Solved Graphics card issue

[doherty1321]

I just recently put Win7 32-bit on a compaq presario 2100. Since then it's been using a standard vga graphics adapter its not easy using a computer with a 640x480 screen. The only driver i have found was on the compaq website and it's only for XP. also i lost my sound too. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[stormy13]

doherty1321, welcome to the Seven Forums.

Which version of the 2100? There is more than a few to choose from,

Compaq Presario 2100 Notebook PC series -  Download drivers and software - specify product name - HP Business Support Center

The couple that I looked it it doesn't look like there will be much of anything but XP driver for it going from the dates on most of the driver downloads available (2003 and 2004).

 

[doherty1321]

Its the AMD first one listed, if I can't find a driver what are my options?

 

[stormy13]

Install the XP driver which should work. It may take compatibility mode to get it to install,

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/316-compatibility-mode.html

I had a quick look at the INF for that XP driver and it covers pretty much everything from the old Radeon 7500 to the Mobility 9600. The only one that that driver supports that might have a Windows 7 driver is the 9600, none of the older ones will and will have to make do with the XP driver.

 

[doherty1321]

I'm new to this, so I would run the setup in compatibility mode? or try to install then run the driver in compatibility mode?

 

[stormy13]

Run the setup.

 

[Corazon]

Judging from the fact you have ATI onboard video and assuming that it's an old ATI Mobility Radeon chipset, the AMD driver download website has the following Vista/7-compatible driver for legacy Radeon available:

ATI Catalyst

I think there are good chances that this one will work for you.

As for the onboard audio it appears to be Conexant, but Conexant themselves don't offer any audio drivers for download. Let's see first about the video and then we can worry about the rest...

 

[stormy13]

Wrong link Corazon, that is for the Catalyst 11.9 and is only for current generation laptop cards (HD 2xxx seris and up), which I can guarantee will not work with what is in that laptop.

A legacy driver also will not work unless the laptop has the Mobility 9600 in it, and even then is debatable as back then HP and most of the others would not allow the use of reference ATI drivers (same happened with any Nvidia laptop video as well) and would only allow driver updates from them. It is only in the last couple of years that this has changed, and even then there are a few holdouts (Sony, Toshiba and Panasonic).

 

[doherty1321]

Even after running it through compatibility mode it is telling me It can't be used with this version of windows. Something else I saw is the properties of this Radeon IGP 320M adapter is saying that there aren't enough free resources (code12)

 

[stormy13]

Beginning to look like this is getting into the realm of the hardware is just way too old to run Windows 7 as there is zero support for it. That IGP 320M is from way back in 2002,

ATI Radeon IGP 320M - Notebookcheck.net Tech

is only DirectX 7 and uses nothing but shared system memory.

This is one of those that you would be better served to put of Windows 7 and stick with XP, until such a time as you get a computer that is capable of running it. Can it be made to work with Windows 7, possibly with a lot of trial and error getting drivers necessary for everything and then the end result will still likely be less than satisfactory.

 

[doherty1321]

Okay I appreciate the help I was considering rolling it back to XP. It's my secondary computer i just use to check email and pay bills so no big deal on not having 7. For future reference when installing an OS how would i go about saving all my driver info so I wont lose it during an install? I ask because I'm thinking of upgrading to Ultimate on my Win 7 Home Premium 64bit. I have a terabyte is there a way to partition it so it doesn't delete all my drivers?

 

[stormy13]

There are a few driver "backup" programs around, not sure that I would really trust them though. best is to download the latest installers for anything you may need and save them. At least then you know you have the latest and they have been installed properly instead of some 3rd party app that may miss some important file or registry entry.

 

[doherty1321]

Okay thanks for everything!