Help needed with two (minor) bugs in W2K on A31p

[ajkula66]

OK, so here were have my A31p running W2K installed from original IBM media (thanks to my old friend Dave aka olex_126... ) which I've upgraded to SP3...and I'm facing two issues that I can't seem to resolve, not that I'm losing sleep over either one of them...

1) Whenever I attempt to move *any* icon to a different position on the desktop, it jumps right back where it was.

2) I cannot seem to get the ATi Control Panel shown on the desktop and/or activated, although it's installed.

It's been quite a while since I've last dealt with the OS in question so it's possible that I'm forgetting some basic stuff...

Any guidance?

Thanks in advance.

[RealBlackStuff]

I think they had this already in W2K:
rightclick on the desktop, select View, UNtick "Auto-arrange icons".

[kfzhu1229]

In Windows 2000, there are 2 options for the desktop icons, the icons either get auto aligned tightly together or they don't get aligned at all that the icon can be at any pixels and you have to align them manually by the right click menu but at least it won't be aligned back to the tight formation. Also there is no way for you to get rid of the pure color beneath the icon texts and there is no shadow support for the icons
Also there are also options somewhere under display properties ATI added you can check out if u cannot find its own control panel

[ajkula66]

Shows you how rusty I am in certain respects...

I think they had this already in W2K:
rightclick on the desktop, select View, UNtick "Auto-arrange icons".

This approach solved the problem. Thank you.

[ajkula66]

Also there are also options somewhere under display properties ATI added you can check out if u cannot find its own control panel

That's what I believed myself. However it's simply not there. At all.

[RealBlackStuff]

That's a shame, I just threw two huge books out, because shipping them to someone would cost more than buying on eBay!
They were identical to these:
W2K: http://www.ebay.com/itm/142085196677
XP: http://www.ebay.com/itm/142093412223

[kfzhu1229]

Try a driver for T42 since there is a T42 model which ships with the SAME ATI graphics. They are newer and likely to provide you more function
Also did you go through setup.exe or the inf file?

[ajkula66]

That's a shame, I just threw two huge books out, because shipping them to someone would cost more than buying on eBay!
They were identical to these:
W2K: http://www.ebay.com/itm/142085196677
XP: http://www.ebay.com/itm/142093412223

I would've taken the W2K one off your hands, but it is what it is...

Try a driver for T42 since there is a T42 model which ships with the SAME ATI graphics. They are newer and likely to provide you more function
Also did you go through setup.exe or the inf file?

It's a bug related to W2K, not the driver package itself since I'm getting the same thing on my T43pSF which uses a different/newer driver...

What's ticking me off is the fact that I can see the ATi Control Panel in the list of installed programs under Control Panel, but can't seem make it accessible...

Can I live without it? Of course. I'm just keen on some of the functionality that it provides...

Off to do some more digging, will be updating this thread at some point in the game...

[olex126]

Hi George.

Pleased that the OEM disks worked well for you.

Did you upgrade to SP3, SP4 (the last "Official upgrade) or SP5 (the last "Unoffocial" upgrade)?

The SP5 version includes a LOT of security upgrades as well as some minor O/S efficiency's.

I have W2K and SP5 on one of the T43p's (non-SATA mod) and it moves along quite smartly, considering its' IDE limitations.

Regards.

Dave

[ajkula66]

Dave,

Did you upgrade to SP3, SP4 (the last "Official upgrade) or SP5 (the last "Unoffocial" upgrade)?

I've got SP3 on my A31p and SP5 on my T43pSF. Eventually I'll get to SP5 on the A31p as well. Maybe. IDK.

In other news, I got the ATi Control Panel to work.

While I would love to brag and say that I did this, that or the other thing, the fact of the matter is that I've done *something* after which the "advanced" tab (which was previously grayed out) decided to appear under "settings" for the "Display" in the Control Panel. From that point on it was just fun and games.



Whatever the case may be, count me as a happy camper regarding these - now resolved - issues...

[kfzhu1229]

Did you use thinkvantage access connections for Wifi? That is the only free software I know of that works in W2k and it is exclusive to tps. Did you install things like Windows installer 3.1, .net framework 2.0, C++ 2008, IE6, WMP 9, office 2003, Dx9.0c, etc? I have a DVD full of these updates you may need to get the most out of W2k that I can list for you but cannot give the packages to you since they are the Chinese versions
Also for the Chinese version, it is nice of Microsoft to release Chinese IME 2007 that actually works in Windows 2000 and is at least smart enough for use today

[ajkula66]

Did you use thinkvantage access connections for Wifi? That is the only free software I know of that works in W2k and it is exclusive to tps.

I did install AC, but it does absolutely nothing due to the fact that I have a third-party wireless card. I may end up nuking it.

Did you install things like Windows installer 3.1, .net framework 2.0, C++ 2008, IE6, WMP 9, office 2003, Dx9.0c, etc?

Yes to WI 3.1, net 2.0 and Office 2003, no to everything else and I'm quite content with the way that the machine behaves.

As for the other stuff, I'm certain that MS understands all too well the importance of offerings in Chinese, given the number of people who use it...and I'd venture a guess that they're also well-aware of the fact that most of China - at least to my understanding - still runs on older version of their operating systems...

[kfzhu1229]

Did you use thinkvantage access connections for Wifi? That is the only free software I know of that works in W2k and it is exclusive to tps.

I did install AC, but it does absolutely nothing due to the fact that I have a third-party wireless card. I may end up nuking it.

If you have third-party wireless card, then assuming you already had the no 1802 mod, try 2200bg off from eBay. I got two of them from a seller on eBay who sells them as brand new old stock with full package, manual, specs, CD, etc. I ended up keeping one of them untouched as I feel like it is a rare find and thrown the other one in my A30. I don't actually know if Access Connections will support that card on you A31 and I am not testing that on my A30 as I am using Windows 7.

Did you install things like Windows installer 3.1, .net framework 2.0, C++ 2008, IE6, WMP 9, office 2003, Dx9.0c, etc?

Yes to WI 3.1, net 2.0 and Office 2003, no to everything else and I'm quite content with the way that the machine behaves.

I suggest you to install WMP9 and DX9.0c. WMP9 only gives you compatibility improvement without any performance drops in my opinion. WITHOUT DX9.0C SOME GAMES MAY NOT RUN AT MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY!! I tried a game named Bejeweled Twist in Windows 2000 without the update on my T43 and I simply cannot enable the hardware acceleration which means the gameplay is ugly and laggy at the same time. DX90c solved everything in that case. As of IE6, you don't actually need it as it is also outdated unless you use the outlook app from office 2003.

As for the other stuff, I'm certain that MS understands all too well the importance of offerings in Chinese, given the number of people who use it...and I'd venture a guess that they're also well-aware of the fact that most of China - at least to my understanding - still runs on older version of their operating systems...

Yes you are right!! From my estimation still about 40-50% of people in China uses Windows XP. In almost all of the offices in the smaller cities I went they have the two popular models: Dell OptiPlex GX520 (P4 630) and 725 (C2duo 1.86). GX520 does run Windows XP pretty good but 725 is not that well suited. Also there are some dumb moves mainly in smaller cities such as putting a third generation desktop i5 into XP. The problem is XP can only use 2 threads/cores which means half of the power of i5 is wasted and then they complain that the computer is slow. If I go in the office with my T43 running Windows 10 at that kind of place, they would all look at me... 1. They may not have even seen ThinkPads but instead they may use Acer, BenQ, or Lenovo laptops that did not come from the series IBM sold to Lenovo even though Dell OptiPlex GX520 and 725 are both very solid desktop machines just like IBM quality. 2. They may not have even seen Windows 10 or even Windows 7.
Also every time Microsoft announces a date for the "death" of their operating system, there would be ALWAYS many many sad articles saying goodbye to them. I have seen them doing that to Windows 95, NT4, 98/ME, 2000, XP and 2003.

[ajkula66]

I did install AC, but it does absolutely nothing due to the fact that I have a third-party wireless card. I may end up nuking it.

If you have third-party wireless card, then assuming you already had the no 1802 mod, try 2200bg off from eBay. I got two of them from a seller on eBay who sells them as brand new old stock with full package, manual, specs, CD, etc. I ended up keeping one of them untouched as I feel like it is a rare find and thrown the other one in my A30. I don't actually know if Access Connections will support that card on you A31 and I am not testing that on my A30 as I am using Windows 7.

A couple of things here...

The card that I'm running is an Atheros-chipped TP Link "N" card, vastly superior IMO to all the other cards of this format that I've tested. I have the same card in my T43p, with modded BIOS, of course.

I suggest you to install WMP9 and DX9.0c. WMP9 only gives you compatibility improvement without any performance drops in my opinion. WITHOUT DX9.0C SOME GAMES MAY NOT RUN AT MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY!! I tried a game named Bejeweled Twist in Windows 2000 without the update on my T43 and I simply cannot enable the hardware acceleration which means the gameplay is ugly and laggy at the same time. DX90c solved everything in that case. As of IE6, you don't actually need it as it is also outdated unless you use the outlook app from office 2003.

I don't play *any* games on my ThinkPads...

[kfzhu1229]

I suggest you to install WMP9 and DX9.0c. WMP9 only gives you compatibility improvement without any performance drops in my opinion. WITHOUT DX9.0C SOME GAMES MAY NOT RUN AT MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY!! I tried a game named Bejeweled Twist in Windows 2000 without the update on my T43 and I simply cannot enable the hardware acceleration which means the gameplay is ugly and laggy at the same time. DX90c solved everything in that case. As of IE6, you don't actually need it as it is also outdated unless you use the outlook app from office 2003.

I don't play *any* games on my ThinkPads...

Uh even things like Finale 2005 would NOT work at all without DX9. Also try your A31p's video capability. It should play 480p with NO problems and also some 720p videos may play fine as well via MPC because my A30 can play some 720p h264 videos and my T23 handles 480p videos. If not, it may indicate that the old DX version is dragging the GPU down (Some MPC players won't work without DX9.0c). I tried W2k on T42, T43, 600, 390X and 770ED (before its power board died) before. 600, 770 and 390X takes less time to pass the W2k 256 color logo for some reason but T42 and T43 are the ones to run them in light speed and with no lags. Btw if you have a spare hard drive try Windows Neptune as well but I have no idea if the drivers will turn out all right.