Please verify GOOD or BAD advice to delete driver

[Raptor]

I'm really note sure on what drivers Fed is making you install, most S3 videocards I've had installed under Windows XP ran were auto-detected.

[Fed]

What Raptor said is right, removing all your video drivers & rebooting should allow windows to detect & install its built in drivers drivers for you.
To update if there's no exe file to click then try using your Device Manager and pointing it to the driver .inf file in the directory you downloaded.
You can also use Add/Remove Hardware from your control panel and point it to the downloaded stuff.

[XP_Fatal_Error]

I've spent several hours trying to find a KM400 driver to uninstall with no luck.

Remove or install programs doesn't give me the option of pointing to the new driver. Only options are: install from CD, or install from Windows update site.

In device manager, there is no driver named KM400.
The display adapter driver is VIA/S3G UniChrome IGP, which I've already replaced. (Didn't help)

I did a search for KM400, only results were websites I visited, and the download it's self.

It's alright to go ahead and have a good laugh at my being "Dumb as a stump" , I'm laughing too!
Then could somebody walk me through it, like I'm a six year old?

[Fed]

Use your Device Manager to uninstall the VIA drivers, reboot and let XP do its thing, then come back here and let us know what's happened.

BTW, I said Add/Remove Hardware, you said Add/Remove Programs, there's a huge difference.

[XP_Fatal_Error]

Yep, your right about a huge difference. Guess I was tired when I read that post.

OK.. went to device manager, uninstalled display adapter driver, went to add hardware clicked on driver, rebooted.
On reboot got message: "New hardware found"- Install Wizard installed new driver. Got message: "Install Completed"
Before Install Wizard message came up telling me to restart my computer, the screen froze. Pressed RESET button.

When rebooted, all Icons were very small and elongated, "START" was completly off the screen. Screen resolution had been changed.
Changed it back to where it was. Checked hardware acclerator, it had been moved to full, moved it back to none. Checked device manager to see if video adapter driver had changed in any way, it looked the same. Then machine RESTARTED.

 I logged on to windows, all Icons came up and then the screen went black. Pressed RESET button again.

After rebooting, I checked Event Viewer, nothing showed up.

I came here to post results, but half way through typing results, it RESTARTED again. Just before Windows logon screen came up
the screen froze with nothing but the pointer on a black screen. Pressed RESET button.

Logged on to windows, all icons came up, clicked on ISP logo to connect to Internet, nothing happened. Clicked it again...nothing.
clicked another icon, nothing. Clicked "START", nothing happened. Waited a few minutes and tried again, nothing. Pressed RESET button.

Logged on to Windows, icons came up, clicked on wordpad, screen froze. Quitely screamed a few words that I can't print here and  pressed the RESET button again. Feeling a strong urge to put my foot thru the monitor, I opted instead, to turn the evil machine off and walk away.

An hour later, logged back on, went to wordpad and wrote this post, saving my work after each line. Got online, came here and did a cut and paste.

Just realized I've been up all night, ...... again, it's 5:30 AM here!

Everyone should "BELIEVE" SOMETHING....
I believe, I'll catch a nap and get back with you later.  

[panboy]

My computer was behaving in a similar way a few months back, i posted here about it, GX_man Reckoned it might have been my power supply.

Like your computer it would some times Run for a few hours, but more often than not it would reboot in a matter of minutes, i never did fix it, i bought a new comp instead.

Also i think it could be A Hard Drive problem in your Machine ,

But to rule out the Video Card , you might want to borrow a Video Card from some one , and try it in your machine, also i think you should try a Different Power Supply

[Fed]

Although Microsoft said the problem was video drivers I believe that's incorrect as the problem still exists when you're in safe mode.

Did you test your RAM yet?

[XP_Fatal_Error]

No, I haven't tested RAM. I don't have that kind of knowledge. Can you walk me through it, please.

[Fed]

Some people seem to have a lot of trouble with this but I'll try and put it in simple terms for you.

Go to http://www.memtest86.com/
and download - [highlight]Pre-Compiled Memtest86 v3.2 installable from Windows and DOS[/highlight]
to your desktop.
Put a formatted blank floppy in your A Drive.
Double click on the file you downloaded.
Double click on the install.bat.
Reboot your computer, enter bios and set your A drive (floppy) as the 1st boot device (Note the original order)
Save your changes as you exit.
Your computer will then boot to the floppy and memtest will run.
Let it run for a couple of hours and see if any errors show up.
Reboot your computer, enter bios and set your boot priority back to how it was, save your changes on exit.
After it boots, remove all the crap memtest left on your desktop.
Keep the memtest floppy for use some other time.

This may all sound a bit daunting but it's really quite simple.

[patio]

Nice instructions Fed...save those to the Vault.

patio.  8-)

[XP_Fatal_Error]

It finally became more than I could bare! I bought a new computer.
I came back to thank all of you for your help.

What you folks do here is something you should be proud of. Any kind of volunteer work speaks volumes about the soundness of ones character. For me personally, it tells me your hearts are in the right place.
Bless you.

"For he amoung us, who serves his brother, is the greatest amoung us all"
                                                             The Mighty Chief Allowatsakema

Now I'm off to another forum to ask a question about my NEW computer.

Joe

[patio]

Now I'm off to another forum to ask a question about my NEW computer.

Why not here ? ?  

 

[GX1_Man]

Thanks for your encouraging words. We're not here for the big bucks, that's for sure.  

I personally prefer helpers who are not trying to sell me anything.

[XP_Fatal_Error]

Patio,
   I didn't mean another Computer Help site, my friend, I meant in the NETWORK forum here.
Why would I go elsewhere when :




[size=36]YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!![/size]

[patio]

Gotcha...and Welcome Aboard !