Okay, here's the scoop:

I just installed a new video card (Radeon 9550) into an older computer (Athlon 1.3 ghz, 512 mb ram) I had around the house. After disabling the onboard video, and generally just a lot of headaches, I'm finally getting video through the card. No problems there anymore.

I have the problems when I go to install the drivers. Windows (XP SP2) recognizes the card (good), brings up the new hardware wizard (also good), and asks those questions it's supposed to ask. The driver installation instructions with the card say to run through the wizard and finish when Windows says it cannot find the appropriate drivers. Fine, I can handle that. Then, I'm supposed to run the CD that came with the card to install the drivers. I pass through the menus fine, but when installing the ATI drivers, I get an error message:

Setup was unable to complete the installation.
Try to setup your display adapter with a standard VGA driver before running setup.

Okay, I thought...the first time. I just ran the wizard again and tried to install the standard VGA driver. No dice. Okay...so I jump in and find the VGA driver in the SYSTEM32/DRIVERS folder...and the wizard tells me that it isn't a driver. Really? Because I know it is.

I know there has to be a really simple solution, but I just don't know what it is, and I've got to figure it out before I go to sleep tonight.

I would download the latest videodriver for the card, to my desktop.
I would remove ALL traces of ANY videodrivers from the computer.
I would shutoff the computer and remove the videocard.
I would turn the computer back on and let it boot, denying any requests to install drivers.
I would shut it back down.
I would reinstall the videocard and boot back up.
I would deny all requests to install drivers.
When it completes booting, I would install the videodriver I downloaded.
Maybe even that .net(?) from the Windows Website. (i forget what it's called, or if it's at Windows or ATI)
That usualy does it for me!

I know it's all a long backward way to do it, but that's how I do it!

[This message has been edited by Boondawg (edited 05-10-2006).]

quote Originally posted by Boondawg: I would download the latest videodriver for the card, to my desktop. I would remove ALL traces of ANY videodrivers from the computer. I would shutoff the computer and remove the videocard. I would turn the computer back on and let it boot, denying any requests to install drivers. I would shut it back down. I would reinstall the videocard and boot back up. I would deny all requests to install drivers. When it completes booting, I would install the videodriver I downloaded. Maybe even that .net(?) from the Windows Website. (i forget what it's called, or if it's at Windows or ATI) That usualy does it for me! I know it's all a long backward way to do it, but that's how I do it!

Well...I thought that all of the above sure couldn't hurt, so I tried it. Twice. With spectacular results...i.e. it now installs more files before it gives me the error message.

If no one has any better ideas, I'm gonna hope the third time's the charm...

I see you have an Athlon, that tells me you probably have a VIA chipset. The incompatibilities between ATI and VIA chipsets are legendary. Make sure you have the latest chipset drivers from http://www.viaarena.com/ I just tried to get to there, jeeze what a POS! site. More spammy than I remember and slooooowwwww. You need the 4 in 1 set with the AGP filter if you have a VIA chipset. They are so sloppy in their design that you need software to take up the slack, then ATI does the same thing, resulting in a nightmare. You sometimes have to apply the 4 in 1 multiple times, same with the ATI, just slam them at it, have it overwrite.
I have an ATI All inWonder 9600 that I just updated the drivers on and now the capture doesn't work anymore. It's the last ATI card I ever buy, great equipment, flakey drivers.
One last thing, if you are using downloaded ATI drivers be sure to have your original CD in the drive, they think so highly of their work that it has to validate your permission to use their drivers. As if you could use them for any thing else!

quote Originally posted by 87GT_97114:

Good advice!
I forgot about VIA & the 4 in 1's.
I should know, I'm running them!

How is VIA doing now days, anyway? I used to buy a lot of their motherboards years ago because they were pretty cheap. But then nvidia got into the chipset field, and SiS picked it up a little so those are pretty inexpensive, too.