New ATI Radeon drivers cause windows screens (XP, 2K and ME) to go blank after boot on Compaq EVO N600C laptop

Okay, this is weird. I don't know if my kids did something or what.
Suddenly, whenever windows goes into graphics mode, the screen goes
completely blank. Let me describe the scenarios......

I couldn't figure out why the display would go completely blank, so I
reloaded the OS (Windows XP). The graphical portion of the load works fine
as does the generic VGA mode. After the boot, I can see the 640X480X16 color
screen. After I download and load the latest ATI Radeon drives from the
Compaq web page, the system reboots. After the reboot, I see the text
portion of the boot, then I see the Windows XP logo with the little bar
below it that shows the progress of the OS load, then blank. It's completely
blank, like all power is being removed from the display, no back light, no
nothing. The PC is still operating. I can hear sounds, just no display.

So, I tried loading Windows 2000 Pro, same problem.

Then I loaded Windows ME, same problem.

I loaded a few versions of Linux and they all work! So I know that the
display is functional.

I tried toggeling the Function F4 sequence which changes display output to
the video-out connectors, but this had no effect.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Definitely a driver install problem. As the PC boots it is using the
basic I/O from the bios, after the logo and a few seconds the drivers
for windows loads. Try booting to 'safe mode' and check the device
manager for problems.


"Charles Waters" wrote in message
om...
Okay, this is weird. I don't know if my kids did something or what.
Suddenly, whenever windows goes into graphics mode, the screen goes
completely blank. Let me describe the scenarios......

I couldn't figure out why the display would go completely blank, so
I
reloaded the OS (Windows XP). The graphical portion of the load
works fine
as does the generic VGA mode. After the boot, I can see the
640X480X16 color
screen. After I download and load the latest ATI Radeon drives from
the
Compaq web page, the system reboots. After the reboot, I see the
text
portion of the boot, then I see the Windows XP logo with the little
bar
below it that shows the progress of the OS load, then blank. It's
completely
blank, like all power is being removed from the display, no back
light, no
nothing. The PC is still operating. I can hear sounds, just no
display.

So, I tried loading Windows 2000 Pro, same problem.

Then I loaded Windows ME, same problem.

I loaded a few versions of Linux and they all work! So I know that
the
display is functional.

I tried toggeling the Function F4 sequence which changes display
output to
the video-out connectors, but this had no effect.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Thanks for the advice guys. Unfortunetly, the Compaq BIOS gives very few
options. In fact, the only options that effect video are making the onboard
video the primary or secondary controller.

I've burned the latest BIOS with no luck and I've reset the BIOS repeatedly.
For some reason, I think that after Windows boots, there must be some
hardware register on the machine that is turning off LCD output and enabling
the external video output. I'm trying to find a way to change that setting
in hardware, if I can find it!

I'll keep trying and post the resolution when I figure it out.

By the way, ATI doesn't make drivers for it's Mobility series of video
chipsets available on its web page. You are forced to download the drivers
from the vendor that made the laptop.

"JAD" wrote in message
link.net...
Definitely a driver install problem. As the PC boots it is using the
basic I/O from the bios, after the logo and a few seconds the drivers
for windows loads. Try booting to 'safe mode' and check the device
manager for problems.


"Charles Waters" wrote in message
om...
Okay, this is weird. I don't know if my kids did something or what.
Suddenly, whenever windows goes into graphics mode, the screen goes
completely blank. Let me describe the scenarios......

I couldn't figure out why the display would go completely blank, so
I
reloaded the OS (Windows XP). The graphical portion of the load
works fine
as does the generic VGA mode. After the boot, I can see the
640X480X16 color
screen. After I download and load the latest ATI Radeon drives from
the
Compaq web page, the system reboots. After the reboot, I see the
text
portion of the boot, then I see the Windows XP logo with the little
bar
below it that shows the progress of the OS load, then blank. It's
completely
blank, like all power is being removed from the display, no back
light, no
nothing. The PC is still operating. I can hear sounds, just no
display.

So, I tried loading Windows 2000 Pro, same problem.

Then I loaded Windows ME, same problem.

I loaded a few versions of Linux and they all work! So I know that
the
display is functional.

I tried toggeling the Function F4 sequence which changes display
output to
the video-out connectors, but this had no effect.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

By the way, ATI doesn't make drivers for it's Mobility series of video
chipsets available on its web page. You are forced to download the drivers
from the vendor that made the laptop.

Ati does make the mobility chips, but many system makers, lke Sony, Toshiba
and IBM are known to modify it in some ways, so that standard ati drivers
doesn't work.

However, in most cases, you can get ATI catalyst to work on your mobility
card. Just download a little tool called "mobility modder" from
driverheaven.com and it will do the rest.

You can also try Omega Drivers, they work with most mobility chips available
on market.

Okay, what could this mean?

The Fn-F4 key doesn't work, at all. I have discovered that the VGA out works
great, but that's all that works. When I hit Fn-F4, the external display
will flicker, but not change. Furthermore, under the hardware list, I show 3
'standard displays'. The LCD doesn't appear on the list. Too weird.

So, LCD display works for text and the initial VGA only graphics modes for
OS installation, but goes out to the external display only, after loading
the ATI Radeon Mobility drivers provided by Compaq.

Bummer!

Problem Solved.

Okay, I hope this can help someone in the future. There is a weird key
sequence that works for most Compaq's (as I understand it) that worked for
my Evo N600C.

Remove the battery and the AC power from the laptop.
While holding the FN key down, insert the AC power and immedietly start
tapping the F11 key. I had to hit it about 15 times. At some point, the
laptop will power up and apparently, some hard BIOS reset occurs. This seems
to be a much more through reset then the "Restore Defaults" is in the BIOS
settings.

After doing this, the laptop display started working again and a few other
devices popped up in my device list.

Is that weird or what?

Thanks for everyones help.

Okay, this is weird. I don't know if my kids did something or what.

Sure is weird. Why are you screwing around so much? You
are loading ATI drivers on a LAPTOP ?? For what? Laptops
don't use standard video card drivers. For pete's sake reimage
the thing and be done with it. I get called on site, and I find
stuff like this all the time. Holy Cat! I just give up when I see
this. I know that fixing it is not going to stop the kludging, and
I'm going to get called back a dozen times until I blow my top
and tell the user to stop it ! For heavens sake call a tech, and
quit fooling around.

johns

Why are you screwing around so much?
Eh, because Ati has current drivers that solve many issues, and increase
performance.

You are loading ATI drivers on a LAPTOP ??
For what? Laptops don't use standard video card drivers.

So what? I've used Catalyst drivers (Manual selecting, Radeon 9000 series)
on my MobilityRadeon9000 that came with Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo-D8820 for over
a year now. Using cat 3.5 - 4.4, no problems ever!

And my new Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo D 1840, with 128mb Mobility Radeon 9600 Pro
(375/320) uses catalyst 4.2 drivers , without any problems so far.

I have had a similar problem with a 4.4 Omega drivers and my Radeon
9600 Pro. The 4.4 drivers seem to cause my monitor to lose the video
signal and go into sleep mode randomly. This happens both in 2-D and
3-D modes. Switching back to the 4.3 Omega drivers fixes the problem.

I tried enabling and disabling fast writes, but it didn't seem to have
any effect.

David

With all due respect Johns, I like to screw around with my laptop. I'm no
novice. This was a really odd problem and your solution did not work for me.
I am a tech. In fact, I teach techs. Thank you for your advice though.

"johns" wrote in message
...

Okay, this is weird. I don't know if my kids did something or what.

Sure is weird. Why are you screwing around so much? You
are loading ATI drivers on a LAPTOP ?? For what? Laptops
don't use standard video card drivers. For pete's sake reimage
the thing and be done with it. I get called on site, and I find
stuff like this all the time. Holy Cat! I just give up when I see
this. I know that fixing it is not going to stop the kludging, and
I'm going to get called back a dozen times until I blow my top
and tell the user to stop it ! For heavens sake call a tech, and
quit fooling around.

johns