Docking a 915GMS computer: broken in Vista, worked in XP

[intel4]

One of the 915GMS problems that we've heard most about from our mobile customers has been docking computers with the 915GMS chipset. This worked pretty well under Windows XP, but is quite broken under Vista.

We've been able to reproduce the problems using a Motion Computing LS800 computer (http://www.motioncomputing.com/resources/LS800_datasheet.pdf) and a 1680 x 1050 monitor, using Intel drivers as provided at http://www.motioncomputing.com/support/driver_download_800_vista.asp.

Under Windows XP, it was possible to use the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator Driver for Mobile utility to set a 1680 x 1050 mode for the computer, and docking worked fine: when un-docking the display resolution reverted automatically to the 800 x 600 resolution of the LS800's screen, and on re-docking the display resolution returned automatically to the 1680 x 1050 resolution of the external display.

Under Vista, docking initially seems to work fine. The login screen for Vista appears in 1680 x 1050, and so does the desktop initially after logging in. However, as the startup items get loaded, the external display changes spontaneously to 800 x 600. Using the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator Driver for Mobile utility one can set the display manually to 1680 x 1050, but under Windows XP this used to occur automatically.

After un-docking the computer does eventually settle into 800 x 600, but only after several rounds of blakning out the display momentarily. The transition using Windows XP was not so rocky.

There seems to be a major problem with Vista communicating with the Intel graphics drivers. Most bothersome is that Windows Mobility Center's External Display section always reports "No display attached", even when a display is attached.

These issues are a big annoyance for mobile users who want to use a small computer as a mobile solution and get full functionality by docking the computer at their desk.

Is there some way to fix this problem, or should we be telling customers that the 915GMS does not deliver in Vista the functionality that it had with Windows XP?

[Chuck_De_Sylva]

Intel is discontinuing maintenance of the WindowsVista graphics drivers for the Intel945G/945GM Express Chipsets after the PV15.8 release

PV15.8 will be the last release to support Intel 945G/GM skus for Windows* Vista

Intel945G Express Chipset

Intel945GC Express Chipset

Intel945GZ Express Chipset

Mobile Intel940GML Express Chipset

Mobile Intel943GML Express Chipset

Mobile Intel945GM Express Chipset

Mobile Intel945GMS Express Chipset

[intel4]

The question was about the Intel 915GMS chipset and the answer was about the Intel 945G/GM chipset. Does this mean that the issues with the 915GMS chipset will never be addressed?

[Chuck_De_Sylva]

I'm sorry, 915GMS should be on that list also.

[intel4]

Please explain what "after the PV15.8 release" means. The term PV15.8 is so obscure that a Google search brings up this page as the #1 search result. Is this a past release or a future release? Does one obtain it directly from Intel or through OEMs? How does one determine where one's current video drivers are in relation to the PV15.8 release?

[Intel_C_Intel]

PV stands for "production version". The released 15.8 drivers is what this refers to, as opposed to "PC" or "Production Candidate". Chuck's quote came from a presentation given to OEMs/ODMs and that's why it contains the PV moniker.

Actually, though, I thought there never were any WDDM drivers for 915G, only XPDM. This is a long-standing issue that I don't want to ressurrect here. In fact, at the website you list, the drivers available are the 14.25 series for XP. So you're dealing with the same drivers in any case between XP and Vista; the problems you're experiencing are some kind of Vista-specific interaction. Chuck is likely correct to point you to Intel Support-- 915G is 4-5 generations back in graphics and there's not much modern work done on those drivers. If anyone can help it's the support folks.

[intel4]

Is there somewhere people should download the 15.8 915G driver, or should one stick to what the OEM offers? Is the difference between the 14.25 version and 15.8 likely to help with the docking problem?

Both OEMs and Microsoft gave the go-ahead for upgrading systems with the 915G drivers to Vista. To many, this suggested that available drivers were compatible with Vista. The poor experience that people had upgrading systems to Vista accounts for a lot of the poor reputation that Vista has, and that has depressed sales of new equipment since many people have concluded that Vista is an albatross.

If Intel thought it would increase sales of new equipment by declining to make Vista-compatible drivers for such hardware it should have announced clearly which chipsets would be supported for Vista. Instead, the result was that people are sticking with XP.

[Intel_C_Intel]

"I don't think the 15.8 driver will work with 915G" is what I'm telling you.

The XP drivers are Vista-compatible, which is why they are suggested by your supplier; Vista is supposed to run all XPDM drivers.

[intel4]

The XP drivers do run under Vista, but as described in the original post, there are major problems, particularly relating to docking. By not issuing drivers for equipment being sold at the time Vista is released and certified by the OEM and Microsoft as upgradable to Vista, Intel is undermining the transition to Vista, and this is likely to result in less, not more sales for Intel.

[7oby]

intel@simulconsult.com:

However, as the startup items get loaded, the external display changes spontaneously to 800 x 600.

I hope you have some spare time testing things:

There is a knowledge base article "The resolution of an external display may unexpectedly change when you log on to a portable computer that is running Windows Vista" related to this:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/941413/en

Some people fix it by disabling Transient Multimon Manager (TMM) altogether:
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/115320-transient-multimon-manager-tmm.html

On other systems it helps to disable Pivot Software or Pivot Services.

If all that doesn't help you might want to try MultiRes (don't know whether Vista compatible) to force a particular resolution by hotkey:
http://www.entechtaiwan.com/util/multires.shtm

If you're still not satisfied and very adventurous you might want to try IEGD 8.0:
http://www.intel.com/design/intarch/swsup/graphics_drivers.htm

However these require advanced computer skills and most likely will not satisfy everybody. IEGD drivers very likely break other use cases (e.g. standby/suspend/hibernate). And I don't think they support docking at all.

[intel4]

I followed the directions to disable Transient Multimon Manager, but that didn't help.

I'd be glad to try to "disable Pivot Software or Pivot Services" but I don't know what this means. I searched on http://www.google.com/search?q=%22Pivot+Services%22+vista and the #1 search result was this page.

I will also check out MultiRes.

[intel4]

MultiRes does not appear to be what we need - it seems to be just a fast way of resetting manually, something the Intel utility also does manually (resetting was automatic under XP).

IEGD 8.0 seems like the sort of thing the Hardware manufacturer should be doing, but doesn't seem like end users should be fiddling with.

I still don't know what "Pivot Software or Pivot Services" are so I haven't tried that.

[7oby]

intel@simulconsult.com:

MultiRes does not appear to be what we need - it seems to be just a fast way of resetting manually, something the Intel utility also does manually (resetting was automatic under XP).

Given the (unfortunate) fact that intel no longer maintains the drivers, it gives you the functionality of switching to particular resolutions by hotkey. That's faster than invoking task bar / some icon / click right mouse button etc. You mentioned your display switches spontanously to 800 x 600 in particular cases and this is a possible walkaround to enforce 1650 x 1080 by a single key press.

intel@simulconsult.com:

IEGD 8.0 seems like the sort of thing the Hardware manufacturer should be doing, but doesn't seem like end users should be fiddling with.

correct.

intel@simulconsult.com:

I still don't know what "Pivot Software or Pivot Services" are so I haven't tried that.

Software that turns the windows desktop 90, 180, 270, 0 if you turn the screen:
http://www.portrait.com/us/products/pp_overview.html
http://www.entechtaiwan.net/util/irotate.shtm

Sometimes software of this kind gets installed if you attach a new display and install its monitor drivers (yes, monitors may have drivers).

I figured in some cases the privot software interacts in with display driver in a way that spontanous resolution changes occur. In these cases it help to deinstall the software (or disable their service). You may also check whether your intel driver includes pivot functionality and may try to disable this feature. It helped in one case I had.

[intel4]

I did try the software that came with the monitor - it didn't fix the problem but it didn't cause it either since the problem was there before I tried the monitor software.