Damned Microsoft... (please help with monitor problem)

[netnomad312]

It's funny how they leave important things out, isn't it? I needed DirectX 8.0 or above to use a certain program of mine on my laptop, which has Windows 2000 Pro. I couldn't install 8.1, because it claimed to be only for 95/98-type systems. So I downloaded 9.0b (the redistributable) and installed it. I heard later that 9.0b only works with XP... whereas, on the site, it said it would work with anything NT-based (including 2000 Pro). Well, what do you know... upon restarting, it crashed and restarted. Every time it got to the "starting" screen, it would pop up with a blue screen claiming it was failing to load certain .sys files.

Unfortunately, my laptop didn't come with a CD to reinstall 2000 Pro, so I had to borrow a friend's copy. Once the install completed, I was given 16 colors and a 640*480 resolution. It was if I'd started in Safe Mode. I couldn't change these settings, either. I tried to start in safe mode, but it wouldn't get to the login screen.

It seems not to recognize the laptop's monitor... it's like all its drivers were deleted, or something. Does anyone know how I can get my monitor working right again?

[Arioch]

Go to the site of whoever made your laptop and look for drivers?

[Opulent]

Usually the VERY first screen when you boot your system will be the monitor/display model.
go get drivers for that from either the graphics card manufacturer or the people you bought your computer from.
I have heard numerous display issues with Directx9.x, but I have no problems on my system(but then I'm not running NT-technology either)
gl.

[Arioch]

Well really, Opulent.

He has a laptop, which we can take to mean known vendor, known model, and therefore known hardware. Easy enough to look it up on their website--they probably even have driver downloads sorted by laptop model number.

Easier, less steps.

[Opulent]

yeah, I see that, but I was kind of gathering that he didn't know where it was purchased.
whatever works.
there's always that hardware detector program if you truly get desperate.

[fodders]

It's graphics card drivers that are needed. Try installing standard svga drivers to start with.

[netnomad312]

I think that's what it had. VGA, at least. At any rate, I tried the name of my laptop plus "monitor driver" in Google; I got a forum with a link to the exact driver I wanted... actually, it was a setup program within another self-extracting program. I didn't know this. I extracted the files and wondered why it still didn't work. After looking at IBM's site and finding the exact same program available there, I also noticed that you had to run the setup.exe it extracted. I thought it had extracted the files themselves instead of a program that sets them up. Heh. Well anyway, I have my graphics back now, so this is pretty good. I managed to keep all my programs when I reinstalled, as well (it's nice to know I'm not that much of a dumbass, at least. :-D).

Back to my original problem that later got me this big problem... this program of mine needs DirectX 8.0 to run. I downloaded both 8.1 and 9.0b. 8.1 said it wouldn't work on my system, and 9.0b caused this crash. Which version should I install?

[Opulent]

not sure. perhaps a technical assistance for the program in question is a better place to start?
you could always hack your registry to think it has 8.0... :)
but I'm sure it is required for a reason, you probably won't get a display unless you are at least actually at 8.
why did it say it wouldn't work on your system anyhow?
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.aspx?DisplayLang=en&CategoryID=2&ExpandTopList=true

[netnomad312]

That's true... I forgot, that program has a forum of its own. I'll go there...