Display Drivers for Advent Laptop

[Guest jared]

Hi,

Don't know if anyone could please help - this problem is driving me mad.

Got an Advent 7018 Laptop with no disks. Installed XP - won't automatically pick up display adapter. Windows update can't find anything. Its got an nvidia sticker on it, look on web showed that it should have a Geforce 4 440 Go card (not sure whether it has). So I try use the drivers from nvidia site (66.93). run setup - then when it restarts I still have Video Controller (VGA compatible), the drivers have not installed. If I do 'have disk' and select the nv4_disp inf file then it lists a whole load of cards but not any 440 Go's. Tried a few random adapters but these don't work.

Also tried to force it to use the Xp provided Microsoft driver for all the Geforce 4 440 and 420 - at best i can't get any proper resolutions (above 1024*768), at worst it corrupts the windows hardware database and I have to repair windows.

It appears to be a widescreen laptop (so it doesnt look right in 1024*768), which complicates matters more.

Has anybody got any idea what I can do? I need it to install a driver that will allow me to set the resolution to what I think is widescreen. Tried some drivers from laptopvideo2go, but seems little different.

Forgot to mention that Advent are completely useless - they don't provide driver support via the internet apparently. I work in IT and I've never had such a tedious little problem. Any help would be appreciated

[Guest jared]

sorry - only just read the posting rules. Sort of adhered to them.

Does this help me identify my card?

PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0179&SUBSYS_80601071&REV_A3\4&2EEAE0A0&0&0008

Wish it would, internet search brings back nothing

[Teraphy]

Yup, indeed you have a (0179) NVIDIA GeForce4 440 Go 64M. 80601071 specifically identifies your laptop model.

For example you can download the latest driver 67.65 and look inside the NVMT.inf file to see your configuration.

%NVIDIA_NV17.DEV_0179.2% = nv4_8060_MAP464, PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0179&SUBSYS_80601071

67.65 will install right off the bat as the mobile INFs were "accidentally" included.

[Guest Jared]

Thanks for your reply. So should I use the 67.65 drivers with the modded inf then?

I have tried a few from this site with the modded inf and it seems to help windows recognise the card. Indeed 'show compatible hardware' will show the geforce 4 440 go. The problem is that once it's installed I only get (maximum) 4 bit color in 800*600.

The 67.65 drivers are they more specific than the others? I tried the omega drivers but they also have the problem as above.

Getting there I hope.

[Guest Jared]

Was optimistic.

Installed 67.65 with modded inf. Brings up 3 'compatible devices'. Selected Geforce 4 440 Go 64M.

Now I get 'Windows cannot load the device driver for thuis hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing (Code 39).

Now, instead of the graphics controller appearing in 'other devices' (once I have uninstalled the corrupt geforce 4) It permanently stays in display adapters as an Nvidia Geforce but with yellow exclamation. Uninstall /Reinstall no differnce.

Main prob is that it is widescreen and none of the drivers offer me a widescreen resolution as far as I can tell. Anyway

Had enough. If this was my laptop I'd just bin it. It's had a clean install, 5 XP repairs, and about 200 reboots, just to get the ###### display driver on. Advent really, really,really do suck.

[Teraphy]

Any driver should be fine for a 4Go.

These are the steps I would take before pulling any hair out! :)

Try obtaining a NVIDIA driver cleaner (i.e. NVCleaner -- Google for it) and in Safe Mode uninstall the old driver, clean it up with NVCleaner, install the new driver.

When installing a new driver I'll give you these 2 choices: 66.93 & 71.20

Both include the original OEM INFs, which means when you download and extract it, move the files from the "oeminfs" dir up one dir

i.e. Move files in c:\nv\7120\oeminfs to c:\nv\7120

Then install. Do not overwrite with Pieter's INF to start. This will ensure that you're using a manufacturer install without any enhancements. Think of it as if Advent supplied this new driver...

We'll see what happens next.

My old 2Go had some issues with certain versions (I forget which versions exactly) that only displayed 4 colors and 640x480. Moving on to new drivers eventually the problem was fixed.

[®®®]

You also have the 8bit problem!, i read of that just days ago in our forum, but can't remember if it also was an Advent.

It's not clear enough for me and there fore i must guess if you used Pieter's modded INF with driver v67.65 or if you used the nvmt.inf that came with the package you downloaded from here.

I CAN interprete that it seems you didn't delete all other INFs (there are more than 15 INFs in 67.65, i think, haven't counted them) that are in the folder EXCEPT the one Teraphy mentioned NVMT.INF. Thats' why you got three compatible devices shown, i can imagine as other INFs also cover this DEvice ID.

NVMT.INF is the only one you should leave in the driver folder, the rest should be deleted.

Then make sure you properly uninstall the old driver through the Add Software Control PAnel , reboot and then install 67.65. If it still doesn't work you need to repeat the procedure above and instead of using the NVMT. INF, you just delete it, leaving NO iNf in the folder and download and move Pieter's mobile INF (for 67.65 it's HERE ) into driver folder 67.65. Sound smore complicated than it actually is.

If that still doesn't work, we have a new problem maker. But there's hope.

You definitely find the right and only forum worldwide which covers this topic :)

Edited January 8, 2005 by ®®®

[Teraphy]

Wait, I'm confused. If the OEM infs are in the same dir then he should have no problem as the only one it should find is the one with his subsys. Though I haven't checked the infs lately and if there are any 0179 with trailing subsys's.

OK, checked and NVSM would also be there. That should be deleted.

[Guest jared]

The user found the original disk in the end, so didnt get to fully try everything.

Thanks for help though, great site and forum :)

[mobilenvidia]

Wait, I'm confused.  If the OEM infs are in the same dir then he should have no problem as the only one it should find is the one with his subsys.  Though I haven't checked the infs lately and if there are any 0179 with trailing subsys's.

OK, checked and NVSM would also be there.  That should be deleted.

The very reason I prefer the OEM INFs in a seperate dir when installing with a modded INF.

As the installer will take the nv4_disp.inf and the appropriate OEM INF and give a list of all GPU's to choose from.

This would get very confusing for the less experienced, to pick the right one.

Ideally only 1 INF should be in the install dir, as above when he got 3 options for the same GPU.

One was in the modded INF one in nvmt and one more INF had that Subsys keyas well.

[Teraphy]

I completely understand now Pieter as the oem infs are not foolproof because they all don't contain subsys. In which case the "have disk" method would be a problem.