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Tough one: Display settings won't save in Windows 98



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 17th 05, 05:08 AM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Tough one: Display settings won't save in Windows 98

I'm helping my brother straighten out his computer. Occassionally the
monitor reverts to basic display settings and the mouse does not work.
I have fixed this in the past by restoring the registry but this time
it failed to restore the registry (from what I can tell this is because
the backup registries were the same as the current registry). So after
several hours of searching and tinkering I have managed to restore the
mouse to working order but I still can't get the monitor to display
anything but at the lowest resolution and color settings. So here's
the story so far:

Setup:
Sony Vaio running under windows 98 (SE I believe) with cpd g400
trinitron monitor and no extras though he might have tried to connect
an external drive recently via usb port. Also has cable modem.

Initial symptons after start-up:

1. Mouse doesn't work
2. Monitor displays only at most basic color (16 colors) and
resolution
3. Logon Prompt popups at startup though it had never done so before.

Sympton 1 and 2 had appeared before. To my knowledge this first
happened when I plugged a camera into the USB port and installed
Finepix. I fixed this by restoring the registry.

Course of action:

1. Tried to restore registry. Using scanreg /restore. Informed by
popup that this was unsuccessful

2. Started in safe mode and able to use mouse though of course monitor
in basic color.

2a. Restarted in regular mode and noted that mouse had a yellow
exclamation mark in device monitor. Also noted that the monitor did
not share an IRQ with another device.

3. Followed this knowledge base article on how to trouble shoot
windows 98 startup
http://support.microsoft.com/default...;EN-US;Q188867


4. Regained mouse control after telling the computer not start
system.ini file on startup

4a. Used FileChecker and discovered that User.dat was found to be
corrupt. Read elsewhere that this almost always happens and so ignored
it.

5. On rebooting system, discovered that system.ini was checked to
start on startup again. Might have accidently did this but on reading
the system.ini file discovered that the system configuration tool had
replaced it and named the previous system.ini file as system.tsm.

6. Decided to stick with the new system.ini file that gave mouse
control and renamed system.tsm as system.old, copied and renamed
current system.ini to system.tsm then told computer to start system.ini
when starting up. Might have screwed up here and actually still be
using the original system.ini since under selective startup system.ini
was already checked. Nonetheless I regained mouse control for some
reason.

7. Tried to change color and resolution under display settings but the
computer insisted on restarting and restarted without the saved
settings. Back to basic color and resolution. Tried changing just the
color but OS still insisted on restarting even though "Apply new color
settings without restarting" was set in the advanced tab. Color
reverted back to 16 colors after restarting.

8. Tried to remove logon prompt by following steps in knowledge base
article but no luck. Removed client for Microsoft networks and that
did the trick but display setting still would not be saved.

8a. At some point noted that no devices under device manager had
yellow exclamation marks or question marks (at least according to my
brother, this was all done over the phone).

9. Removed monitor from device manager and had windows reinstall it.
Still no change. Downloaded new driver and used device manager to
update driver. Still no change.

9a. Downloaded, updated and ran AVG virus scan but found nothing of
signifigance.

10. Created new profile and tried to save display settings but still
reverted to basic color and resolution.



So here's my theory. Somehow that external hard drive or some other
change caused a conflict of some sort which corrupted the system.ini
file or user.dat file. Now for some reason the computer is unable to
save the display settings because of the corrupted files but I don't
know how to fix the problem. From what I understand, replacing the
user.dat file could also cause a lot of problems. Is it possible for
me to edit these files by hand? What should I comment out? Or does
the solution lie elsewhere? Based on the previous episodes of this
nature, I don't think it's hardware. I think it's related to usb
devices coming into conflict with something else and causing corruption
of files. Oh, the screensaver information is also missing. I assume
this is all saved in the user.dat file and the fact that this is
corrupted is why the settings can't be saved. But how is this related
to the system.ini file?

Well that's about it for my brain for now.
Thanks in advance for your help.

  #2  
Old January 17th 05, 05:27 AM
Brian A.
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

You're looking at the wrong device. You need to identify/reinstall the =
video adapter/chip drivers, NOT the monitor.

From the sounds of it the newly installed USB devices decided to take =
over resources and wouldn't play nice or share with other devices.

Check the computer manufacturers support site for any drivers ( =
preferably updated ), download and install per their instructions.

--=20

Brian A.

Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


wrote in message =
ups.com...
I'm helping my brother straighten out his computer. Occassionally the
monitor reverts to basic display settings and the mouse does not work.
I have fixed this in the past by restoring the registry but this time
it failed to restore the registry (from what I can tell this is =

because
the backup registries were the same as the current registry). So =

after
several hours of searching and tinkering I have managed to restore the
mouse to working order but I still can't get the monitor to display
anything but at the lowest resolution and color settings. So here's
the story so far:
=20
Setup:
Sony Vaio running under windows 98 (SE I believe) with cpd g400
trinitron monitor and no extras though he might have tried to connect
an external drive recently via usb port. Also has cable modem.
=20
Initial symptons after start-up:
=20
1. Mouse doesn't work
2. Monitor displays only at most basic color (16 colors) and
resolution
3. Logon Prompt popups at startup though it had never done so before.
=20
Sympton 1 and 2 had appeared before. To my knowledge this first
happened when I plugged a camera into the USB port and installed
Finepix. I fixed this by restoring the registry.
=20
Course of action:
=20
1. Tried to restore registry. Using scanreg /restore. Informed by
popup that this was unsuccessful
=20
2. Started in safe mode and able to use mouse though of course monitor
in basic color.
=20
2a. Restarted in regular mode and noted that mouse had a yellow
exclamation mark in device monitor. Also noted that the monitor did
not share an IRQ with another device.
=20
3. Followed this knowledge base article on how to trouble shoot
windows 98 startup
http://support.microsoft.com/default...;EN-US;Q188867
=20
=20
4. Regained mouse control after telling the computer not start
system.ini file on startup
=20
4a. Used FileChecker and discovered that User.dat was found to be
corrupt. Read elsewhere that this almost always happens and so =

ignored
it.
=20
5. On rebooting system, discovered that system.ini was checked to
start on startup again. Might have accidently did this but on reading
the system.ini file discovered that the system configuration tool had
replaced it and named the previous system.ini file as system.tsm.
=20
6. Decided to stick with the new system.ini file that gave mouse
control and renamed system.tsm as system.old, copied and renamed
current system.ini to system.tsm then told computer to start =

system.ini
when starting up. Might have screwed up here and actually still be
using the original system.ini since under selective startup system.ini
was already checked. Nonetheless I regained mouse control for some
reason.
=20
7. Tried to change color and resolution under display settings but =

the
computer insisted on restarting and restarted without the saved
settings. Back to basic color and resolution. Tried changing just =

the
color but OS still insisted on restarting even though "Apply new color
settings without restarting" was set in the advanced tab. Color
reverted back to 16 colors after restarting.
=20
8. Tried to remove logon prompt by following steps in knowledge base
article but no luck. Removed client for Microsoft networks and that
did the trick but display setting still would not be saved.
=20
8a. At some point noted that no devices under device manager had
yellow exclamation marks or question marks (at least according to my
brother, this was all done over the phone).
=20
9. Removed monitor from device manager and had windows reinstall it.
Still no change. Downloaded new driver and used device manager to
update driver. Still no change.
=20
9a. Downloaded, updated and ran AVG virus scan but found nothing of
signifigance.
=20
10. Created new profile and tried to save display settings but still
reverted to basic color and resolution.
=20
=20
=20
So here's my theory. Somehow that external hard drive or some other
change caused a conflict of some sort which corrupted the system.ini
file or user.dat file. Now for some reason the computer is unable to
save the display settings because of the corrupted files but I don't
know how to fix the problem. From what I understand, replacing the
user.dat file could also cause a lot of problems. Is it possible for
me to edit these files by hand? What should I comment out? Or does
the solution lie elsewhere? Based on the previous episodes of this
nature, I don't think it's hardware. I think it's related to usb
devices coming into conflict with something else and causing =

corruption
of files. Oh, the screensaver information is also missing. I assume
this is all saved in the user.dat file and the fact that this is
corrupted is why the settings can't be saved. But how is this related
to the system.ini file?
=20
Well that's about it for my brain for now.
Thanks in advance for your help.

  #3  
Old January 17th 05, 05:59 AM
glee
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

To add a couple of notes to Brian's reply....you state the "File Checker" (I assume
you mean System File Checker) found the "user.dat file to be corrupt". I don't
think so. SFC does not look at that file....are you sure you don't mean "user.exe"?
The User.dat file is part of the Registry database, and NO, you should not touch
it.....it certainly cannot be replaced by SFC. It is the User.exe file that is
sometimes mistakenly replaced by SFC...see here for more info:
System File Checker Tool Extracts Incorrect File Versions
http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=192832

When you chose not to load or to modify the System.ini file, the Configuration
Utility renames your original file to System.tsh, NOT System.tsm. I see no point in
your exercise of changing the extension to .old, and copying the current to the .tsh
extension, except to prevent you from mistakenly restoring the troublesome
configuration. Is that why you did that?

Follow Brian's suggestion and reinstall the Display Adapter drivers, not the
monitor.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


wrote in message
ups.com...
I'm helping my brother straighten out his computer. Occassionally the
monitor reverts to basic display settings and the mouse does not work.
I have fixed this in the past by restoring the registry but this time
it failed to restore the registry (from what I can tell this is because
the backup registries were the same as the current registry). So after
several hours of searching and tinkering I have managed to restore the
mouse to working order but I still can't get the monitor to display
anything but at the lowest resolution and color settings. So here's
the story so far:

Setup:
Sony Vaio running under windows 98 (SE I believe) with cpd g400
trinitron monitor and no extras though he might have tried to connect
an external drive recently via usb port. Also has cable modem.

Initial symptons after start-up:

1. Mouse doesn't work
2. Monitor displays only at most basic color (16 colors) and
resolution
3. Logon Prompt popups at startup though it had never done so before.

Sympton 1 and 2 had appeared before. To my knowledge this first
happened when I plugged a camera into the USB port and installed
Finepix. I fixed this by restoring the registry.

Course of action:

1. Tried to restore registry. Using scanreg /restore. Informed by
popup that this was unsuccessful

2. Started in safe mode and able to use mouse though of course monitor
in basic color.

2a. Restarted in regular mode and noted that mouse had a yellow
exclamation mark in device monitor. Also noted that the monitor did
not share an IRQ with another device.

3. Followed this knowledge base article on how to trouble shoot
windows 98 startup
http://support.microsoft.com/default...;EN-US;Q188867


4. Regained mouse control after telling the computer not start
system.ini file on startup

4a. Used FileChecker and discovered that User.dat was found to be
corrupt. Read elsewhere that this almost always happens and so ignored
it.

5. On rebooting system, discovered that system.ini was checked to
start on startup again. Might have accidently did this but on reading
the system.ini file discovered that the system configuration tool had
replaced it and named the previous system.ini file as system.tsm.

6. Decided to stick with the new system.ini file that gave mouse
control and renamed system.tsm as system.old, copied and renamed
current system.ini to system.tsm then told computer to start system.ini
when starting up. Might have screwed up here and actually still be
using the original system.ini since under selective startup system.ini
was already checked. Nonetheless I regained mouse control for some
reason.

7. Tried to change color and resolution under display settings but the
computer insisted on restarting and restarted without the saved
settings. Back to basic color and resolution. Tried changing just the
color but OS still insisted on restarting even though "Apply new color
settings without restarting" was set in the advanced tab. Color
reverted back to 16 colors after restarting.

8. Tried to remove logon prompt by following steps in knowledge base
article but no luck. Removed client for Microsoft networks and that
did the trick but display setting still would not be saved.

8a. At some point noted that no devices under device manager had
yellow exclamation marks or question marks (at least according to my
brother, this was all done over the phone).

9. Removed monitor from device manager and had windows reinstall it.
Still no change. Downloaded new driver and used device manager to
update driver. Still no change.

9a. Downloaded, updated and ran AVG virus scan but found nothing of
signifigance.

10. Created new profile and tried to save display settings but still
reverted to basic color and resolution.



So here's my theory. Somehow that external hard drive or some other
change caused a conflict of some sort which corrupted the system.ini
file or user.dat file. Now for some reason the computer is unable to
save the display settings because of the corrupted files but I don't
know how to fix the problem. From what I understand, replacing the
user.dat file could also cause a lot of problems. Is it possible for
me to edit these files by hand? What should I comment out? Or does
the solution lie elsewhere? Based on the previous episodes of this
nature, I don't think it's hardware. I think it's related to usb
devices coming into conflict with something else and causing corruption
of files. Oh, the screensaver information is also missing. I assume
this is all saved in the user.dat file and the fact that this is
corrupted is why the settings can't be saved. But how is this related
to the system.ini file?

Well that's about it for my brain for now.
Thanks in advance for your help.


  #4  
Old January 17th 05, 09:12 AM
jazz
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

ANother thing to note, as old as the monitor is, if the computer matches he
might have a voodoo graphics adapter. If this is the case make sure the
monitor driver is set top either the actual monitor or plug and play. Some
voodoo adapter drivers would lock the card inot safe mode (lowest resolution
and color settings) when the monitor is set to standard or default.

He didn't giv ethe model of the vio so i couldn't confirm the adapter
present in the computer. I just saw the monitor was from arounf the 95 e rra
so i figure this could help.


"glee" wrote in message
...
To add a couple of notes to Brian's reply....you state the "File Checker"

(I assume
you mean System File Checker) found the "user.dat file to be corrupt". I

don't
think so. SFC does not look at that file....are you sure you don't mean

"user.exe"?
The User.dat file is part of the Registry database, and NO, you should not

touch
it.....it certainly cannot be replaced by SFC. It is the User.exe file

that is
sometimes mistakenly replaced by SFC...see here for more info:
System File Checker Tool Extracts Incorrect File Versions
http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=192832

When you chose not to load or to modify the System.ini file, the

Configuration
Utility renames your original file to System.tsh, NOT System.tsm. I see

no point in
your exercise of changing the extension to .old, and copying the current

to the .tsh
extension, except to prevent you from mistakenly restoring the troublesome
configuration. Is that why you did that?

Follow Brian's suggestion and reinstall the Display Adapter drivers, not

the
monitor.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


wrote in message
ups.com...
I'm helping my brother straighten out his computer. Occassionally the
monitor reverts to basic display settings and the mouse does not work.
I have fixed this in the past by restoring the registry but this time
it failed to restore the registry (from what I can tell this is because
the backup registries were the same as the current registry). So after
several hours of searching and tinkering I have managed to restore the
mouse to working order but I still can't get the monitor to display
anything but at the lowest resolution and color settings. So here's
the story so far:

Setup:
Sony Vaio running under windows 98 (SE I believe) with cpd g400
trinitron monitor and no extras though he might have tried to connect
an external drive recently via usb port. Also has cable modem.

Initial symptons after start-up:

1. Mouse doesn't work
2. Monitor displays only at most basic color (16 colors) and
resolution
3. Logon Prompt popups at startup though it had never done so before.

Sympton 1 and 2 had appeared before. To my knowledge this first
happened when I plugged a camera into the USB port and installed
Finepix. I fixed this by restoring the registry.

Course of action:

1. Tried to restore registry. Using scanreg /restore. Informed by
popup that this was unsuccessful

2. Started in safe mode and able to use mouse though of course monitor
in basic color.

2a. Restarted in regular mode and noted that mouse had a yellow
exclamation mark in device monitor. Also noted that the monitor did
not share an IRQ with another device.

3. Followed this knowledge base article on how to trouble shoot
windows 98 startup
http://support.microsoft.com/default...;EN-US;Q188867


4. Regained mouse control after telling the computer not start
system.ini file on startup

4a. Used FileChecker and discovered that User.dat was found to be
corrupt. Read elsewhere that this almost always happens and so ignored
it.

5. On rebooting system, discovered that system.ini was checked to
start on startup again. Might have accidently did this but on reading
the system.ini file discovered that the system configuration tool had
replaced it and named the previous system.ini file as system.tsm.

6. Decided to stick with the new system.ini file that gave mouse
control and renamed system.tsm as system.old, copied and renamed
current system.ini to system.tsm then told computer to start system.ini
when starting up. Might have screwed up here and actually still be
using the original system.ini since under selective startup system.ini
was already checked. Nonetheless I regained mouse control for some
reason.

7. Tried to change color and resolution under display settings but the
computer insisted on restarting and restarted without the saved
settings. Back to basic color and resolution. Tried changing just the
color but OS still insisted on restarting even though "Apply new color
settings without restarting" was set in the advanced tab. Color
reverted back to 16 colors after restarting.

8. Tried to remove logon prompt by following steps in knowledge base
article but no luck. Removed client for Microsoft networks and that
did the trick but display setting still would not be saved.

8a. At some point noted that no devices under device manager had
yellow exclamation marks or question marks (at least according to my
brother, this was all done over the phone).

9. Removed monitor from device manager and had windows reinstall it.
Still no change. Downloaded new driver and used device manager to
update driver. Still no change.

9a. Downloaded, updated and ran AVG virus scan but found nothing of
signifigance.

10. Created new profile and tried to save display settings but still
reverted to basic color and resolution.



So here's my theory. Somehow that external hard drive or some other
change caused a conflict of some sort which corrupted the system.ini
file or user.dat file. Now for some reason the computer is unable to
save the display settings because of the corrupted files but I don't
know how to fix the problem. From what I understand, replacing the
user.dat file could also cause a lot of problems. Is it possible for
me to edit these files by hand? What should I comment out? Or does
the solution lie elsewhere? Based on the previous episodes of this
nature, I don't think it's hardware. I think it's related to usb
devices coming into conflict with something else and causing corruption
of files. Oh, the screensaver information is also missing. I assume
this is all saved in the user.dat file and the fact that this is
corrupted is why the settings can't be saved. But how is this related
to the system.ini file?

Well that's about it for my brain for now.
Thanks in advance for your help.




 




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