New VIA Drivers

[Craig Underscore]

To get around the problem with updating the VIA CPU to AGP controller in Win98SE, simply re-install the AGP 4.03 drivers.

Most folks probably did what I did after downloading the new 4-in-1 and AGP 4.03 drivers - install the 4-in-1, then the 4.03, then reboot. There's the problem, it should have been 4-in-1, reboot, then the 4.03, reboot.

I was about to start editing the already installed MS VIA CPU to AGP controller .inf drivers&registry entries to force the acceptance of the VIA AGP drivers (to get around the 'file contains no info' error), but I decided to give reinstalling a shot first, and hey, it worked.

[Randy Simons]

I didn't use the 4-in-1 drivers, but only the AGP 4.03 drivers. I installed, rebooted, check the version, re-installed with some commandline options, rebooted again and it still wasn't ok.

The installer Via uses is from Install Shield, a version of '97... Why don't they use a more sophistaced (newer) installer?
What's more, they pack it with an unlicensed version of Winzip, or with an old DOS utility...

Guess I'll wait for other chipsets to pop up before buying an Athlon :-/

[Rick]

Tried reinstalling the 4.02 drivers, still shows MS drivers installed. I'm also running 98SE.

This post should make me a MURCer at long last.

[paulcs]

Rick, ignore what you're seeing in Device Manager for a minute.

Look in your Windows/System directory for the "viagart.vxd" file. I have 4.03 installed, and the file is dated 5/22/00. 4.02 should be dated a couple of weeks earlier. Microsoft's will have, I think, a May 1999 date.

I know Device Manager is wrong, because my motherboard has a bug, and the Windows 98 AGP driver as well as all VIA AGP drivers inbetween 3.56 and and 4.02 cause a severe performance hit. In addition, drivers before 4.02 cause my system to fail a particular test in 3DMark2000. I'm getting none of these symptoms, so despite Device Manager's report to the contrary, the driver is installed.

Look for the file and check the date.

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[paulcs]

Randy, I was responding to Rick who is using Windows 98se.

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[MarkD]

So, what is the consensus now:
install the new 4-in-1 and new AGP or not ?
Currently I'm using the 4.20 4-in-1 and the 4.02 AGP, without any noticeable problems...
I've downloaded the new drivers, but I'm hesitating to install them due to the many problems reported...

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AMD-K6-2-300, EPOX-58MVP3C-M,
Marvel G400, 64MB+64MB(PC100+PC133), Maxtor DM40PLUS 30GB,
W98 (no SE), currently no overclocking (FSB=100)

[Randy Simons]

Paulcs: no offence, but I don't think that the device manager shows you another driver than the one that's actually being used.

Besides, in my case the file got copied just fine the first time I tried, but obviously the registry wasn't updated to actually use the new file.

But let's not jump to conclusions: I use win2k, not win98.. That can make a difference.