Driver Installation Screwed Up

-- I recently installed a new display adapter (ATI 9600XT-based) and
although it seemed to work fine with most programs, I began having frequent
crashes with a new CAD program when doing certain operations. The CAD
program tech support people suggested the problem might be 'hardware
acceleration' (which was set to max.). I turned off hardware acceleration
through the Display Properties Advanced Settings (Performance tab) and
rebooted as instructed. This appears to have somehow screwed up my ATI
drivers installation as evidenced by a warning message which is displayed
each time I boot up: "The ATI Control Panel failed to initialize because no
ATI driver is installed or ATI driver is not working properly. The ATI
Control Panel will now exit". In the Device Manager the driver is listed as
ATI2DRAG.DRV. A driver with this name is listed in my Windows\System folder.
But the System Information utility displays a listing of drivers, and there
are lines which show a driver with the name "TI2DRAG.DRV" (notice the similar
spelling to the previously mentioned driver?), and on these lines (in a
standout blue color) is "File Size: Driver Not Installed" and "File Date:
Driver Not Installed". There is no such file TI2DRAG.DRV on my computer.

My question is this (and please bear with my ignorance on this subject):
Doesn't the existence of the file ATI2DRAG.DRV in my Windows\System folder
mean that it is installed? If so, what could be causing System Information
to use an obviously mispelled filename and return the information "Driver Not
Installed", and how does the warning message fit into it all? My own sense
of it is that even though the file is there, somewhere along the line, in the
boot-up process, the mispelled filename causes the driver not to be loaded.
Can you explain what is going on, and how I might cure the problem?

little nemo in slumberland

nemo, I am at a loss to understand how reducing hardware acceleration would cause
the error you are seeing, but there may have been a "mis-spelling" in the registry
that occurred when you made the change. Open the Registry Editor
(StartRunRegedit) and use the EditFind menu to search for any instances of
TI2DRAG.DRV. Use the F3 key to continue searching till done. Edit any such entries
to read ATI2DRAG.DRV instead of TI2DRAG.DRV

Be sure to back up the Registry before you try this procedure. To back it up, click
StartRun, type scanregw and click OK. When it asks if you want to make a backup,
say Yes.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/communities...t/default.mspx


"littlenemo" wrote in message
...

-- I recently installed a new display adapter (ATI 9600XT-based) and
although it seemed to work fine with most programs, I began having frequent
crashes with a new CAD program when doing certain operations. The CAD
program tech support people suggested the problem might be 'hardware
acceleration' (which was set to max.). I turned off hardware acceleration
through the Display Properties Advanced Settings (Performance tab) and
rebooted as instructed. This appears to have somehow screwed up my ATI
drivers installation as evidenced by a warning message which is displayed
each time I boot up: "The ATI Control Panel failed to initialize because no
ATI driver is installed or ATI driver is not working properly. The ATI
Control Panel will now exit". In the Device Manager the driver is listed as
ATI2DRAG.DRV. A driver with this name is listed in my Windows\System folder.
But the System Information utility displays a listing of drivers, and there
are lines which show a driver with the name "TI2DRAG.DRV" (notice the similar
spelling to the previously mentioned driver?), and on these lines (in a
standout blue color) is "File Size: Driver Not Installed" and "File Date:
Driver Not Installed". There is no such file TI2DRAG.DRV on my computer.

My question is this (and please bear with my ignorance on this subject):
Doesn't the existence of the file ATI2DRAG.DRV in my Windows\System folder
mean that it is installed? If so, what could be causing System Information
to use an obviously mispelled filename and return the information "Driver Not
Installed", and how does the warning message fit into it all? My own sense
of it is that even though the file is there, somewhere along the line, in the
boot-up process, the mispelled filename causes the driver not to be loaded.
Can you explain what is going on, and how I might cure the problem?

little nemo in slumberland

I tried your suggestion about searching the registry (using Norton Registry
Editor) for 'TI2DRAG.DRV' and it found nothing. I had previously done the
same sort of search on my whole system using the Windows (98) 'find' feature
with a similar result, which makes me all the more curious. If these search
features can find no instances of such a mispelling, how is it that the
System Information utility can come up with it, and perhaps whatever loading
mechanism is used to load the driver is also coming up with the same
misspelling? Perhaps you could enlighten me as regards the way in which these
'find' features work. Is it simply a directory and filename search, or are
the contents of all files searched for text strings as well? Also, my
knowledge may be a little dated, but I seem to recall that a file was
'deleted' by simply replacing the first character of the filename with a
special character in the directory. Could this have anything to do with the
missing character in the driver's filename, with this 'unused' entry somehow
becoming corrupted? Where does System Information pick it up? It seems to
me that someone has to know what's going on here.

"glee" wrote:

nemo, I am at a loss to understand how reducing hardware acceleration would cause
the error you are seeing, but there may have been a "mis-spelling" in the registry
that occurred when you made the change. Open the Registry Editor
(StartRunRegedit) and use the EditFind menu to search for any instances of
TI2DRAG.DRV. Use the F3 key to continue searching till done. Edit any such entries
to read ATI2DRAG.DRV instead of TI2DRAG.DRV

Be sure to back up the Registry before you try this procedure. To back it up, click
StartRun, type scanregw and click OK. When it asks if you want to make a backup,
say Yes.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/communities...t/default.mspx


"littlenemo" wrote in message
...

-- I recently installed a new display adapter (ATI 9600XT-based) and
although it seemed to work fine with most programs, I began having frequent
crashes with a new CAD program when doing certain operations. The CAD
program tech support people suggested the problem might be 'hardware
acceleration' (which was set to max.). I turned off hardware acceleration
through the Display Properties Advanced Settings (Performance tab) and
rebooted as instructed. This appears to have somehow screwed up my ATI
drivers installation as evidenced by a warning message which is displayed
each time I boot up: "The ATI Control Panel failed to initialize because no
ATI driver is installed or ATI driver is not working properly. The ATI
Control Panel will now exit". In the Device Manager the driver is listed as
ATI2DRAG.DRV. A driver with this name is listed in my Windows\System folder.
But the System Information utility displays a listing of drivers, and there
are lines which show a driver with the name "TI2DRAG.DRV" (notice the similar
spelling to the previously mentioned driver?), and on these lines (in a
standout blue color) is "File Size: Driver Not Installed" and "File Date:
Driver Not Installed". There is no such file TI2DRAG.DRV on my computer.

My question is this (and please bear with my ignorance on this subject):
Doesn't the existence of the file ATI2DRAG.DRV in my Windows\System folder
mean that it is installed? If so, what could be causing System Information
to use an obviously mispelled filename and return the information "Driver Not
Installed", and how does the warning message fit into it all? My own sense
of it is that even though the file is there, somewhere along the line, in the
boot-up process, the mispelled filename causes the driver not to be loaded.
Can you explain what is going on, and how I might cure the problem?

little nemo in slumberland

I am not familiar with Norton Registry editor, as I do not use any Norton products.
In Windows' plain ol' Registry Editor (regedit.exe), you use the Edit menu Find,
type in your search word, put a check mark in each box (for Keys, Values, and Data),
and click Find; then use F3 to search for further entries if one is found.

It is my understanding that the system reads the files names from certain Registry
keys in order to display it in System Info. I could be mistaken.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/communities...t/default.mspx


"littlenemo" wrote in message
...
I tried your suggestion about searching the registry (using Norton Registry
Editor) for 'TI2DRAG.DRV' and it found nothing. I had previously done the
same sort of search on my whole system using the Windows (98) 'find' feature
with a similar result, which makes me all the more curious. If these search
features can find no instances of such a mispelling, how is it that the
System Information utility can come up with it, and perhaps whatever loading
mechanism is used to load the driver is also coming up with the same
misspelling? Perhaps you could enlighten me as regards the way in which these
'find' features work. Is it simply a directory and filename search, or are
the contents of all files searched for text strings as well? Also, my
knowledge may be a little dated, but I seem to recall that a file was
'deleted' by simply replacing the first character of the filename with a
special character in the directory. Could this have anything to do with the
missing character in the driver's filename, with this 'unused' entry somehow
becoming corrupted? Where does System Information pick it up? It seems to
me that someone has to know what's going on here.

"glee" wrote:

nemo, I am at a loss to understand how reducing hardware acceleration would
cause
the error you are seeing, but there may have been a "mis-spelling" in the
registry
that occurred when you made the change. Open the Registry Editor
(StartRunRegedit) and use the EditFind menu to search for any instances of
TI2DRAG.DRV. Use the F3 key to continue searching till done. Edit any such
entries
to read ATI2DRAG.DRV instead of TI2DRAG.DRV

Be sure to back up the Registry before you try this procedure. To back it up,
click
StartRun, type scanregw and click OK. When it asks if you want to make a
backup,
say Yes.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/communities...t/default.mspx


"littlenemo" wrote in message
...

-- I recently installed a new display adapter (ATI 9600XT-based) and
although it seemed to work fine with most programs, I began having frequent
crashes with a new CAD program when doing certain operations. The CAD
program tech support people suggested the problem might be 'hardware
acceleration' (which was set to max.). I turned off hardware acceleration
through the Display Properties Advanced Settings (Performance tab) and
rebooted as instructed. This appears to have somehow screwed up my ATI
drivers installation as evidenced by a warning message which is displayed
each time I boot up: "The ATI Control Panel failed to initialize because no
ATI driver is installed or ATI driver is not working properly. The ATI
Control Panel will now exit". In the Device Manager the driver is listed as
ATI2DRAG.DRV. A driver with this name is listed in my Windows\System folder.
But the System Information utility displays a listing of drivers, and there
are lines which show a driver with the name "TI2DRAG.DRV" (notice the similar
spelling to the previously mentioned driver?), and on these lines (in a
standout blue color) is "File Size: Driver Not Installed" and "File Date:
Driver Not Installed". There is no such file TI2DRAG.DRV on my computer.

My question is this (and please bear with my ignorance on this subject):
Doesn't the existence of the file ATI2DRAG.DRV in my Windows\System folder
mean that it is installed? If so, what could be causing System Information
to use an obviously mispelled filename and return the information "Driver Not
Installed", and how does the warning message fit into it all? My own sense
of it is that even though the file is there, somewhere along the line, in the
boot-up process, the mispelled filename causes the driver not to be loaded.
Can you explain what is going on, and how I might cure the problem?

little nemo in slumberland

Your driver install was either incomplete or corrupt. The message you get
confirms that, and you need to uninstall/reinstall all related to the adapter.

A registry search should come up with or similar to if the install went
properly:

hklm\software\ati technologies\cds\0000\0\driver
hklm\software\installed options\ati technologies inc\video\ati technologies
inc\ati radeon
hklm\system\current control set\control\session manager\known16dlls
hklm\system\current control set\services\class\display\0000\default

You should also have an entry in one of the:

hklm\enum\pci\ven_etc.........\... hives


I suggest Start Settings Control Panel Add/Remove Programs
Uninstall anything related to any graphic/video adapters and close out.
Reboot to Safe Mode
In Device Manager remove any/all device entries listed under Display Adapters
Close out and reboot
Windows will redetect the device, DO NOT let Windows reinstall the device,
instead select to choose the device from a location you choose.
Browse to the drive/folder where you have the .inf file and select it to install
the drivers.

Keep your Win CD on hand in case you are asked for it.

If at any time you get a message that the file can not be found, use Start
Find Folders/files to locate the file in question. Type the name of the file
in the Named box and search each media device you have entirely.

--

Brian A. Sesko
MS MVPShell/User
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm