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Q124267: Display Adapter Information and Useful Switches

Article: Q124267
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 95.x Retail Product
Version(s): Win2000:95
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): win95
Last Modified: 17-DEC-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows 95 
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SUMMARY
=======

This article describes switches that correct some display problems that can
occur in Microsoft Windows 95.

MORE INFORMATION
================

The [boot] section of the SYSTEM.INI file should contain the following line for
any Windows 95 version of a display driver:

  DISPLAY.DRV=PNPDRVR.DRV

The actual video driver (such as VGA.DRV or S3.DRV) is loaded from the registry.
This allows support for dockable personal computers that have different adapters
for the laptop versus the docking station.

Setting the monitor type in the display properties does not affect the refresh
rate output by your display adapter. To change this, you must run a utility
supplied by your display adapter manufacturer or computer manufacturer. Some
display utilities must be run in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file; however, on other
computers, display type is set in BIOS configuration programs.

Examples of display utilities from adapter manufacturers include the following:

  ATI                      INSTALL.EXE
  Cirrus Logic             MONTYPE.EXE, CLMODE.EXE
  Diamond Stealth          STLMODE.EXE
  Tseng Labs               VMODE.EXE
  Western Digital          VGAMODE.EXE

The sections below describe different video cards and the requirements for these
drivers to work correctly in Windows 95.

ATI Mach 8/32/64
----------------

This adapter must be configured correctly using the ATI INSTALL.EXE program for
Windows 95 to use high-resolution modes properly. Correct setting of your
monitor type is especially important. This is because the high- resolution modes
may not be available for selection, or the computer may fail when attempting to
switch to that mode.

Compaq QVision 2000
-------------------

These adapters use the Matrox MGA controller.

Matrox MGA
----------

These adapters are supported with Windows 95 drivers. The VGA driver is installed
by Setup.

Diamond Stealth 64
------------------

For True Color support (16.7 million colors) add TrueColor=24 in the [DISPLAY]
section of the SYSTEM.INI

Diamond Viper
-------------

Setup preserves Microsoft Windows 3.1 drivers for this adapter when Setup is run
from within Windows 3.1. Setting up Windows 95 from MS-DOS causes the Windows 95
VGA driver to be installed. If this occurs, the Diamond Viper setup program
should be used to install the Windows 3.1 drivers into Windows 95. Copy the
latest Viper files from the Drivers directory on the Windows 95 CD.

IBM ThinkPad
------------

This laptop uses Western Digital controllers. Older versions of these laptops
require the IBM VESA driver file to be loaded in Autoexec.bat (Ibmvesa.com) or
in Config.sys (Vesa.exe) for 256-color and high-resolution modes to be supported
by the Windows 95 Western Digital display driver. Newer versions of these
laptops do not require the use of the IBM VESA driver.

S3-Based Video Adapters
-----------------------

Windows 95 provides a hardware acceleration slider that can be used to correct
graphics problems:

- If you have problems with your mouse pointer, disable the hardware cursor by
  setting the slider to the Most setting.

- If you experience miscellaneous hangs with your S3 adapter, disable
  memory-mapped I/O by setting the slider to the Basic setting.

- If you have problems with a modem on COM 4, please see the following article
  in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q127138 S3 Video Driver Conflicts with COM4

If you continue to have problems, try the None setting.

For more information on how to use the slider to change the way Windows 95 uses
the video card, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge
Base:

  Q127139 Troubleshooting Video Problems in Windows 95

Manually adding "HighColor=15" (no quotes) to the [Windows] section of the
WIN.INI file corrects incorrect color at 16 bits per pixel using a 555 format.

The products included here are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft;
we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance
or reliability.

Additional query words: 3rdparty w95hwfaq

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Keywords          : win95 
Technology        : kbWin95search kbZNotKeyword3
Version           : Win2000:95

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