Windows 98/XP Dual Display Problems: Resource conflict, maybe? \ VOGONS

Windows 98/XP Dual Display Problems: Resource conflict, maybe?

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First post, by T-Squared

Posted on 2022-10-17, 06:30

T-Squared Offline

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Yes, I understand this is in the hardware tab, but my conclusions have led me to believe there is a problem with the BIOS, somehow.

I'm running a Chaintech 6BTM, with a BIOS dated August 17th, 2000: https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/chaintech-ct-6btm

I don't know what the problem is, but Windows 98 freezes when I click on the "Settings" tab in the Display Properties, and Windows XP says "This device cannot start (Code 10)", which leads me to believe there is a bug in the BIOS... maybe?

(I use a removable drive caddy that I can swap OS drives with, to use the same motherboard.)

Are displays supposed to share the same resources, or are they separate?

The only thing that has actually worked is a pair of NVidia cards.

I've tried individual cards; Matrox, ATI (All-in-Wonder and Rage Pro), as well as the Nvidia cards, but they all have problems working in Windows when plugged into this board.

Reply 1 of 3, by T-Squared

Posted on 2022-10-18, 02:55

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Okay... figured out some things... BIOS seems to work just fine. Some things changed when I started the PCI slot on boot first.

Windows XP does the multiple monitor thing a LOT better than 98SE does.A bit slow, but it worked, nonetheless. (YES!)

Windows 98SE throws up an error about General Protection Faults in NVDISP.DRV (first time I try), and then GDI.EXE (second time, this is Windows' graphics platform) when I try to access the multiple monitor settings. Sometimes I get a freeze, other times the system stabilizes. I don't know why, but even MDGx's fix doesn't do anything. The Standard VGA Display driver gave a message about "Your current driver cannot do Multiple Monitor support, etc.", so that told me the system was at least TRYING. At the moment, I'm not sure what the problem could be on Windows 98SE.

Reply 2 of 3, by chinny22

Posted on 2022-10-18, 10:56

chinny22 Offline

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Not sure how much help this is but I successfully have an AGP Nvidia Ti 4600 and PCI Voodoo 3 2000 working together on a Dell BX motherboard.
Stock standard Win98 SE install, no unofficial service packs or the like.
I'd be inclined to blame driver conflicts as your 2 Nvidia cards worked, thats based on 0 facts though.

Reply 3 of 3, by T-Squared

Posted on 2022-11-02, 00:26

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I'm wondering if it was a bad install mixed with a conflict, because I got a new motherboard to test my theory: An Asus P3B-F Rev. 1.04.

The manual says that each PCI slot shares an IRQ (At least two do, according to the BIOS).

Also, when I got fed up with my original install, and decided to start from scratch, my CD wouldn't even start the install properly. (Hanging at "Checking System Registry...")

I burned a brand new DVD install of Win98SE and Win XP. For Windows 98, it worked perfectly. I have yet to try the dual monitors, though.

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