that the resources were in use by something else). Also, the root USB would not show up. I tried unistalling the drivers, installing the new ones available from Matrox, but nothing changed. I tried with a new card and the same thing happened.
I reformated the hard disk and installed a new Win98 (first edition) operating system. Before I installed the card drivers, the system would correctly detect the PCI to USB chip and consecuently, would install the USB port. I installed nothing but the operating system. I had previously removed everything from my PC (SCSI adapters, Iomega ZIP, modem, etc) but the G400, the CD-ROM and the hard disks. The screen adapter (Standar VGA) would show a yellow mark. After installing the drivers, the system manager would show a yellow mark in the G400 and in the PCI to USB controller and, again, no root USB would show up. Also, no IRQ would be asigned to the PCI to USB controller. The scrren would not allow any other resolution but 640x480x16 colours (it shows a yellow mark in the G400 card), and everytime I rebooted would tell me that the card is not correctly installed and ask me to install the VGA card. If I unistall the matrox drivers and install an standard VGA card and manually asigned an IRQ for the PCI to USB controller BEFORE installing the drivers for the matrox, it would assign either IRQ 3 or 10 (3 before rebooting, 10 after rebooting) and the root USB would show up (before rebooting only, not afterwards). If I then install the matrox drivers, the problem would return (no root USB, no IRQ for the PCI to USB controller, no IRQ assigned to the PCI to USB controller, 640x480x16 cxolours only, etc.). I have tried installing the new drivers and new BIOS for the matrox, the new BIOS for the motherboard, disabling the "Assign IRQ for USB" option in the motherboard, disabling all COM ports, changing the AGP aperture size in the motherboard from 64 (default) to 128, assigning manually the IRQ for the PCI slots (in the BIOS), changing the BIOS option "PnP system installed" from Yes (default) to No, changing the "Assign IRQ to VGA" option in the motherboard from No to Yes, disabling the USB in the motherboard, replacing the card G400, and all of this combinations together. Nothing changed, even if I reinstall the operating system. I have tried with the english, german, french and spanish drivers, but the results were the same. If I changed the card for the G200, the system would work perfectly well, so the problem is obviously a problem with the card, but it does not make any sense. It does not share an IRQ with anything (I have no other card installed), it does not use the same IRQ as the PCI to USB controller (not at least that the system information report it), it is not that specific card (I have exchanged it for another G400 dualhead and the proble is the same) so ¿were is the problem? I do not see a way to go now. I have even changed the memory address for the PCI to USB controller but this makes no difference. I have also tried disabling the PCI to USB controller and the root USB before installing the Matrox, but this does not makes any difference either.
I would appreciate suggestions.
Thank you very much,
My system is:
Intel Celeron 400 (runnig at 66 Mhz)
Matrox G400 dualhead (laters drivers and BIOS)
Maxtor 8,4 Gb disk (7200 rpm)
Seagate 6,4 (5200 rpm)
Toshiba 3260 32X CD-ROM
128 Mb SDRAM (no EEC)
IWILL BD100 Plus motherboard (latest BIOS)
A couple of days ago I replaced the motherboard for another one (differend brand). I formatted the disk and installed Win98. Same thing happened. Exactly the same problem: yellow mark on the PCI to USB controller, the drivers (no matter what version) would install correctly (not the powerdesk though) but upon rebboting, the system would recognize a new VGA card and ask me again for drivers. If I cancel this without assigning a driver, enter into Windows, delete the PCI to USB and reboot, the PCI would install OK untill I removed the drivers of the G400 and install a new ones.
I also changed the CPU (just in case this was the problem) but nothig changed, even if I reinstall windows again. Then I decided to try another solution. I deleted the old drivers and the PCI to AGP controller, and selected a Standard VGA card as the viedeo card. I rebooted the system and got the PCI to AGP controller OK (first I changed the motherboard to Load BIOS defaults and selected only three changes: Assign IRQ to VGA, Disable IRQ for USB and choosed an aperture size of 256 for the matrox (although I know this does not makes any difference). Upon rebooting Windows "founded" again an VGA card and ask me for the drivers: I choosed Matrox G400 drivers (latest) and rebooted. Again garbled graphics. So I enter into Safe mode and changed the Hardware accelaration option in Screen Properties> G400 Properties from the highest to the lowest. This cured the problem (I have not had the time to try another options and see what happens, but I did tried changing the registry key to AGP1X, AGP2X and Default AGP (actually 2X) and all worked OK. The only problem I have right know is that the Matrox Powerdesk does not load. It is already installed (I have tried removing it with the Matrox utility and reinstalling it, but this makes no difference). If I clic in the PDESK.EXE I get an error saying something like "The drivers for the AGP card are not compatible with Powerdesk... (¿¿¿¿¿Does this makes any sense to anybody, specially to the MATROX GUYS????). So I have to chage the resolution from the Windows scrren options, and I cannot set any options for the card. This does not make very happy, but at least it is working.
I am sure this is not a problem of this card (I have tried another one), of this motherboard (I have tried a different one) of the CPU (I have tried three different ones) of the settings in the motherboard (I have tried everything possible), of the BIOS (I have changed the motherboards BIOS and the cards BIOS), of incompatibilities with another cards (I have removed everything but the Matrox). I think the problem lies in the Matrox card, and specially in the drivers. I blame Matrox for this. They should have tested it in different boards. I can think in another cause of the problem: I have a CELERON PPGA 400. It could be that this CPU has some problems, or that PPGA (socket 370 mounted on socked 1) it is causing some problem, but this does not say anything in favour of Matrox. Many people uses this combination and the card should work right from the start. Besides this, it seems that the card has different other problems in different motherboards. I think that they SHOULD come up with a solution (I mean drivers or a utility to install the card, for instance, changing automatically the Graphics speed option in Windows).
At the moment I am left with the system working after 7 days of experimenting (and this is not something that street people will usually do, specially because they do not have the chance to chage the CPU, the motherboard, the card, etc.) but the PowerDesk and all the Matrox options associated would not load.
I hope this could help others with the same problem, and I will keep on trying to solve it, but I believe the solution SHOULD come from Matrox.
Thank you and I wait for other ideas,
Thank you
Recently I changed my Matrox G-200 for a G-400 dualhead OEM. I could not get it to work. I installed the drivers (the ones in the original CD ) but after rebooting the system crashed, the screen showed funny colours and the cursor was transparent. I could not see the desktop. The only conflict that the System Manager would show was that the Intel 82371 AB/EB PCI to USB controler was not installed or was incorrectly installed (it said that the resources were in use by something else). Also, the root USB would not show up. I tried unistalling the drivers, installing the new ones available from Matrox, but nothing changed. I tried with a new card and the same thing happened.
I reformated the hard disk and installed a new Win98 (first edition) operating system. Before I installed the card drivers, the system would correctly detect the PCI to USB chip and consecuently, would install the USB port. I installed nothing but the operating system. I had previously removed everything from my PC (SCSI adapters, Iomega ZIP, modem, etc) but the G400, the CD-ROM and the hard disks. The screen adapter (Standar VGA) would show a yellow mark. After installing the drivers, the system manager would show a yellow mark in the G400 and in the PCI to USB controller and, again, no root USB would show up. Also, no IRQ would be asigned to the PCI to USB controller. The scrren would not allow any other resolution but 640x480x16 colours (it shows a yellow mark in the G400 card), and everytime I rebooted would tell me that the card is not correctly installed and ask me to install the VGA card. If I unistall the matrox drivers and install an standard VGA card and manually asigned an IRQ for the PCI to USB controller BEFORE installing the drivers for the matrox, it would assign either IRQ 3 or 10 (3 before rebooting, 10 after rebooting) and the root USB would show up (before rebooting only, not afterwards). If I then install the matrox drivers, the problem would return (no root USB, no IRQ for the PCI to USB controller, no IRQ assigned to the PCI to USB controller, 640x480x16 cxolours only, etc.). I have tried installing the new drivers and new BIOS for the matrox, the new BIOS for the motherboard, disabling the "Assign IRQ for USB" option in the motherboard, disabling all COM ports, changing the AGP aperture size in the motherboard from 64 (default) to 128, assigning manually the IRQ for the PCI slots (in the BIOS), changing the BIOS option "PnP system installed" from Yes (default) to No, changing the "Assign IRQ to VGA" option in the motherboard from No to Yes, disabling the USB in the motherboard, replacing the card G400, and all of this combinations together. Nothing changed, even if I reinstall the operating system. I have tried with the english, german, french and spanish drivers, but the results were the same. If I changed the card for the G200, the system would work perfectly well, so the problem is obviously a problem with the card, but it does not make any sense. It does not share an IRQ with anything (I have no other card installed), it does not use the same IRQ as the PCI to USB controller (not at least that the system information report it), it is not that specific card (I have exchanged it for another G400 dualhead and the proble is the same) so ¿were is the problem? I do not see a way to go now. I have even changed the memory address for the PCI to USB controller but this makes no difference. I have also tried disabling the PCI to USB controller and the root USB before installing the Matrox, but this does not makes any difference either.
I would appreciate suggestions.
Thank you very much,
My system is:
Intel Celeron 400 (runnig at 66 Mhz)
Matrox G400 dualhead (laters drivers and BIOS)
Maxtor 8,4 Gb disk (7200 rpm)
Seagate 6,4 (5200 rpm)
Toshiba 3260 32X CD-ROM
128 Mb SDRAM (no EEC)
IWILL BD100 Plus motherboard (latest BIOS)
A couple of days ago I replaced the motherboard for another one (differend brand). I formatted the disk and installed Win98. Same thing happened. Exactly the same problem: yellow mark on the PCI to USB controller, the drivers (no matter what version) would install correctly (not the powerdesk though) but upon rebboting, the system would recognize a new VGA card and ask me again for drivers. If I cancel this without assigning a driver, enter into Windows, delete the PCI to USB and reboot, the PCI would install OK untill I removed the drivers of the G400 and install a new ones.
I also changed the CPU (just in case this was the problem) but nothig changed, even if I reinstall windows again. Then I decided to try another solution. I deleted the old drivers and the PCI to AGP controller, and selected a Standard VGA card as the viedeo card. I rebooted the system and got the PCI to AGP controller OK (first I changed the motherboard to Load BIOS defaults and selected only three changes: Assign IRQ to VGA, Disable IRQ for USB and choosed an aperture size of 256 for the matrox (although I know this does not makes any difference). Upon rebooting Windows "founded" again an VGA card and ask me for the drivers: I choosed Matrox G400 drivers (latest) and rebooted. Again garbled graphics. So I enter into Safe mode and changed the Hardware accelaration option in Screen Properties> G400 Properties from the highest to the lowest. This cured the problem (I have not had the time to try another options and see what happens, but I did tried changing the registry key to AGP1X, AGP2X and Default AGP (actually 2X) and all worked OK. The only problem I have right know is that the Matrox Powerdesk does not load. It is already installed (I have tried removing it with the Matrox utility and reinstalling it, but this makes no difference). If I clic in the PDESK.EXE I get an error saying something like "The drivers for the AGP card are not compatible with Powerdesk... (¿¿¿¿¿Does this makes any sense to anybody, specially to the MATROX GUYS????). So I have to chage the resolution from the Windows scrren options, and I cannot set any options for the card. This does not make very happy, but at least it is working.
I am sure this is not a problem of this card (I have tried another one), of this motherboard (I have tried a different one) of the CPU (I have tried three different ones) of the settings in the motherboard (I have tried everything possible), of the BIOS (I have changed the motherboards BIOS and the cards BIOS), of incompatibilities with another cards (I have removed everything but the Matrox). I think the problem lies in the Matrox card, and specially in the drivers. I blame Matrox for this. They should have tested it in different boards. I can think in another cause of the problem: I have a CELERON PPGA 400. It could be that this CPU has some problems, or that PPGA (socket 370 mounted on socked 1) it is causing some problem, but this does not say anything in favour of Matrox. Many people uses this combination and the card should work right from the start. Besides this, it seems that the card has different other problems in different motherboards. I think that they SHOULD come up with a solution (I mean drivers or a utility to install the card, for instance, changing automatically the Graphics speed option in Windows).
At the moment I am left with the system working after 7 days of experimenting (and this is not something that street people will usually do, specially because they do not have the chance to chage the CPU, the motherboard, the card, etc.) but the PowerDesk and all the Matrox options associated would not load.
I hope this could help others with the same problem, and I will keep on trying to solve it, but I believe the solution SHOULD come from Matrox.
Thank you and I wait for other ideas,
Thank you
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