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Geforce4 mx440

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First post, by netscape.exe

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Hello everyone. I recently bought a retro computer on a local marketplace. There was little information about it, most likely its name is Fujitsu A4D xD.
It has a built-in video card ATI Rage XL 8 megabytes. I have Windows 98 SE installed.
The problem is that the computer does not have an AGP slot. But there is a PСI. I have a Geforce4 mx440 card.
If I insert this card and start with the default settings, the computer starts with the built-in one. The PСI card is detected and I can even install the driver. I tried different ones, and each time the same result. Windows offers to reboot the computer to finish setting up the video card, and so on each time in a circle. At the same time, I still start on the internal video card.
If I switch in the BIOS (and this is the only setting for the video card there) the default video card from AGP to PCI, then the computer does not even start, I do not see that even the BIOS starts.
As I understand it, even without installed drivers for Windows, at least the BIOS should start without problems and show an image. But this does not happen, the computer simply freezes at the BIOS loading stage.

To be honest, I do not even know what else to try in this situation.
If I install Windows XP and start from the internal one, but at the same time install the driver for the PCI, will I be able to use it? I think not, since the system starts from the internal one.
Could you give me some advice on what else I can try?

Reply 1 of 4, by danieljm

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Have you tried every PCI slot? One might be preferred for video.

Other than that, I didn't find much with a quick search of your model. But maybe search on the motherboard for a specific part number for that. You might find more details about the board with that. You might find that there's a jumper you need to change too, or something like that.

Reply 2 of 4, by netscape.exe

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Hi, I found more information. The PC's name is Ergopro 🤣, and the motherboard's name is AC41766.
I even found someone's old post on the Fujitsu forum, but the forum has been deleted, and none of the Wayback Machines could help me restore it.

Reply 4 of 4, by momaka

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If you still have the Windows XP install, try the following:

1) Set BIOS to boot from internal Rage video card (as it was by default)
2) Insert the PCI GF4 MX440 and let OS boot up from internal Rage video card
3) Install drivers for the GF4 MX440 and reboot
4) Once OS has been rebooted and you're back at the desktop, -> right click -> Properties -> goto Settings tab. From there, select the GF4 MX440 under the drop-down menu and check "Extend Windows desktop onto this monitor", then click Apply and OK. Now go back to the Settings tab again, select the GF4 MX440 once more and check the box "Use this device as the primary monitor". Apply and OK. NOTE: at this point, your windows / desktop might switch to the GF 4 MX440 VGA output, so you might have to unplug your monitor from the Rage XL's VGA port and plug it into the MX440's VGA. Now once more, bring the Settings tab and select the Rage XL from the drop down menu... and then UNcheck the box "Extend Windows desktop onto this monitor". Apply and OK. At this point, the Rage XL VGA output should get disabled and the MX440 VGA output should be the only active (thus your monitor will likely be plugged into the MX440 now.) And that should be all. But! NOTE #2: when you turn off or restart the PC, the system BIOS POST message and Windows XP boot up screen will still only appear on the Rage XL output. Only once Windows XP has loaded past the loading screen and onto the Login screen will the MX440 VGA output start to work and your monitor start to display.

I haven't used Win98 that much and it's been a while (many years) since I did, so I don't remember if the above method will work for it. But I think it should?

Basically, this is not a solution to your problem, but a workaround. A lot of systems from that era without AGP had issues with diverting video output onto a PCI graphics adapter under BIOS. So one solution is the workaround above, which just switches video outputs between graphics adapters in Windows.

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