BIOS help with GeForce4 440 Go

[saturnotaku]

Few things here:

Always uninstall whatever video driver you're using before undertaking a BIOS flash. Use control panel/add-remove programs to uninstall. Then reboot into safe mode and run Driver Cleaner. Follow the instructions after you've installed that software. If you do this, there will be no need to remove anything via device manager.

Regarding drivers, Dell gave you misinformation (color me surprised ). It's technically their responsibility to provide the drivers for your laptop's video chipset. The only support provided officially by NVIDIA is for the GeForce Go 7800 and 7900 GTX cards. Additionally, the site LaptopVideo2Go modifies NVIDIA's drivers to be compatible with all desktop and notebook chipsets. Directions for installing the modified drivers are available on that site.

[DRDRJAY1]

Thanks for the info and your reply!

Nvidia's latest driver ( 91.31 on their website ) does say it supports the GeForce4 440 go...!? I can't make much sense of the Laptopvideo website; I don't see where to download the drivers/inf files, just news about them. I tried registering, but I don't have all that information they want at my fingertips and not much time to go search for it.

Jay

P.S. I also have nvidafileremover_05.exe. Does it probably work as well as Driver Cleaner for this application?

[DRDRJAY1]

Laptopvideo2go.com has multiple selections for the GeForce4 440 Go. Which driver is everyone using?

Thanks,

Jay

[saturnotaku]

Originally Posted by DRDRJAY1

Nvidia's latest driver ( 91.31 on their website ) does say it supports the GeForce4 440 go...!?

No it doesn't

I can't make much sense of the Laptopvideo website; I don't see where to download the drivers/inf files, just news about them. I tried registering, but I don't have all that information they want at my fingertips and not much time to go search for it.

Go back to the site and click on the "drivers" link at the top of the page. Download the 91.47 drivers from the link provided. Right next to that is a link called INF. Right click and "save target as" and download it. Once the drivers have downloaded, extract them to a folder, then take the .inf file you downloaded and copy it to that folder, overwriting the existing file.

After you've uninstalled your previous drivers, follow the installation instructions provided here.

I also have nvidafileremover_05.exe. Does it probably work as well as Driver Cleaner for this application?

I doubt it. Driver Cleaner is the preferred application among both NVIDIA and ATI users.

[DRDRJAY1]

Aloha and thanks ( Mahalo ),

I did download Driver Cleaner. I tend to be a bit conservative with all this; the forums article on this web page follows that thought an seems to say that version 81.94 is about as high as I need to go for the GeForce4 440 Go. Anything over that has some issues with the card ( or maybe, vice versa ).

http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/forum/...howtopic=10214

At least, I think I'll probably start there.

Jay

[DRDRJAY1]

WHEW!

Done and running! I did create my own problem by unzipping Nvflash.zip to a folder on my hard drive and then copying the .exe to a formated system floppy disk. In the process, I ommitted to copy CWSDPMI.exe which it ( nvflash.exe ) needs to run and NOBODY MENTIONED! I, too, also needed to use the -6 switch with the new rom.

I am using v. 81.94 from Laptopvideo2go.com with its modified INF File, which is working fine, but it is NOT WHQL, so I may eventually upgrade a version or two to one that is. ( Anyone know why the WHQL Certified Drivers have much smaller .exe files? )

Now it's working great!

Thanks, everyone! :-)

Jay

[saturnotaku]

You do know that WHQL means absolutely nothing right? The only time you'll see WHQL laptop drivers is when they're downloaded from the manufacturer (Dell, Compaq, etc). If your system is working, who cares?

[Geforce4]

Originally Posted by mr_luke

Since were on the topic of the Geforce4 440 Go...
I purchased one from ebay as well (64mb version). After installing the card in to my Inspiron 8200, the image on the screen was littered with random flashing characters and blocks. Luckily I could still read the text within the BIOS setup, and I noticed that the BIOS recognized the card as a Geforce4 440 Go 64mb.
I flashed the video card's BIOS with the latest update from Dell's website, and while that corrected my problem with the flashing characters and blocks, the card now thinks it's a 32mb card instead of a 64mb (shown in BIOS and windows)

I've tried everything that's listed here, including using NVFlash to reprogram the card with the .rom file listed above, and the card still thinks it's 32mb. I even tweaked the .rom file with X-bios editor, and still no luck.
I know this is a 64mb card because the sysid.com program on the Dell Bios update diskette recgonizes it as such, and the card has the Infineon memory chips on it, compared to the Samsung chips on my 'dead' 32mb Geforce4 440 Go that I have.
Does anyone have any ideas/tips/tricks to help me get this card to recgonize its memory correctly again? I'm not THAT terribly upset that it doesn't work correctly as I can at least play UT2004 now, but I hate knowing that something isn't performing up to it's full potential.
Thanks!!

I'm currently in the same boat. I'm having trouble with nvflash it can't open the 0417055.rom file. Please help!

[LORD-eX-Bu]

Originally Posted by Geforce4

I'm currently in the same boat. I'm having trouble with nvflash it can't open the 0417055.rom file. Please help!

is your issue with a laptop GPU or a desktop like the original poster?

EDIT: Oh crap, just saw that the title is for the 440 GO(duh)

are you sure your bios shows your card as 32mb and that its not the drivers?

EDIT: Also, have you tried this ?

[marcociot]

Originally Posted by gytbz

You can retrieve hereafter with the attached file the latest ROM for NVidia 440 Go 64 MB for Dell Inspiron 8200.
I've just retrieved the dell floppy disk A06NV17 and updated it with nvflash536 and valid rom file called 04170055.rom
Note that there is no warranty except I checked it toward some different video cards all NVidia 440Go 64MB and some different Dell notebooks.
The complete explanation is that the Dell "update" is not check neither Flash type neither Chip type and overriding is scripted. The only checking is RAM amount 32 or 64MB.
Sorry to been so long.
Cheers,

I just wanted to state that this information helped a lot!!!
For what reason ever, I also had overflashed the good BIOS with the BAD one from DELL site.
Just copied the nvflash.exe and cwsdpmi.exe together with the valid rome file (04170055.rom) to the bootable disk and launched it after boot directly as:
nvflash --overridesub 04170055.rom

Best regards
Marco Ciot

Inspiron 8200, 2.4 GHz, 1GB RAM, GeForce 440 64MB, 1600*1200 on C-Dock II with USB 2.0 (DEC chipset!)

[SLippe]

Originally Posted by marcociot

I just wanted to state that this information helped a lot!!!
For what reason ever, I also had overflashed the good BIOS with the BAD one from DELL site.
Just copied the nvflash.exe and cwsdpmi.exe together with the valid rome file (04170055.rom) to the bootable disk and launched it after boot directly as:
nvflash --overridesub 04170055.rom

Best regards
Marco Ciot

Inspiron 8200, 2.4 GHz, 1GB RAM, GeForce 440 64MB, 1600*1200 on C-Dock II with USB 2.0 (DEC chipset!)

You're goin' to come in here as a noob, make 1 post, then report the post above you?