No graphics driver appearing; failed downloads

Hi all,

So, after having a total system failure about six months ago, I experienced another error on the same system - compared to a corrupt system32 from last time (I believe), this time, I got a ati2dvag error/BSOD, which I only discovered by forcing the computer to not cycle through the first two startup screens, and once I did that, I never got anything visual on the screen past the first Dell screen... it just went black forever after that (unless I did a keyboard prompt, but nothing after)

From that, I did a full OS reset since that's how I restored my computer after the last problem (my files are fine, I had a hard drive converter), but similar to the last crash, the graphics adapter does not appear in my Device Manager.

My supposed graphics controller from researching specs is NVIDIA GeForce 6800 PCI Express x16 for a Dell XPS 400 system (and I believe I might've installed a completely different driver that should've been incompatible but didn't appear so on the surface - I tried to download the same one I think but that only led to the same BSOD) but I get this error saying there's no compatible driver.

So the questions...
1. Is there an explainable fix to this error that I'm missing or have I done something wrong to really mess up the system?
2. If question 1 is on the bad side, should I consider another graphics card if any can still work for a system like this? And is it easily installable?

Sorry for all the long text... I run this for a very specific racing program that loses a ton of performance if I try it on any other system, plus I lose the function to drive (which is pretty much the point of a racing game) - I've lost 3/4 months worth of a YouTube series because of technical problems, and I'm trying to keep it afloat, so I absolutely appreciate any help.

If I should note any other specs, please tell me.

Thanks,
nascarfan19

 

http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/04/product-support/product/xps-400/drivers

go to above for your drivers and if you input your express service number the drivers will be specific to your pc. this page says 7300 not 6800

read through several articles on THIS SEARCH page to see if you are able to implement any of the solutions

1. can you boot to safe mode either plain safe mode or safe mode with networking?

2. you might need to download Hiren's and burn to cd of usb to run hiren's so that you can see your drive and uninstall the erroneous graphics driver

use the following links to download, how to make usb, and questions

http://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/

http://www.hirensbootcd.org/usb-booting/

http://www.hirensbootcd.org/faq/

when you did your reset, how did you accomplish this?

 

(Sorry for the late response, other life priorities)

I've gone through multiple techniques trying to fix the stated avi2dvag.dll problem, but it hasn't led to any success. I've yet to try the Hirens disk, so I will give that a try.

To answer the reset question, I purchased a total operating system reset boot disk (probably not the exact one but close enough to reference) that fixed what was a **\system32\config\system** corrupt/missing file... Though I had to jump through circus hoops to get the computer back to a normal operating state, it did eventually work, but I don't recall the graphics driver being this much of an issue.

 

I want you to run checkdisk with the /r parameter, it can be run from hiren's, from cmd prompt, or from the recovery console (your install media should have this.


http://forums.whatthetech.com/index.php?showtopic=102348

How to perform checkdisk

if you do not have Recovery Console installed, then run from the start menu

go to start, run, type in cmd

in cmd type in chkdsk c: /r and press enter

type Y for yes and press enter

type exit and press enter

restart pc, allow checkdisk to finish and run again

this is a lengthy process depending on the size of your harddrive, the percentages will fluctuate, this is normal, you can view report in the event viewer.

go to start>run> and type in eventvwr.msc, click on the applications directory, and in the right hand panel choose winlogon.

 

I went through this process on the cmd route, and I almost got all the way through until "in the right hand panel choose winlogon". I'm not seeing that, unless there's something different you'd like me to display. Here is a photo of my screen for reference.

 

fourth one down in the right hand panel , under the source heading,

 

Sorry, I'm blind. Also sorry that I keep on disappearing for days at a time, I need to focus on this more.

What information can I provide from this?

 

the only thing I worry about with chkdsk is if there are any KB in bad sectors, because if there are that means the drive will soon fail.

 

The report says 0 KB in bad sectors

 

so the drive is good, sometimes running chkdsk fixes some errors.

attached is the graphics driver from dell pls install and see if it works now
and when you reinstalled did you install your drivers in the correct order? dell has an order to install

http://www.dell.com/support/article...einstall-drivers-in-the-correct-order?lang=en

did you use the link in one of my previous replies to get the correct driver?

 

I was not aware of that "correct order," so I went ahead and utilized that, but downloading the driver gave me this message upon setup opening (which is what I'd been getting prior to this thread):

"The NVIDIA Setup program could not locate any drivers that are compatible with your current hardware. Setup will now exit."

For reference, my Devices Manager shows no indication of a graphics driver being installed, even after showing hidden devices. I believe I found an article from a quick Google search that might answer my question (link so I don't have to reply it) but I want to check and confirm this would be an appropriate next step to take (there is an "Unknown device" under Other Devices).

 

yes, that , to me, would be the next step to follow,

http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/04/product-support/product/xps-400/drivers

has several listings under video (graphics) are you sure it is nvdia?

do the steps from your link and let me know the results.

 

No luck... the restart just put "Unknown device" back in its place. I was not able to download the associated product because I didn't have an internet connection (an issue I've had since my first crash last June but internet's not critical to this computer). Another run-through of nVidia gave the same message, and ATI led to more looping startups.

I'm conflicted as to what graphics driver I actually have... some places are saying that I should have a nVidia card in this model, but I believe I was running ATI Radeon over the past six months until the screen blacked out while running my program, and I imagine this machine couldn't function if I installed something that never should've been compatible.

Whenever I enter the service tag into Dell's driver website, I only get the BIOS now, compared to after the first crash when I had multiple necessary downloads specific to my computer. If it would give me those back, I might be able to understand what I had that first go around.

Would I be able to determine the driver by physically looking at it? I've opened up the computer enough to be comfortable doing it.

 

when you go to dell's website, do not input the service tag, just go for the xps generic model drivers, this will give you lots of choices, for every driver, that is why it is necessary to know the makes.

if you have internet on a working computer, you can download the driver, and then carry the flash drive to the afflicted pc for installation.

and yes you should be able to tell, but I would not know what to look at.

can you get to safe mode? it employs a generic graphics driver so you could go to start/ run/ type in msinfo32, this will give you a dialog box with your system configuration and this might give you the name.

 

My look inside the computer didn't yield any distinguishable marks as to what brand the card was...

I went into the msinfo32 in Safe Mode but I didn't see any indication of what it could be either. The display tab was completely blank, unless I'm looking in the wrong area. I am including a few images of what I dug through, wondering if anything here indicates a conflict.

 

https://onedrive.live.com/?id=D7389B68B3A275AD!4635&cid=D7389B68B3A275AD

am uploading 3 video drivers to my onedrive link above, public files/nascarfan19. download the folder and install all 3, one at a time, if one is not compatible, you will get a message. reboot after each one. then let me know the results, and what is shown in the msinfo32 looks right for no video installed. all 3 of the drivers came from dell's website for graphics for generic xps400.

 

R106303 - same nVidia error as mentioned before
R118968 - "Zero Display Service Error" during setup
R119714 - startup loop

Sorry if it sounded like I was working off the service tag the entire time, I was only pointing out I had it the first time my computer crash which might've had the specific driver. The first one on the list was the only one I didn't try before, and the second is what I think was functioning before the crash.

 

https://www.belarc.com/products_belarc_advisor
download from a working pc and then install on the xps and run, if you can get to safe mode, then you should be able to get to safe mode with networking so that you can get the belarc readout, it might say what is installed.

http://www.driver-dell.com/dell-xps-400dimension-9150-windows-xp-drivers/
have uploaded more drivers from the site above, they will be in More drivers folder in the same drivers folder from my onedrive link in my last reply., all I can say is test each one, and is this a 64 or 32 bit system?

EDIT: it is now 1:36am CST it took me 15 min to upload the last 3 driver files to my onedrive, so I imagine these latest ones will take at least a half hour from now.

ALSO: go to start/ right click MY computer and choose properties/ advanced tab/ startup and recoveries section choose settings/ under system failure section make sure that automatically restart box is unchecked.

 

This is a 32-bit system. The Belarc page didn't seem to tell me anything, unless there's a certain section you'd like me to copy over.

R106834 - nVidia error
R118451 - "INF error. Video driver not found."
R118970 - startup loop
R122611 - nVidia error
R129651 - nVidia error
R150672 - Nothing happened after unzipping...

 

on Belarc right below the columns for Users, left hand and , printers, right hand columns there are to more sections, the left is controllers and the right hand side is display, it shows my video make and my monitor make. does it show this on your computer profile?

this is really strange as dell generally has good drivers on their website.
is the drive sata or ide?