First three Google search results:
https://theretroweb.com/drivers/150
https://vogonsdrivers.com/index.php?catid=37
https://arxvaldex.com/trident-microsystems-dr … -drivers-p-1292

keenmaster486 wrote on 2026-03-20, 03:21:

First three Google search results: https://theretroweb.com/drivers/150 https://vogonsdrivers.com/index.php?catid=37 https://arxv […]
Show full quote

First three Google search results:
https://theretroweb.com/drivers/150
https://vogonsdrivers.com/index.php?catid=37
https://arxvaldex.com/trident-microsystems-dr … -drivers-p-1292

none of this work on 286

The Trident series is unaccelerated, so there is no need for Trident specific logic in the driver. The TVGA8900D is faster than the C, because they improved the pipelining of CPU writes to video memory, not because of extra capabilities offered to a Windows driver. Trident ships a BIOS extension tool called "LOCKFIFO" which can be used to configure the pipelining ("FIFO") on the TVGA8900D, which is a BIOS extension, and thus will be effective with nearly any Windows 3.1 driver, because drivers of that age use the BIOS to configure the video mode.

So, did you already try Microsofts generic "SVGA 640 x 480 256 colors" driver? If that driver works, I don't see what a TVGA8900D driver can improve over the generic one.

Hi, no, generic svga driver dont work with 8900D

Like i said the only way i can get 256 colors is with a old win3.0 driver, but is not working fine, slow with color problems

Im with the hope someone have a old woking driver version, because i already download and tested every?one i found in internet

Patched svga and vesa ones need 386, i tested too

I will check LOCKFIFO tonight thanks

There's a bunch of 286-compatible drivers attached in this post - Re: Should a Diamond Speedstar Pro (CL-GD5426) work in Win3.1 in 286 real-mode?

https://archive.org/download/trident-tvga-890 … er-disk-trident - this one is later, the TRW one readme says that some require 386, this one doesn't mention

I think, unfortunately, the Trident 8900D (and probably other 8900 models) does not have good support for 256 colors on 286 systems. The only driver I found that works is for Windows 3.0, and it is extremely slow and has many issues.

In fact, just for testing, I built a 486 DX4 system and installed the same Trident card, the same ISA sound card, and the same CF card I use in my 286 (same Windows installation). When I loaded Windows 3.1, performance was just as slow as on the 286.

Then I assembled a 386SX-25 (a very slow board I have), installed the Trident 386 drivers, and performance was actually quite fast.

From all the testing I’ve done, my conclusion is simple: Trident Windows 3.1 drivers for 286 systems are very poor... SUCKS

Thanks for help

Grzyb wrote on 2026-03-20, 08:43:

There's a bunch of 286-compatible drivers attached in this post - Re: Should a Diamond Speedstar Pro (CL-GD5426) work in Win3.1 in 286 real-mode?

Hi, i download the trident driver from this compilation, but sadly same as others, the "good" 640x480x256 driver need 386, and the 286 one is anciend win3.0 one, slow and full of problems

Matth79 wrote on 2026-03-20, 18:31:

https://archive.org/download/trident-tvga-890 … er-disk-trident - this one is later, the TRW one readme says that some require 386, this one doesn't mention

Sadly this driver if you expand amd check TRIT640.DR_ 640x480-256C , have this text This driver ONLY can work on 386/486 machines or above..

thanks

https://files.mpoli.fi/hardware/DISPLAY/TRIDENT/

rmay635703 wrote on 2026-03-22, 03:55:

https://files.mpoli.fi/hardware/DISPLAY/TRIDENT/

thanks already tried every driver there

Spend one week testing every driver i found over internet, my hope is someone store some old ones or beta that is not online yet

Hmm, I remember someone patching a Win 3.11 driver from 32bit 3.1 to have 16 bit support, gotta wonder

https://winworldpc.com/product/generic-svga-d … iver-windows-31

https://wuffs.org/blog/windows-3x-graphics

wierd_w wrote on 2026-03-22, 22:25:

Why not use the generic VBE driver?

Trident should have offered a VBE TSR for that card. If not, there's always SDD.

I don’t think anyone has patched VBE to work on 286+ Win3.1 (all 386+)

https://github.com/PluMGMK/vbesvga.drv

Only example targeting 286…

https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php?threads/ibm … -1.29377/page-6

Didn’t appear to help outside DOS

And the 286 specific drivers seemed to stop with 3.0 for some reason

download/file.php?id=115670

Now if the op wanted to run 2.11

https://www.seasip.info/DOS/Win1/win2vesa.html

Why not use the generic VBE driver?
https://github.com/PluMGMK/vbesvga.drv

Trident should have offered a VBE TSR for that card. If not, there's always SDD.

I see a VBE 1.0 TSR here?
http://www.win3x.org/win3board/viewtopic.php? … =27758&view=min

wierd_w wrote on 2026-03-22, 22:25:

Why not use the generic VBE driver? https://github.com/PluMGMK/vbesvga.drv […]
Show full quote

Why not use the generic VBE driver?
https://github.com/PluMGMK/vbesvga.drv

Trident should have offered a VBE TSR for that card. If not, there's always SDD.

I see a VBE 1.0 TSR here?
http://www.win3x.org/win3board/viewtopic.php? … =27758&view=min

Hi, generic VBE driver need 386+ thanks

Seems a bit odd that it needs 386+... huh.

wierd_w wrote on 2026-03-22, 23:00:

Seems a bit odd that it needs 386+... huh.

Yes I think same, because in readme say

vbesvga.drv (needed in both Standard and 386 Enhanced Mode, and on Windows 9x) […]
Show full quote

vbesvga.drv (needed in both Standard and 386 Enhanced Mode, and on Windows 9x)

- Install both the Win16 DDK and a contemporary version of Visual C++
- Obtain a copy of EXE2BIN.EXE (e.g. from FreeDOS, or from the Open
Watcom compiler) and place it somewhere in your PATH
- Place the VBESVGA folder from this repository in the DDK hierarchy, at
286/DISPLAY/8PLANE/VBESVGA
- Ensure MSVCVARS.BAT from Visual C++ has been run to setup the
environment
- In addition, ensure 286\TOOLS from the DDK is in your PATH and 286\INC
is in your INCLUDE variable
- Go to the VBESVGA\mak folder and run make vbesvga.mak; this should
create the file VBESVGA.DRV which can be loaded by Windows

vddvbe.386 (needed only in 386 Enhanced Mode, and on Windows 9x)

- Place the VDDVBE folder from this repository in the DDK hierarchy, at
386/VDDVBE
- Ensure MSVCVARS.BAT from Visual C++ has been run to setup the
environment
- In addition, ensure 386\TOOLS from the DDK is in your PATH
- Go to the VDDVBE folder and run nmake; this should create the file
VDDVBE.386 which can be loaded by Windows

vbevmdib.3gr (needed only in 386 Enhanced Mode for running graphical DOS programs in windowed mode, not needed on Windows 9x)

- Place the VBEGRAB folder from this repository in the DDK hierarchy, at
386/VBEGRAB
- Ensure MSVCVARS.BAT from Visual C++ has been run to setup the
environment
- In addition, ensure 386\TOOLS from the DDK is in your PATH
- Go to the VBEGRAB folder and run nmake; this should create the file
VBEVMDIB.3GR which can be loaded by Windows

look like will work fine in standard mode, but when i tried to load windows always hang with th driver. Or maybe need vesa 2.0 or LFB I dont know

Maybe it uses 386 exclusive instructions?

I just am not sure why that would be explicitly necessary.

wierd_w wrote on 2026-03-22, 23:14:

Maybe it uses 386 exclusive instructions?

I just am not sure why that would be explicitly necessary.

ok, sorry, my fault, i tested again, and NO, you right work in 286, i believe was not working because after windows 3.1 boot logo disapear and screen goes to black, windows desktop never appears... and then i reset computer. This time, i just left there, and after 3 minutes, windows desktop appear!!! redraw a windows when i move take like 10 seconds... jeje

Work! sadly is not very usable, but thanks! i believe need 386 because black screen, it was just loading?¿ or drawing desktop... 😀

I... have no idea if it will work with that old of a card... but there is a 'maybe it will work' driver here?

https://files.mpoli.fi/hardware/DISPLAY/TRIDENT/

'TRIWIN31.ZIP'

The readme inside gives this:

MS Windows 3.1 TRIDENT TVGA Drivers =================================== (UC5.1 11/93) […]
Show full quote

MS Windows 3.1 TRIDENT TVGA Drivers
===================================
(UC5.1 11/93)

This diskette contains these high-resolution drivers for Windows 3.1:

TRIW1024.DRV -- 1024x768-16C Large Font

TRIT640.DRV -- 640X480-256C
TRIT800.DRV -- 800X600-256C
TRIT1024.DRV -- 1024X768-256C
TRIT8005.DRV -- 800X600-256C (512K DRAM required)

TRIH640.DRV -- 640x480-32768C (386 CPU & 1M DRAM required)
TRIX640.DRV -- 640x480-65536C (386 CPU & 1M DRAM required)

TRIH800.DRV -- 800X600-32768C (386 CPU & 1M DRAM required)
TRIX800.DRV -- 800X600-65536C (386 CPU & 1M DRAM required)

With a specific mention that only the highcolor modes need 386+ cpus.

wierd_w wrote on 2026-03-22, 23:36:

I... have no idea if it will work with that old of a card... but there is a 'maybe it will work' driver here? […]
Show full quote

I... have no idea if it will work with that old of a card... but there is a 'maybe it will work' driver here?

https://files.mpoli.fi/hardware/DISPLAY/TRIDENT/

'TRIWIN31.ZIP'

The readme inside gives this:

MS Windows 3.1 TRIDENT TVGA Drivers =================================== (UC5.1 11/93) […]
Show full quote

MS Windows 3.1 TRIDENT TVGA Drivers
===================================
(UC5.1 11/93)

This diskette contains these high-resolution drivers for Windows 3.1:

TRIW1024.DRV -- 1024x768-16C Large Font

TRIT640.DRV -- 640X480-256C
TRIT800.DRV -- 800X600-256C
TRIT1024.DRV -- 1024X768-256C
TRIT8005.DRV -- 800X600-256C (512K DRAM required)

TRIH640.DRV -- 640x480-32768C (386 CPU & 1M DRAM required)
TRIX640.DRV -- 640x480-65536C (386 CPU & 1M DRAM required)

TRIH800.DRV -- 800X600-32768C (386 CPU & 1M DRAM required)
TRIX800.DRV -- 800X600-65536C (386 CPU & 1M DRAM required)

With a specific mention that only the highcolor modes need 386+ cpus.

Hi thanks i already tried that one too. I think almost all packages have same 8bit windows 3.0 driver for real mode, trident just update the enhaced mode

The problem of 3.0 driver is that is slow as hell,too much, and have some problem with palette

Stupid question, but are you sure you arent hitting the 'ISA BUS is too slow' problem?

What is the ISA CLK of this system?