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From: becap@quiche.cs.mcgill.ca (Brian CAPSON)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Problems with ATI Drivers
Keywords: ATI driver 800x600 video win3
Message-ID: <32@bart.cs.mcgill.ca>
Date: 14 Nov 90 05:54:06 GMT
Organization: SOCS, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Lines: 31

I wonder if anyone can help me with problems I'm having with the new
(and old) ATI hi-res video drivers. I know alot of people have
complained about problems with these drivers, but I haven't heard any
symptoms similiar to mine. I'm running windows in 386 enhanced mode on a
Tatung multisync monitor (from Gateway 2000) in 800x600x16 mode. Mt
problem is when I start a DOS program in a window, the screen goes
berzerk, seeming to overlap itself a few times both horizontally and
vertically. I can make out that windows is still running, and can
actually quit back to DOS with a few deft stabs with the mouse. The
problem also surfaces when I run a DOS app in the background, regardless
of the way it was started. Needless to say this severely limits the use
of multitasking in 386 enhanced mode. The funny thing about the problem
is that if I run a DOS app in normal full-screen mode, then switch to a
window, everything works fine. I have tried calling ATI but they less
than helpful, blaming everyone else from Microsoft to Tatung, while not
admitting that the problem is in their driver (?). My only lead is that
it may have something to do with the autoswitch feature of the video
card, ie the card is trying to switch to another mode, and different
scan rate when the DOS app is run. But the funny thing is, this happens
regardless of the video mode of the program being run, even a simple DOS
prompt in a windows will screw it up. I haven't been able to find out
how to turn off the autoswitch feature on my card anyway.
By the way, my card is a VGAWonder with 512k (the Gateway 2000 standard
card).

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

- Brian E. Capson
  McGill University
  Montreal, Quebec  
  becap@bart.cs.mcgill.ca