Graphics Driver - arghhhhh

[TonyM]

Hi Guys,
I've got an RX624 all original with an nvidia geforce ti4200 64mb card. I recently loaded Half-Life2 and the game kept crashing (restarting the machine). Valve technical support told me I need the latest graphics driver but I was already using the latest from the Sony site 4.2.3.2C2 dated October 2003 (pretty old for the lastest download). So I got the latest from the nvidia site (66.93), this ran the game fine but would not let me change resolution in Windows below 1024x768, this just resulted in a black screen. SInce many other games need to change to a lower res this is not a workable option. I have directx 9 which has worked fine with all other games and Windows service pack2 which the lastest nvidia driver supports. I can only think that it might be one of two reasons.
1. The instructions for installing the driver from the nvidia site insist that any previous drivers are uninstalled through the control panel - add/remove programs. But when I do that they are re-discovered at reboot and I have no choice but to install over the top. I guess this may cause a problem. or
2. The card is not a pure nvidia, but some kind of Sony version.

If anyone has any ideas or suggestions they would be gratefully received - if I can't sort it I think I'll just buy an X-Box.

[kee-lo_]

Is this the Nvidia ForceWare drivers?

[TonyM]

Yes it is the forceware 66.93.

Tried it again last night - funny thing is using the most recent sony driver (4.2.3.2C2) I can switch down to 800x600 no problem, but with this forceware driver trying to change down gives the black screen. I also got, only once, an "out of scan range" from my monitor (sony 17"lcd) and I am now wondering if the new driver is changing the refresh rate at lower res and putting it out of reach of my monitor.

I created a case on sony's e-support three days ago - still nothing.

[kee-lo_]

Yeah it's using a frequency thats higher than the LCD.
Have you had a look at the profiles it's created?

[TonyM]

I'm not sure how to check that or how to change it.
I do know my monitor supports the following;
Preset Signal Timing
Factory 22
User 18
ESVGA 800 x 600/75 Hz
EUVGA 1024 x 768/75 Hz
EVGA 640 x 480/75 Hz
SVGA 800 x 600/60 Hz
VESA 1024 x 768/60 Hz
VESA 1024 x 768/70 Hz
VESA 1152 x 864/75 Hz
VESA 1280 x 1024/60 Hz
VESA 1280 x 1024/75 Hz
VESA 1280 x 960/60 Hz
VGA-G 640 x 480/60 Hz

Thanks

[kee-lo_]

A lot of people use VESA 1024 x 768/70 Hz

[TonyM]

That resolution works fine - but I can't get it to work with 800x600 and some of my older games (and most of my daughters) need it. D'you think this driver needs to be told to switch to VGA - because the older driver worked fine?