Is it better to freeze the system and not update either the OS or the application software?

Microsoft scares users of its OS - XP - about using unsigned drivers.
But
does not install the approved and signed drivers, when they are needed.
As
an example, I have a video cum display card of ATI (AIW Radeon 8500 DV
Hercules 3D Prophet) installed on my computer. It has worked for some 3
to 4
years without any problem with the drivers which were there on the
installation disk and later with the earlier versions of Catalyst
drivers.
MS always insists on installing new patches for improving security and
other
considerations but does not warn if the periodic updates which it does
to my
system have any side effects.

The video card has become useless now because Windows does not approve
of
the latest drivers (Catalyst 6.5 and MMC 9.14) recommended by ATI on
its
web-site for this card but does not say which earlier versions of the
same
series it approves for this card. On one occasion, even the driver
approved
and installed by Windows failed to work and the Windows froze as soon
as it
was opened. So I am now in a limbo with neither MS nor ATI providing
the
drivers which will work under the conditions created by perennially
upgraded
XP and am working with a VGA Display driver without any functionality
for
tv, video capture or even graphic acceleration while watching a slide
show
of family photographs, while the entire RAM of 1 GB installed on the
video
card is sitting idle.

Of course, on some occasions, I have asked XP to ignore the driver
signing
and install the Catalyst drivers recommended by ATI in the past and it
has
worked on some occasions. But this time I have not been successful.
Which
means that ATI too does not provide correct information on which of the
scores of drivers it has released for its video cards, is suitable for
each
of the models they have sent in the world market, over the years.
Clever way
of cornering customers to keep updating with the latest hardware,
costing
pocketful of money.

Is it better to freeze the system and live with outdated versions of OS
and application software?

P. Jayant

"p jayant" wrote in message
ups.com...
Microsoft scares users of its OS - XP - about using unsigned drivers.
But
does not install the approved and signed drivers, when they are needed.
As
an example, I have a video cum display card of ATI (AIW Radeon 8500 DV
Hercules 3D Prophet) installed on my computer. It has worked for some 3
to 4
years without any problem with the drivers which were there on the
installation disk and later with the earlier versions of Catalyst
drivers.
MS always insists on installing new patches for improving security and
other
considerations but does not warn if the periodic updates which it does
to my
system have any side effects.

The video card has become useless now because Windows does not approve
of
the latest drivers (Catalyst 6.5 and MMC 9.14) recommended by ATI on
its
web-site for this card but does not say which earlier versions of the
same
series it approves for this card.

From the MMC9.03 webpage for XP. Seems a bit odd since Cat6.5 shows
supporting the 8500 series but you might want to try 4.10 for a reference
point at least. When going backwards on versions it's imperative to clean
up.
ati.com/install
************************************************** **************************
*************

English

For ALL-IN-WONDER Series:
NOTE: This release of Multimedia Center is designed to support ALL-IN-WONDER
9000 Series and higher. Customers using older products should use Multimedia
Center 9.02/ WDM 6.14.10.6246/ and CATALYST 4.10.

* p jayant:

Microsoft scares users of its OS - XP - about using unsigned drivers.

How do they "scare" them? MS just recommends the usage of signed drivers.

But
does not install the approved and signed drivers, when they are needed.
As
an example, I have a video cum display card of ATI (AIW Radeon 8500 DV
Hercules 3D Prophet) installed on my computer. It has worked for some 3
to 4
years without any problem with the drivers which were there on the
installation disk and later with the earlier versions of Catalyst
drivers.
MS always insists on installing new patches for improving security and
other
considerations but does not warn if the periodic updates which it does
to my
system have any side effects.

Which side effects do you mean?

The video card has become useless now because Windows does not approve
of
the latest drivers (Catalyst 6.5 and MMC 9.14) recommended by ATI on
its
web-site for this card

Nonsense. Just because the latest drivers are not WHQL certified doesn't
mean they don't support your card or are useless...

but does not say which earlier versions of the
same
series it approves for this card.

Even the latest drivers work with your AIW...

On one occasion, even the driver
approved
and installed by Windows failed to work and the Windows froze as soon
as it
was opened. So I am now in a limbo with neither MS nor ATI providing
the
drivers which will work under the conditions created by perennially
upgraded
XP and am working with a VGA Display driver without any functionality
for
tv, video capture or even graphic acceleration while watching a slide
show
of family photographs, while the entire RAM of 1 GB installed on the
video
card is sitting idle.

Why doesn't surprise me that?

Of course, on some occasions, I have asked XP to ignore the driver
signing
and install the Catalyst drivers recommended by ATI in the past and it
has
worked on some occasions. But this time I have not been successful.
Which
means that ATI too does not provide correct information on which of the
scores of drivers it has released for its video cards, is suitable for
each
of the models they have sent in the world market, over the years.

BS. The informations ATI provides are correct...

Clever way
of cornering customers to keep updating with the latest hardware,
costing
pocketful of money.

Right, just blame ATI and MS for everything what doesn't work with your
system but with millions of other systems. Of course it definitely can't
just be that you are doing something wrong...

Is it better to freeze the system and live with outdated versions of OS
and application software?

Nope. But if someone like you has absolutely no clue about how to
install drivers, what WHQL really means, why older drivers have to be
removed and why not only video but also other drivers (i.e. chipset
drivers) should be upgraded as well it would be much better to ask
someone for help who knows at least some basics about this stuff...

Benjamin