I have a 5 year old Gateway computer that came with windows 98SE. A while back I triedto set up a wireless network in my home, When I loaded the driver for the D-Link wirless router I was having trouble and the computer would try to restart in safemode. I used the diagnostic utility that came with the computer and it askedquestions, etc. It said it could fix the problem so I decidedto let it. Well, now when I start the computer a menu comes up and gives me choices to start in normal or safe and about 3 other choices. The biggest problem is that it has locked up my display to 16 colors. I have tried many time to go to the settings, control panel, display and change the colors to 256 but it goes right back to 16 colors. I suspect that the diagnostic fix put a block some where in the cofig.sys or autoexec.bat file. However, I don't know how to get into them or what to look for. Any ideas?

Hello,biglous1 & Welcome

Please try it from Safe Mode once you do reboot
see if that helps let us know.

HGD

Hi Relic,

Nope didn't work. I restartedin safemode and the only thing it did was keep me from getting on the web and in the control panel / display it only offered 16 colors as a choice. Do you know if I reload windows98 SE will I lose all of my games programs and saved files, etc.

Hi Biglous1,

This is probably the most common problem in the Windows 98 board in the D-A-L forum. I don't think that the problem will be an entry in your Autoexec.bat or Config.sys files however.

Because this is such a common problem, I've written an article detailing steps to resolve it, which is posted in the Computer Help Articles, FAQ and Tutorials board. You can access it directly here:

http://www.d-a-l.com/articles/library/51.html

Let us know if that helps

Originally Posted by DJNafey

Hi Biglous1,

This is probably the most common problem in the Windows 98 board in the D-A-L forum. I don't think that the problem will be an entry in your Autoexec.bat or Config.sys files however.

Because this is such a common problem, I've written an article detailing steps to resolve it, which is posted in the Computer Help Articles, FAQ and Tutorials board. You can access it directly here:

http://www.d-a-l.com/articles/library/51.html

Let us know if that helps

HELP !!!!!!!
I've done everything i can think possible the same scenario continues to happen.. I even changed the standard pci graphics vga adapter numerous times.. I changed to a super vga and i see the 256 colors in the down box. But it never actually gets the colors when i reboot.. It states there is a problem with my display settings.. Then it reinstalls the standard pci graphics adapter.. So i cannot install the super vga, it's a conflicting problem.. If that is not the right adapter then what is? Why is this such a problem with reinstalling win 98? I know from the startup that i see a video controller s3 incorporated trio 3 d this must be the video card.. Now the graphics card if that is not the same as the video card i have no clue.. I am upset cause i have dsl and the only way i can get online is with AOL on dialup.. This ties the phone line and i also get booted when calls come in.. So it's hard to download files that take longer then 8-10 mins.. My only way of doing so is to do it late night.. Is there anything you can tell me that will help this situation.. I already had this problem before and had to pay to get this serviced.. Also, when i brought this pc it was used and in the process i would get win 95, then i shut it down and 98 reappears now that no longer happens just win 95 and no 256 colors.. it's an ibm pentium 3 450 mhz 128 mb ram and 8.4 which i don't know what the term for that is .. All i want is my pc back so i can get my colors and get back to my dsl service which i am paying for and can't use.. All this occurred april 13 th and i've been suffering since...

First, are you using the onboard video, OR, a peripheral card in a motherboard slot? (PCI or AGP?) Since it's a Gateway, it's probably onboard unless you've installed a graphics card.

Do you have the Gateway model number of the system?

Drivers are available either directly from Gateway, or they can be found elsewhere once we identify the graphics chipset.

If it's a card in a slot that you've added, do you have the drivers for it either on a floppy or CD?

If you don't know the system model etc, download, install, and run Everest Home Edition on this machine. (Clean FreeWare) Once it's running, look under Computer, Summary, Display, or under Display, PCI/AGP Video. This will tell you what display adapter/chip you have. Post that information. (Video Adapter and 3D Accelerator.)