Somewhat of a problem updating drivers...

[Efreeti]

Yes, I have a BIG problem. Whenever I attempt to update my mainboard and chipset drivers, I get a fatal error. Windows 2000 crashes on boot, with a graphic error in the progress bar in the splash screen before the OS is properly loaded. When I access Safe Mode, the whole screen is full of distorted bars and insane graphic errors... I can barely operate the system making out what's behind the distorted graphics.

Examples:
http://theprophecy.hysterisk.com/mypics/help/help.bmp
http://theprophecy.hysterisk.com/mypics/help/help2.bmp

I have also tried to install Windows XP x64 on the system, but as it downloads new drivers at install, this error will be omnipresent. As for if this happens in Windows 2000, the only solution to it that I have found is to format and reinstall windows.

And this is a big problem. Without having drivers updated for the mainboard, the ATi GFX driver's SmartGart function sets my GFX card to AGPx0, essentially slaughtering my systems graphic abilities. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif[/img]

My system:
AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Socket 754 @ ~2GHz
ASUS K8V-SE Deluxe Socket 754 (ViA K8T800 Chipset)
Sapphire Radeon 9600XT 256MB
GeIL 768MB PC3200 DDR-SDRAM
Seagate Barracuda 200GB S-ATA HDD

Right now I use the drivers from the CD that came with the mainboard (quite old).

After reading this you might as well skip to page 2, where I've posted an update on the issue.

[boyblue]

Efreeti

When you clean install Windows 2000 is it updated to SP4 and all other updates including Direct 9.

What VIA drivers version are you trying to install?.

What does the device manager say about problems?.

What bios setting are you using to clean install especially with AGP.

Have you checked for a bios update?.

[Efreeti]

1: Yes, with SP4. No DirectX.
2: Last time I tried was months ago, don't remember. But, I've tried several times, and all of those times it was 5.0 or newer, as far as I can remember.
3: Device manager? When? Currently? I have 2 unknown devices.
4: Default?
5: No, when trying to boot the BIOS update disk I get "NTLDR Error" or something like that.

[boyblue]

5: No, when trying to boot the BIOS update disk I get "NTLDR Error" or something like that.

Updating the bios that way is normally done with DOS so maybe the files on the boot up disc are wrong. Do you know the bios version installed already on the motherboard?. I will check to see if there is a later one for you and help to update if needed.

Also what PSU are you using?. Just to rule out memory problems have you ran a memory tester.

[boyblue]

I get a fatal error

Do you have what is said on these errors.

[Efreeti]

Not an error per se, it's more or less that the distorted stuff is fatal.
My PSU is an AOpen 350 watt, iirc. It came with the AOpen H700B chassis.
As for the current BIOS version is AMIBIOS 1001.005, the newest which I have tried to update to is 1008.004. The update program is Asus' "afudos".

[boyblue]

I will have a look tonight to see how to update your bios and post back the procedure.

[Efreeti]

Hmm... "tomorrow" was a week ago.

I've been trying to update with "Afudos" because it says in Asus' pages that if your BIOS version is earlier than so and so using Afudos is "highly recommeded". I haven't gotten it to work tho, won't boot (afudos is supposedly one of those things that are supposed to be bootable without autoexec/config)

I don't know... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

[boyblue]

I will check out the DOS route and what is the PCB version of the motherboard.

EDIT: I have downloaded the manual so will read it tonight as I could not access the help files on how to update the bios on their site.

Sorry about the delay.

[boyblue]

First off get yourself a copy of drdflash.exe and then execute the program so it can make a boot up disc just for flashing.

Now put the AFUDOS and the bios update program on the floppy making sure if they come in downloaded zipped format that they are un-zipped first in Windows.

Now go into the bios program and change the first boot device to floppy and boot to that floppy, once you have reached the DOS command type dir enter so you can see how the .bin file (bios update) looks.

Then type afudos /i[filename] (The fle name as written when you done the dir command) and hit enter

When the bios update process is complete, the utility returns to DOS prompt.

Reboot to harddrive.

DO NOT SHUT DOWN OR RESET THE SYSTEM WHILE UPDATING THE BIOS. DOING SO CAN CAUSE BOOT FAILURE.