Reinstalled XP now monitor and audio card are not working

My wife's computer was hopelessly virus-ridden so I copied all text files
then reinstalled XP Home Edition using the CD that came with the Dell. No
viruses now! BUT the monitor is grainy and I can't reset it even after going
into display-settings-advanced-monitor. There is no option there except for
"default monitor." I have the original CD with the monitor driver but can't
get it recognized. The computer is also very quiet - no sound card seems to
be working. Am I missing something?

GreenieLeBrun
Sun May 04 23:39:17 PDT 2008



Frustrated DET wrote:
> My wife's computer was hopelessly virus-ridden so I copied all text
> files then reinstalled XP Home Edition using the CD that came with
> the Dell. No viruses now! BUT the monitor is grainy and I can't reset
> it even after going into display-settings-advanced-monitor. There is
> no option there except for "default monitor." I have the original CD
> with the monitor driver but can't get it recognized. The computer is
> also very quiet - no sound card seems to be working. Am I missing
> something?

You have to reinstall the motherboard, sound and graphics drivers etc. These
would have been supplied on a CD that came with the machine. If you can no
longer find this CD then a visit to the Dell site is recomended, make sure
you get the correct drivers for the model of Dell that your wife has.

Bob
Mon May 05 00:44:20 PDT 2008

You may need drivers for the video card (or video chips on the motherboard).
These are usually more important than the drivers for the monitor.

"Frustrated DET" <Frustrated DET@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:02256095-25D3-4B07-A212-223453FE3825@microsoft.com...
> My wife's computer was hopelessly virus-ridden so I copied all text files
> then reinstalled XP Home Edition using the CD that came with the Dell. No
> viruses now! BUT the monitor is grainy and I can't reset it even after
> going
> into display-settings-advanced-monitor. There is no option there except
> for
> "default monitor." I have the original CD with the monitor driver but
> can't
> get it recognized. The computer is also very quiet - no sound card seems
> to
> be working. Am I missing something?

Patrick
Tue May 06 07:39:18 PDT 2008

"Frustrated DET" <Frustrated DET@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:02256095-25D3-4B07-A212-223453FE3825@microsoft.com...
> My wife's computer was hopelessly virus-ridden so I copied all text files
> then reinstalled XP Home Edition using the CD that came with the Dell. No
> viruses now! BUT the monitor is grainy and I can't reset it even after
> going
> into display-settings-advanced-monitor. There is no option there except
> for
> "default monitor." I have the original CD with the monitor driver but
> can't
> get it recognized. The computer is also very quiet - no sound card seems
> to
> be working. Am I missing something?

As suggested, you need to install the drivers. Fortunately Dell makes
identifying the drivers *very* easy.

On the back or bottom of the system there is a Service Tag number. Write
it down and take it to the Dell site, and it will display all the drivers
specific to your system, and none that don't apply to your system. This
process works very well.

HTH
-pk