[English]
README.TXT MATROX GRAPHICS INC. 2006.02.20
Matrox System Utilities
(for Matrox G200/G400/G450/G550-based graphics cards)
Revision 2.58.002
Contents
========
- Overview
- Installation
- Removing this software
- Matrox emergency disk
- TV output support for DOS
- VESA (Super VGA) display mode support
- Updating your graphics card BIOS
- 8 x 14 font support
Overview
========
This software includes Matrox graphics-related system utilities.
These utilities may help you configure your Matrox graphics card
for your system. For easy access to these utilities, we recommend
you install this software on your computer.
This document assumes you're familiar with the basics of the
operating system you're using. For more information on how to use
your operating system, see its documentation or your system
manual.
Installation
============
If this software is on your Matrox installation CD-ROM and you're
using Windows 98/Me/2000/NT 4.0 or XP, you can install it from the
main menu of the CD-ROM setup program.
IMPORTANT: This document assumes this software is installed in the
default path, "c:\matrox\util".
Note: For "Matrox System Utilities" to work properly under Windows
NT 4.0, make sure Microsoft Service Pack 3 or later is installed.
Note: SATA drives are not supported in DOS. Enable Motherboard bios
to boot froom USB key. Install BIOS on USB Key and boot from there.
Removing this software
======================
If this software was installed with the CD-ROM setup program,
you can remove this software through Windows: Click "Start" ->
"Settings" -> "Control Panel" -> "Add/Remove Programs"
(double-click) -> "Matrox System Utilities" -> "Add/Remove",
then follow the on-screen instructions.
Matrox emergency disk
=====================
The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) of your Matrox graphics card
is a chip that stores basic display information (for example, how
to handle DOS display modes). This BIOS can be changed or updated
with Matrox software.
Before changing the BIOS of your Matrox graphics card (see "TV
output support for DOS" and "Updating your graphics card BIOS"),
we recommend you make an emergency disk. If something ever goes
wrong with the BIOS of your Matrox graphics card (for example, if
there's a power failure while the BIOS is being updated), you can
use the emergency disk to restore the BIOS. (If there's a problem
with the BIOS of your Matrox graphics card, your display may be
unusable.)
In Windows 98/Me/2000/NT 4.0 or XP, you can use the "pbioswin"
program to make an emergency disk. Follow the on-screen
instructions.
If you need to use the emergency disk, simply insert it in your
floppy disk drive, then restart your computer. The BIOS of your
Matrox graphics card will automatically be restored. After your
BIOS is restored, remove the disk from your disk drive, then
restart your computer again.
Note: To be able to use your emergency disk in the future, make
sure your computer is configured to check drive "A:" for a boot
disk when it restarts. This is the default configuration for most
computers, but this setting can be changed in the BIOS of most
computers. For more information, see your system manual.j
TV output support for DOS
=========================
Some models of Matrox graphics cards support TV output. With TV
output support, you can view or record your computer display with
a TV or video recorder connected to your graphics card.
TV output is supported with Windows 98/Me/2000/NT 4.0/XP and DOS.
By default TV output is disabled. If TV output is disabled, a TV
connected to your computer will display black. For information
on how to enable TV output mode in Windows 98/Me/2000/NT 4.0 or XP,
see Matrox online documentation.
To enable TV output for DOS display modes, the BIOS of your Matrox
graphics card needs to be configured.
DOS display modes may be used when:
- your computer is restarted in DOS mode
- DOS programs are run full-screen
- a full-screen DOS prompt is used under Windows
- text is displayed on your computer monitor before Windows starts
Note: For G450/G550-based graphics cards, TV output for DOS
display modes aren't supported.
BIOS configuration
------------------
To configure the BIOS of your Matrox graphics card to support TV
output for DOS display modes:
Windows 98/Me/2000/NT 4.0 or XP
-------------------------------
(1) Click "Start" -> "Run", type "c:\matrox\util\pbioswin",
then click "Update the Matrox Graphics BIOS".
If you have more than one graphics card, select the
graphics card you want to update.
Note: DOS display modes are only supported on the primary
display.
(2) Select a TV standard (*), then click "OK".
(3) After the BIOS is updated, make sure no disk is in your
disk drive, then restart your computer.
DOS
---
(1) Make an emergency disk (see "Matrox emergency disk").
(2) Type "cd c:\matrox\util", then press [Enter].
(3) Depending on the TV standard (*) of your TV output device,
type "progbios -maven ntsc" or "progbios -maven pal". (To
disable TV output support for DOS display modes, type
"progbios -maven off".)
(4) After the BIOS is updated, make sure no disk is in your
disk drive, then restart your computer.
After restarting, when a DOS display mode is used, your Matrox
graphics card will automatically work with a TV or VCR connected
to it.
* Note: Two TV standards are supported for TV output. NTSC is used
in North America and Japan, among other places. PAL is used in
most of Western Europe and in China, among other places. If
you're not sure what standard your TV or VCR uses, see its
documentation.
Limitations
-----------
If you use TV output support for DOS display modes, note the
following:
- TV output isn't supported for all DOS display modes. As a
result, a DOS program or game may use a DOS display mode that's
not supported for TV output. A DOS display mode without TV
output support will only display on your computer monitor (a TV
would display black).
- While using DOS display modes with TV output support, your
computer monitor is also using TV settings. While using TV
settings, the displays of some computer monitors may flicker or
become off-centered, garbled, or unusable. As a result, you may
have to turn off your computer monitor.
Supported DOS display modes
---------------------------
- 720 x 400, text (02h, 03h)
- 640 x 480, 16 colors (12h) *
- 320 x 200, 256 colors (13h) *
- 640 x 400, 256 colors (100h) *
- 640 x 480, 256 colors (101h) *
- 640 x 480, 32 K colors (110h) *
- 640 x 480, 64 K colors (111h) *
- 640 x 480, 16 M colors (112h) *
* Under Windows NT 4.0, these modes may not display properly on
your TV.
VESA (Super VGA) display mode support
=====================================
Some DOS-based programs (for example, games and older CAD
programs) use VESA (Super VGA) display modes.
The following VESA display modes are supported:
| Display | Simultaneous display colors |
| resolution | 16 | 256 | 32 K | 64 K | 16 M |
+---------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+-------+
| 640 x 400 | --- | 100 | --- | --- | --- |
| 640 x 480 | (VGA) | 101 | 110 | 111 | 112 |
| 800 x 600 | 102 | 103 | 113 | 114 | 115 |
| 1024 x 768 * | --- | 105 | 116 | 117 | 118 |
| 1280 x 1024 * | --- | 107 | 119 | 11A | 11B |
| | Rows |
| Columns | 25 | 43 | 50 | 60 |
+--------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| 80 | --- | --- | --- | 108 |
| 132 | 109 | 10A** | 10B | 10C |
* To use these VESA display modes, you may need to update the
BIOS of your graphics card (see "Updating your graphics card
BIOS").
** This is the only VESA text mode supported with Matrox G200
and G400 graphics cards.
Updating your graphics card BIOS
================================
"Matrox System Utilities" software can be used to update the BIOS
of your Matrox graphics card. If your version of this software was
included with your Matrox graphics card, you shouldn't need to
update your card with it.
If your version of this software didn't come with your Matrox
graphics card (for example, you downloaded it from the Matrox Web
site), it may contain an update for the BIOS of your Matrox
graphics card.
To update the BIOS of your Matrox graphics card:
Windows 98/Me/2000/NT 4.0 or XP
-------------------------------
(1) Click "Start" -> "Run", type "c:\matrox\util\pbioswin",
then click "Update the Matrox Graphics BIOS".
If you have more than one graphics card, select the
graphics card you want to update.
(2) Select the BIOS option you want, then click "OK".
(3) After the BIOS is updated, make sure no disk is in your
disk drive, then restart your computer.
DOS
---
(1) Type "cd c:\matrox\util", then press [Enter].
(2) Type "ubiosdos", then press [Enter].
(3) Before the BIOS of your graphics card is updated, you're
prompted to make an emergency disk. Follow the on-screen
instructions.
(4) After the BIOS is updated, make sure no disk is in your
disk drive, then restart your computer.
8 x 14 font support
===================
Based on VESA recommendations, support for the 8 x 14 font has
been removed from the BIOS of Matrox graphics cards. (This is to
make room for VESA features such as VBE 2.0 and VBE/DDC.) If
you're using a DOS program that needs this font, add the following
line to your "autoexec.bat" file, then restart your computer:
c:\matrox\util\fnt8x14
Download Driver Pack
After your driver has been downloaded, follow these simple steps to install it.
Expand the archive file (if the download file is in zip or rar format).
If the expanded file has an .exe extension, double click it and follow the installation instructions.
Otherwise, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Device Manager.
Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.
Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.
Very important: You must reboot your system to ensure that any driver updates have taken effect.
For more help, visit our Driver Support section for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.