re-loaded win98 but cant see modem

[scubarobby]

I formated my hard drive and re-installed win98 SE.
It works well but the device manager cant see my modem hardware.
I tried installing a compaq driver but when I tried to install got a message back saying that "the specified location gives no information about your hardware ".
I am not sure I have the right driver because I dont know what kind of a modem I have.
Since my computer cant see a modem, does that mean I cant load a driver.
There is a unknown device in my device manager with a big yellow ! by it.
Also I only have the choice of 2 or 16 colors in my monitor settings and the picture looks kind of grainy.
I found a similar problem on the search but the guy having the problem never got back with how he fixed it.
Compaq dosn't have restore disks anymore for my model which I think would solve my problem.
I have a compaq presario 1640.
Thanks for any help or suggestions. Robby

[sixf00t4]

color: you need your video card drivers installed
Modem: the unknown device is probably it. you can open your case and get the brandname of the modem and find it on www.driversguide.com U:drivers P: all

[Xeroid]

Your lack of monitor colors is because you don't have the correct video card drivers loaded. It's using a Standard Display Adapter driver. You must load the correct driver to get your colors back.

You might download the following program and see if it can ID your hardware:

http://download.com.com/3120-20-0.ht...arc&tg=dl-2001

[scubarobby]

I forgot to tell you it is a laptop and that I can not see the modem even though the case is open.
I tried the program suggested but dont think it ID the modem

Operating System System Model
Windows 98 SE (build 4.10.2222) Compaq Presario 0F08
Processor a Main Circuit Board b
233 megahertz AMD K6
16 kilobyte primary memory cache
512 kilobyte secondary memory cache Board: Compaq 0484h Rev. A
BIOS: Phoenix Technologies LTD 4.06 07/29/98
Drives Memory Modules c,d
4.09 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
3.85 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space

TOSHIBA CD-ROM XM-1702BC
Generic floppy disk drive (3.5")

Generic IDE hard disk drive (4.09 GB) -- drive 0, No SMART Driver 32 Megabytes Installed Memory

Slot '0' has 32 MB
Slot '1' is Empty
Local Drive Volumes

c: (on drive 0) 4.09 GB 3.85 GB free

Logins Network Drives
No details available

Installed Microsoft Hotfixes Printers


Click here to see all available security Hotfixes.

Marks a HotFix that verifies correctly
Marks a HotFix that fails verification
(Failing hotfixes need to be reinstalled)
An unmarked HotFix lacks the data to allow verification None detected
Controllers Display
Standard Floppy Disk Controller
Opti Viper Max Dual PCI IDE Controller
Primary IDE controller (dual fifo)
Secondary IDE controller (dual fifo) Standard PCI Graphics Adapter (VGA) [Display adapter]
Default Monitor
Bus Adapters Multimedia
Texas Instruments PCI-1131 CardBus Controller
Texas Instruments PCI-1131 CardBus Controller ES1869 Control Interface (WDM)
ES1869 Plug and Play AudioDrive (WDM)
Gameport Joystick (no joystick connected)
Communications Other Devices
AOL Adapter
Microsoft Virtual Private Networking Adapter Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural Keyboard
Software Licenses

a lot of this is greek to me Does it help?
Robby

[scubarobby]

I am almost there my modem is fixed via a driver I found on the the compaq website.
I still don't know what brand of modem I have since it just says "compaq 56k modem DF" in the device manager. Could compaq be the manufacturer?
It seems the yellow "!" on the "unknown device" was the unidentified modem because thats all gone now Replaced by "Modem".
Were in device Manager would the vidio driver go? Is it suposed to be under "Display Adapters" or "Sound, Video and Game Controllers"?
I am using a different computer to access the internet. When I find a driver can I download it to a floppy then move the floppy to the other computer? I know this sound like simple stuff to you guys but I am pretty green.
I still don't have a vidio driver though. I was up half the night trying every thing I could but without the manufacturer of the hardware I am stuck.
Please dont assume I have done the obviouse because I am really new to this stuff. Thanks Robby

[TOAD6147]

99% of Compaq stuff is Compaq stuff. It may be manufactured by someone else but the firmware will list it as a Compaq peripheral. Got to www.driverguide.com and put a search in for "compaq presario 1640 video driver" and see what you get. If it's less than 1.38 MB's in size or you have a splitting
utility to send it to multiple floppy disks then, yes, you can take it to you other machine.

[scubarobby]

Thanks Toad I just tried driverguide.com. They have a place for it but no driver.
Someone in my position left a note there saying that he is looking for it too.
I did just find a site where I could buy a quick restore CD so I ordered one. I was hoping not to have to but it seems compaq dosn't want it to be to easy not to buy one.

[Xeroid]

Check this LINK for drivers and downloads for Compaq Presario notebook PC 1640.

EDIT: Drat, I don't see the video driver on that page anywhere. I see every other driver.

[scubarobby]

Thanks for the link Xeroid but I cant find a video driver there either.

I'm sorry for having to be spoon fed.

This link is however where I found the quick Restore CD that compaq twice told me was unavailable.
I called again today after ordering the CD to be told again that the CD was unavailable. The suport lady finally conceded that it was available and that the other two suport people were also wrong! I got no apology though even though I have waisted my time and this boards time for two days.
I would still like to know how to load a video driver so if someone has the time to walk me through it I would apreciate it.
Maybe the video driver can only be found on the CD.
Thanks Robby

[Xeroid]

To change the Video driver in Win98:

1) press start/settings/control panel

2) double click display

3) choose the settings tab

4) choose the advanced button

5) choose the adapter tab

6) & choose the change button

This launches the Update Device Driver Wizzard and you should be good to go from there.

Mike