# driver finding software



## damantis (Apr 24, 2008)

i rebuilt my computer recently, but im unable to locate a few drivers. does anyone know a free driver scanning program that could help me?

specs as follows: gigabyte 945gz ga-81945gzme-rh motherboard
radeon x850 xt 512 mb graphics card
intel dual core processor 2.66 gh
windows xp sp2
1 gb ram


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

i don't think there are any free ones left
what drivers do you need
the m/b drivers will be on the gigabyte site


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## johnhook (Apr 23, 2008)

damantis,

You can get drivers for all of that hardware freely on the mfg's websites.

http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Support/Motherboard/Driver_List.aspx

http://ati.amd.com/products/radeonx850/index.html

If that motherboard has an Intel chipset, go to:

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/default.aspx?iid=homepage+hdr_nav2_download#

Click on chipsets, desktop chipsets and locate your chipset series.

- John


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## damantis (Apr 24, 2008)

thanks john, the intel one was what i needed, hopefully that and the graphics card one are all the missing ones


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## damantis (Apr 24, 2008)

nope, that wasnt all. I tried to open up a game, and it half loaded, but before it could put detail on the surrounding area the screen went black. The sounds still there so the game doesnt crash, and the game worked before i rebuilt, so im pretty sure its a graphics driver. i have the graphcs card driver and the processor and mother board drivers, do you know what could be causing the problem?


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## johnhook (Apr 23, 2008)

damantis,

That Radeon driver should be built into Windows. If so, I would try to use the Windows Radeon driver instead of ATI's driver. ATI's drivers have been known to causing random crashing and lockups. The Windows WHQL drivers are usually the safest and most stable.

- John


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## damantis (Apr 24, 2008)

im not sure if it is, because the computer did not come with the card, i installed it recently. How would i find the windows driver?


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## damantis (Apr 24, 2008)

i tried driver detective and it says that intel(R) 82801 pci bridge- 244E, Realtek high definition audio, Ethernet controller, Ralink wireless LAN card v2 and (2)RADEON X850 XT all have out of date drivers...


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## Deleted090308 (Jan 25, 2007)

Driver detective says that to make you pay for things that are free.

Download and run *Everest*. 

In Everest, click Report >> Quick report >> HTML.
A report with links to the HW manufacturers will be created.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

what power supply are you running
brand
wattage
it needs to be supplying a min of 26amps on the 12v+ line


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## johnhook (Apr 23, 2008)

damantis,

I agree with eneles - you should NEVER subscribe to any site or service that requires you to PAY for drivers! Most standard hardware drivers are already built into Windows XP/Vista - and these tend to be the most stable drivers. Hardware mfgs also freely provide drivers for download on their support sites.

To see what drivers you're running, right-click on My Computer, click on Properties, Click on the "Hardware" tab at the top, the click the "Device Manager" button. This will bring up a "tree" listing of your hardware by category. Click on the + next to the category in question (i.e. Display Adapters), select the device in that tree, right click and click Properites. From there, click on the "Driver" tab at the top and you can see the version/mfg of the driver installed. Clicking on Driver Details will give you more information about all the driver files installed.

This screen gives you the ability to change the driver, roll it back to a previous version, uninstall the device, etc.

If you're having problems with games - you might want to run the DirectX Diagnostics. Click Start, Run, dxdiag the click OK. This will perform test your DirectX components. Video and Audio problems with cames can often be caused by DirectX and device drivers.

- John Hook


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## damantis (Apr 24, 2008)

thank you so much everyone for the support, windows updates is downloading a driver now, if that doesnt work ill try this everest program, and if that doesnt work i might have to upgrade my power supply, any ideas on a cost for a decent one? Ill try to get my dad to find out details on the current power supply when he gets back from work.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

around $90 mark it really depends on what you need wait until you know what you have


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## damantis (Apr 24, 2008)

240 watt, thats all i could find out. would that be enough to run the card?

Btw john i did the test in dxdiag, and these were the results:
DirectDraw test results: Failure at step 17 (SetDisplayMode to 640x480x16): HRESULT = 0x80004001 (Not implemented)
Direct3D 7 test results: Failure at step 39 (SetDisplayMode to 640x480x16): HRESULT = 0x80004001 (Not implemented)
Direct3D 8 test results: Failure at step 6 (No hardware supported display modes found): HRESULT = 0x80004005 (Generic failure)
Direct3D 9 test results: Failure at step 6 (No hardware supported display modes found): HRESULT = 0x80004005 (Generic failure)

do you know what this means?


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## Deleted090308 (Jan 25, 2007)

No - that's impossible.
Look for a quality 500W PSU.


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## damantis (Apr 24, 2008)

so its definitely the power supply?


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## Deleted090308 (Jan 25, 2007)

You definitely need another PSU.

Please read this: http://www.techsupportforum.com/f210/power-supply-information-and-selection-192217.html


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## damantis (Apr 24, 2008)

would this do it?

Coolmaster Xtreme 650 Watt


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## Deleted090308 (Jan 25, 2007)

Nah... That's not a quality supply.
Do you have a link to where you would like to buy the PSU?
I don't know where to shop in NZ (from Europe) - with a link we can help you find a good PSU.


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## damantis (Apr 24, 2008)

www.quay.co.nz
http://www.etccomputers.co.nz/shop/main/class.asp?cid=25&rote=2

ill find some more but the internets really slow right now, would it be a bad idea to buy second hand?


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## johnhook (Apr 23, 2008)

damantis,

As far as the ATI Radeon X850 card goes, go to the following site:

http://game.amd.com/us-en/drivers_catalyst.aspx?p=xp/radeonx-xp

Find the link for "Option 2 - Display Driver" - download and install THIS. I wouldn't recommend installing the full ATI Catalyst Software Suite as it includes components that are problematic on systems with stability issues.

- John


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## Deleted090308 (Jan 25, 2007)

Second hand PSUs are not a good idea, IMHO.

Looks like computer components are very expensive in NZ. 

The Corsair and the Silverstone are good choices.


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## damantis (Apr 24, 2008)

k im a bit short on cash at the moment so it could be some time :sigh:,john i tried that, didnt help but thanks 

are hyena power supplys good? probably not since theyre so cheap


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## damantis (Apr 24, 2008)

just found out i was reading the wrong sticker -.-
my power supply is still short though 

Excel ATX-400 400w

Btw anyone know what a Asus Nvidea Geforce 7600 is worth in nz dollars? that could get me closer to a new power supply :wink:


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## Deleted090308 (Jan 25, 2007)

Maybe $35-40 for a 7600.
I'll see if I can find a place not so expensive.


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## damantis (Apr 24, 2008)

oh great, 40 bucks  lol


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## Deleted090308 (Jan 25, 2007)

Less expensive PSU: http://www.ascent.co.nz/productspecification.aspx?ItemID=348058


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## damantis (Apr 24, 2008)

would http://www.dtconline.co.nz/components/componentview.asp?partid=6478 be better value?


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## Deleted090308 (Jan 25, 2007)

Yes, of course.
It's overkill for your computer, but is a good investment if you want to upgrade in the future.


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## damantis (Apr 24, 2008)

it wouldnt damage my pc would it? It wouldnt fry my m/b or anything?


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## Deleted090308 (Jan 25, 2007)

No - you can't "overpower" a computer.
The PSU will only deliver the power needed.
But - a system with an overloaded PSU will eventually get damaged when the PSU dies.


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## damantis (Apr 24, 2008)

thats good, now i need to find $160 :smile:
thanks for the awesome advice, i would never have found out it was my psu by myself. If anything goes wrong after i buy the new power supply, can i message you for help?

How much would an Excel atx-400 400w psu sell for?


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## Deleted090308 (Jan 25, 2007)

No, you won't. :smile:
And - there's room for upgrades.


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## Deleted090308 (Jan 25, 2007)

Didn't see that you edited your post.

I don't think you'll get very much for that PSU - if you can sell it all. Sorry.
If the computer keeps on being troublesome with the new PSU - post back here.
Three hardware team members are subscribed to this thread. :smile:


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## damantis (Apr 24, 2008)

awesome, didnt know i was so popular :grin:


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