If the card has 256 kB and is VGA what drivers are you looking for?
For VESA modes like 640x480 at 256 colors you need at least 512 kB.
Same applies if you want to use this mode in Win 3.x

So it is only necessary if you expand the memory on the card to 512 kB.

As for the crashes, check the hdd condition (scandisk with surface scan as first option) and run a memtest86.

General speaking, 640x400@256 is possible with 256KiB, though. I had this setting running on Windows 2.03 with a different card. 😀
An old game, named the Hohlenwelt Saga also used this SVGA mode. That mode even was available in VBE 1.2.
If only more games used that one instead of that comparatively ugly 320x200 mode.
Anyway, I would try to get some more RAM for this card since ISA VGA cards are getting scarce..

Thanks for the answers.
I didn't realize 512K is required for 640x480 with 256 colors. I Would gladly add some RAM to this card, but...well...I'm not really sure what kind of RAM. Could you please give some example of what chip would work with it ? I can't find anything useful.
Also...could you tell me(or give some pointers) how to set that 640x400(or lower) resolution with 256 colors ? I don't see that mode available.
As for HDD and RAM - tested them thoroughly and everything looks fine.

Managed to run Space Quest...somehow it works on clean boot(F5), but hangs on normal boot. Looks like I will need to do lots of research, and lots of learning, as I don't even have slightest idea why is that, and I feel it won't be the only game with such issues....
Oh, and thanks for pointing me to a good looking game I didn't know

It will be most probably 2 pieces of 44256 DIP20 RAM (60, 70 or 80ns). If you share a picture, we can be sure.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MITSUBISHI-M5M44256BP … =item566b7416dc

I put the photo of this card in first post - http://imgur.com/a/RhzQy It's dip20, that I know, but not sure about any other parameters.

My guess on the colored words issue is that it sometimes starts up in monochrome as monitor detection is flaky on old cards since the introduction of DDC capable monitors and reusing the old pins for a new standard. The ctmouse error indicates also some mode change of the graphics chip. In this case it seems that the charset load of MODE corrupts your chars.
However you can just try how it looks on a clean boot.

Maybe some system info program like NSSI reports how the card configures if there is no color visible on BIOS bootup.