ATI All-in-Wonder Series 9800 driver update bad

I thought the first time I accepted this update and got vertical stripes all
across the monitor, it was just a bad download, uninstalled the graphics
hardware, limped along in vga until I could download the drivers from ATI for
9800 series, ran Driver Cleaner, Registry Mechanic, uninstalled the software
as well, then re-installed all of ATI. All was again well. But then I was
dumb enough to take the gamble again when prompted, assuming that the
download was somehow faulty and that MS knew what it was doing and was not
lying in saying the drivers were the latest from ATI--not itself a reliable
source--with the same bad result. If MS is going to screw up like this,
isn't there someway to automatically reverse the "update" in w2K that lacks
Recovery features?

> But then I was dumb enough to take the gamble again when prompted, assuming that the
> download was somehow faulty and that MS knew what it was doing and was not
> lying in saying the drivers were the latest from ATI--not itself a reliable
> source--with the same bad result.

MS tests the drivers that *ATI provides* and then certifies them as
being compliant with XP. Since they can not possibly test all possible
permutations for issues, it's best to visit the hardware manufacturers
web site for "safe" drivers.

Information about hardware device drivers for Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/319908

Suggest you ask ATI, or if you wait long enough, AMD about the drivers.
AMD is buying ATI, FWIW.

If the monitor is functioning properly with the older drivers, then why
update them ?
If they are not, suggest you download suitable ones from ATI.


MowGreen [MVP 2003-2006]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============


Smithers12 wrote:

> I thought the first time I accepted this update and got vertical stripes all
> across the monitor, it was just a bad download, uninstalled the graphics
> hardware, limped along in vga until I could download the drivers from ATI for
> 9800 series, ran Driver Cleaner, Registry Mechanic, uninstalled the software
> as well, then re-installed all of ATI. All was again well. But then I was
> dumb enough to take the gamble again when prompted, assuming that the
> download was somehow faulty and that MS knew what it was doing and was not
> lying in saying the drivers were the latest from ATI--not itself a reliable
> source--with the same bad result. If MS is going to screw up like this,
> isn't there someway to automatically reverse the "update" in w2K that lacks
> Recovery features?

But note that I indicated that I was running W2K and supposedly MS update can
tell the difference. I suggest MS Update carry some sort of disclaimer as
you indicate here. Again, why doesn't MS update offer a way to reverse such
disasters if they are going to promote them? But thanks for the help.


"MowGreen [MVP]" wrote:

>
> > But then I was dumb enough to take the gamble again when prompted, assuming that the
> > download was somehow faulty and that MS knew what it was doing and was not
> > lying in saying the drivers were the latest from ATI--not itself a reliable
> > source--with the same bad result.
>
> MS tests the drivers that *ATI provides* and then certifies them as
> being compliant with XP. Since they can not possibly test all possible
> permutations for issues, it's best to visit the hardware manufacturers
> web site for "safe" drivers.
>
> Information about hardware device drivers for Windows XP
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/319908
>
> Suggest you ask ATI, or if you wait long enough, AMD about the drivers.
> AMD is buying ATI, FWIW.
>
> If the monitor is functioning properly with the older drivers, then why
> update them ?
> If they are not, suggest you download suitable ones from ATI.
>
>
> MowGreen [MVP 2003-2006]
> ===============
> *-343-* FDNY
> Never Forgotten
> ===============
>
>
> Smithers12 wrote:
>
> > I thought the first time I accepted this update and got vertical stripes all
> > across the monitor, it was just a bad download, uninstalled the graphics
> > hardware, limped along in vga until I could download the drivers from ATI for
> > 9800 series, ran Driver Cleaner, Registry Mechanic, uninstalled the software
> > as well, then re-installed all of ATI. All was again well. But then I was
> > dumb enough to take the gamble again when prompted, assuming that the
> > download was somehow faulty and that MS knew what it was doing and was not
> > lying in saying the drivers were the latest from ATI--not itself a reliable
> > source--with the same bad result. If MS is going to screw up like this,
> > isn't there someway to automatically reverse the "update" in w2K that lacks
> > Recovery features?
>

> Again, why doesn't MS update offer a way to reverse such
> disasters if they are going to promote them? But thanks for the help.

Sorry, Smithers. Did not see the that the OS is Win 2K. Unfortunately,
XP has an option to roll back the newly installed driver, but Win 2K
does not.
MS does not "promote" the drivers that hardware manufacturers submit,
they only "certify" them. Driver updates are not offered via Automatic
Updates unless they are of a Security vein.
If you visit Windows Update, they are only offered as OPTIONAL updates.
It's your option whether to install them or not ... and, as you've found
out, it's not a good option
The only way out is to uninstall the drivers, reboot, and then reinstall
the previous drivers when the hardware is detected.
May be time to move on up to XP ?


MowGreen [MVP 2003-2006]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============

Smithers12 wrote:

> But note that I indicated that I was running W2K and supposedly MS update can
> tell the difference. I suggest MS Update carry some sort of disclaimer as
> you indicate here. Again, why doesn't MS update offer a way to reverse such
> disasters if they are going to promote them? But thanks for the help.
>
>
> "MowGreen [MVP]" wrote:
>
>
>>>But then I was dumb enough to take the gamble again when prompted, assuming that the
>>>download was somehow faulty and that MS knew what it was doing and was not
>>>lying in saying the drivers were the latest from ATI--not itself a reliable
>>>source--with the same bad result.
>>
>>MS tests the drivers that *ATI provides* and then certifies them as
>>being compliant with XP. Since they can not possibly test all possible
>>permutations for issues, it's best to visit the hardware manufacturers
>>web site for "safe" drivers.
>>
>>Information about hardware device drivers for Windows XP
>>http://support.microsoft.com/kb/319908
>>
>>Suggest you ask ATI, or if you wait long enough, AMD about the drivers.
>>AMD is buying ATI, FWIW.
>>
>>If the monitor is functioning properly with the older drivers, then why
>>update them ?
>>If they are not, suggest you download suitable ones from ATI.
>>
>>
>>MowGreen [MVP 2003-2006]
>>===============
>> *-343-* FDNY
>>Never Forgotten
>>===============
>>
>>
>>Smithers12 wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I thought the first time I accepted this update and got vertical stripes all
>>>across the monitor, it was just a bad download, uninstalled the graphics
>>>hardware, limped along in vga until I could download the drivers from ATI for
>>>9800 series, ran Driver Cleaner, Registry Mechanic, uninstalled the software
>>>as well, then re-installed all of ATI. All was again well. But then I was
>>>dumb enough to take the gamble again when prompted, assuming that the
>>>download was somehow faulty and that MS knew what it was doing and was not
>>>lying in saying the drivers were the latest from ATI--not itself a reliable
>>>source--with the same bad result. If MS is going to screw up like this,
>>>isn't there someway to automatically reverse the "update" in w2K that lacks
>>>Recovery features?
>>