How are PCI cards identified?

This may not be the right place to ask, but if it is not please direct me to
the best place to ask this question.

When a new adapter card is plugged into the system board, the OS recognizes
something is new and then proceeds to ask for driver installation.

I presume that the adapter has imbedded in it a code that can be read that
identifies the part by name or function or both.

Is there a way for a user to see what code is provided and in addition, if
there is a discernable code, is there a place to cross-reference the code by
function, manufacturer, model number or whatever?

The reason for this query is I have installed a card with a video function,
but Device Manager only flags a communications card as not being properly
installed and does not have any recognition of a new video card.

There are only three cards installed. A dial-up modem, an Ethernet card and
the video/game card. The modem and network card are installed OK. It seems
as if the video card is not being correctly identified.

Charlie

Charlie Bress wrote:
This may not be the right place to ask, but if it is not please direct
me to the best place to ask this question.

When a new adapter card is plugged into the system board, the OS
recognizes something is new and then proceeds to ask for driver
installation.

I presume that the adapter has imbedded in it a code that can be read
that identifies the part by name or function or both.

Yes, but...

Is there a way for a user to see what code is provided and in addition,
if there is a discernable code, is there a place to cross-reference the
code by function, manufacturer, model number or whatever?

Only in that you may see what a specific file the card is looking for in
that query prompt - and in that file (many times *.inf) it has all the
pointers and information it needs to be directed to install the other files
of its drivers.

The reason for this query is I have installed a card with a video
function, but Device Manager only flags a communications card as not
being properly installed and does not have any recognition of a new
video card.

There are only three cards installed. A dial-up modem, an Ethernet card
and the video/game card. The modem and network card are installed OK.
It seems as if the video card is not being correctly identified.

Logically you;ve correctly deducted then it's the video card that needs
drivers - and that's exactly what it need is drivers which W98 at that time
and now is not able to supply for that particular card - and so you must
get them yourself.
As you have noticed many time W98SE will show a generic prompt for
some devices since the OS is old now there was no way back then to be
able to recognize newer products, or other situations, and so it just gives
generic information that it needs drivers; the device knows what it's
looking for, and once the right drivers are installed then all will fall
into place. Sometimes these drivers will have automatic exe installations
which will install the drivers for you automatically, where other times you
will use your DeviceManager to point itself to that particular folder that
you obtained to pick them up, or etc..

It seems that you don't have the original box let alone a drivers floppy or
cd for this card right? ..and so honestly Charlie if you don't, then the
best way at this point to get the right drivers for your video device is to
physically get a manufactures name, and some id numbers, and model
numbers - get all information you can find off the card itself, and then
search for them online at the appropriate places.

Is there a name anywhere on the card. What are all the exact numbers you
can see on the card?

Give us all the numbers you can find on your video card.

...using those numbers to search google or the actual manufacturer if you
know it - often can yield you very good results.

Rick



Charlie

snip

Is there a name anywhere on the card. What are all the exact numbers you
can see on the card?

Give us all the numbers you can find on your video card.

..using those numbers to search google or the actual manufacturer if you
know it - often can yield you very good results.



the exact type of card should be marked...
either on the board itself or the 'chip'

you can also google for hwinfo32
it's a utility that will probably ID the card

You have posted this in W95 and Win98 groups, so it is not clear what
operating system you have. You should use the group that corresponds to your
OS, or you risk getting inappropriate advice.

Windows 98SE supports WDM which includes extensive device identification.
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/archive/wdmoverview.mspx

AFAIK there is no comprehensive list of manufacturer or device codes,
although you might be able to find a list of manufacturer codes for one
device type, such as video cards.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"Charlie Bress" Here-I-am-at-the-last-moment.com wrote in message
...
This may not be the right place to ask, but if it is not please direct me
to the best place to ask this question.

When a new adapter card is plugged into the system board, the OS
recognizes something is new and then proceeds to ask for driver
installation.

I presume that the adapter has imbedded in it a code that can be read that
identifies the part by name or function or both.

Is there a way for a user to see what code is provided and in addition, if
there is a discernable code, is there a place to cross-reference the code
by function, manufacturer, model number or whatever?

The reason for this query is I have installed a card with a video
function, but Device Manager only flags a communications card as not being
properly installed and does not have any recognition of a new video card.

There are only three cards installed. A dial-up modem, an Ethernet card
and the video/game card. The modem and network card are installed OK. It
seems as if the video card is not being correctly identified.

Charlie

On Sat, 29 Apr 2006 09:42:36 -0400, "Charlie Bress"
Here-I-am-at-the-last-moment.com put finger to keyboard and
composed:

When a new adapter card is plugged into the system board, the OS recognizes
something is new and then proceeds to ask for driver installation.

I presume that the adapter has imbedded in it a code that can be read that
identifies the part by name or function or both.

If it's a PCI card, then a Vendor ID and Product ID are stored within
the card's chipset or in an external memory chip, often an 8-pin
serial EEPROM. Other PnP resource info, eg supported IRQs, DMAs,
memory addresses, IO ports, are also stored within the same chip.

Is there a way for a user to see what code is provided and in addition, if
there is a discernable code, is there a place to cross-reference the code by
function, manufacturer, model number or whatever?

The Vendor and Product IDs for any unknown card can be retrieved from
the registry.

How to use Registry Editor to identify an unknown PCI device:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/298837/en-us

You can then refer to a database of PCI IDs to determine who made your
card:
http://www.pcidatabase.com/

You can also retrieve PCI device info using PCItree:
http://www.pcitree.de/

The reason for this query is I have installed a card with a video function,
but Device Manager only flags a communications card as not being properly
installed and does not have any recognition of a new video card.

Try to match the card's vendor and product IDs with those that are
listed in the card's INF file.

There are only three cards installed. A dial-up modem, an Ethernet card and
the video/game card. The modem and network card are installed OK. It seems
as if the video card is not being correctly identified.

Charlie

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

"Charlie Bress" Here-I-am-at-the-last-moment.com wrote in message
...
This may not be the right place to ask, but if it is not please direct me
to
the best place to ask this question.

When a new adapter card is plugged into the system board, the OS
recognizes
something is new and then proceeds to ask for driver installation.

I presume that the adapter has imbedded in it a code that can be read that
identifies the part by name or function or both.

Is there a way for a user to see what code is provided and in addition, if
there is a discernable code, is there a place to cross-reference the code
by
function, manufacturer, model number or whatever?

The reason for this query is I have installed a card with a video
function,
but Device Manager only flags a communications card as not being properly
installed and does not have any recognition of a new video card.

There are only three cards installed. A dial-up modem, an Ethernet card
and
the video/game card. The modem and network card are installed OK.

One of them is not, you say, according to Device Manager?

It seems as if the video card is not being correctly identified.

There is an FCC ID associated with the card.

It will either be on a label stuck on the card,
or the ID number will be embossed on the card itself.

It will be clearly marked FCC ID.

You can then check the ID number against the
equipment authorization database

http://www.fcc.gov/oet/fccid/help.html

Uhh, whatever.

Be sure you've uninstalled any prior video software related to any
previously installed video card. Then, change to the default PCI display
adapter after rebooting. Find a copy of everest (home version). It will
tell you what's under the hood.
Sound cards are more often associated with gaming. No joystick port on a
video card.
If your PC is using onboard video rather than a video card, that is very
pertinent to the final answer, operability of the video card.
--
Jonny
"Charlie Bress" Here-I-am-at-the-last-moment.com wrote in message
...
This may not be the right place to ask, but if it is not please direct me
to the best place to ask this question.

When a new adapter card is plugged into the system board, the OS
recognizes something is new and then proceeds to ask for driver
installation.

I presume that the adapter has imbedded in it a code that can be read that
identifies the part by name or function or both.

Is there a way for a user to see what code is provided and in addition, if
there is a discernable code, is there a place to cross-reference the code
by function, manufacturer, model number or whatever?

The reason for this query is I have installed a card with a video
function, but Device Manager only flags a communications card as not being
properly installed and does not have any recognition of a new video card.

There are only three cards installed. A dial-up modem, an Ethernet card
and the video/game card. The modem and network card are installed OK. It
seems as if the video card is not being correctly identified.

Charlie

"Charlie Bress" Here-I-am-at-the-last-moment.com wrote in message
...

The reason for this query is I have installed a card with a video
function,
but Device Manager only flags a communications card as not being properly
installed and does not have any recognition of a new video card.

There are only three cards installed. A dial-up modem, an Ethernet card
and
the video/game card. The modem and network card are installed OK. It
seems
as if the video card is not being correctly identified.

Things to check:
1. If your motherboard includes sound circuitry (Sound
On Board) ensure it is disabled in BIOS.
2. Drivers for this card are correct for your Operating
System.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

"philo" wrote in message
...
snip

Is there a name anywhere on the card. What are all the exact numbers you
can see on the card?

Give us all the numbers you can find on your video card.

..using those numbers to search google or the actual manufacturer if you
know it - often can yield you very good results.


the exact type of card should be marked...
either on the board itself or the 'chip'

you can also google for hwinfo32
it's a utility that will probably ID the card

I have the original box and the original CD for installation. All of my
attempts to install the drivers failed with the message that the drivers
could not be found where I was looking. It was the place that the maker's
instructions said to look. This is what prompted my head scratching. The
maker's support could not help. So my query posted here was trying to find
something to help me.

Anyway, I was not the first person to try installing this card.
What I ended up doing was physically removing the card from the system and
rebooting to prove to myself that the card showing up in Device manager was
really the culprit. Then having had a somewhat similar experience in the
past, I went to Regedit and searched for a key with the maker's name and
deleted it. Then I reinstalled the card in a different slot and fired up the
box again. This time it all went well and everything worked.

I am not sure what particular action solved the hang-up. Now all is well.

I have not identified the maker on purpose. His support and FAQ leave a bit
to be desired.

Charlie

snip
Anyway, I was not the first person to try installing this card.
What I ended up doing was physically removing the card from the system and
rebooting to prove to myself that the card showing up in Device manager
was really the culprit. Then having had a somewhat similar experience in
the past, I went to Regedit and searched for a key with the maker's name
and deleted it. Then I reinstalled the card in a different slot and fired
up the box again. This time it all went well and everything worked.

I am not sure what particular action solved the hang-up. Now all is well.


Well , you used an old trick that has been known to work.
It is probably more the fault of the mobo than anything else...
ro perhaps just a bios setting for the pci slots...
anyway you seem to have solved the problem!