[English]
README.TXT MATROX GRAPHICS INC. 1998.10.30
Matrox Display Driver for Windows NT 4.0
Rev. 3.93.024
Table of Contents
-----------------
- Release description
- Product files
- Installation
- Using Matrox PowerDesk
- Registry settings
- Hardware-accelerated 3D
- Notes, Problems, and Limitations
- Matrox TV output
Release description
-------------------
This is the Matrox Windows NT Display Driver. It supports Microsoft
Windows NT for x86 CPU's, version 4.0 (Build 1381).
This product includes:
- Display Driver
- Matrox PowerDesk for Windows NT 4.0
The driver can support up to 5 Matrox cards (of the same model) in a
computer at the same time.
Product files
-------------
\MGA64.INF Driver installation file for Windows NT Setup
\MGA64.SYS Miniport driver
\MGA64.DLL Display driver
\READMENT.TXT This file
\PD_CTRL.MVA Registry services applications
\PD_DNAV.MVA Matrox Desktop Navigator application
\PD_MON.MVA Monitor property sheet
\PD_MONF.MVA Matrox monitor file and database
\PD_QDSK.MVA Matrox QuickDesk application
\PD_SET.MVA Settings property sheet
\REGISTRY.MVA REG files
\???_MON.MVA Resource file for Matrox Monitor
\???_CTRL.MVA Resource file for Registry services applications
\???_DNAV.MVA Resource file for Matrox Desktop Navigator application
\???_QDSK.MVA Resource file for Matrox QuickDesk application
\???_SET.MVA Resource file for Settings property sheet
\???_DOC.MVA Documentation and readme files
\SETUP.EXE Installation application for driver and Matrox
PowerDesk
\INST_???.DLL Resource file for SETUP.EXE
\SETUP.INI INI file for Installation application
\MGA.INI INI file for PowerDesk
"???" stands for a 3-letter language identifier (for example, "ENG").
Installation
------------
Refer to your Owner's Manual to install your card in your system.
If you're installing this software on many systems, there are setup options
to partially automate the procedure. For more information, see the
"setup_un.doc" file included with this software.
If you are installing multiple Matrox Millennium cards in your system,
please note that only one should be VGA-enabled through the on-board switch.
Other Matrox graphics cards are always VGA-enabled. If you're installing
multiple Matrox graphics cards (of the same model) in your computer, your
computer's BIOS must disable all VGA-enabled cards it finds after the first
one. IF YOUR SYSTEM BIOS IS NOT FULLY PCI-COMPLIANT, MULTIPLE MATROX
GRAPHICS CARDS MAY NOT WORK.
Multiple-card installations are similar to single-card installations.
The system will automatically assign separate addresses to each PCI card,
allowing the driver to issue commands to each card.
In a multiple-card configuration, all cards must be Matrox graphics
cards of the same model, and that model must be supported by the driver.
Each display in your system will use the same resolution and color palette
settings.
To install the Matrox driver, run the Setup utility supplied with the driver:
- Start the Windows NT Explorer, or open a Command Prompt window.
- Go to the drive and directory holding the driver installation files.
- Double-click on the Setup application, or type "setup" and press
Enter.
The Setup utility will query you about your preferred installation location
and the components you wish to install. You must restart your computer
before the changes take effect.
You can also use the standard Windows NT procedure to install the drivers
(without the Matrox PowerDesk). The general procedure is the following:
- Right-click on the desktop, select "Properties". This will open
"Display Properties".
- Select the "Settings" tab.
- Press the "Display Type" button.
- In the Display Type dialog box, press the "Change" button.
- In the Change Display dialog box, press the "Have Disk" button.
- In the Install From Disk dialog box, type the location of the
Matrox installation files (e.g. "A:\" or "D:\WINNT").
- From the displayed list, select the model of your display adapter,
and press "OK".
- Answer "Yes" to the Third-party Drivers dialog box.
- Press "OK" in the Installing Driver message box.
- Press "Close" in the Display Type dialog box.
- Press "Close" in the Display Properties applet.
- In the System Settings Change dialog box, you should select "Yes"
so that the new settings take effect.
Using Matrox PowerDesk
----------------------
Changing resolution, selecting a monitor, and using the Matrox PowerDesk is
covered in the "online.doc" file. You can view this file with WordPad.
Registry settings (for advanced users only)
-------------------------------------------
Information held in the Windows NT registry can have a direct effect on the
whole system. Introducing incorrect values can cause serious problems and
may make it necessary to reinstall Windows NT. The changes outlined below
should have effects limited to the Matrox drivers. However, if you
accidentally modify values that make your system unusable, please note that
it is often possible to undo the damage by using the "Last Known Good
Configuration" option at boot time. It is also possible to save a copy of
your registry settings prior to any modification.
The configuration of the Matrox Windows NT driver and of Matrox PowerDesk is
saved in the registry. The most important parameters can be modified through
the Matrox PowerDesk, but others can be accessed only through the Registry
Editor. Most users will find that the default values are best for their
system. However, specific problems will be solved through these switches.
The values are:
User.AllIntegerLines
When set to 1, some lines (for example, in a CAD drawing)
are drawn faster. However, with some programs, some
pixels may not be redrawn properly when this acceleration
is used. If you see this problem, try setting this value
to 0.
You can change this value to 0 by double-clicking the
"flineoff.reg" file, or to 1 by double-clicking the
"flineon.reg" file. These files are installed in your
"\Program Files\MGA NT PowerDesk" folder.
The default value is 1.
User.AlternateLines
When set to 1, allows lines defined by integer coordinates
to be drawn using the faster AUTOLINE opcode of the
drawing engine. The convention used to determine which
pixels contribute to a given line is slightly different
in AUTOLINE and in Windows NT. Setting AlternateLines
to 1 trades off compliance with the Windows NT conventions
for performance. A value of 0 will enforce compliance.
Lines defined by non-integer endpoint coordinates are not
affected by this setting.
The default value of User.AlternateLines is 0.
User.CenterDialogs Has no effect on Windows NT 4.0.
The default value of User.CenterDialogs is 0.
User.ComplexBlt
When set to 1, allows the hardware to accelerate some
complex raster operations (ROPs) by executing a sequence
of simple ROPs (ORing, ANDing, etc...). A value of 0
will result in complex ROPs being performed in software.
The complex ROPs are performed directly on the display
through a succession of simple ROPs. Artifacts (flashing)
in the target display area may become visible when an
intermediate result in video RAM is displayed on a given
refresh cycle, to be replaced by the final image on the
next cycle.
The default value of User.ComplexBlt is 1.
User.DeviceBitmaps
When set to 1, allows use of off-screen memory for
caching bitmaps. This will allow the hardware to
accelerate drawing to bitmaps. A value of 0 disables
bitmap caching, allowing the CPU to draw onto all
bitmaps. Bitmap caching is internally disabled when
a desktop requiring more than one card is in use,
regardless of the registry setting.
The default value of User.DeviceBitmaps is 1.
User.EnableUSWC
When set to 1, allows direct frame buffer access to use
the Write Combining feature of the Pentium Pro processor.
Setting this value to 0 may result in slightly lower
performance.
The default value of User.EnableUSWC is 1.
User.Filtering
When set to 1, the display quality of some video files is
improved when they're scaled up.
The default value is 1.
User.MgaInfoFile
When set to 1, allows use of the Matrox PowerDesk to
control refresh rates. A value of 0 will allow all
available refresh rates to be listed.
The default value of User.MgaInfoFile is 1.
User.SynchronizeDac
When set to 1, will require the driver to wait for a
vertical sync before programming the ramdac with a new
pointer shape or a new palette. If you notice stray
pixels flashing around the pointer, setting this flag
to 1 might fix the problem. Setting it to 0 will result
in slightly better performance.
The default value of User.SynchronizeDac is 0.
User.UseBusMastering
When set to 1, the driver uses bus mastering for 2D
display operations. This improves performance on fast
Pentium computers (faster than 166 MHz). When set to 0,
this feature is disabled.
The default value is 1.
Mga.EnableMix
When set to 1, different models of Matrox graphics
cards can be used for multi-display mode. (The model
of each Matrox graphics card installed in your computer
must be supported by the display driver. Matrox display
drivers don't necessarily support all models of Matrox
graphics cards.) When set to 0, all Matrox graphics
cards in your computer must be the same model.
The default value is 1.
User.SynchronizeEngine
(This parameter is now obsolete.)
Modifying keys and values in the registry is done through the Registry
Editor. The Registry Editor can be invoked in the following way:
- Use Start/Run..., or open a Command Prompt window, and type
"regedt32". Alternately, from the Windows NT Explorer, go to
SystemRoot\system32 and double-click on Regedt32. The Registry
Editor will come up.
To examine or to modify the values that govern the behavior of the Matrox
driver:
- Select the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE window.
- Travel down to the key named:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\mga64\Device0.
You will find the values in the right window pane. To modify any of
them:
- Double-click on the selected value.
- In the DWORD Editor, change the value to "0" or "1". The new value
will take effect the next time you reboot.
PowerDesk settings are kept under the key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MGACtrl
and its subkeys.
Hardware-accelerated 3D
-----------------------
The Mini-Client Driver (MCD), which is part of the Matrox display driver,
allows for hardware-accelerated 3D, with a few restrictions:
- Currently no acceleration is available when multiple cards are
in use.
- The MCD does not support 8bpp (256 colors) and 24bpp (16777216
colors) modes. The 15bpp (32K colors), 16bpp (64K colors), and
32bpp (True Color) modes are the ones that can be hardware-
accelerated.
- Limitations to the available resolutions are to be expected. All
3D modes require extra memory to handle double buffering and/or Z
buffering, and this memory is no longer available for display.
The 3D driver can be configured through Matrox PowerDesk or through
registry switches:
User3D.3DEnable
When set to 1, 3D (OpenGL) display operations are
accelerated. When set to 0, all types of Matrox 3D
acceleration are disabled.
User3D.TextureMapping
When set to 1 (and when "User3D.3DEnable" is set to 1),
the driver uses Matrox hardware to accelerate texture
mapping for 3D (OpenGL) programs. When set to 0, texture
mapping is done through software.
User3D.DoubleBuffer (This parameter is now obsolete.)
User3D.ZBuffer (This parameter is now obsolete.)
The default value for these User3D switches is 1. Setting all values to 0
effectively disables the hardware-accelerated 3D. The recommended way of
modifying them is through the Performance tab of Matrox PowerDesk rather than
through the Registry Editor.
User3D.UseBusMastering
When set to 1 (and when "User3D.3DEnable" is set to 1),
the driver uses bus mastering to accelerate 3D (OpenGL)
programs. This improves performance on systems that
support bus mastering. When set to 0, this feature is
disabled.
The default value is 1.
The back- and Z-buffers can be allocated on a per-window basis. This makes
the availability of 3D-acceleration difficult to ascertain, since it would
be possible to get 3D-acceleration for a small window even when offscreen
memory is scarce, while a request for full-screen buffers would fail even
when relatively large areas of offscreen memory are available.
Notes, Problems, and Limitations
--------------------------------
Computers with more than one PCI bus
It is possible that a switch to a full-screen Command Prompt, or any
change of mode, will result in a blue-screen crash if a card is
installed on a PCI bus other than bus 0. The problem is under
investigation. Moving the card to a different PCI slot is a possible
workaround.
There are systems where Windows NT reports conflicts between adapters
installed beyond the PCI bridge. In this case, the Matrox
miniport driver cannot access its own card. If your system appears
unable to find the card, try moving it to a different PCI slot.
Installing Microsoft Service Pack 3 for Windows NT 4.0 should fix
many of these problems.
DirectDraw with virtual desktops
Some DirectDraw programs don't work properly with virtual desktops.
We recommend you run DirectDraw programs with a normal desktop.
3D-Maze screen saver
Display problems may appear while using the "3D-Maze" screen saver.
These may happen after Microsoft Service Pack 2 for Windows NT 4.0 is
installed. These display problems are apparently fixed by Service
Pack 3.
GLDemo textures
If you have a Matrox Millennium II graphics card, textured objects
in GLDemo may be Gouraud-shaded instead of textured in 3D-accelerated
display modes. This problem is apparently fixed by installing
Microsoft Service Pack 3 for Windows NT 4.0.
Zoom feature with Matrox Millennium
If you have a Matrox Millennium (*not* Millennium II) graphics card
and you use the Matrox zoom feature, a vertical band may appear at
the right edge of your desktop (beyond the 1152 pixel limit) because
of a hardware limitation. This only happens if your display is
using a 1152 x 864 resolution and a 256-color palette.
Running Winstone 97
The CenterPOPUP feature should be disabled (which is the default
setting) when running the Winstone 97 benchmark. Some tests may
report a time-out error if CenterPOPUP is used.
Limitation with multiple graphics cards
Windows NT 4.0 supports a maximum of about 280 different display
modes (combinations of resolution, color palette and refresh rate
settings). You may encounter this limit if you have more than one
Matrox graphics card installed in your computer.
If the Matrox "VESA settings" option button is selected when there
are multiple Matrox cards in your computer, you're even more
likely to encounter the Windows NT 4.0 limit in the number of
display modes. This is because the "VESA settings" option supports
several different refresh rates for each display resolution and
color palette setting.
Because of the limitation in the number of display modes, the 15-bit
color palette setting is not available when multiple graphics cards
are installed and the "VESA settings" option is selected.
If you have more than one Matrox graphics card in your computer, we
recommend you not use the "VESA settings" option. Note that changing
your refresh rate through the Microsoft "Display Properties" dialog
box activates the "VESA settings" option.
Display settings for Plug-and-Play monitors
For each resolution, Plug-and-Play (DDC) monitors report to your
computer the refresh rates they're capable of. At high resolution
and color palette settings, your Matrox graphics card may not support
the high refresh rates supported by some monitors.
For example, at a 1600 x 1200 resolution with a 24- or 32-bit color
palette setting, your monitor may report that it's capable of
an 85 Hz refresh rate. However, at this display setting, your
graphics card may only be capable of a 75 Hz refresh rate.
When the refresh rate reported by your monitor can't be supported,
the Matrox display driver uses the next highest VESA refresh rate
supported by your graphics card. This is indicated by the text
"(VESA)" in the "Refresh frequency" box in the "Matrox Display
Properties" dialog box.
If the Matrox display driver uses a refresh rate different from the
capability reported by your Plug-and-Play monitor, the screen image
on your monitor may need to be resized or repositioned.
3D Studio MAX 1.2
If you have problems running 3D Studio Max 1.2 using the Matrox
HEIDI driver, try disabling the "Use bus mastering (OpenGL)" check
box under "3D settings". To access this check box, click "Start" ->
"Programs"-> "Matrox PowerDesk" -> "Matrox Display Properties" ->
"Performance".
3D Studio MAX 2.0
Switching between HEIDI software emulation and OpenGL acceleration
while 3D Studio Max 2.0 is running, may cause the viewports to
flicker while playing animations. This problem may also happen if
display settings (resolution or color palette) are changed while
3D Studio Max is running. If you experience these problems, try
closing 3D Studio Max, changing your display settings (resolution or
color palette), and then restarting 3D Studio MAX.
Matrox TV output
----------------
Certain 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.
Notes
When viewing the output of your computer on a TV, your computer monitor
also uses TV settings. TV settings have lower resolutions and refresh rates
than typical computer monitor settings. Lower refresh rates may result in
more noticeable flicker.
Because some computer monitors don't support TV settings, a computer
monitor may become garbled or unusable while TV output mode is used. If
this happens, simply turn off your computer monitor and use your TV to view
your computer display. Your computer monitor will work normally when you
disable TV output mode.
Recommendation
While playing games using TV output, we recommend you use a 640 x 480 display
resolution. This is because the resolution capabilities of TVs are lower than
most computer monitors. If you use a higher display resolution (800 x 600 or
1024 x 768), the display on your TV may not look as sharp as the display of
your computer monitor -- that is, some of the extra detail may be harder to
see on your TV.
More information
For more information on display settings, see your Matrox manual and online
documentation. For information on how to change the display resolution of a
game you're using, see its documentation.
Note: The Matrox zoom and virtual desktop features aren't supported in TV
output mode.
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.