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Q: After installing the Thunder or Spectrum for Windows™ display card, whenever Windows™ is launched, the SuperMac-Windows™ Logo screen is displayed, but then the screen goes blank, or it freezes with the logo displayed. What is causing this?
A: Two issues can cause this system reaction.
1) If the system looks like it's locked up at this point, try typing ALT-F4, then hit ENTER. If Windows™ quits and returns to DOS, the following is one possible solution:
If the Thunder or Spectrum card is not using the VGA daughtercard, and the computer system has onboard VGA or a VGA card in one of the slots, the passthrough or feature connectors from the VGA source and the Thunder or Spectrum card must be connected with the passthrough cable. The monitor cable will need to be connected to the Thunder or Spectrum card, and the VGA card or onboard VGA will need to have the VGA Terminator plug attached.
The other solution is as follows: The monitor cable may not be attached to the Thunder or Spectrum card, rather it is attached to the VGA card or onboard VGA in the computer system. Reattach the monitor cable to the connector on the Thunder or Spectrum card, and restart your computer system.
2) If typing ALT-F4 then ENTER does not return you back to DOS level, the driver for the Thunder or Spectrum card is conflicting with the system. To correct this, restart the computer, then go into the directory for your Windows™ installation and type SETUP. This will launch the DOS level Windows™ setup utility. Within this setup, change the driver back to standard VGA, save the settings, then restart Windows™. Next, do a new installation for the Thunder or Spectrum for Windows™ driver, but select a different memory address for the new installation.
Q: Are the Thunder or Spectrum for Windows™ cards capable of 256 or thousands of colors?
A: The Thunder and Spectrum for Windows™ boards only operate in 24bit, or millions of colors.
Q: I just installed my Thunder/Spectrum for Windows™ board into my system and I don't get an image . Then, the system will give an error code beep for 'no video card installed.'
A: The Thunder and Spectrum cards are Windows™ accelerators only. The VGA daughter card, or a VGA card with a passthrough connector must be attached to the Thunder or Spectrum board. The computer system will use this VGA source for all DOS level activity.
Q: Can I run more than one Thunder or Spectrum for Windows™ display board in my PC?
A: No. You may only install one Thunder or one Spectrum board into a computer system.
Q: Within DOS, the VGA card only operates in gray scale or monochrome modes. Is this normal?
A: Some VGA cards will not operate in a color mode unless there is a color monitor attached. The VGA terminator supplied with your SuperMac card must be attached to the unused external VGA connector on the VGA card. This will simulate a color monitor and the VGA board will now operate in color.
Q: The colors coming from my VGA card are incorrect when sent to the passthrough connector on the Thunder or Spectrum card, what's wrong?
A: The passthrough or feature connector may not pass a 16bit, or 24bit, VGA signal properly. Operate the VGA card in 8bit mode only when trying to use it through the passthrough connector on these cards.
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