Help! Something very wrong just happend!!!

[Larry]

My G400 Max was working just fine until 2 days ago, when it just stopped running OpenGL Applications. Even in D3D (Homeworld) I get strange patterns on the screens and menus. In Quake 2, I experimented a bit, and discovered that it would not run in full screen OpenGL in 640x480, 800x600, or 1024x768, but it would run in a window for these resolutions, as well as full screen for anything higher than 1024x768, and lower than 640x480 (Is the wierd or what?!?!). When I try to run full screen mode, a mouse cursor appears in the middle of the screen, and it seems to move quake to the background, where it locks up, and I have to rebood. Every now and then, it doesn't lock up, but instead boots me back to a windows desktop, except all my icons on the desktop are black boxes, and strange graphic glitches can be seen everywhere, like diappearing icons and text. Quake 3 Does the same thing; when loading up a map in the console, the mouse cursor suddenly pops up, and I am able to move the mouse around, but Quake 3 locks up

My system specs are:

Microsoft Windows 98 SE
Pentium III 450MHz
ASUS P3B-F
128MB SDRAM (PC100)
Matrox G400 Max DH 32MB
Aureal SQ2500
3Com Etherlink XL (x2)
Adaptec 2940UW
Pioneer 303s DVD

As I mentioned before, the setup WAS working up until 2 days ago, so I know it's not a hardware conflict. I've tried re-formatting my system, and re-installing Windows 98 SE + the Matrox 5.30 TurboGL drivers (which install flawlessly). Matrox diagnostics reports nothing. Matrox miniDiag locks up my system though (BSOD), but not in DOS mode. I've also tried whiping my BIOS, and starting from scratch (whiping, meaning that after the whipe and the first program of the EPROM, the return message is "Your EPROM has been programmed 1 time(s)". I've tried to revert back to a 2.13, 2.15, 2.20, and 2.25 drivers, thinking that it might be TurboGL related, but the same the happens with the full ICD. I've also tried re-seating the card, as well as taking everything in my system out except for the G400Max. In terms of registry editing, I've tried disabling bus-mastering, and forcing AGP 1x. I also went into my system bios and adjusted everything from AGP aperature to VGA palette snoop, but it just doesn't seem to make a difference.

If anyone has any insight as to what might be the problem, please reply. Personally, I think that it might be a hardware problem, in which case I'd be out of a computer system for longer than I can afford. Anyhow, thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

Larry

[DuRaNgO]

put everything back to default, uninstall ALL matrox drivers, then reinstall the latest drivers
jim

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PIII-500mhz @ 620!
Abit BE6 mobo
128mb pc-100
Mill G400(YAHOO!!!) 32mb @ 165/205 with MGATweak)
PD 5.30
Maxtor 13.2 gb Uata66 hdd
SB Live!
Winblows 98se
DX7
FOUR BIG FANS, six little ones and a case that sounds like a turbine engine...doh!

[Larry]

I've done that a million times though. I've even formatted my HD a second time, to no avail. I don't know what's going on. I mean, I haven't changed any hardware configurations since the last time I formatted. Everything is the exact same.

Larry

[motub]

Don't know much, but I do know that when you get all your icons appearing as black boxes, that's an "out of memory" error (Windows doesn't have enough memory to display your icons).

Could your DIMM have come unseated, or gone bad??

---------------
Holly

[Larry]

I can check that.....I'll post again telling you what happend....

That is a good point though...

The other weird thing I noticed was that DXDiag reported 136MB of video memor ...hehehe... before I installed DX7. But then it went back to 32MB.....

Larry

[DuRaNgO]

set your aperture in your bios to 128mb if it's not already
jim

also, was this an oem card? almost sounds like it's o/c'd


[This message has been edited by DuRaNgO (edited 16 October 1999).]

[Larry]

I specified before that it was a G400Max DH, I thought that it would make it clear that it was a retail version, since the Max only comes in retail. Anyway, no, it's not overclocked. It's a retail, Dual Head, Max version of the G400. I've re-seated almost every component in my system. It still does it with the Max in by itself. I'm starting to thing that it was a power surge or something.

Larry

[Jorden]

check the nanosecond speed on the memory chips... they do say 5 ns??

Just a hunch

[SCompRacer]

We spend alot of cash on our 'puters, yet for a long time all I had was a surge protector.

Since I got an APC Universal Power Supply, I hear the thing kick in and out a couple of times a day. Check the log and I see brownouts and spikes occur frequently, just like APC says.

Could explain some of the problems that we don't have an explanation to.

[Larry]

Thanks guys, I think I'm going to do that, although I think now, after some tests, it might be more than the video card...

1) RAM. 1 x 128 MB, if replaced with a 32MB stick, system boots up fine. If 128MB is put in, then system syas "Explorer.exe -> Illegal Operation on bootup" only if Matrox Drivers are installed. HOWEVER, if I put my 128MB in WITH my 32MB dimm, it boots up fine. Also, if I switch positions of my cards, it boots up fine (still doesn't run quake2/3 though.)

2. Motherboard. I try my ram, and my videocard on someone else's computer and it seems to work fine! ARGH!!!!

3. I try G200 on my computer, and boots up without a hitch, and runs quake 2/3...slow as hell, but it runs...

Too many variables...driving nutz!!!!!

Larry

[Jorden]

A power-surge can break more than just the G400, although my G400 was working okay before the freak thunderstom hit here... after that it got problems, so yes, maybe through the phonelines or the powerlines your G400 did get a 'kick' ... RMA it and see if the new one does this as well...

Jorden

------------------
Official MURC-police
-------------------
the way you're bathed in light
reminds me of that night
god laid me down into your rose garden of trust
and I was swept away
with nothin' left to say
some helpless fool
yeah I was lost in a swoon of peace
you're all I need to find
so when the time is right
come to me sweetly, come to me
come to me
------------
Holly's Love Rules !!
------------

[Rob M.]

In my experience, there is always some kinds of ram that just don't like some motherboards. Try taking back your 128 meg dimm to wherever you got it and get it replaced with a different brand if it's an option. If it's still new (within 30 days) most stores will give you your money back if it's incompatable like it sounds. What kind of RAM is it? I haven't seen much that's not compatable with ASUS BX boards..

[Larry]

I'm going to try that, but what really bugs me is that it worked for a LONG time before....So, I think something in there is broken...Right now, I'm thinking it's the motherboard, since I can run the G400 with my RAM on my friend's system. He's has the same mobo. The problem is, that's very hard to prove, because he doesn't have a SCSI adapter, and I do. If I remove the SCSI adapter or my sound card, it will work. If I stick both of them in, it doesn't work. SO it MIGHT be a hardware conflict, but I can't seem to find any, and I've manually assigned IRQs and memory address to each and every peripheral on my system, with the same outcome. I keep on going in a circle of hardware, every 5 mins changing my mind on what the culprit(s) are. Perhaps a powersurge killed two or more things, and I should just go buy a new computer..heheh

Larry