Can you solve my Windows ME blank monitor nightmare?

December 30, 2003 10:48 AM

Can you solve my Windows ME blank monitor nightmare? [more inside...]

I have a PC running Windows ME, ProSavage S3 and a Radius Display/20e monitor. This set-up has worked fine for a year or so, but today I can no longer get the monitor to display anything.

Fortunately I have GoToMyPC installed so could access the computer remotely - then I could see the following error message: "The driver file that displays items corretly on your screen isn't working. To fix this you might need to install a new display driver. See the Windows Update Web site for updated drivers, or check the Web site of your display driver manufacturer."

It seems as if the driver's not working, and that perhaps the computer is only starting up in 640*480 mode, which is not being recognised by the monitor. I have re-installed the S3 drivers but to no avail. System Restore has also not made any difference.

The only way I can get the monitor to show anything is in Safe Mode, but I can't figure out what to change within that mode which makes the monitor work when restarted into normal mode.

Despite many hours spent poring Google, newsgroups and various other sites I cannot find anything which exactly describes my problem or how to solve it. Any hints very gratefully accepted.

posted by skylar to computers & internet (14 comments total)

Did you try reinstalling your video card drivers? Either onboard or plugged in?
posted by riffola at 11:01 AM on December 30, 2003

Aaagh...... ME. Why must it be ME? I think riffola is pointing you in the right direction. Boot into Safe Mode, uninstall the Savage drivers, then reboot. You should find yourself in the ugly world of 16-colors, ready to reinstall the video card drivers.

Of course, your whole issue might be ME.
posted by grabbingsand at 11:05 AM on December 30, 2003

Any chance you're looking to upgrade to XP?

ME is really a pox on the home computing world.
posted by bshort at 11:56 AM on December 30, 2003

Here's your problem.
Windows ME.
fuck it in its faggot ass. This would be a wonderful opportunity to boot from an XP or 2000 CD and upgrade.
posted by ac at 12:08 PM on December 30, 2003

Fire it up in safe mode, delete all the video drivers (make sure to tidy up any cached INF files) reboot and make it redetect the video hardware again.
posted by majick at 1:27 PM on December 30, 2003

Here's your problem.
Windows ME.
fuck it in its faggot ass.

While I appreciate the frustration that led to this sentiment and am not accusing you of homophobia, this is over the line. Let's try to keep AskMeFi civil, even when bashing MS. Sorry to go off-topic, but it was either this or a whiny MeTa post.

As for the question - what majick said, then switch to Mac OS X.
posted by stonerose at 2:28 PM on December 30, 2003

You might, once it's all fixed, consider running it with something like "GoBack" installed, so you can just revert back to a previous working disk-state, when stuff like this (inevitably) happens.

I second stonerose's request.
posted by Blue Stone at 2:40 PM on December 30, 2003

so much agony, so few class actions.
posted by quonsar at 3:59 PM on December 30, 2003

Thanks for your help, everyone. I'll try that. Yes, an upgrade to XP is in the works. I have OSX on other machines.
posted by skylar at 4:29 PM on December 30, 2003

Eh stonerose, sorry about the faggot, its just that ME has caused hundreds of insane disasters and wasted so much of my time... it is just so incredibly awful. ugh
posted by ac at 4:59 PM on December 30, 2003

So make a lame analogy between gays and the incredibly awful WinME? That was really helpful.

Fuck your apology, you eejit. Stay out of AskMe if thats the level of insight and information you want to share.
posted by dash_slot- at 7:03 PM on December 30, 2003

please don't hurt me... I was trying to be helpful - I advised and upgrade to XP immediately.
posted by ac at 8:19 PM on December 30, 2003

FWIW, recapping a bit and ignoring the drama : If I remember correctly, you can boot into safe mode in WinMe by holding/tapping F8 at bootup, and choose from the resultant menu. Once you're into Windows, change the video driver to (and I don't remember the details here, but something like) generic VGA. Reboot normally. You'll be at 640x480. Find new drivers, or the last successful ones you used, and install those, reboot again and go from there....
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 3:55 AM on December 31, 2003

Perhaps my inability read simple English made my last comment completely redundant, in which case I authorize you to beat me about the neck and shoulders with blunt and/or sharp objects at your leisure. Sorry.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:13 AM on December 31, 2003