Links: Volcanoes

1. Not sure of the make/model number of the graphics/video card in your computer? No problem. The very first text you get flashed on the screen when you put the power on, is the make/model of your video card. You will need to be quick. It lasts only a second or two. In some cases (especially when the video is integrated on the motherboard) the name/model number of the video adapter is a bit cryptic. It helps if you have a rough idea of what the number should look like. Refer to your documentation or visit a driver download site and have a look at the names/numbers of the graphic cards listed. 2. Don't have a setup or install file to install the drivers? Chances are that you have an "inf" file i.e. a file with the "inf" extension. Installation from an inf file is slightly different. It involves going into the control panel, choosing to add new hardware, NOT using the autodetect but choosing manual installation, and then using the "browse" button to direct the installation routine to the directory where you have the "inf" file. 3. An important step before installing: Visit the control panel to see if that device is already listed with a yellow exclamation mark or a red cross. If it is, then you have to delete that listing before attempting any new installation. This is especially true of soundcards and modems which also tended to show up under the wrong category (usually "other devices"). 4. The installation asks for a file that you don't have? Sometimes, halfway through the installation process, you may see a screen saying that a certain file is required and/or that it can't be found. Very often the file required is in the Windows CD, compressed in one of the CAB files (in the Win95 or Win98 directory of the CD). On other occasions it may be elsewhere on the driver CD itself, or on your hard drive. Don't panic if you don't know exactly where it is. Don't hit the cancel button just yet. See the next tip. 5. It's amazing what the "find" command can do. Right click on your start button and choose "find" from the menu. Type in the name of the file you are looking for, choose your drive, and click on "find now". Make sure that the "include subfolders" box is ticked. Haven't found it on the C: drive? Repeat the process with the driver CD and the Windows 95/98 CD as well. 6. Not sure of the make/model number of your soundcard? If it's a plug and play card, check the control panel. You may find that it is listed as having an error. If it's in the Device Manager you should be able to tell the model number of the card from the name it is listed under. 7. You did everything right but still can't get your modem working? Modems are sometimes a lot more difficult to install than other cards. You may need to know what Com Port and IRQ the modem is set up to use (as some modems have jumpers or switches that allow you to select the Com Port and IRQ). It is sometimes necessary to go into the BIOS and disable an onboard Com Port before adding a new one in Windows that you are going to install the modem on. Sound very confusing? There are several good sites and forums on the net devoted to modem installation. 8. You tried an installation and now your computer won't go into Windows? Maybe the installation wasn't done properly, or you installed the wrong drivers. You can usually start Windows up in safe mode (hold down the Control key at Startup and you'll get a menu offering to start Windows in safe mode). You can then disable or remove the driver for the faulty item from the Device Manager. More about drivers: 1. RTFM Read the manual for the PC/for the device you are trying to install. It’s amazing how much of time is saved by going through the notes carefully. 2. No manual? If you don’t have a printed guide you may still have a “pdf” or text (txt or doc or readme) file on the driver CD/floppy disk. Note: This file may not always be in the root directory. You can read files with the pdf extension using Adobe Acrobat Reader (available free on the net) or the others in Notepad/Wordpad which comes with Windows. You can also read txt files in DOS mode if your PC is not booting into Windows. You can even type in notes to yourself/comments in this file before saving it back to the disk. (You will need to use the EDIT command in DOS if you wish to do this) 3. Don't have a Setup file? Unlike with Windows 3.1 installing drivers in Windows 95, 98 and NT does not usually work by clicking on a “setup” or “install” file. You may not even have one of those and may need to install from an “inf” (information) file. These files are not executables and you cannot double click on an inf file to “run” it. You need to use Windows’ automatic (or manual) device installation and when presented with the “browse” button guide Windows to the folder where the inf file resides. 4. Red Marks Check for the device in the Device Manager (Control Panel>System>Device Manager). If it has a red cross next to it there may be some other problem with the device. It may be disabled (which is easily solved by removing the checkmark in the “Disabled” box). Or it may have another fault with it. Read what Windows has to say about the problem by click on the “More info” or “Help” buttons. 5. Yellow Marks When checking the Device Manager make sure to also check for yellow exclamation marks. Windows sometimes mis-reads devices like modems and soundcards and lists them with an exclamation mark under “Other Devices” instead of under modems/soundcards. If this is the case delete the device under other devices, restart the computer and re-attempt installation. Use manual select (instead of automatic detect). You can then choose the modem/soundcard option. 6. "Plug and Play" or "Plug and Pray"? When installing a driver Windows sometimes can’t find a file it needs to complete the installation and it prompts you to insert the Windows CD (or it lists a filename and asks for the location of the file). Understand that Windows is a confused Operating System. It may ask for the Windows CD when it needs the driver CD and vice versa. 7. Lost in Space If you don’t know the exact location of the file it can be easily found. Make a note of the file name (including the extension) and cancel the installation process. Use the find feature in Windows Explorer (right click on the start button) and look for the file on your driver disk, your Windows CD AND your hard disk. Once you have located it you can reattempt the installation. 8. IRQ Conflicts When troubleshooting for IRQ conflicts Windows may not always allow you to change the IRQ that a particular device uses. Double click the device in the Device Manager, click on the Resources button, and play around with the “Basic Configurations” options that you may have listed. If one configuration doesn’t offer you the choice of changing IRQs another may. (You will need to uncheck the “Use automatic settings” box). 9. Plugged in ... or shut out? Note that some devices require you to have the device unplugged when installing the driver but most require the device to be connected before you can install the driver. 10. Other Sources of Help Use Search Engines like Deja.com and newsgroups to find fellow sufferers. They may have had exactly the same problem and found a solution.