IBM Thinkpad 600E new Win98SE install with Monitor problem

[Debbie Brandenburg]

Just put a new 20GB hard drive in my IBM Thinkpad 600E laptop and loaded Windows 98SE. My monitor shows only a centered,smaller screen with a 2" border of black around it.

Can someone please help me?

Thanks

[jruschme]

Win98 is probably in the default screen resolution which, IIRC, is 640x480. Just go into the "Display" control panel and reset the resolution to 1024x768.

[Debbie Brandenburg]

Under Display properties, colors options are only 2 colors and 16 colors; Screen area will not move from 640 by 480 pixels

[Debbie Brandenburg]

Do you know what Monitor and adapter devices I should select to change to (under advanced properties?)

I also went to IBM Leveno support and downloaded and loaded in all the Bios, monitor, etc updates I could find. So far--nothing I can do changes anything.

P.S. The boot screens showing IBM Thinkpad shows completely across the monitor--so I know it is functioning.

I put a 10GB Win2000 from my 600X laptop and the screen is fine.

[tom_k]

Imo the video driver is not or imperfctly installed.
if not already done , download it from here , bottom of page.
execute, and it will extract in c:\drivers\w9x\display.
goto device manager, choose graphic card/video card
(sorry , dont know precise translation from german)
klick on "new driver" and direct windows to c:\drivers\w9x\display

[GomJabbar]

You need to turn horizontal screen expansion on to get rid of the bar. This can be set with Fn + F8 or by going to the ThinkPad Configuration program. The link tom_k provided has ThinkPad Configuration, if you do not have it installed already.

Your video adapter supports 1024 x 768 resolution. If you do not have this, install the video driver from tom_k's link. Be sure and follow the installation instructions.

[leoblob]

Under Display properties, colors options are only 2 colors and 16 colors...

In my experience, this always means the wrong video drivers are installed.

[JHEM]

Just put a new 20GB hard drive in my IBM Thinkpad 600E laptop and loaded Windows 98SE.

Follow the instructions here!

James

[tom_k]

Follow the instructions here!

That exactly hits the point !

Much better to install 98se completely new , than my suggestion to update only the video driver.

This page explains at section :
"Installing Windows 98 Second Edition to a blank hard disk drive and other information"
why + how to install 98se in apm-mode when bios is later than 12.2.99.

Futhermore , when basic drivers are installed and the machine is running well so far,
i advice to install the UNOFFICIAL Windows98 Second Edition Service Pack 2.1a (Freeware)
It contains all (imo) important patches + some gimmicks

After that , look in device manager under properties of your HD/CD/DVD
and switch DMA on for both, if not already activated.
If windows locks up during next boot it could be your optical drive does not support DMA ,
so reboot in safe mode + deactivate CD-DMA.
(control DMA settings from time to time and reactivate it if necessary)

If 288MB or more are available , you could also reduce HD-swapping ,
open : c:\windows\system.ini , goto section [386enh] and add the following line:
ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1 ; Not as i wrote here before : conservativeswapdriveusage !!!
- it will allow 98se to swap only if ram if completely filled.
( + not the usual: {98se: "oh , nothing to do ? so lets swap a little.."} )
This gives you only microseconds of time , but is by my experience useful when wathing CD/DVD on elder machines,
they sometimes loose a frame or show artefacts when the hd (unnecessarily) activates.

This is basically the way i installed 98se on nearly all my machines,
quite a lot from 386scl25/4mbRam/256kGraphics to T23/1GB/2 hdd`s/5os´s.
(while i have to admit that i didnt get the T40 really running perfectly under 98se/apm ;)

Have a nice weekend , :) !

tom

[pkiff]

If 288MB or more are available , you could also reduce HD-swapping, open : c:\windows\system.ini , goto section [386enh] and add the following line:
conservativeswapdriveusage=1
it will allow 98se to swap only if ram if completely filled.

I think this should read:
ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1
[Note: "Swapfile" in place of "swapdrive", also note different capitalization. I'm not sure if the commands there are case sensitive or not. I haven't explored this setting myself, so can't comment on its usefulness.]

Phil.

[tom_k]

Shame on me !

@pkiff
You are absolutely right , it must be "file" not "drive"
dont know what devil did ride me wen i made that mistake,
but Thank You for correcting me.
(i`ll edit it later for the quick readers...:)
If i remember correctly , its not case sensitive ,
i will check it out and report back ,
also whether the wrong syntax [drive] causes any confusion
Thanks again !

@Debbie Brandenburg
Hope you can forgive me my mistake
and it did not confuse your windows

Sorry , tom_k

[rdkng07]

Hello,

Unfortunately, I have the same problem with a 770ED. Just put a new hard drive and a fresh install of Win 98SE on it and have the same problem with the small window in the center of the screen. I have updated drivers, and still only have 2 or 16 color options, and 640 x 480 pixels resolution. The TP configuration stretches the screen but will not allow you to change resolution. I’m sure it is a driver problem. Still searching for a driver that works.

Rodger