Comments on: Can you solve my Windows ME blank monitor nightmare?

Question: Can you solve my Windows ME blank monitor nightmare?

skylar — Tue, 30 Dec 2003 10:48:17 -0800

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.

By: riffola

riffola — Tue, 30 Dec 2003 11:01:29 -0800

Did you try reinstalling your video card drivers? Either onboard or plugged in?

By: grabbingsand

grabbingsand — Tue, 30 Dec 2003 11:05:55 -0800

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.

By: bshort

bshort — Tue, 30 Dec 2003 11:56:10 -0800

Any chance you're looking to upgrade to XP?

ME is really a pox on the home computing world.

By: ac

ac — Tue, 30 Dec 2003 12:08:05 -0800

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.

By: majick

majick — Tue, 30 Dec 2003 13:27:23 -0800

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.

By: stonerose

stonerose — Tue, 30 Dec 2003 14:28:29 -0800

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.

By: Blue Stone

Blue Stone — Tue, 30 Dec 2003 14:40:28 -0800

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.

By: quonsar

quonsar — Tue, 30 Dec 2003 15:59:04 -0800

so much agony, so few class actions.

By: skylar

skylar — Tue, 30 Dec 2003 16:29:01 -0800

Thanks for your help, everyone. I'll try that. Yes, an upgrade to XP is in the works. I have OSX on other machines.

By: ac

ac — Tue, 30 Dec 2003 16:59:29 -0800

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

By: dash_slot-

dash_slot- — Tue, 30 Dec 2003 19:03:47 -0800

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.

By: ac

ac — Tue, 30 Dec 2003 20:19:49 -0800

please don't hurt me... I was trying to be helpful - I advised and upgrade to XP immediately.

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Wed, 31 Dec 2003 03:55:45 -0800

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....

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Wed, 31 Dec 2003 05:13:35 -0800

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.