weasel.com: ATI Corp reviews and problems

ATI All-In-Wonder Rage 128, Updated Jul 2005

Update 2005: With Windows XP SP2 I can install all of the software, however I cannot record TV. There is an error message about some ATI program not starting. Since the software isn't being supported any more, I am out of luck. I tried a new ATI All-In-Wonder 9600 XT DG with new software, but it's recording software doesn't work either, and ATI tech support is clueless as usual.

Update 2003: I booted a fresh copy of windows 2000. I tried to install the basic windows 2000 ATI driver. I got a blue screen of death. I inserted the ATI driver cd, and I got a program error. When I manually tried to install the driver I got the blue screen of death. I think it may be related to the MPS Multiprocessor Kernel. When I use the APCI Kernel, I can install the basic software under windows 2000. Perhaps I should send ATI email, but since they ignored my last three emails, I wonder if it would be a waste of time. What this shows is they didn't do any testing under the MPS kernel. Basically, there are many 'issues' with the APCI kernel, and many people with multi-processors switch to the MPS kernel. This clearly shows poor software engineering and testing. If only they checked which kernel was running, and wrote an error message about a non-supported kernel. Then there would be no blue screens of death, and it would be obvious that the kernel was not supported... But I guess that is asking for a clue, in a clueless organization.

Well, I upgraded my computer to windows XP. I never bothered to install the ATI software, as I had other things to do. I recently decided to do so, and needless to say, it was a worse problem than when I was dealing with windows 2000.

You see, Microsoft installs a driver version 6.13.10.5019 dated 02 Jul 2001. When I tried to install the ati driver, version 6.13.3279 dated 22 Oct 2001, I got a blue screen of death (crashed the computer). When I tried to install the ATI multimedia center 7.2 dated 27 Nov 2001, I also got the blue screen of death. So, naturally I sent ATI some email (included below). Their response was next-to-useless. I sent them three replies, all of which they ignored. Now, I purchased this card around Aug 2001, less than two years ago. I see several possibilities:

Their support is clueless. (already verified below)
They simply lose three out of five emails sent to support. (quite possible given the quality of their tech support).
They don't support hardware less than 2 years old running Microsofts latest operating system, and don't have the guts to say so.
Their software was written by incompetent people (clearly demonstrated below). It is inexcusable for software to crash. To crash a computer is much worse than inexcusable. Perhaps the 10mbyte driver download is big, but surely they can find some space in there to check that the system is compatable or not, and to give some kind of error message rather than crashing the computer. The multimedia center is only a 8.5 mbyte download, but again, there is surely enough space to give error messages.
They want to go out of business. Even good hardware needs good software to sell. Those that don't learn this go out of business.
They write perfect software, since there are no updates since 2001. Clearly they are updating their Radeon software, so either their new software writers are adding lots of features or fixing lots of bugs. But I guess there are no bugs like my blue screen of death for their two year old hardware...

So what does this all show?
Based on their first email, it shows that they don't know how to read. They didn't realize that I don't have a Radeon card. They didn't realize that I don't have an AGP card. They didn't realize that I am 100% up to date with microsoft drivers. They didn't realize that I was trying to install the latest drivers off their web site. They didn't realize that I don't have the specific error message they were referring to. Clearly an automatic response, with little or no specific information.

Now, this is not necessarily a bad thing, since I am sure there are many stupid questions asked, but I think a human should follow up automatically when it is clear that the questions I asked are somewhat specific, and their automatic answers are not useful.

I did get one real response from a tech, asking me about the BSOD messages. I did reply very specifically to that, as well as sending in two more messages. I never got a response.

So at best, ATI support is really good at losing email messages. This is a very bad sign. When I worked on the very first e-commerce application (mosis.org in 1985), we took great care not to lose email messages and not to send out duplicate messages. In 10 years, nobody complained that lost an email message. More likely ATI support is simply understaffed and overburdened with all the buggy ATI software. Needless to say, I do not recommend buing ATI products under any circumstances.

Here are some comments by people who have had similar experiences with ATI

Here is my email exchange with ATI.
Their reply to my first email:

From: "ATI Customer Service Canada" <support@ati.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 19:23:07 -0400
Reply-To: support@ati.com
To: Turbo
Subject: Windows XP FAQ

Dear Turbo,

Thank you for contacting ATI Customer Service Canada.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your email has been assigned:
TicketGUID:{4E6276E8-9D1B-11D7-A570-00508BE22D04}

Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence
relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear
in the message body.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Based on our experience, the issue(s) you describe are usually due to system configuration errors. We believe that the troubleshooting steps listed below may help to resolve this issue.

If you own one of our Radeon products, you may consider reviewing the information at:

http://www.ati.com/support/products/pc/radeon/radeonissues.html

If the ATI display adapter you have is an AGP card, you should also consider reviewing the information at:

http://www.ati.com/support/infobase/3179.html

You may also consider using the new SEARCH ATI function on our web site. It can be found at:

http://www.ati.com/search/index.html

Regards,

Customer Service Canada
ATI Technologies Inc.

Here is my reply:

To: support@ati.com
From: Turbo
Subject: Re: Windows XP FAQ
Date: 05:56PM 6/12/2003

...

>Based on our experience, the issue(s) you describe are usually due to system
>configuration errors. We believe that the troubleshooting steps listed below
>may help to resolve this issue.
>
>If you own one of our Radeon products, you may consider reviewing the
>information at:
>
>http://www.ati.com/support/products/pc/radeon/radeonissues.html

Well, as I said I don't have a radeon.

>If the ATI display adapter you have is an AGP card, you should also consider
>reviewing the information at:
>
>http://www.ati.com/support/infobase/3179.html

Nor do I have an AGP card.

>You may also consider using the new SEARCH ATI function on our web site. It
>can be found at:
>
>http://www.ati.com/search/index.html

Perhaps you would do me the honor of reading my email.
I sure would appreciate it.

Regards,

Customer Service Canada
ATI Technologies, Inc.
http://www.ati.com

===================================================================
Prior to trying the suggestions listed below, ensure that

1. The most current version of DirectX is downloaded/installed for your
version of the Operating System. DirectX can be found on the Microsoft website
at <http://www.microsoft.com/directx/homeuser/downloads/default.asp>

I doubt that would cause a blue screen of death before your programs
install.

2. The most current Microsoft Critical Updates and Service Packs are
installed. The Windows Update webpage can be found at the on the Microsoft
website at <http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp>.

If you would read my email, you would see I am 100% up to date.

>3. The most current motherboard drivers are downloaded/installed (i.e. AGP,
>IRQ, IDE Busmastering). The most current drivers for your motherboard can be
>found on the motherboard manufacturers website.

Got that also.

>4. The most current display driver is downloaded/installed for your ATI
>product.
><http://www.ati.com/support/driver.html>

Got that. Read my email.

>5. The most current sound card drivers have been installed.
>===================================================================

Got that also.

>ATI Driver and Software Installation Instructions for Radeon family of products.
>
> learn more http://www.ati.com/support/installation/radeon.html

Not much good, since I don't have a Radeon...

>===================================================================
>"This display driver is not compatible" error installing drivers under
>Windows 2000/XP.
>
>Ensure you are using the Reference driver if using a "Powered by AtI"
>card. The drivers posted on the ATI website, will only install if a retail ATI
>card is installed in the machine.

Don't have that error message.

>ATI provides graphics chips and technology to third party vendors or
>partners. Graphic cards produced by these vendors may be identified by the
>"POWERED BY ATI" logo.
>
>For support information on your "POWERED BY ATI" partner product, please visit:
>
><http://www.ati.com/support/partner/index.html>
>
>If you require assistance identifying your "POWERED BY ATI" partner product,
>please visit:
>
><http://www.ati.com/support/identify/>
>
>Download and install the Reference Drivers located at
><http://www.ati.com/support/drivers/partnerproducts/index.html>.
>
> learn more <http://www.ati.com/support/partner/faq.html>
>
>===================================================================
>InstallShield Errors or Hangs during installation - Windows 2000/XP
>
>1.Try emptying the Windows Temp folder.
>- Click Start, Click Run, in the Open line, type temp, and then click OK.
>- Delete the contents of the TEMP folder and all the subfolders as well.
>
>2. Try Removing the InstallShield Installation Information Folder.
>- Click Start, click Run, in the Open line, type c:\Program Files, and then click OK.
>- In the Program Files dialog box, click the InstallShield Installation Information folder, and then click Delete.
>- Close the Program Files box.
>
>3. Try Removing the InstallShield folder.

I did that. Didn't help.

>A. First Set Windows to show all files.
>
>- On the Desktop, double-click My Computer.
>- Click Tools, and then click Folder Options.
>- Click the View tab, and then click to select the "Show Hidden files and folders" check box.
>- Click APPLY and then OK.
>
>B. Delete the InstallShield Folder.
>
>- Click Start, and then click Run.
>- In the Open box, type the following (including the quotation marks): "c:\program files\common files\"
>- Right-click the InstallShield folder, click Delete, and then click Yes to confirm the deletion.
>
>4. Try re-installing the ATI Software

I did that too.

PLEASE READ MY EMAIL.
THANKS,
TURBO

Their reply:

From: "ATI Customer Service Canada" <support@ati.com>
Message-ID: <2A588F6F.9DC4.11D7.A570.00508BE22D040@ati.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2003 13:30:50 -0400
Reply-To: support@ati.com
To: Turbo
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance

Dear Turbo

Thank you for contacting ATI Customer Service Canada.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your email has been assigned:
TicketGUID:{4E6276E8-9D1B-11D7-A570-00508BE22D04}

Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence
relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear
in the message body, not in the subject line.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regarding AIW 128 PCI and Blue Screens Of Death unpacking web files:

Is there anything readable in the BSOD? By that I mean any module names or IRQ_NOT_...etc?
Do the files succeed in unpacking? One could possibly use the unpacked files to install these drivers/programs.

Regards,

Doug McDonald
Customer Service Canada
ATI Technologies, Inc.
http://www.ati.com

My three replies (they never replied again):

To: support@ati.com
From: Turbo
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance
Date: 11:08 AM 6/13/2003
...

>Regarding AIW 128 PCI and Blue Screens Of Death unpacking web files:

>Is there anything readable in the BSOD? By that I mean any module names or
>IRQ_NOT_...etc?
>Do the files succeed in unpacking? One could possibly use the unpacked files
>to install these drivers/programs.

I think there is no IRQ_NOT_ message. I recall one line, about some address something like 00000008 or something like that.

I could always generate it again if needed.

I don't know if the files succeed in unpacking. I would guess the blue screen happens near the end of unpacking. My motherboard does have an ATI rage video controller. There is no way to disable it in the bios.

I was thinking of uninstalling the latest driver (which I believe came from microsoft update), and installing the drivers on your web page. What do you think of that idea?

The BSOD is most unwelcome, and the software should never generate
it.

thanks,
Turbo
...

To: support@ati.com
From: Turbo
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance
Date: 1:12PM 6/13/2003

I uninstalled the driver. I rebooted. Microsoft installed their new one. I removed it, and rebooted.

I installed the one on your web page, r128 6 13 3279 During unpacking, I got the blue screen. The message is:

Technical Information:
STOP 0x0000008E

(0xC0000005, 0x8051D9EC, 0xB6ED2BB4, 0x00000000)

When I rebooted, the newer microsoft signed driver, 6.13.10.5019 was installed.

I am now at witts end.

I really am a bit upset at all these blue screens.x As a professional software engineer, I would never ship such software.

Thanks,
Turbo

To: support@ati.com
From: Turbo
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance
Date: 1:47PM 6/13/2003

I tried to install the mmc 7.2
I successfully unpacked the exe.
I then got a message pop saying something like
OBJ_SUCCESS_STATUS something or other not found.
When I clicked on the ok button, I got the blue screen with the following:

Technical Information:
STOP 0x0000008E

(0xC0000005, 0x8051D9EC, 0xB6ED2BB4, 0x00000000)

Please advise

Update Feb-25-2002: I got a call a few days ago from an ATI guy. He said that an ATI tech would call on Monday (today) and resolve any issues. The tech called on time, and we uninstalled most of the ATI software, disabled all the Norton services running on the machine, rebooted, and installed the DVD player version 5, and the multimedia center version 7.2. Everything works fine now.

Now ATI's web page (as of a few weeks ago) said that for windows 2000, use the DVD player version 4, and the multimedia center version 7.1. The tech said the newer stuff (in the windows xp download area) would work fine with windows 2000. I am not sure if the newer software fixed the problem, or if the older installations were getting screwed up because Norton software was running. The tech said that the Norton software could screw up installations.

(Update Nov 2002) I hosed up my windows 2000 system disk, and did a fresh install. Here is what is needed in boring detail:

Install Microsoft direct x 8
Install Microsoft direct x 8 video
Install the ATI windows 2000 driver, r128_5_13_01_3279
Install mmc 7.2 from windows xp, mmc_7_2_noDVD
Install DVD 5 from windows xp, dvd_5_0
Install gemstar from cd via drive:\Install\Gemstar\Setup\Setup.exe

It is clear that ATI has quality hardware, quality software, and has quality support people. However, my experience shows that getting to the quality support people is not as easy as it should be.

I have decided that though ATI may know how to build nice graphics hardware, they have no idea about how to write software, or offer software support. I am including my correspondence between myself and ATI to demonstrate this. If you are thinking of asking for ATI support, I can save you lots of time with my simple script which is what ATI seems to use for software support.

#1 Ignore email. They do this 20-30 percent of the time.
#2 Install new ATI software.
#3 Ignore what you wrote in your email, and ask a question you answered in your email 5 lines away from where they ask the question.
#4 Suggest something that you have already done, and clearly specified in your email.
#5 Uninstall all ATI software, and install new ATI software.
#6 Uninstall all ATI software, scour the registry for all things ATI, delete them, and install new software.

I bought a new video card, since my last video card had 4mb of ram, and I wanted something faster. I bought the ATI video card (16mb of ram) and a TV tuner and lots of features. I installed it just fine in my Intel Providence motherboard. There was an odd software problem under Windows NT and Windows 2000, but not under Windows 98. When moving around windows, or scrolling text (like in Eudora, Netscape, or a DOS box) the screen updated very, very slowly. I searched ATI tech support for answers, and then I sent ATI tech support email. In a few days they said they didn't know what it was, but install new drivers. That fixed the problem, but it was so massive I cannot imagine them not knowing about it.

Well, now I was going to install it in my Asus CUR-DLS motherboard. I thought everything would go reasonably smoothly. I should mention that the CUR-DLS is the top end ASUS server motherboard and comes with ATI rage XL video built in. Well, the ATI install program got very confused under Windows 98, Windows NT, and Windows 2000. After much thrashing around, I was able to disable the onboard video under Windows 98, and Windows 2000, and manually install the software. I quickly found out the above reported ultra slow bug was still there, and installing new drivers fixed it.

But things weren't so rosy under Windows NT 4. There is no way to disable the on board video via the motherboard BIOS. I have found no way to disable the on board video in Windows NT 4. The ATI installer is too stupid to realize there may be more than one video card in the system, and refuses to install any ATI drivers. Now, consider that ATI is the #1 company with video installed on motherboards. How stupid is it to not be able to say WHICH video card you want to install software for? I guess it is beyond ATI's ability. Of course I searched their web site, and found nothing.

ATI clearly needs to learn how to write software, as well as how to test software, as well as how to list known issues and fixed on their WEB site. When I send in bug reports, it typically takes 1 week until I hear back from them, and the answer is almost always useless. While fixing things, ATI also needs some real tech support. Their web based support form crashed and failed in more ways than I can recall, and I sent in a bug report to their webmaster, and never got any acknowledgment back.

Here is my correspondence with ATI, I have added some comments before some messages, you will note that the ATI responses seem hard to read, because their lines run together. This is how their email appears with Eudora. I have never gotten messages like this from anywhere else.

(My comments are in parenthesis, and emphasized.)

Date: Mon Aug 06 21:01:43 2001
From: Turbo To: support@ati.com, webmaster@ati.com
Subject: your webform is broken
X-Attachments: E:\ati-problem.txt;

I tried it under win nt with Netscape and internet explorer.

It didn't work under Netscape, and under IE, I get the error:
SMTPMail::Webmail.SendMail error '800adac0'
Must not have blank arguments.
/cservice/emailtech.asp, line 56

Even though all form fields are filled out.

Here is the text:
platform:pc
os: win nt4.0 and win2k pro
card: all in wonder 128
issue: technical assistance

problem:
dos box scrolling is much too slow
under win nt4.0 and win 2k, but ok
under win98se

by the way, this form doesn't seem
to work well under Netscape...

problem report:

Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 16:29:23 -0400
From: "ATI Technical Support Canada" support@ati.com
To: Turbo Subject: RE: Webform: ATI Technical Assistance

Dear Turbo,

Thank you for contacting ATI Technical Support Canada.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your email has been assigned:
TicketGUID:{D1B7A711-8B41-11D5-A4E0-00508BE22D04}

Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence
relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear
in the message body.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regarding toll free number:

We currently do not have a Toll free number. We do offer callbacks, where we can call you back within a 24-48 hour period.
Please contact us at 905-882-2626 to arrange for a callback.

Regarding webform:

Please try to re-sumbit your request, if you do not want to call us. The webform is currently working.

Regards,

Rushikesh Thakar
Technical Support Canada
ATI Technologies, Inc.

Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 16:44:16 -0400
From: "ATI Technical Support Canada" support@ati.com
To: Turbo Subject: RE: Webform: ATI Technical Assistance

Dear Turbo,

Thank you for contacting ATI Technical Support Canada.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your email has been assigned:
TicketGUID:{0F691080-8B43-11D5-A4E0-00508BE22D04}

Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence
relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear
in the message body.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regarding slow text in command box under Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000:

We are not sure exactly what you mean when you are saying the command box shows text very slow.
From what we understand, when you type something it takes a longer for the text to show in Windows 2000 then Windows 98 SE.

If this is not the case, then please explain more in detail.

You may want to try updating your drivers for this card from the following link: http://support.ati.com/products/pc/rage128pro/win2k/rage128pro_win2k_drivers.html

Also, please note that the command box in Windows 2000 and Windows NT is a emulation, it is not a true DOS box like Windows 98, so the text and contents will appear slower in Windows 2000 and Windows NT than Windows 98.

Regards,

Rushikesh Thakar
Technical Support Canada
ATI Technologies, Inc.

Date: Fri Aug 10 21:09:19 2001
From: Turbo
To: support@ati.com
Subject: RE: Webform: ATI Technical Assistance

At 04:44 PM 8/10/01 -0400, you wrote:

Dear Turbo, Thank you for contacting ATI Technical Support Canada. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your email has been assigned: TicketGUID:{0F691080-8B43-11D5-A4E0-00508BE22D04} Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear in the message body. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regarding slow text in command box under Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000: We are not sure exactly what you mean when you are saying the command box shows text very slow. From what we understand, when you type something it takes a longer for the text to show in Windows 2000 then Windows 98 SE. If this is not the case, then please explain more in detail. You may want to try updating your drivers for this card from the following link: http://support.ati.com/products/pc/rage128pro/win2k/rage128pro_win2k_drivers.html Also, please note that the command box in Windows 2000 and Windows NT is a emulation, it is not a true DOS box like Windows 98, so the text and contents will appear slower in Windows 2000 and Windows NT than Windows 98. Regards, Rushikesh Thakar Technical Support Canada ATI Technologies, Inc. http://www.ati.com for Sales/Marketing and Product Information http://support.ati.com for Technical Support, Driver Download, FAQ's, et

When I do a dir /s c:, I generate a very large amount of output.
On win98, it scrolls by at perhaps 20-50 lines per second.
On win-nt and win-2k it scrolls by at perhaps 2 lines per second.

When I had my number 9 rev 3d card, under win-nt and win-2k it
scrolled by at perhaps 20 lines per second.

I think something is very, very wrong with the drivers or something.
I will download the lastest drivers, and see if that helps.

Well it sure fixed win-nt4. Too bad it isn't mentioned as a problem in
your FAQ's.

thanks,
Turbo

(Well, they got the correct answer, reinstall the drivers, so I have to give them some credit, even if they didn't clearly understand what I wrote them. Basically script #2.)

Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 13:30:17 -0400
From: "ATI Technical Support (Canada)" support@ati.com
To: Turbo
Subject: RE: YOUR WEBFORM IS BROKEN ; ATI CUSTOMER # 1100819CSC

Dear Turbo,

Thank you for contacting ATI Technical Support.

Regarding slow DOS box scrolling:

This issue has not been reported to ATI Technical Support previously. As this is a popular display adapter it is likely something specific to your system. It does not appear to be a driver issue since this occurs in to different operating systems.

This may be caused by a configuration setting in your systems BIOS. Please see the troubleshooting steps below this message for detailed suggestions.

Should you require any further information or assistance, do not hesitate to contact us again.

Please quote your ATI Customer Number, 1100819CSC, in any future correspondence.

Regards,

Mark Harris
Technical Support Canada
ATI Technologies, Inc.

(their usual FAQ was included here)

-----Original Message-----
From: Turbo
Sent: August 7, 2001 12:02 AM
To: ATI Technical Support (Canada); webmaster@ati.com
Subject: your webform is broken

I tried it under win nt with Netscape and internet explorer.

It didn't work under Netscape, and under IE, I get the error:
SMTPMail::Webmail.SendMail error '800adac0'
Must not have blank arguments.
/cservice/emailtech.asp, line 56

Even though all form fields are filled out.

Here is the text:
platform:pc
os: win nt4.0 and win2k pro
card: all in wonder 128
issue: technical assistance

problem:
dos box scrolling is much too slow
under win nt4.0 and win 2k, but ok
under win98se

by the way, this form doesn't seem
to work well under Netscape...

problem report:

(Now this turned out to be a problem with their winnt drivers on their cd. It should have been obvious to the tech, and it is impossible to believe that it was not found during internal testing. Installing the new drivers fixed this problem. Basically script #2.

Note also that their web form produced some error message which prevented me from sending this in via their web form...)

Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 15:49:02 -0400
From: "ATI Technical Support Canada" support@ati.com
To: Turbo
Subject: RE: RE: Webform: ATI Technical Assistance

Dear Turbo

Thank you for contacting ATI Technical Support Canada.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your email has been assigned:
TicketGUID:{8996FF4F-8E07-11D5-A4E2-00508BE22D04}

Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence
relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear
in the message body.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Regarding text scrolling slowly when using Windows 2000 or Windows NT:

This situation may be due to the drivers. Updating the drivers would be the best place to start. It is possible that updating the display drivers can resolve this symptom.

Please keep us informed of the results in your next correspondence.

Regards,

Anthony Prowell
Technical Support Canada
ATI Technologies, Inc.

(*May be due to the drivers*? It was clearly due to the drivers. Basically script #2.)

Date: Mon Aug 13 17:05:08 2001
From: Turbo
To: "ATI Technical Support (Canada)" support@ati.com
Subject: RE: YOUR WEBFORM IS BROKEN ; ATI CUSTOMER # 1100819CSC

I uninstalled your driver, and reinstalled the newest driver,
and it fixed the problem for win nt4.0
So there is likely something wrong with your driver on the cd,
or in the installation program.
I didn't open my computer up, or change any other settings.

Turbo

Dear Turbo,

Thank you for contacting ATI Technical Support.

Regarding slow DOS box scrolling:

This issue has not been reported to ATI Technical Support previously. As this is a popular display adapter it is likely something specific to your system. It does not appear to be a driver issue since this occurs in to different operating systems.

This may be caused by a configuration setting in your systems BIOS. Please see the troubleshooting steps below this message for detailed suggestions.

Should you require any further information or assistance, do not hesitate to contact us again.

Please quote your ATI Customer Number, 1100819CSC, in any future correspondence.

Regards,

Mark Harris
Technical Support Canada
ATI Technologies, Inc.

http://www.ati.com for Sales/Marketing and Product Information
http://support.ati.com for Technical Support, Driver Download, FAQ's, etc.

(their usual FAQ was included here)

Date: Mon Aug 13 17:06:03 2001
From: Turbo
To: support@ati.com
Subject: RE: RE: Webform: ATI Technical Assistance

The new driver fixed the problem.
I wonder why the bug had not been reported before...

thanks,
Turbo

Dear Turbo Thank you for contacting ATI Technical Support Canada. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your email has been assigned: TicketGUID:{8996FF4F-8E07-11D5-A4E2-00508BE22D04} Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear in the message body. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regarding text scrolling slowly when using Windows 2000 or Windows NT: This situation may be due to the drivers. Updating the drivers would be the best place to start. It is possible that updating the display drivers can resolve this symptom. Please keep us informed of the results in your next correspondence. Regards, Anthony Prowell Technical Support Canada ATI Technologies, Inc. http://www.ati.com for Sales/Marketing and Product Information http://support.ati.com for Technical Support, Driver Download, FAQ's, et

Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2001 23:04:09 -0500
From: "ATI Technical Support Canada" support@ati.com
To: Turbo
Subject: Multimedia Center FAQ

Dear Turbo,

Thank you for contacting ATI Technical Support Canada.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your email has been assigned:
TicketGUID:{34320E75-CC0C-11D5-A4EB-00508BE22D04}

Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence
relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear
in the message body, not in the subject line.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Based on our experience, issues with the ATI Multimedia Center software are usually due to system configuration errors. We believe that you may find your issue addressed at our ATI Multimedia Center section on our web site located at:

http://support.ati.com/faq/mmcenter.html

If your issue is still unresolved, you should consider trying some of the most common troubleshooting steps listed below.

You may also consider using the new SEARCH ATI function on our web site. It can be found at:

http://support.ati.com/search/index.html

Regards,

Technical Support Canada
ATI Technologies, Inc.

(their usual FAQ was included here.
Script #2, and ignore what you say.)

Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2001 23:06:00 -0500
From: "ATI Technical Support Canada" support@ati.com
To: Turbo
Subject: Installation/Configuration NT/2000 FAQ

Dear Turbo,

Thank you for contacting ATI Technical Support Canada.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your email has been assigned:
TicketGUID:{34320FD8-CC0C-11D5-A4EB-00508BE22D04}

Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence
relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear
in the message body, not in the subject line.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Based on our experience, the issue(s) you describe are usually due to system configuration errors. We believe that the troubleshooting steps listed below may help to resolve this issue.

If you own one of our Radeon products, you may consider reviewing the information at:

http://support.ati.com/products/pc/radeon/radeon_issues.html

If the ATI display adapter you have is an AGP card, you should also consider reviewing the information at:

http://support.ati.com/infobase/3179.html

You may also consider using the new SEARCH ATI function on our web site. It can be found at:

http://support.ati.com/search/index.html

Regards,

Technical Support Canada
ATI Technologies, Inc.

(their usual FAQ was included here.
Script #2, and ignore what you say.)

Date: Mon Oct 29 06:09:07 2001
To: "ATI Technical Support Canada" support@ati.com
From: Turbo
Subject: Re: Multimedia Center FAQ

I have installed mmc7 from my retail cd under win2k and win98se.
In both cases I do not get the 'tv listings' button'.
I had to manually go to the install\mmcdvd7 directory, and run setup.

This is because I have an Asus cur-dls with onboard ati rage xl video,
and your installer gets confused between the on board video and
the all-in-wonder 128 card, hosing my system if I try to use the ATI
easy install. While speaking of bugs, the mmcdvd7 tries to install in my
C drive, rather than using the system_root drive, which is a serious bug.

In any event, I don't get the tv listings button, nor the functionality.
Can you tell me what program to install on the cd-rom that will install it?

Also it would be nice to have some documentation to describe how to
use the video recording functions.

The reason I bought the card was the review on tomshardware.com.
If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't even know there was a video recorder, and
something that would determine the channels identities and the shows
playing in my area.

thanks,
Turbo

Dear Turbo, Thank you for contacting ATI Technical Support Canada. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your email has been assigned: TicketGUID:{34320E75-CC0C-11D5-A4EB-00508BE22D04} Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear in the message body, not in the subject line. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Based on our experience, issues with the ATI Multimedia Center software are usually due to system configuration errors. We believe that you may find your issue addressed at our ATI Multimedia Center section on our web site located at: http://support.ati.com/faq/mmcenter.html If your issue is still unresolved, you should consider trying some of the most common troubleshooting steps listed below. You may also consider using the new SEARCH ATI function on our web site. It can be found at: http://support.ati.com/search/index.html Regards, Technical Support Canada ATI Technologies, Inc. http://www.ati.com for Sales/Marketing and Product Information http://support.ati.com for Technical Support, Driver Download, FAQ's, etc.

(their usual FAQ was included here)

Date: Mon Oct 29 06:13:12 2001
From: Turbo
To: support@ati.com
Subject: Re: Installation/Configuration NT/2000 FAQ

It would be nice if you folks read my email.
I have searched your site extensively, and not found the answer to my problem. I will state it again, to help clarify the problem.

I have an Asus cur-dls with on board ati rage xl video.
I bought an ati all in wonder 128. I am trying to install the drivers.
Your silly program tries (unsuccessfully) to install the drivers for the
on board video, ignoring my all-in-wonder card. This is with windows nt 4.0
service pack 2. I can disable the onboard video card under windows 98se,
and windows 2000, but I don't know how to do it with windows NT.

I think it is a very very serious bug, as I am stuck with 600*800 VGA graphics
under windows nt. I really need to get it fixed, or windows nt will be 99%
useless. Your installer programs probably need to be updated to deal
with more than one graphics adapter, as you are the number 1 OEM
on board video maker.

Please help.

thanks,
Turbo

Dear Turbo, Thank you for contacting ATI Technical Support Canada. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your email has been assigned: TicketGUID:{34320FD8-CC0C-11D5-A4EB-00508BE22D04} Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear in the message body, not in the subject line. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Based on our experience, the issue(s) you describe are usually due to system configuration errors.

(their usual FAQ was included here.)

Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2001 15:08:50 -0500
From: "ATI Technical Support Canada" support@ati.com
To: Turbo
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance

Dear Turbo

Thank you for contacting ATI Technical Support Canada.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your email has been assigned:
TicketGUID:{B0E6B128-CC7F-11D5-A4EB-00508BE22D04}

Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence
relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear
in the message body, not in the subject line.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Is your card AGP or PCI? If it is AGP, you need at least Service Pack 3 for AGP support to be enabled. If the card is PCI, you may want to check the BIOS for any options to disable the onboard video. If none exist, there may be a jumper on the motherboard that forces the onboard video to disable. To find out more about this, please contact the motherboard or system manufacturer

Regards,

Vaughn Shideler
Technical Support Canada
ATI Technologies, Inc.

(Here they ignore all my previous email, explaining that I have a PCI card, and that there is no way to disable the on-board BIOS.
Script #3.)

Date: Thu Nov 01 15:08:51 2001
From: Turbo
To: support@ati.com
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance

thanks for the reply.
I have a all-in-wonder 128 PCI card.
I have a dual processor Pentium III in an Asus cur-dls motherboard.
There is no way to disable the on-board video, either via the BIOS or
via any jumpers.

I am running windows nt 4.0 server, service pack 6a.

I have successfully installed the card on the same hardware under
windows 98se and windows 2000 professional.

The problem is with windows nt, and using your installation software.

thanks,
Turbo

Dear Turbo Thank you for contacting ATI Technical Support Canada. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your email has been assigned: TicketGUID:{B0E6B128-CC7F-11D5-A4EB-00508BE22D04} Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear in the message body, not in the subject line. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Is your card AGP or PCI? If it is AGP, you need at least Service Pack 3 for AGP support to be enabled. If the card is PCI, you may want to check the BIOS for any options to disable the onboard video. If none exist, there may be a jumper on the motherboard that forces the onboard video to disable. To find out more about this, please contact the motherboard or system manufacturer Regards, Vaughn Shideler Technical Support Canada ATI Technologies, Inc. http://www.ati.com for Sales/Marketing and Product Information http://support.ati.com for Technical Support, Driver Download, FAQ's, et

Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2001 16:12:11 -0500
From: "ATI Technical Support Canada" support@ati.com
To: Turbo
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance

Dear Turbo

Thank you for contacting ATI Technical Support Canada.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your email has been assigned:
TicketGUID:{B7126601-CC7D-11D5-A4EB-00508BE22D04}

Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence
relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear
in the message body, not in the subject line.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regarding the tv listings software:

We recommend you try the following troubleshooting steps:

- try installing the Gemstar GUIDEPLUS software manually from the ATI Installation CD possible. The setup of the software may be located in the "[Your CD-ROM drive]:\install\gemstar" folder.

Regards,

Daniel Isaac
Technical Support Canada
ATI Technologies, Inc.

(So, here they finally explain how to manually install the software, since their installed gets confused by the on-board ATI video. Surprisingly, a useful, correct response.)

Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 17:32:20 -0500
From: "ATI Technical Support Canada" support@ati.com
To: Turbo
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance

Dear Turbo

Thank you for contacting ATI Technical Support Canada.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your email has been assigned:
TicketGUID:{F5A559F8-CFA5-11D5-A4EB-00508BE22D04}

Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence
relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear
in the message body, not in the subject line.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Regarding installing the AIW 128 card under Windows NT 4.0 with an onboard video card that does not disable:

This means that you will not gt the ATI card to properly install. Windows NT does NOT support dual display or multiple display adapters. Whatever card is the primary device from the BIOS level (most likely the motherboard card in this case) will be the video card that initializes on startup. If this onboard can be disabled (check with ASUS for more information) with a BIOS update, you may wish to see if there was available.

Regards,

Rick Singh
Technical Support Canada
ATI Technologies, Inc.

(I am not sure if this is a limitation with Windows NT or with ATI software. I will reserve judgment on this one.)

Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 16:31:09 -0500
From: "ATI Customer Service Canada" support@ati.com
To: Turbo
Subject: Multimedia Center FAQ

Dear Turbo,

Thank you for contacting ATI Customer Service Canada.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your email has been assigned:
TicketGUID:{FF7EB8EB-EFFC-11D5-A4F1-00508BE22D04}

Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence
relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear
in the message body, not in the subject line.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Based on our experience, issues with the ATI Multimedia Center software are usually due to system configuration errors. We believe that you may find your issue addressed at our ATI Multimedia Center section on our web site located at:

http://support.ati.com/faq/mmcenter.html

If your issue is still unresolved, you should consider trying some of the most common troubleshooting steps listed below.

You may also consider using the new SEARCH ATI function on our web site. It can be found at:

http://support.ati.com/search/index.html

Regards,

Customer Service Canada
ATI Technologies, Inc.

(their usual FAQ was included here. Script #5, ignoring everything I wrote.)

Date: Thu Dec 27 10:54:20 2001
To: "ATI Customer Service Canada" support@ati.com
From: Turbo
Subject: Re: Multimedia Center FAQ

you sent me this on Dec 13, and seemed not to get my reply.

1) I have read your FAQ, and it doesn't address my problem.

2) the email you sent seems to have no newlines or carriage returns,
making it very hard to read. I would think you would do a better job.

3) I can save a tv program, but I cannot view it.
I can view other mpg files generated by other programs.
I have the latest windows media player.
I am running windows 2000 pro, sp2.

Can you give me some idea what to do, so I can see the tv
programs I save?

Turbo

Dear Turbo, Thank you for contacting ATI Customer Service Canada. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your email has been assigned: TicketGUID:{FF7EB8EB-EFFC-11D5-A4F1-00508BE22D04} Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear in the message body, not in the subject line. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Based on our experience, issues with the ATI Multimedia Center software are usually due to system configuration errors. We believe that you may find your issue addressed at our ATI Multimedia Center section on our web site located at: http://support.ati.com/faq/mmcenter.html If your issue is still unresolved, you should consider trying some of the most common troubleshooting steps listed below. You may also consider using the new SEARCH ATI function on our web site. It can be found at: http://support.ati.com/search/index.html Regards, Customer Service Canada ATI Technologies, Inc. http://www.ati.com for Sales/Marketing and Product Information http://support.ati.com for Technical Support, Driver Download, FAQ's, etc.

(their usual FAQ was included here)

Date: Fri Jan 04 11:42:10 2002
From: Turbo
To: support@ati.com
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance
X-Attachments: E:\ati-Problem.txt;

Dear Turbo, Thank you for contacting ATI Customer Service Canada. Regarding: "I can save a tv program, but I cannot view it. I can view other mpg files generated by other programs. I have the latest windows media player. I am running windows 2000 pro, sp2." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your email has been assigned: TicketGUID:{9EBE0BDF-FAF9-11D5-A4F4-00508BE22D04} Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear in the message body, not in the subject line. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In order to properly troubleshoot your issue, ATI Customer Support requires some additional information. Which ATI product(s) do you have?

the all in wonder 128 PCI, as my first message mentioned.

Is your video card an ATI product or is it another brand?

see above.

What OS are you running?.

did you read the line above 'windows 2000 pro sp2'? That is the os.

What format have you captured your video in?

the highest resolution available.

Please note, MPEG 2 otherwise known as DVD, will only play using ATI's File Player. MPEG 2 files will not play in the Windows Media Player. In order to play MPEG 2 files in the ATI File Player, you must install our DVD software. This software is posted at our website or may be included on the installation CD. If you continue to experience difficulty, then please provide an ATI problem report.

I have file player 7.0 installed.
It produces the error message
Error: could not open file <filename>

I have told you all this stuff in my previous email from mid December.
I have not gotten any help with the issue, so I sent you email
referring the previous ticket-id.

To do this; Right click the ATI logo on the Windows 95/98 Taskbar, select Troubleshooting, ATI Desktop, Problem Report Wizard. Follow the instructions on the screen. Copy the resulting text file into an email, or send it to us as an attachment. Regards, Paul Clack Customer Service Canada ATI Technologies, Inc. http://www.ati.com for Sales/Marketing and Product Information http://support.ati.com for Technical Support, Driver Download, FAQ's, et

(Here ATI is in rare form. They ignored all the text of my message which I wrote to them, and asked me again which card I had, which I told them in a previous message. They asked me which brand it was, which I told them before. They asked me which OS I am running, even though it is a few lines above their question. Basically script #3. I have already sent them an ATI problem report, but since they want another, so I sent them a complete dump of the contents of my system in the ATI problem report. However, they do mention that you need their DVD player installed in order to watch the mpeg files that they make, which fixes that problem.)

Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2002 14:23:56 -0500
From: "ATI Customer Service Canada" support@ati.com
To: Turbo
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance

Dear Turbo,

Thank you for contacting ATI Customer Service Canada.

Regarding: "I can save a tv program, but I cannot view it. I can view other mpg files generated by other programs. I have the latest windows media player. I am running windows 2000 pro, sp2."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your email has been assigned: TicketGUID:{9EBE0BDF-FAF9-11D5-A4F4-00508BE22D04}

Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear in the message body, not in the subject line.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In order to properly troubleshoot your issue, ATI Customer Support requires some additional information. Which ATI product(s) do you have? Is your video card an ATI product or is it another brand? What OS are you running?. What format have you captured your video in?

Please note, MPEG 2 otherwise known as DVD, will only play using ATI's File Player. MPEG 2 files will not play in the Windows Media Player. In order to play MPEG 2 files in the ATI File Player, you must install our DVD software. This software is posted at our website or may be included on the installation CD.

If you continue to experience difficulty, then please provide an ATI problem report. To do this;

Right click the ATI logo on the Windows 95/98 Taskbar, select Troubleshooting, ATI Desktop, Problem Report Wizard. Follow the instructions on the screen. Copy the resulting text file into an email, or send it to us as an attachment.

Regards,

Paul Clack
Customer Service Canada
ATI Technologies, Inc.

Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 16:23:36 -0500
From: "ATI Customer Service Canada" support@ati.com
To: Turbo
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance

Dear Turbo,

Thank you for contacting ATI Customer Service Canada.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your email has been assigned:
TicketGUID:{52385851-014A-11D6-A4F5-00508BE22D04}

Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence
relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear
in the message body, not in the subject line.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In regard to MPEG 2 playback, please try the procedure given below. As well, you may wish to try reinstalling Windows Media Player (or obtaining the most recent version, if you have not done so already), as this will help to reinstall the system's codecs (including MPEG codecs).

Regards,

Vaughn Shideler
Customer Service Canada
ATI Technologies, Inc.

http://www.ati.com for Sales/Marketing and Product Information
http://support.ati.com for Technical Support, Driver Download, FAQ's, etc.

1. Boot into safe mode (hold down shift or press F8 during bootup)

2. Once in safe mode, right-click on My Computer, then click Properties, then Hardware

3. Go to Device Manager, and open Display Adapters

4. Remove any items under Display Adapters

5. Open Control Panel, then go to Add/Remove Programs

6. Remove ATI Multimedia Center, and any ATI entries other than ATI Display Driver

7. Open Device Manager, and remove any ATI drivers under Sound, Video and Game Controllers

8. Delete the folders C:\ati and C:\Program Files\ATI Multimedia

9. Click Start, then Run

10. Type Regedit and click Ok

11. Click Registry and export the Registry to a file, so as to back it up

12. Open the folder HKEY_CURRENT_USER, open Software and remove any ATI entries

13. Open the folder HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, open Software and remove any ATI entries

14. Close any open windows and reboot

15. Once in Windows, install the ATI drivers and softwa

(Here again, ATI is in rare form. They think I am running windows 98, despite me mentioning many times I am running Windows 2000. Here is the first occurrence of Script #6. And they tell me to start hacking the registry, which means their software installer and remover programs are not smart enough to do it correctly. I do know how to edit the registry, but this is not a good idea for most folks...)

Date: Tue Jan 08 15:14:21 2002
From: Turbo
To: support@ati.com
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance

As I mentioned in my email of December 10th, which you folks seem to
have lost....

1) I have win 2000 pro sp2.

2) After the problem I installed the latest-and-greatest windows media
player, and it still couldn't play your files.

3) It is very very difficult to install your software, as I have an on
board ati rage video card. Nonetheless, I removed all your software
and reinstalled it, and still can't play your video files.

4) I got a previous email from ati tech saying that the windows media
player couldn't play the mp2 files you produced, and implying that
I am a fool for trying it.

5) I am a software professional with over 20 years of experience
on VMS, Unix, Linux, lynx, Solaris, dos, win3.1, win95, win98, winnt,
win2k and winxp.
I already tried the easy stuff like the latest media player and reinstalling
your software, since you folks ignored my first email problem reports.
My version of Microsoft windows media player is 7.01.00.3055

So why can't your 'file player' open the mpeg files that your tv
recorder produces?

Turbo

Dear Turbo, Thank you for contacting ATI Customer Service Canada. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your email has been assigned: TicketGUID:{52385851-014A-11D6-A4F5-00508BE22D04} Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear in the message body, not in the subject line. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In regard to MPEG 2 playback, please try the procedure given below. As well, you may wish to try reinstalling Windows Media Player (or obtaining the most recent version, if you have not done so already), as this will help to reinstall the system's codecs (including MPEG codecs). Regards, Vaughn Shideler Customer Service Canada ATI Technologies, Inc. http://www.ati.com for Sales/Marketing and Product Information http://support.ati.com for Technical Support, Driver Download, FAQ's, etc. 1. Boot into safe mode (hold down shift or press F8 during bootup) 2. Once in safe mode, right-click on My Computer, then click Properties, then Hardware 3. Go to Device Manager, and open Display Adapters 4. Remove any items under Display Adapters 5. Open Control Panel, then go to Add/Remove Programs 6. Remove ATI Multimedia Center, and any ATI entries other than ATI Display Driver 7. Open Device Manager, and remove any ATI drivers under Sound, Video and Game Controllers 8. Delete the folders C:\ati and C:\Program Files\ATI Multimedia 9. Click Start, then Run 10. Type Regedit and click Ok 11. Click Registry and export the Registry to a file, so as to back it up 12. Open the folder HKEY_CURRENT_USER, open Software and remove any ATI entries 13. Open the folder HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, open Software and remove any ATI entries 14. Close any open windows and reboot 15. Once in Windows, install the ATI drivers and softwa

(Here you will note they think I am running windows 98, since they ask me to boot in safe mode. Also they ask me to update my windows media player, when the problem turns out to be *their* ATI file player not being installed.
Script #6 again.)

Date: Fri Jan 11 18:05:02 2002
From: Turbo
To: support@ati.com
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance

I am shocked and dismayed. I had virtually given up hope on ati tech support, and you answered my questions accurately, completely, and usefully.

After several blue screens, I reinstalled the latest DVD player, and the latest media player, and I am now watching the show I taped.

Thanks for all of your help.
I wish your software was easier to install though...

Turbo

Dear Turbo, Thank you for contacting ATI Customer Service Canada. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your email has been assigned: TicketGUID:{28A89EFA-04B1-11D6-A4F5-00508BE22D04} Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear in the message body, not in the subject line. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regarding cannot playback MP2 files with the ATI file player or Windows Media Player: It can be the case of either one of two things. No ATI DVD player installed which contains codecs for MP2 playback. Or the MP2 codecs scheme has changed from the previous version of ATI Multimedia Center. If no ATI DVD player is installed try to install the latest version 4.1 available for download on our website. Regards, Edwin Abuyuan Customer Service Canada ATI Technologies, Inc. http://www.ati.com for Sales/Marketing and Product Information http://support.ati.com for Technical Support, Driver Download, FAQ's, et

(Here they actually answered a question of mine, and got the answer correct!)

Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 13:50:08 -0500
From: "ATI Customer Service Canada" support@ati.com
To: Turbo
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance

Dear Turbo,

Thank you for contacting ATI Customer Service Canada.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your email has been assigned:
TicketGUID:{28A89EFA-04B1-11D6-A4F5-00508BE22D04}

Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence
relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear
in the message body, not in the subject line.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Regarding cannot playback MP2 files with the ATI file player or Windows Media Player:

It can be the case of either one of two things. No ATI DVD player installed which contains codecs for MP2 playback. Or the MP2 codecs scheme has changed from the previous version of ATI Multimedia Center.

If no ATI DVD player is installed try to install the latest version 4.1 available for download on our website.

Regards,
Edwin Abuyuan

Customer Service Canada
ATI Technologies, Inc.

Date: Fri Jan 11 20:29:12 2002
From: Turbo
To: support@ati.com
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance

I have good news and bad news.
I have played back part of a DVD.
I have played back part of a show I recorded on tv.

However, 90% of the time, I get the following message when I try to do
so:

Playback has failed due to the one of the following problems:
1) audio device in use of not installed.
2) display overlay us not available.
3) Not enough video memory.

The system often blue screens after the message.
I am not sure how to trouble shoot this problem.

Please advise.

I have installed the newest copies of the DVD player and the media
center.

thanks,
Turbo

Dear Turbo, Thank you for contacting ATI Customer Service Canada. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your email has been assigned: TicketGUID:{28A89EFA-04B1-11D6-A4F5-00508BE22D04} Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear in the message body, not in the subject line. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regarding cannot playback MP2 files with the ATI file player or Windows Media Player: It can be the case of either one of two things. No ATI DVD player installed which contains codecs for MP2 playback. Or the MP2 codecs scheme has changed from the previous version of ATI Multimedia Center. If no ATI DVD player is installed try to install the latest version 4.1 available for download on our website. Regards, Edwin Abuyuan Customer Service Canada ATI Technologies, Inc. http://www.ati.com for Sales/Marketing and Product Information http://support.ati.com for Technical Support, Driver Download, FAQ's, et

Date: Sun Jan 13 06:59:53 2002
From: Turbo
To: support@ati.com
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance
X-Attachments: E:\ati-new-Problem.txt;

Since I was having so many problems, I have installed directx 8.1
I have reinstalled the 7.1 multimedia center, and DVD 4.1

Now, the file player comes up with no video picture, and the video
size controls on the setup menu are greyed out.

I can start to play DVD, but after the DVD preamble, when I select
'play movie', atimmc generates errors and exits.

This is with windows 2000 professional, sp1, 2 933 MHz pIII processors,
and 1gig of ram.

Please advise.

Turbo

Dear Turbo, Thank you for contacting ATI Customer Service Canada. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your email has been assigned: TicketGUID:{28A89EFA-04B1-11D6-A4F5-00508BE22D04} Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear in the message body, not in the subject line. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regarding cannot playback MP2 files with the ATI file player or Windows Media Player: It can be the case of either one of two things. No ATI DVD player installed which contains codecs for MP2 playback. Or the MP2 codecs scheme has changed from the previous version of ATI Multimedia Center. If no ATI DVD player is installed try to install the latest version 4.1 available for download on our website. Regards, Edwin Abuyuan Customer Service Canada ATI Technologies, Inc. http://www.ati.com for Sales/Marketing and Product Information http://support.ati.com for Technical Support, Driver Download, FAQ's, et

Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 09:01:57 -0500
From: "ATI Customer Service Canada" support@ati.com
To: Turbo
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance

Dear Turbo,

Thank you for contacting ATI Customer Service Canada.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your email has been assigned:
TicketGUID:{56DC79D6-0714-11D6-A4FA-00508BE22D04}

Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence
relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear
in the message body, not in the subject line.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Regarding "Playback has failed due to one of the following "

The issue(s) you have described has previously been reported to ATI Technical Support. Please refer to our website for more info at
http://support.ati.com/infobase/3398.html

Regards,

Shabu Nanji
Customer Service Canada
ATI Technologies, Inc.

Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 11:40:59 -0500
From: "ATI Customer Service Canada" support@ati.com
To: Turbo
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance

Dear Turbo,

Thank you for contacting ATI Customer Service Canada.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your email has been assigned:
TicketGUID:{8BDF43E4-0827-11D6-A4FA-00508BE22D04}

Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence
relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear
in the message body, not in the subject line.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regarding DVD player not functioning correctly:

It is possible that the Multimedia Center software may have some incorrect or corrupted settings or system entries. We would recommend that you look over the steps below to further troubleshoot the issue. These settings have been known to resolve similar DVD playback issues on other systems.

Regards,

Dan Merrill
Customer Service Canada
ATI Technologies, Inc.

http://www.ati.com for Sales/Marketing and Product Information
http://support.ati.com for Technical Support, Driver Download, FAQ's, etc.

========================================================================================================================

For windows 2000:

Follow the steps below to ensure a clean install for your ATI graphics adapter;

Remove the current ATI , multimedia center and/or DVD player (if present) using add/remove
programs in the control panel.

Select NO when prompted to reboot. Then remove the ATI Display Driver. Do not reboot

Double click on My comp. on your desk top. ..double click on the C drive.. double click on program files.. Delete the ati multomedia folder(if present)..DO NOT REBOOT.

******************
(registry edit)

Go to Start..Run...Type regedit.. Click OK .. Click on Registry
on the menu bar..Export the registry to the desktop.

Click on the plus sign beside Hkey local machine...click on the + sign beside software...delete the ATI folders
Click on the + sign beside hkey current user....click on the + sign beside software...delete any ati folders..
Exit the registry

******************

Reboot to safe mode

During reboot, hit F8 or hold down CTRL to bring up the MS Start Up Menu.
Select #3 to boot to safe mode.

Set Performance slider to full:
http://support.ati.com/faq/win2k/win2k_config_adjust_hardware_accel_slider.html

Open the Control Panel and double-click on System. Click on hardware

Then select the Device Manager Button and click on the plus + sign next to Display adapters.
Remove ALL VIDEO CARDS LISTED UNDER THE DISPLAY ADAPTER HEADING.
Remove all Monitors as well.( if present)

Also click on the + sign beside Sound Video and Games and remove everything that says ati.

Reboot to Normal Mode. Windows will detect new hardware , let it installl its drivers...reboot .. then. put ati installation CD in and install..or install the download.

NOTE:
( If you are only able to boot to safe mode, then you may do that and complete as many of the steps as you can starting from the beginning, in safe mode)

PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY CHANGES MADE IN THE REGISTRY IS MADE AT YOUR OWN RISK. IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS THEN PLEASE IGNORE THE REGISTRY PART OF THE INSTRUCTION

(Once again, Script #6, along with their disclaimer about hacking the registry. A clear failure of their install/uninstall software.)

Date: Mon Jan 14 17:28:01 2002
From: Turbo
To: support@ati.com
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance

I have done the fresh install after deleting my ati registry entries and
all that stuff.

I can now use the file player.

However, the DVD player plays the 1 minute DVD preamble, and then
exits with errors from atimmc.exe, just like before. I don't have to
touch any controls.

I suppose you folks know that my Asus cur-dls motherboard has
an ati rage xl 4mb video controller? I have disabled it for w2k, but
it makes the software installation a bit more complex.
I have the hardware acceleration set to full.

I am using the version 3279 ati driver,
the multimedia center 7.1 and the DVD driver 4.1
I am also using direct x 8.1, and direct x for video 8, the latest
stuff from Microsoft.

Please advise.

Turbo

Dear Turbo, Thank you for contacting ATI Customer Service Canada. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your email has been assigned: TicketGUID:{8BDF43E4-0827-11D6-A4FA-00508BE22D04} Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear in the message body, not in the subject line. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regarding DVD player not functioning correctly: It is possible that the Multimedia Center software may have some incorrect or corrupted settings or system entries. We would recommend that you look over the steps below to further troubleshoot the issue. These settings have been known to resolve similar DVD playback issues on other systems. Regards, Dan Merrill Customer Service Canada ATI Technologies, Inc. http://www.ati.com for Sales/Marketing and Product Information http://support.ati.com for Technical Support, Driver Download, FAQ's, etc. ======================================================================================================================== For windows 2000: Follow the steps below to ensure a clean install for your ATI graphics adapter; Remove the current ATI , multimedia center and/or DVD player (if present) using add/remove programs in the control panel. Select NO when prompted to reboot. Then remove the ATI Display Driver. Do not reboot Double click on My comp. on your desk top. ..double click on the C drive.. double click on program files.. Delete the ati multomedia folder(if present)..DO NOT REBOOT. ****************** (registry edit) Go to Start..Run...Type regedit.. Click OK .. Click on Registry on the menu bar..Export the registry to the desktop. Click on the plus sign beside Hkey local machine...click on the + sign beside software...delete the ATI folders Click on the + sign beside hkey current user....click on the + sign beside software...delete any ati folders.. Exit the registry ****************** Reboot to safe mode During reboot, hit F8 or hold down CTRL to bring up the MS Start Up Menu. Select #3 to boot to safe mode. Set Performance slider to full: http://support.ati.com/faq/win2k/win2k_config_adjust_hardware_accel_slider.html Open the Control Panel and double-click on System. Click on hardware Then select the Device Manager Button and click on the plus + sign next to Display adapters. Remove ALL VIDEO CARDS LISTED UNDER THE DISPLAY ADAPTER HEADING. Remove all Monitors as well.( if present) Also click on the + sign beside Sound Video and Games and remove everything that says ati. Reboot to Normal Mode. Windows will detect new hardware , let it installl its drivers...reboot .. then. put ati installation CD in and install..or install the download. NOTE: ( If you are only able to boot to safe mode, then you may do that and complete as many of the steps as you can starting from the beginning, in safe mode) PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY CHANGES MADE IN THE REGISTRY IS MADE AT YOUR OWN RISK. IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS THEN PLEASE IGNORE THE REGISTRY PART OF THE INSTRUCTION

Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 11:58:28 -0500
From: "ATI Customer Service Canada" support@ati.com
To: Turbo
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance

Dear Turbo,

Thank you for contacting ATI Customer Service Canada.

Regarding: "However, the DVD player plays the 1 minute DVD preamble, and then exits with errors from atimmc.exe, just like before. I don't have to touch any controls."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your email has been assigned: TicketGUID:{873BF82D-0952-11D6-A4FC-00508BE22D04}

Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear in the message body, not in the subject line.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In order to better troubleshoot your issue, we may require further details. Please advise us which ATI programs are listed in the Device Manager under the Add/Remove programs category.

We also require an ATI problem report. To do this;

Right click the ATI logo on the Windows 95/98 Taskbar, select Troubleshooting, ATI Desktop, Problem Report Wizard. Follow the instructions on the screen. Copy the resulting text file into an email, or send it to us as an attachment.

Note, for DVD to properly function, you must have it configured as follows;
- The DVD ROM drive must be connected to the motherboard as a MASTER device.
- DMA for your DVD ROM drive must be Enabled. You can do this in the Device manager under the CD ROM's category.
- Configure your BIOS as follows;
INIT Display = AGP slot.
AGP Aperture = 64MB.
- Check the Standard CMOS setup page. Ensure that Secondary Master is set to AUTO. This ensures that the DVD ROM drive is detected by the BIOS.
- Ensure that you have the latest motherboard chipset drivers installed. This is especially important if your motherboard has a VIA, ALI or AMD chipset. You can obtain the latest VIA drivers from www.via.com.tw. The latest AMD chipset drivers from www.amd.com and ALI chipset drivers from www.ali.com.tw. If you are unsure which chipset you have, then check the device manager for Intel, ALI, VIA, AMD or SIS.

Regards,

Paul Clack
Customer Service Canada
ATI Technologies, Inc.

(Here they clearly have forgotten the past several trouble reports. They have forgotten that I am running Windows 2000, don't have AGP, and have a ServerWorks chipset.)

Date: Mon Jan 21 09:20:42 2002
From: Turbo
To: support@ati.com
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance
X-Attachments: E:\ati-jan-Problem.txt;

At 11:58 AM 1/21/2002 -0500, you wrote:

Dear Turbo, Thank you for contacting ATI Customer Service Canada. Regarding: "However, the DVD player plays the 1 minute DVD preamble, and then exits with errors from atimmc.exe, just like before. I don't have to touch any controls." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your email has been assigned: TicketGUID:{873BF82D-0952-11D6-A4FC-00508BE22D04} Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear in the message body, not in the subject line. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In order to better troubleshoot your issue, we may require further details. Please advise us which ATI programs are listed in the Device Manager under the Add/Remove programs category.

I am running windows 2000 professional service pack 2.
In the control panel under add/remove programs is:
ATI display driver
ATI DVD
ATI multimedia center.

We also require an ATI problem report.

Included.

To do this; Right click the ATI logo on the Windows 95/98 Taskbar, select Troubleshooting, ATI Desktop, Problem Report Wizard. Follow the instructions on the screen. Copy the resulting text file into an email, or send it to us as an attachment. Note, for DVD to properly function, you must have it configured as follows; - The DVD ROM drive must be connected to the motherboard as a MASTER device. - DMA for your DVD ROM drive must be Enabled.

This is always how it has been.

You can do this in the Device manager under the CD ROM's category. - Configure your BIOS as follows; INIT Display = AGP slot. AGP Aperture = 64MB. - Check the Standard CMOS setup page.

I have an ASUS cur-dls motherboard. It has no AGP.

Ensure that Secondary Master is set to AUTO. This ensures that the DVD ROM drive is detected by the BIOS. - Ensure that you have the latest motherboard chipset drivers installed. This is especially important if your motherboard has a VIA, ALI or AMD chipset.

Clearly it does not. It has a ServerWorks chipset.

You can obtain the latest VIA drivers from www.via.com.tw. The latest AMD chipset drivers from www.amd.com and ALI chipset drivers from www.ali.com.tw. If you are unsure which chipset you have, then check the device manager for Intel, ALI, VIA, AMD or SIS. Regards, Paul Clack Customer Service Canada ATI Technologies, Inc. http://www.ati.com for Sales/Marketing and Product Information http://support.ati.com for Technical Support, Driver Download, FAQ's, et

Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2002 08:51:26 -0500
From: "ATI Customer Service Canada" support@ati.com
To: Turbo
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance

Dear Turbo,

Thank you for contacting ATI Customer Service Canada.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your email has been assigned:
TicketGUID:{6B6E1190-0E91-11D6-A4FC-00508BE22D04}

Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence
relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear
in the message body, not in the subject line.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regarding the issue you are having with DVD:

Looking at your problem report, I can see that there is a secondary display adapter. You may want to try and disable it to see if that helps.

If you have an onboard display adapter you may be able to disable it by one of the following
methods:

1) With a jumper on the mother board if one is present. You may have to read the mother board
manual or call the mother board manufacturer.

2) In the Bios. Set the initial display to AGP if the adapter is AGP or PCI if the adapter
is a PCI adapter. Disable the onboard adapter if that option is present in Bios. You may
have to call the mother board manufacturer for help.

3) You may also be able to disable the adapter in Device Manager: ...Right click on
the My Computer icon on the desk top..Click on Properties..Click on Hardware ..Click on Device Manager..
Click on the + sign beside Display Adapter.. Double Click on the Display Adapter that you
would like to disable...Remove the check mark from Exists in All Hardware Profile ( in Win2k and XP just choose disable in device usage)
Put a check mark in Disable in this Hard profile if its present ( double check in safe mode to make sure that the onboard graphics chip is disabled)

If none of the above work then you may have to call the system manufacturer to find out how to disable the onboard.

If the above does not help please provide us with the error message.

Regards,

Victor Salim
Customer Service Canada
ATI Technologies, Inc.

Date: Sat Jan 26 20:33:30 2002
From: Turbo
To: support@ati.com
Subject: RE: ATI Technical Assistance

thanks for your reply.

As I have stated at least 10 times, I have an Asus cur dls,
which has an ati rage xl video driver.
I have disabled it in the device manager.
It specifically states:

"This device is disabled. (Code 22).
Click enable device to enable this devide."

It has been in this state since early December.
If your ati program reports it being present and enabled, there
is a serious bug with your program or windows 2k.

There is no way to disable it in the BIOS.
There are no jumpers on the motherboard to disable it.
There are no AGP cards, as my all-in-wonder is PCI,
and the motherboard doesn't have any AGP slots.
This is how my system has been configured since my
first problem report in early December.
I keep on telling you folks this, and you don't seem to understand.

I can play DVD's just fine under windows 98 se with the
identical hardware, and your mmc.

The error message with win2k is something like:
atimmc is exiting, and writing a log.
There is a pop up windows saying that, and there is
a button which first says cancel, and then turns to ok.
I have no idea where the error log goes.
I know I have reported the exact syntax of the error message
before, but basically atimmc is dying.

Perhaps you could actually read all the email I have written
to you folks, and fix things so I can play DVD's on w2k.

By the way, it is a real hassle to install your software due to
the on board video; you folks need a more robust software
installation system. Since your ATI video is the most popular
OEM on motherboard video, this shouldn't be a rare occurrence.

Turbo

Dear Turbo, Thank you for contacting ATI Customer Service Canada. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your email has been assigned: TicketGUID:{6B6E1190-0E91-11D6-A4FC-00508BE22D04} Please include the above identifier in all future correspondence relating to this ticket. Note: The TicketGUID identifier must appear in the message body, not in the subject line. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regarding the issue you are having with DVD: Looking at your problem report, I can see that there is a secondary display adapter. You may want to try and disable it to see if that helps. If you have an onboard display adapter you may be able to disable it by one of the following methods: 1) With a jumper on the mother board if one is present. You may have to read the mother board manual or call the mother board manufacturer. 2) In the Bios. Set the initial display to AGP if the adapter is AGP or PCI if the adapter is a PCI adapter. Disable the onboard adapter if that option is present in Bios. You may have to call the mother board manufacturer for help. 3) You may also be able to disable the adapter in Device Manager: ...Right click on the My Computer icon on the desk top..Click on Properties..Click on Hardware ..Click on Device Manager.. Click on the + sign beside Display Adapter.. Double Click on the Display Adapter that you would like to disable...Remove the check mark from Exists in All Hardware Profile ( in Win2k and XP just choose disable in device usage) Put a check mark in Disable in this Hard profile if its present ( double check in safe mode to make sure that the onboard graphics chip is disabled) If none of the above work then you may have to call the system manufacturer to find out how to disable the onboard. If the above does not help please provide us with the error message. Regards, Victor Salim Customer Service Canada ATI Technologies, Inc. http://www.ati.com for Sales/Marketing and Product Information http://support.ati.com for Technical Support, Driver Download, FAQ's, et

(They never replied to this email. I wonder why?)

If you have comments or suggestions, Email me at turbo-www@weasel.com

Created with gnu emacs and template-toolkit, not some sissy HTML editor.

No Java or javascript needed to view my web pages. They both have significant security issues.

ATI All-In-Wonder Rage 128, Updated Jul 2005

Here are some comments by people who have had similar experiences with ATI

Here is my email exchange with ATI. Their reply to my first email:

Here is my reply:

Their reply:

My three replies (they never replied again):

Install Microsoft direct x 8

Install Microsoft direct x 8 video

Install the ATI windows 2000 driver, r128_5_13_01_3279

Install mmc 7.2 from windows xp, mmc_7_2_noDVD

Install DVD 5 from windows xp, dvd_5_0

Install gemstar from cd via drive:\Install\Gemstar\Setup\Setup.exe

It is clear that ATI has quality hardware, quality software, and has quality support people. However, my experience shows that getting to the quality support people is not as easy as it should be.

Home

Here is my email exchange with ATI.
Their reply to my first email: