Audio and colors

I had a virus and I erased windows 98se and when I
reinstalled it I have no sound and only 16 colors. How do
I get back my sound and at least 256 colors?

Here is basically all I know of audio, except you may also look at a
list of audio devices/drivers in Device Manager. If you go that way,
BETTER be sure of what you've got now, so that you may change back to
it. To see what you've got now...

(a) "Control Panel, System, Device Manager tab, Sound Video & Game
Controllers branch".
(b) D-Clk the devices under it, each in turn, for Properties.
(c) Click the Driver tab, & then click the "Update Driver button".
(d) Bolt "Display a list..", & click "Next".
What shows up in the "Models" box?
(e) Finally, bolt "Show all hardware".
What is lit up in both the left & right panes?

That is what is currently installed & active. If you choose others from
the left/right panes (& click "Next"), it will constitute an uninstall
of the old & an install of the new. Well, here is all I know...

With the computer off, un/re-plug all audio wires.

Well, try "START, Run, CDPLAYER". It is simpler than, for instance, WMP.
If you get sound there, then it's a setting in WMP, or whatever, at
fault.

(1) Is the sound muted? D-Clk the speaker icon in the Tray to see. If no
speaker is there, then "START button, Settings, Control Panel,
Multimedia", & check the box for it at bottom.

(2) I understand the volume control is oddly incorporated in "Control
Panel, Add/Remove Programs, Windows Setup tab, Multimedia, Sound
Recorder". If it is shown as installed (checked), then uncheck it, OK
your way out, & even perhaps reboot. Then, do it all again, but this
time CHECK it. (Actually, I've seen a Volume Control item there, too.)

(3) In my case, the volume control appears to be part of my audio
drivers...

When I do the following procedure, I am asked to supply drivers during
boot. I bypass the request, & end up with none. Then, I run an .exe
downloaded from Compaq, which puts them back in. Or, I go to a folder &
click a Setup.exe in there, when I want the older drivers.

The point is-- YOU may have to do it that way too. So, prepare.

(a) Boot to Safe Mode. (Enable Startup Menu at "START, Run, MSConfig,
Advanced button.)
(b) "Control Panel, System, Device Manager tab".
(c) Open the "Sound, video & game controllers" branch, & delete all
devices under it. This is meant to eliminate "ghosts" of drivers past,
which are invisible in Normal Mode.
(d) Reboot to Normal Mode.
(e) Install your Sound Drivers, if they haven't automatically been
detected.


--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR

"prq1969" wrote in message
...
| I had a virus and I erased windows 98se and when I
| reinstalled it I have no sound and only 16 colors. How do
| I get back my sound and at least 256 colors?

http://support.microsoft.com/default...39&Product=w98
Troubleshooting Video Problems in Windows

"START, Run, MSConfig, Advanced button". If checked, then uncheck "VGA
640x480x16", & reboot.

"Control Panel, Display, Settings tab". Select as you wish from the
Colors dropdown menu & the Size slider. Really, you should need nothing
higher than "High Color (16 bit)", for speed/resource considerations.

If you move the Screen Area slider to 1024x768 there, be sure to click
the Advanced button, & select Large fonts.

Try to get your colors/size at least twice that way. If it continues to
fail, you may need to reinstall your Monitor or Display Adapter...

For the Monitor...
(1) Boot to Safe Mode
(Hold F5 as you boot or CTRL for the Startup Menu)
(2) "START, Settings, Control Panel, System, Device Manager tab"
(3) Open the Monitors branch, & Remove all entries.

Perhaps, FIRST, even in Normal Mode, note what is installed
similar to below for the Adapter. That is...
(a) D-Clk the monitor there for Properties, Driver tab.
(b) Click the Update Driver button, then "Next".
(c) Bolt "Display a list...", & click "Next".
(d) Bolt "Show all hardware".
Examine the two panes to see what is currently installed.
That is likely what you wish to end up with, after step (4).

(4) Boot to Normal Mode.

Hopefully, it will be rediscovered & installed. Then, if still
necessary, here is the rigmarole of the Display Adapter...

.......Quote..........
The first thing to do is to remove the video adapter you have
installed. Right-click on the desktop; choose "Properties" from the
drop-down menu; select "Settings;" click on the "Advanced" button; and
click on "Adapter". An adapter is a program that tells Windows how to
deal with a specific video card. Make note of the adapter that is
currently installed. Then, change the adapter to "Standard Display
Adapter (VGA)" and restart the system.

[That is: Click "Change, Next, bolt 'Display a List...', Next, bolt
'Show all hardware', scroll left pane to top, select '(Standard display
types)', select 'Standard Display Adapter (VGA)' in right pane, click
'Next'"... PCR]

This will remove the current adapter and replace it with a generic VGA
adapter that works with all video cards. You will not like VGA because
it supports only 16 colors, but the purpose of installing it is to get
rid of whatever was there before.

Next, return to the adapter screen and install an adapter that matches
your video card. This may or may not be the adapter that you are
using now. Examine the materials you received with your computer to
see if they include a CD-ROM or floppy disk that contains the correct
video adapter. Or go to the Gateway website and see if they have an
adapter for you to download. Or check the website of the company that
made your video card.

Bill Starbuck (MVP)
.......End....of quote....


--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR

"prq1969" wrote in message
...
| I had a virus and I erased windows 98se and when I
| reinstalled it I have no sound and only 16 colors. How do
| I get back my sound and at least 256 colors?

You will have to load the drivers for video and sound
cards. Or if they are on board MB? Then there should be a
MB driver CD that has all the drivers on it.
This is normal for a fresh install of the OS.
If you have to go to the net for the drivers? Save them to
disk for future use. Or,maybe,a back partition that would
not be affected by an OS reinstall.
-----Original Message-----
I had a virus and I erased windows 98se and when I
reinstalled it I have no sound and only 16 colors. How do
I get back my sound and at least 256 colors?
.