Author Topic: Forcing 15KHz on boot? (Read 4426 times)

DillonFoulds · « **on:** November 02, 2009, 02:31:19 am »

Hey guys, i'm working on my cab now, just swapped out the motherboard for something with a bit more uuumphff in it...

Anyways. The new videocard is an nVidia 6100. I'm running it vga out to an arcade monitor RGB in. Everything's wired fine, worked great on old computer.

I Put in the new computer, set it all up, and got Soft-15KHz running fine. I get perfect picture on my monitor, no problem setting that up...

Now here's the kicker. Every time I reboot my PC, it goes to 640x480, but NOT 15KHz!

If I hook it up to an LCD panel, and change the resolution back to a 15KHz complaint output, everything's fine again, until I reboot!

What gives?!

Thenasty · « **Reply #1 on:** November 02, 2009, 08:40:54 am »

chea[pest way is to sticka PCI video card in the machine, have that as primary video out.
Don't connect any monitor to this card during boot. When WIN kicks in, the second card will take over and hits yo with your 15khz signal.

If want the expensive way, get an ArcadeVGA card from Andy (Ultimarc)

SirPeale · « **Reply #2 on:** November 02, 2009, 09:48:56 am »

Quote from: Thenasty on November 02, 2009, 08:40:54 am

chea[pest way is to sticka PCI video card in the machine, have that as primary video out.
Don't connect any monitor to this card during boot. When WIN kicks in, the second card will take over and hits yo with your 15khz signal.

If want the expensive way, get an ArcadeVGA card from Andy (Ultimarc)

But that doesn't explain why the changes revert after reboot. I've got a PC I've been experimenting on with Soft15, and it comes up to 15KHz every time.

What's the OS like? Anything special installed?

DillonFoulds · « **Reply #3 on:** November 02, 2009, 10:24:41 am »

Nope, actually bare minimum is installed. This machine is running mala on windows boots, and that's it.

Thenasty, this card shows soft15KHz signals perfect, it can switch to them any time at will no problem. What's going on is that it ALWAYS reverts back to a non 15KHz resolution.

On the old video card everything worked perfect, and it would always boot into 640x480@16bit 15KHz. This motherboard always boots in to 640x480@32bit non 15KHz compatible. I'm wondering if the nVidia software is causing some conflicts. When I get home tonight, I'll uninstall the nVidia suite, and try a different driver set maybe.

Also, if i boot the PC, (get to the non 15KHz desktop) hook the LCD panel up, go to Desktop Properties, Settings, move the slider to 800x600, then revert to 640x480, hit apply, it fixes it. It's almost like it assumes it's on the right setting already, but for some reason it won't boot in that mode...

Any other suggestions I can try?

Dexter · « **Reply #4 on:** November 02, 2009, 10:51:22 am »

Just a thought, have you tried powerstrip? Its helped me before with numerous video clock problems.

http://www.entechtaiwan.com/util/ps.shtm

DillonFoulds · « **Reply #5 on:** November 02, 2009, 01:02:39 pm »

It's not really a video clock problem though :/ just a problem with which resolution windows uses on boot.

Also, i tried uninstalling soft 15KHz, rebooting, re-installing, same thing.

ahofle · « **Reply #6 on:** November 02, 2009, 08:59:43 pm »

How are you changing it back to 15khz with an LCD hooked up?

You probably have a card (or drivers) that doesn't work fully with Soft15khz. I had an ATI that wouldn't let me get rid of a few stubborn VGA resolutions (line doubled 320x240). I'm guessing it's not successfully swapping out the progressive 640x480 with the interlaced one?

DillonFoulds · « **Reply #7 on:** November 02, 2009, 09:54:09 pm »

Bingo Ahofle! I just tested it out a bit more. Using qres i set up 2 batch files. One set it to 240x240 (known good with my monitor) and a second to set it to 640x480. The 240x240 resolution worked perfect every time, and the 640x480 kept coming up out of sync. Also, i made the mistake of letting MaLa specifically force my display to 640x480 and.... well that just complicated matters that much more.

Any time the computer is outputting an "out of range" signal on the lcd, i can see things fine on the cab, and vice-versa.

SOOooo... what can i do about this now? Please don't say swap video cards.

It's an integrated video card!

DillonFoulds · « **Reply #8 on:** November 02, 2009, 10:28:30 pm »

Ugh... just when i thought we were making progress.

If I run quickres (not qres, the command line tool) and then click the icon and set it to 640x480 with the LCD hooked up, it puts it in to a proper 15KHz, and things look great! ...until i reset the computer, in which case it stays 640x480, but reverts to the default KHz (whatever that may be?)

When i set the resolution to 640x480 in any other means, it goes to the progressive mode, and the picture gets all screwy again. Guess i can't have a batch file auto-boot with that...

ahofle · « **Reply #9 on:** November 02, 2009, 11:09:07 pm »

OK I'm confused. You keep saying that when you set the monitor to 640x480 with the LCD hooked up, it's proper 15khz. 640x480 progressive runs at 31khz -- 640x480 interlaced runs at 15khz and you would not be able to view that on a normal LCD. It's possible you may have two 640x480 (one interlaced and one progressive) and windows picks the progressive one. Not sure there is much you can do about that. You really need to remove it.

I hate to say it, but you most likely either need to try another graphics adapter (check the Soft15khz thread for compatible cards) or maybe try an older version of the drivers. I had to go back to an older Catalyst driver for my card to properly swap out all the resolutions. If you are dead set on not getting a new card, that would be my next step. Also, maybe send SailorSat (Soft15khz creator, and member here) a PM and see if she has any ideas.

DillonFoulds · « **Reply #10 on:** November 02, 2009, 11:21:19 pm »

Sorry, i'll try to clarify it again. When i boot the pc, it runs 640x480@31kHz, and i'll have to plug it in to my LCD panel. So i'll go in to the display properties, and set it to (800x600 and then) 640x480, click apply, and it changes to 640x480@15KHz. At this point my LCD goes black, and i change to my arcade monitor. I can then see everything fine on the arcade monitor (at this time the computer is outputting 640x480@15KHz).

If i reboot the machine, it goes back to 31KHz, every time, no matter what it was previously on. If i change the resolution with quickres, qres, or MaLa, then i lose the 15KHz, and 640x480 goes back to 31KHz, the arcade monitor goes out of sync, and i caan plug the LCD panel back in, and the picture is then 640x480@31KHz on the LCD panel again.

Did i lose anyone yet?

DillonFoulds · « **Reply #11 on:** November 03, 2009, 12:01:10 am »

Well, i can finally go to bed and sleep! I was using the latest forceware (191.07) from nvidia's site for my geforce 6100. Big Mistake!

I went to nvidia's site, and downloaded the 94.24 forceware (oldest forceware in the archive). Uninstalled the old drivers, uninstalled powerstrip, uninstalled soft15KHz.

Rebooted computer.

Install the older (94.24) forceware, installed soft-15KHz. Ran quickres and set it to 640x480@16-bit, hooked up monitor, rebooted.

Everything is perfect again!

Thanks for all your help Peale, thenasty, dexter, and ESPECIALLY you ahofle!

ahofle · « **Reply #12 on:** November 03, 2009, 01:24:36 am »

Glad to hear it!

Ummon · « **Reply #13 on:** November 03, 2009, 05:34:22 pm »

My questions are:

- what do you mean it's integrated?

- is this a laptop?

FrizzleFried · « **Reply #14 on:** November 03, 2009, 05:38:40 pm »

Quote from: Ummon on November 03, 2009, 05:34:22 pm

My questions are:

- what do you mean it's integrated?

- is this a laptop?

Integrated = On board.... as in the video card is part of the motherboard.

ahofle · « **Reply #15 on:** November 03, 2009, 06:09:29 pm »

You missed a chance to tell him to read the wiki.

Ummon · « **Reply #16 on:** November 05, 2009, 06:36:47 pm »

Sss, noe. I forgot that the 6100 series was the nivdia chipset built into some boards - and so I was curious if he knew what he was talking about.

Also, I wasn't confused by what he was talking about with respect to switching res and monitors around. <in descending major triad arpeggio fashion> Hahn hahn hahn.

In any case, I was gonna suggest Refreshforce might help, but new drivers worked, so happy day.

mvsfan · « **Reply #17 on:** November 21, 2009, 04:23:27 pm »

my boot up is incompatible with my monitor. Instead of watching all of the blurry screens, i just turned off the echo, so i dont see anything until the xp desktop shows up.

i know its not helpful for troubleshooting, but i havent personally found a better solution besides getting an arcadevga.

but i can turn it back on if i need to.

DillonFoulds · « **Reply #18 on:** November 21, 2009, 07:41:00 pm »

Wut.

Are you referring to a monitor setting or...?

DrumAnBass · « **Reply #19 on:** November 21, 2009, 11:51:35 pm »

How do you turn off "the echo"? Is this a bios thing on some motherboards?


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