Display Settings

[Wonderful]

Because the hard disk was full I decided to reinstall win98, (using a win98 cd), over a completely wiped cleaned disk using secure erase. Everything went smoothly but when windows was fully loaded I found I could not change the display settings, (which was at its lowest), at all. When I tried to use downloaded drivers I usually got errors messages informing me that a 'dll', (dynamic link library), was missing. Many programmes I had would not run without a higher display setting.
A day later I realised the computers original factory set tools were not on it - the stuff that was on the computer when I bought it. I decided to run the 'recovery' cd and when it was finished the display settings worked and I could had slided up and down as much as I liked.
What I want to know is what happened? Why would it not work without the computers recovery disk and is there anything else I could had done to get the display settings to work?

[xreebox]

i tried reinstalling me and at the end, hours later it said failed to install win. me because of missing dlls and errors. display settings were also messed up. now i dont have volume control,cant do updates either.
btw is a rescue disk the same as a start-up?
good luck 0n yours

[greysts]

When you install any Windows system the Windows CD carries most of the drivers you need for sound, graphics, keyboard etc. However it doesn't carry them all. Sometimes they are loaded when you log on to the Microsoft Update site ( I presume you have downloaded all the Critical and Recommended updates) and sometimes you get a separate Drivers CD with your new PC. If neither of those choices work you need to identify the make and model of your Graphics card or on-board chip and get the driver off the internet. This can sometimes be very difficult, particularly for an old PC like yours. You would normally go to the web site of the PC manufacturer or the mother board builder and get the drivers that way but sometimes even that doesn't work.

You're lucky, you've got a Recovery CD which solved your problem.

[Wonderful]

Hi xreebox.
[img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

My 'recovery disk' cd came with the computer to work along with a floppy disk.

I think a 'startup disk' and a 'recovery disk' are different. A 'startup' disk I believe is used when you have trouble starting up windows. You can make one by going to 'add/remove programs' in 'control panel' and clicking on and following the instructions under the 'startup disk' tab. The 'recovery' disk(s) are used when you want to restore the computer back to factory settings.

[Wonderful]

Hey greysts

Yes I was very lucky. I couldn't get the internet when I first reinstalled win 98 because of the graphics problem; I had to use my other pc to download drivers to a cd. But when I tried to open them the dll problems occured.

It's a pity there aren't other ways to operate the display settings. It sort of goes under 'for the want of the nail' heading in my book.

[xreebox]

error loading setupapi.dll is what i get when i try to download updates or anything. do you know why that is?