A20P & ACPI = Problems (help needed)
Samu
After having tried everything reported in this forum and in
the IBM Tech support forums I now find that I still can't
get my A20P to work WITHOUT the dreaded 3D slowdown bug,
unless I sacrifice a lot of other things.
I can switch over to ACPI (either by clean installing
retail win98se with /p j switch or by using the MS
support knowledge base registry edit hack), but it produces
problems.
Switching over to ACPI (either way described above)
gives me the following problems:
- Loss of hard disk controller in device manager
(i.e. no DMA tranfers - very slow IDE transfers)
- Loss of DVD drive completely (doesn't show up
in the device manager - related to above hd
controller loss I guess)
- Loss of dial-up adapter under Network adapters
(can't install a new one, doesn't install new one
automatically)
- Mysterious "Unknown device" detected at every boot
that will NOT accept any device driver (show under
"other devices" category in Device manager)
- Mysterious empty named "" device under Network
adapters
- Various warning dialogs saying only "ACPI" (nothing
else) when installing device drivers for newly
detected devices.
- No hibernation
- No suspend
- loss of some function keys (e.g. LCD off)
What have I tried to fix these?
- Several re-installs of Win98se (with formats)
- Several restores from the A20P Win98SE cd
- deleting all (or only some) devices in dev mgr and
re-detecting them
- Updating and downgrading drivers to various versions
available from the driver CD or from IBM support site
(yes, even the 9-13-2000 and 9-14-2000 drivers)
- deleting drivers, inf files, device and registry changes
in safe mode and rebooting
- using New hardware wizard to detect or to force new devices
All in vain. The above described problems still remain and I can't
get my laptop to to run A20P with ACPI (i.e. withouth the 3D slowdown)
and with other parts of the system working.
I would appreciate any help from knowledgeable A20P users. I am already
working with IBM exec tech support in regard to the 3D slowdown issue,
but not on these ACPI issues.
Best regards,
Samu
samu@ usa dot net
Stuart Andrews
I installed 98SE/Me without any problems, ACPI is detected *automatically*
and the whole install took less than 30 minutes. Once the core system is
there you just hit the driver area at IBM's site and grab about half a dozen
packages that relate to video, audio, PM, swap, configuration utility, etc.
Hope this helps.
j...@cheerful.com
You'll thank me later.
J2
Stuart Andrews
2000 and Windows Me are very similar in terms of setup. I found WME to be
ever so slightly more friendly than W2K with respect to initial fresh
install. I am a very strong proponent of W2K's abilities and my business
runs on W2K. I have WME setup for fun'n'games and W2K setup with all my work
apps. Unless you are working in the business world where NT/2K
security/networking/robustness are critical I would go with WindowsMe as a
very good alternative to Windows 95/98/98SE.
car...@my-deja.com
bios. I have installed Win98SE withOUT the /pj switch or any hacks.
Just do a clean re-install of Win98SE with all the default options.
There is no need for a "hack" or any switches during the install.
Win98SE automatically installs ACPI, you don't need to hack it or put
in any command line switches.
I do not have any of the problems you describe, and all I have done is
(1) put retail win98se CDrom in drive, and (2) boot off that CD rom and
install win98se with all default options. (3) go to IBM's site and
install all the IBM drivers (WITHOUT the Supplemental Software
Utilities disk. If you install Supplemental Software utilities disk you
are going to get the 3d slowdown).
You don't need to do anything special when installing 98se. Just be
sure it is a retail copy and not their crappy oem restore thing.
ALSO: As I have stated time and again, you will NEVER get the function
keys, hibernate, LCD / on OFF stuff to work with this "solution" This
work around gets rid of the 3d slowdown problem but does not allow you
to use any of the power management features (except sleep mode).
As for WinME : no thanks, I'll wait until WinME Service Pack 1 is
released hehehe...
As for Win2k: I installed that and it works like a charm. Didn't have
to do anything special, all the function keys and everything work for
power management right out of the box. Of course, you'll spend an extra
$299 for that privelage. Furthermore, some of my critical apps do not
work in Win2k (scientific software for flow cytometry analysis) and
several of my games are a little less than happy in Win2k. Also, Norton
Antivirus for Windows 2000, even with the latest updates, is quite
quirky under Win2k. For these reasons, Win2k spends most of its time
sitting idle on my second partition. I will say though, that if I Could
get it to work with my other apps, and if it wasn't so unstable (yes,
unstable... win98 SE is far more stable on my system) I would use it
more (yes I have service patched Win2k also). It is a great OS and is
much faster than 98se. Too bad that it is so poorly supported by other
software companies (e.g. try to hotsynch your palm pilot via IR with
Win2k, not gonna happen).
You will all also be interested to know that IBM is no longer working
on this problem, nor do they consider it an issue. They have stopped
working on this issue and the case is closed. According to IBM it is up
to ATI to resolve the issue. I have contacted ATI on several occasions,
including higher level management, and they have informed me that it is
the sole responsibility of IBM to handle this problem since ATI does
not work on the mobility 128 because it is an OEM product only. When I
contact the second level tech at IBM directly responsible for this
problem (Ohmkar) he tells me that IBM will no longer be working on this
issue and that it is up to ATI. So, basically IBM and ATI are pointing
the finger at each other, and this problem is not being worked on by
either company. Essentially if you have this problem with Win98SE you
are left with 3 choices
1) Upgrade to Win2k or WinME (incidentally if you upgrade to either of
those OSes IBM will *NOT* support you when you call to ask questions,
since your machine only has support for Win98SE).
2) Bitch at IBM and ATI until they get their heads out of their asses
and solve the problem
or
3) Sell your A20p and buy a Dell I5000e <--- my final solution to this
problem.
IBM's tech support, customer service, and general attitude are so poor,
I will never do business with them again.
Ironically, my Dell I5000e is now on back order because I am waiting
for the 32gb hard drive (manufactured by IBM). I find it amusing that
IBM has managed to screw me over twice in the last 3 months on my
laptop purchases <g>. There is something very wrong with IBM nowadays,
mark my words, soon they will be paying the price by decreased market
shares and lower customer satisfaction ratings. Big Blue is no longer
the company it once was, and they are having troubles already (see CNET
or ZDNET for some interesting articles on how poorly IBM's sales are
going for laptops and home systems). I would not be surprised to see
IBM pull out of the home market by next year. They just can't cut it
anymore.
In article <2bk6sscjhq8rh44vd...@4ax.com>,
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Samu
>Just do a clean re-install of Win98SE with all the default options.
>There is no need for a "hack" or any switches during the install.
>Win98SE automatically installs ACPI, you don't need to hack it or put
>I do not have any of the problems you describe, and all I have done is
Well I did have problems and I also installed Win98SE seven times on this
A20P (and I'm no beginner when it comes to computers or MS OSes :).
Anyway, I'm thinking I'll try WinME off our departments select CD
once that comes available. Till then I'll limp along. No, I will NOT
buy Win2K as so many have suggested. I don't want it, I don't want to
pay for it and many software I run don't work on it.
>ALSO: As I have stated time and again, you will NEVER get the function
>keys, hibernate, LCD / on OFF stuff to work with this "solution" This
>work around gets rid of the 3d slowdown problem but does not allow you
>to use any of the power management features (except sleep mode).
Yes, I know very well. Thanks to reading all your postings here :)
>As for WinME : no thanks, I'll wait until WinME Service Pack 1 is
>released hehehe...
You mean "Whistler", don't you :)
Then again, there'll be a service pack for that as well ;>
>You will all also be interested to know that IBM is no longer working
>on this problem, nor do they consider it an issue. They have stopped
This is curious. I was just contacted by IBM Exec tech support from IBM
US after I fired off an e-mail to Lou Gerstner's office. They say
they are working on it (which could mean they are trying to bullshit me).
What supports your claim is that they have deleted most if not ALL
postings referring to this problem from their own Thinkpad A20P support
forums. To me that is very weird behaviour...
>1) Upgrade to Win2k or WinME (incidentally if you upgrade to either of
I'll consider WinME, thanks.
>2) Bitch at IBM and ATI until they get their heads out of their asses
>and solve the problem
I'll continue with this for a while at least. I think I'm entitled to
what I paid for.
>3) Sell your A20p and buy a Dell I5000e <--- my final solution to this
>problem.
I'm not quite there yet, but then again I haven't been at this as long
as you have. I was very close to selling this last week, but some of the
5000e reviews confirmed me otherwise.
>IBM's tech support, customer service, and general attitude are so poor,
>I will never do business with them again.
If they screw this one up for me I'll join you on that bandwagon.
>going for laptops and home systems). I would not be surprised to see
>IBM pull out of the home market by next year. They just can't cut it
>anymore.
I wouldn't be surprised either. Dell is really running on full stream
and even once beaten Compaq seems to be rebounding.
Thanks again for your excellent postings to this forum. I hope that
all this publicity will make IBM at least to fix this one 3D slowdown
fiasco, if not much else.
Best regards,
Samu
car...@my-deja.com
It is still very puzzling to me that you have had such problems, while
all I have ever had to do is just do a normal default install of
win98SE. I wonder if our BIOS is different. I have a very early version
of the A20p, I think I was probably the second person (or maybe first)
in this forum besides "J2" who actually posted about receiving one. I
have never flashed my bios, and I wonder if that is why I have not had
the problems you describe. Perhaps a new a20p bios is screwing things
up??
Post here with how WinME went and how well you liked it.
I did go to win2k for a while but it's off my system now. FWIW it
installed flawlessly and the power management worked on first boot. The
only problem is that Win2k is actually LESS stable on this system than
Win98SE was (yes I know that sounds crazy and counter intuitive but
that is the way it is on this particular system with my particular
software). So off it went. Also win2k did not run some of my critical
applications (flow cytometry software) and crashed when trying to play
my all time favorite game (Everquest)... the critical software I can
live without but damnit, it better not crash when I am trying to play
games heh...
Good luck.
-c (aka Quackemoto in another life)
In article <b8t7ss4rr1p00q6fv...@4ax.com>,
me
default configuration. Users and software make changes that will
affect the install.
ME