Video Drivers for Dell CPi D266XT Laptop

Question

After successfully having formatted and reinstalled Windows 98 on my Dell CPi D266XT laptop, I now need some advice on drivers.

Currently, I have the following display setting:

Laptop Display Panel (800x600) on NeoMagic MagicGraph128XD and True Color (24 bit).

However, the fonts are lookinf very pixellated and blocky. I am convinced that I have not downloaded and installed the correct driver.

Having bought the laptop from a friend at work, I have no disks available with the relevant drivers on. Could somebody please advise me on what drivers I should be using?

Thank You.

leduke30 · Answer

Either change your Monitor setting to Plug and Play or Laptop Display Panel 1024x768. Your  CPiD266XT with the 13.3' LCD  is capable of of 1024x768x16bit and your present monitor setting is preventing you from realizing that resolution. You have the right driver already..

Feronia · Answer

Absolutely excellent! I am very pleased to report that my laptop is now functioning as intended and I am very grateful for the time and trouble that leduke30 took to answer my query. Thank You!

leduke30 · Answer

Not much time and trouble, but thanks. I have refurbed a half dozen CP/CPi's and have got the procedure nailed down.

kfield · Answer

You seem to know a lot about the Dell laptop. My son just bought this latitude cpi 266xt from a friend. After a number of problems, I was finally able to install Win 2000. Just one big problem. The displayed characters are garbled and virtually unreadable! I've already tried all resolutions and frequencies. Are there special drivers for the NeoMagic that load during the boot process? The resolution and font clarity are fine in the bios screens. They are just very poor in quality at the 1st windows spash screen and afterward. I've also tried the system with 98 with the same results. I know that sometimes there are proprietary drivers for Dells and Compacs. Is that the issue? and do you know how I can download such a "system CD" since it apparently didn't come with it? My email is kentf@optonline.net. Thanks

P.S. Even though the character fonts appear unclear, partial and "boxy", most video and graphics appear quite good!?!?

kfield · Answer

I'm having the same problem, but with no success after changing the resolution. Any suggestions?

leduke30 · Answer

I have never seen a CP/CPi Resource CD. I have CDR copy of the CPiA that I bought 2 years ago. but I have never seen one of Dell's original disks for this model either. They are not available for download as a complete CD, only the individual programs/Software etc. Dell never put the Audio/Video Drivers on the Resource CDs for the Neomagic Chipsets under  W2k as it was unneceesary; W2k has the specific drivers included, and I do not mean some of MS's generic junk like'Standard VGA Adapter etc.' I also answered your message.

leduke30 · Answer

Check your private messages; I offered you an alternative

kfield · Answer

I everything I could think of, but with no success. Is there a way to replace the video memory? I noticed that under the laptop in a compartment. in that compartment is the location of the ram memory. But I also noticed a small square removable chip. Is that the video memory? I didn't think so. Do you know of a 'trade-up' program from Dell or someone else to get a working machine at a small cost? This is so confusing since graphics look pretty good here. Thanks

kfield · Answer

Please check your messages. I just responded to your alternative. Thanks, Kent

kfield · Answer

Please check your private messages and regular email for my latest response.

SaintC · Answer

I now have a CPi PII 300. When you boot, you can see that the startup screen is pixelated looking at an extremely low resolution. You can make out the text, but it is not clear. When it boots into Win98se, it stays that way. I have tried the laptop setting, as well as the plug and play setting...nothing. The setting is telling me that 8 bits is the only type available.

Since this is happening at boot up, and continues through whatever operating system I am using, it sounds like something motherboard or video card related.

What can I do? Help!!!!!

Please, any suggestions. This laptop is in really nice condition (probably because of this problem) and I would really like to get this problem solved. Thanks

leduke30 · Answer

I answered your private message on this.

g3tty · Answer

I have a similar problem. I have a Dell Latitude CPI 266XT that I got from ebay. My old latitude (CP 233) died on me. I moved the harddrive into this 266XT. I got everything to work but I can't get clear text on the display. I tried every resolution. The text appears to be broken up. Only large fonts are barely readable so that I kinda make out the text on the Windows screen and under the icons. My display setting is- (Multiple Monitors) and Neo Magic MagicGraph 128 ZV/ZV-/XD driver.  The monitor installed is the default monitor. The setup says that the card installed is the NeoMagic 2160. I tried loading 2160 drivers found on the web. No change.  I reinstalled windows and no change. Other then this display thing the machine works fine. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

leduke30 · Answer

SaintC and kfield both had bad video cables from the M'board to the LCD which was killing half of the vertical interlace. You can check for this by watching the white action bar move across on the Splash Screen on initial boot. If you can clearly see the bar is broken up vertically, then that is your problem. The cable is subjected to repeated flexing in the hinge area and eventually some of the conductors break and cause problems such as yours. If you do not understand vertical interlace, the picture is actually traced  twice per frame and the traces interlaced to make a nearly solid presentation. If you hook up a standard monitor to the SVGA plug on the back and get a clear picture on it, the problem is definitely from the M'board to the LCD

SaintC · Answer

If you are going to tackle the cable replacement yourself, you need to be really diligent.

First, you have to take apart practically the entire unit to get to this cable. And....you have to do this first in order to properly identify which cable configuration you have. Each cable has its own bends in the right places. Now that you have determined exactly which cable your unit needs, you now get to wait a week or two to receive this new cable, all the while forgetting exactly how did you take this thing apart.

Personally, I bought my cable on ebay, which showed a clear picture of the cable, and it was new. At the end of this drama, I lost one of the black little bumper pads, but the computer works fantastic.

Anybody got an extra rubber bumper that goes on the top of the screen? ;-)

Locked Topics – Laptops General

Video Drivers for Dell CPi D266XT Laptop

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