Banging my head against a brick wall with ATI drivers

[basmic]

I'll start from scratch, just in case anything I mention is relevant to the problem.

Graphic card is an AGP Powercolor ATI 9800SE, 128mb RAM. This was bought by somebody for their machine, and I am to install it.

Machine has 512mb RAM, Pentium 4 2.4GHz, 160gb HD, CD-RW, DVD-RW, using onboard sound, was using onboard VGA before installing graphic card. Runs Windows XP SP2, with latest updates.

I download drivers from ATI's website - Catalyst 6.8.

Install graphic card, with floppy power connector connection. Machine boots up fine, Windows picks up the new card. I do not install the card as a "standard VGA adaptor" or whatever Windows calls unrecognised graphic cards.

I run Catalyst installation. I think it tries to install drivers, then I'm left at the desktop waiting for some kind of "drivers are installed" message or something...nothing for 2-3 minutes, no HD activity - so I reboot, assuming all is installed.

Reboot...I think Windows picks up the card just fine. Thinking all is well, I run Command and Conquer Generals - a few seconds into the menu (just as I'm about to move mouse to change settings), I get a blue screen. Just a blue screen, not a BSOD - no writing, nothing.

Reboot machine, I try Age of Empires 3 - again, at the menu, it simply gives me the blue screen.

Assuming the drivers weren't installed right (I was dubious), I uninstall them, run Driver Cleaner. I try to install the ones from CD, but again they hang when installing the driver. I try to install the drivers from Device Manager - but it gave me a "the parameter is incorrect" message, after copying the files over.

I'm getting fedup by this time, and hit Google. After about ten minutes of scuffling around in Google's search results, I find somewhere that sometimes the permissions to the ATI key aren't set properly. I check this and, as the poster said, I needed to set this get to Full Access.

I uninstall the old drivers, run Drivercleaner. Reboot, run Catalst 6.8 setup. This time it installs drivers just fine, and even installs the ATI panel (?) - something I hadn't seen it do before. I get a message following the lines of "all is installed, reboot to complete" - so I reboot.

So far, so good - run AOE3 again! I get that bloody blue screen - nothing on the blue screen, just a blue screen! Same with C&C, too!

After another Google, somewhere said to try disabling DEP, but editting the boot.ini file. I do this, but nothing changes.

At this point, I am well and truly baffled. I am in two minds to tell him to take the ATI card back to the shop for a refund, and go elsewhere and buy a Geforce one.

I once contemplated buying an ATI card - but this experience has put me clean off. Ok, it might be just a one-off. But I'm used to things working pretty much first time round with Nvidia cards, no tweaking, editting files or messing about in the registry.

Anyway - I would truly appreciate any advice or pointers with this card. I am very reluctant to reinstall XP - I don't see why I should, just to accomodate for ATI's drivers/software (whatever the problem is).

 

[basmic]

By it was purchased from a shop, do you mean it is brand new? Cos if it is second hand it might have been flashed.

Apparantley it was bought as brand new - but the generic sticky tape to "seal" the antistatic bag raised my suspicions right away. I asked, before I even opened the bag, if it was bought as brand new.

I didn't look closely, but I couldn't see any obvious traits of it being secondhand - ie: grazes along the AGP pins, bits of dust which weren't cleaned properly.

I'm going to recommend he takes it back for a refund, and just to get an Nvidia one. I've tried everything in my knowledge to get it working - never have I had so much trouble getting a graphic card running!

 

[basmic]

Stick with it on ATi, I've never had those issues with ATi, and I've been using several different ATi cards for the last 5 years XD
Its usually a quick plug in, make sure .net is installed, install drivers. done.

With Nvidia it was stick card in, stick drivers in...wham, bam, thank you ma'am.

Sorry, but I'm unhappy with my experience of ATI. Not to mention the countless "mention it enough, and maybe ATI will do something" posts I've come across when Googling.

I know Nvidia have their faults - but at least they were usually resolvable.

 

[basmic]

I'm not trying to start an ATI/Nvidia war - just in case a Mod thinks I am.

But, apart from my Voodoo 3 2000, I have used Nvidia ever since. The only time I was badly let down, was when the fan in my Gainward Ti4200 ceased, and overheated - killing the card.

Another time I was a little annoyed with, was with TV out - but that was down to my lack of experience.

ATI might well be the best for cash right now. But I'm adament that I won't be touching ATI with a mile-long barge pole for some time.

 

[basmic]

What graphics card was the 9800SE replacing, or was it a new-build?

If a switch from Nvidia -> ATi has been made, or vice versa, I would STRONGLY suggest a format and reinstall. Yes, it's a pain, but it will save you more grief in the long run. 'Tis the only way to get rid of all 'foreign' driver entries.

If that is not an issue, then use the ATi control center 3D demo thing (the one with the F50 driving down a valley) to see if the card is treating 3D with the respect it deserves.

The card was replacing onboard Sis graphics. The onboard graphics are disabled when you install an AGP card.

 

[basmic]

Have you checked to see if the graphics card will do 3D at all?

It's an ATI 9800, so I should think it would do 3D.

 

[basmic]

I'm shocked no ones mentioned chipset drivers

I'm not saying you're right or wrong - but what makes you think it could be the chipset drivers?