[English] README.TXT MATROX GRAPHICS INC. 1999.07.23 Matrox System Utilities (for Matrox G200/G400-based graphics cards) Revision 1.04.000 Contents ======== - Overview - Installation - Removing this software - Matrox emergency disk - TV output support for DOS - VESA (Super VGA) display mode support - Updating your graphics card BIOS - 8 x 14 font support - Removing Windows 95/98 display drivers - Diagnostic program for PCI/AGP graphics cards Overview ======== This software includes Matrox graphics-related system utilities. These utilities may help you configure your Matrox graphics card for your system. For easy access to these utilities, we recommend you install this software on your computer. This document assumes you're familiar with the basics of the operating system you're using. For more information on how to use your operating system, see its documentation or your system manual. Installation ============ If this software is on your Matrox installation CD-ROM and you're using Windows 95/98 or NT 4.0, you can install it from the main menu of the CD-ROM setup program. Otherwise, you can run the "install.exe" program included with this software. ("install.exe" is a DOS-based program.) IMPORTANT: This document assumes this software is installed in the default path, "c:\matrox\util". Removing this software ====================== If this software was installed with the CD-ROM setup program, you can remove this software through Windows: Click "Start" -> " Settings" -> "Control Panel" -> "Add/Remove Programs" (double-click) -> "Matrox System Utilities" -> "Add/Remove", then follow the on-screen instructions. If this software was installed using the DOS-based "install.exe" program included with it, you can remove this software manually. Delete the "c:\matrox\util" directory and remove the "c:\matrox\util\vbext.exe" line from your "autoexec.bat" file. Matrox emergency disk ===================== The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) of your Matrox graphics card is a chip that stores basic display information (for example, how to handle DOS display modes). This BIOS can be changed or updated with Matrox software. Before changing the BIOS of your Matrox graphics card (see "TV output support for DOS" and "Updating your graphics card BIOS"), we recommend you make an emergency disk. If something ever goes wrong with the BIOS of your Matrox graphics card (for example, if there's a power failure while the BIOS is being updated), you can use the emergency disk to restore the BIOS. (If there is a problem with the BIOS of your Matrox graphics card, your display may be unusable) In Windows 95/98, if you're using the "ubioswin" program to change the BIOS of your Matrox graphics card, this program will automatically prompt you to make an emergency disk. Follow the on-screen instructions. You can also make an emergency disk from a DOS prompt: (1) Have an empty floppy disk ready. (2) Type "cd c:\matrox\util", then press [Enter]. (3) Type "makedisk", then follow the on-screen instructions. (4) Label the disk "Matrox emergency disk", then store it in a safe place. If you need to use the emergency disk, simply insert it in your floppy disk drive, then restart your computer. The BIOS of your Matrox graphics card will automatically be restored. After your BIOS is restored, remove the disk from your disk drive, then restart your computer again. NOTE: To be able to use your emergency disk in the future, make sure your computer is configured to check drive "A:" for a boot disk when it restarts. This is the default configuration for most computers, but this setting can be changed in the BIOS of most computers. For more information, see your system manual. TV output support for DOS ========================= Some models of Matrox graphics cards support TV output. With TV output support, you can view or record your computer display with a TV or video recorder connected to your graphics card. TV output is supported with Windows 95/98, Windows NT 4.0 and DOS. By default TV output is disabled. If TV output is disabled, a TV connected to your computer will display black. For information on how to enable TV output mode in Windows 95/98 or NT 4.0, see Matrox online documentation. To enable TV output for DOS display modes, the BIOS of your Matrox graphics card needs to be configured. DOS display modes may be used when: - your computer is restarted in DOS mode - DOS programs are run full-screen - a full-screen DOS prompt is used under Windows - text is displayed on your computer monitor before Windows starts BIOS configuration ------------------ To configure the BIOS of your Matrox graphics card to support TV output for DOS display modes: Windows 95/98 or NT 4.0 ----------------------- (1) Click "Start" -> "Run", type "c:\matrox\util\ubioswin", then click "OK". (2) Select a TV standard (*), then click "OK". (3) Windows 95/98: Before the BIOS of your graphics card is updated, you're prompted to make an emergency disk. Follow the on-screen instructions. (4) After the BIOS is updated, make sure no disk is in your disk drive, then restart your computer. DOS --- (1) Make an emergency disk (see "Matrox emergency disk"). (2) Type "cd c:\matrox\util", then press [Enter]. (3) Depending on the TV standard (*) of your TV output device, type "progbios -maven ntsc" or "progbios -maven pal". (To disable TV output support for DOS display modes, type "progbios -maven off".) (4) After the BIOS is updated, make sure no disk is in your disk drive, then restart your computer. After restarting, when a DOS display mode is used, your Matrox graphics card will automatically work with a TV or VCR connected to it. * NOTE: Two TV standards are supported for TV output. NTSC is used in North America and Japan, among other places. PAL is used in most of Western Europe and in China, among other places. If you're not sure what standard your TV or VCR uses, see its documentation. Limitations ----------- If you use TV output support for DOS display modes, note the following: - TV output isn't supported for all DOS display modes. As a result, a DOS program or game may use a DOS display mode that's not supported for TV output. A DOS display mode without TV output support will only display on your computer monitor (a TV would display black). - While using DOS display modes with TV output support, your computer monitor is also using TV settings. While using TV settings, the displays of some computer monitors may flicker, or become off-centered, garbled or unusable. As a result you may have to turn off your computer monitor. Supported DOS display modes --------------------------- 720 x 400, text (02h, 03h) 640 x 480, 16 colors (12h) * 320 x 200, 256 colors (13h) * 640 x 400, 256 colors (100h) * 640 x 480, 256 colors (101h) * 640 x 480, 32 K colors (110h) * 640 x 480, 64 K colors (111h) * 640 x 480, 16 M colors (112h) * * Under Windows NT 4.0, these modes may not display properly on your TV. VESA (Super VGA) display mode support ===================================== Some DOS-based programs (for example, games and older CAD programs) use VESA (Super VGA) display modes. The BIOS of your Matrox graphics card supports VESA display resolutions up to 800 x 600. Resolutions above 800 x 600 are supported through a separate memory-resident program called "vbext.exe". This program is automatically added to your "autoexec.bat" file when you install "Matrox System Utilities". The following VESA display modes are supported: Display | Simultaneous display colors resolution | 16 256 32 K 64 K 16 M --------------+---------------------------------------------- 640 x 400 | -- 100 -- -- -- 640 x 480 | (VGA) 101 110 111 112 800 x 600 | 102 103 113 114 115 1024 x 768 * | -- 105 116 117 118 1280 x 1024 * | -- 107 119 11A 11B 1600 x 1200 * | -- 11C 11D 11E -- * Requires the "vbext" memory-resident program By default, your Matrox graphics card uses a standard 60 Hz vertical refresh rate with VESA display modes. (A higher refresh rate may result in less noticeable flicker.) However, if "vbext" is running and you have a Plug-and-Play (DDC) monitor, your monitor determines its refresh rates. Refresh rates determined by your monitor may be higher. Updating your graphics card BIOS ================================ "Matrox System Utilities" software can be used to update the BIOS of your Matrox graphics card. If your version of this software was included with your Matrox graphics card, you shouldn't need to update your card with it. If your version of this software didn't come with your Matrox graphics card (for example, you downloaded it from the Matrox Web site), it may contain an update for the BIOS of your Matrox graphics card. To update the BIOS of your Matrox graphics card: Windows 95/98 or NT 4.0 ----------------------- (1) Click "Start" -> "Run", type "c:\matrox\util\ubioswin", then click "OK". (2) Select the BIOS option you want, then click "OK". (3) Windows 95/98: Before the BIOS of your graphics card is updated, you're prompted to make an emergency disk. Follow the on-screen instructions. (4) After the BIOS is updated, make sure no disk is in your disk drive, then restart your computer. DOS --- (1) Type "cd c:\matrox\util", then press [Enter]. (2) Type "ubiosdos", then press [Enter]. (3) Before the BIOS of your graphics card is updated, you're prompted to make an emergency disk. Follow the on-screen instructions. (4) After the BIOS is updated, make sure no disk is in your disk drive, then restart your computer. 8 x 14 font support =================== Based on VESA recommendations, support for the 8 x 14 font has been removed from the BIOS of Matrox graphics cards. (This is to make room for VESA features such as VBE 2.0 and VBE/DDC.) If you're using a DOS program that needs this font, add the following line to your "autoexec.bat" file, then restart your computer: c:\matrox\util\fnt8x14 Removing Windows 95/98 display drivers ====================================== This software includes a program to remove all traces of Matrox display drivers for Windows 95/98. This program will remove display driver versions 3.60 (May 1997) and later. To run this program, click "Start" -> "Run", type "c:\matrox\util\uninstaller", then click "OK". Follow the on-screen instructions. After the removal process is complete, you're prompted to restart your computer. After your computer restarts, it uses a standard VGA display driver (640 x 480 display resolution, 16 colors). If you're experiencing problems with your system, you can try running this program and then reinstalling the latest display driver for your Matrox graphics card. A wide variety of problems may be fixed this way. Diagnostic program for PCI/AGP graphics cards ============================================= Use "pcispy" if you have a PCI or AGP graphics card and you're experiencing problems that may be related to the way your computer allocates resources to your graphics card. This utility may provide information that may be useful if you need to contact external technical support. To use "pcispy": (1) Type "cd c:\matrox\util", then press [Enter]. (2) Type ONE of the following commands, then press [Enter]. pcispy -l pcispy -c pcispy -r pcispy -w pcispy -d (To see a description of each option, type "pcispy", then press [Enter].) Note: The above commands can only be used one at a time.