Member Avatar for poslanik

Hello,

I'm using Windows XP Professional SP2 and I have a big problem. I managed to fry my old RADEON 9800XT and then bought a X1650 graphics card.

However, when I tried to install a new driver from ATI's official site everything wend downhill. When I restarted the computer after the installation the whole screen was messed up. I could see some strange bars, lines and whatnot. All in all I had to revert to last known good configuration in order to get my computer to work.

My current driver is the one which comes together with the graphics card and the version is 6.14.0010.6660 from 12.16.2006.

I have tried downloading drivers from and . The driver from ATI's website is CATALYST for XP version 7.10 and the one from ASUS is 8.401 and it says it's 'ASUS VGA card display driver version 8.401 for Windows XP' however when I was installing it it looked the same as ATI's drivers. The only difference is that the drivers from ATI's website are 45 MB big and the ones from ASUS' are 80. I have no idea why this is so since they are both obviously ATI's drivers...

I have no idea what to do, I have tried everything I know and have absolutely no idea why these official drivers don't work and I need new drivers because my comp frequently resets itself when I play games.

Please help.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by blue002

Dani AI

Generated

This thread shows two likely causes: a driver/install conflict left over from a failed Catalyst install, or a hardware/compatibility fault that only appears when the full ATI driver is loaded. If graphical corruption appears on the BIOS/POST screens (before Windows starts) the card is almost certainly defective. If corruption only appears after the ATI driver finishes installing, focus on a clean driver removal and a controlled reinstall.

Recommended clean-install procedure (in order):

  1. Boot to Safe Mode (F8) and uninstall all ATI/AMD/Catalyst packages from Add/Remove Programs.
  2. In Device Manager remove the display adapter entry so Windows reverts to the generic VGA driver. Reboot to confirm Windows starts with the basic driver.
  3. Reboot to normal Windows and install a different driver branch — prefer the vendor-supplied W2K/XP-era package mentioned by @blue002 if the latest Catalyst causes artifacts. Do not try to install drivers while still in Safe Mode; installers often require normal mode services.
  4. After installation use a conservative desktop setting (32-bit color, native resolution, 60 Hz) for the first boot, then test with a game or 3D app.

Additional checks and cautions:

  • Reseat the card, inspect the slot and contacts for damage or debris, verify any required PCIe power leads are connected.
  • Confirm the PSU can supply stable power; intermittent resets under load often point to power or overheating problems.
  • Update the motherboard chipset drivers (not the OS) and only update BIOS if necessary and while following the motherboard maker’s instructions.
  • If graphical corruption persists even with the generic VGA driver or on the BIOS screen, the card should be tested in another PC or returned under warranty.

As observed, older W2K/XP vendor packages have resolved compatibility problems for this GPU family for many users; if a careful clean uninstall + older driver still fails, treat the card as suspect hardware.

Member Avatar for poslanik

Any ideas?

Member Avatar for blue002

I've had the same problem with the actual driverfiles.

Use the older W2K/XP driver and it works fine.

The file ati833_xp2kxp64.zip is found on the ASUS driverdownload page.

Good luck

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