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Drivers and Support FAQs
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about VIA products; please click on the section you would like more information on, or go to the support forums if you need more help.
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GENERAL SUPPORT
| Q: |
I don't know what hardware I have in my system. How can I find out? |
| A: |
We recommend that you follow this guide. |
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| Q: |
I am very confused. I don't understand the basic terminology of computing. Can you help? |
| A: |
We recommend that you read over this helpful guide. |
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| Q: |
There is more than one VIA storage driver choice. What is the difference between them? |
| A: |
We recommend that you read over this guide. |
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| Q: |
How much RAM can I put on my motherboard? Which CPUs can I use? |
| A: |
For VIA EPIA and VB motherboards, please select your board from this list to check the board specifications. For partner motherboards that feature a VIA chipset, VIA cannot advise you on the maximum RAM, HDD capacity, CPU type or any other compatibility/capability issues with your motherboard as it depends on how the motherboard manufacturer has implemented the chipset. Two motherboards based on the same chipset may have different limits. This information must be obtained from the motherboard manufacturer or the motherboard manual. For help identifying your motherboard and/or chipset, please read this article. |
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DRIVERS
| Q: |
I use Microsoft Windows, but I don't know which driver I need. |
| A: |
We recommend that you read this article on Microsoft Windows drivers before you start. If you are not sure what hardware you have in your system, please read this article. Once you understand what you need, go to the VIA driver portal and follow the instructions to download your drivers.
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| Q: |
I know I have a VIA chipset. What drivers do I need to install? |
| A: |
All VIA chipsets require the VIA Hyperion Pro drivers. From the driver downloads main page, select your operating system at Step 1, and Hyperion Pro (4in1) chipset drivers at Step 2. Download the latest version and save it to your hard drive. Unzip the zip folder and then double click on the .exe file to start the installation.
You may also require other drivers. We recommend that you follow this guide to identify your system's hardware specifications and then visit either your motherboard manufacturer's website for further drivers, or return to the VIA driver portal for them. |
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| Q: |
Do I need to uninstall my current 4in1 drivers or Hyperion Pro drivers before installing new/updated ones? |
| A: |
No. Simply download and install the drivers over the current ones. |
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| Q: |
Should I install the Hyperion Pro drivers or older VIA 4in1 drivers? |
| A: |
It is not necessary to update VIA Hyperion or 4in1 drivers if your system is stable. The latest VIA Hyperion Pro drivers are suitable for any VIA chipset and all Microsoft Windows Operating Systems; however, it is recommended that VIA 4in1 drivers are used for legacy VIA chipsets. These legacy chipsets include: MVP#, Apollo Pro## series, KT1##, KN1##, KM1##, KT2##, KT333, KN2##, KM2##, P4X2##, P4X3##, P4M2##. If you have a legacy hybrid chipset (VIA southbridge and AMD northbridge) you should obtain drivers from the motherboard manufacturer and not from this web site. All other VIA chipsets should use the VIA Hyperion Pro drivers. |
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| Q: |
How can I tell what version VIA Hyperion Pro drivers I have installed? |
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Open Start - Run and type in "regedit" (without the apostrophe marks). Double click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE then SOFTWARE and check the listing under VIA Technologies, Inc. The version of the chipset/platform driver you have installed will be listed next to PACKAGE_VERSION. |
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| Q: |
I use a legacy Microsoft Windows desktop operating system (i.e.
Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98SE, Windows ME or Windows 2000) and have a problem with a VIA chipset, or integrated graphics driver, or a system with a VIA chipset. Where can I obtain support? |
| A: |
Microsoft and VIA no longer provide official updates or support for these legacy operating systems. VIA chipset and graphics drivers released for use with these operating systems are available from our driver portal; however, VIA no longer supports these driver packages.
For support, please check online discussion boards, such as the VIA support forums. |
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BIOS
| Q: |
Where can I obtain a BIOS for my VIA EPIA, VB series or other embedded motherboard? |
| A: |
From this menu, choose the form factor of the motherboard. Then choose Check board models, then click on the model number of your board. You will then find BIOS available for download under the Downloads tab. |
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| Q: |
Where can I obtain a BIOS for my motherboard? It has a VIA chipset. |
| A: |
All BIOS need to be obtained from the motherboard manufacturer's website, not the chipset manufacturer's website. For example, if you have an MSI motherboard with a VIA chipset, you need to get your BIOS from MSI, not from VIA. |
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| Q: |
I have a legacy VIA branded motherboard, an EPIA board that is no longer in production, or a VIA P4 motherboard. Where can I get a BIOS? |
| A: |
Legacy VIA branded motherboard information and downloads can be obtained here. |
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WINDOWS 7
A lot of driver support for VIA chips is built into Microsoft® Windows® 7 (32- and 64-bit). If you're looking for Windows 7 drivers, please check these FAQ first.
VIA Hyperion Pro drivers
The VIA Hyperion Pro drivers contain all of the main platform drivers for VIA chipsets. The current release of these drivers is included in Windows 7, so at this time there is no need for a VIA Hyperion Pro package that supports Windows 7. However, as updates occur, a package will be released when needed.
VIA IDE, RAID and SATA drivers
VIA V-RAID Driver: The driver built into Windows 7 by default does not support RAID functions on VIA chips. You need to install the 5.80G version for RAID support.
http://www.viaarena.com/Driver/VIA_V-RAID_SoftwarePackage_V5.zip
VIA IDE Falcon Storage Device driver: The VIA IDE Falcon Storage Device driver supports eSATA and hot-plug functions. A driver for Windows 7 has not yet been released.
Audio
The audio drivers provided on the VIA website are general sound effects drivers with common functions. System manufacturers and motherboard vendors customize audio hardware and software, so to ensure optimal sound quality and compatibility, we strongly recommend you obtain the system-validated and certified audio drivers directly from your system manufacturer or motherboard manufacturer, not from VIA.
Integrated Graphics
VIA has released Windows 7 drivers for the following chipsets:
VIA CN896, P4M900, VN896, VX800/820 series, VX855/VX875
Older chipsets can run Windows 7 using the default drivers built into Windows 7, but some graphical features of Windows 7 may not be supported.
PCI Card Readers
The VIA VX800, VX800U, VX810 and VX810U chips have a built in MSP PCI card reader. The current driver does not support the ReadyBoost feature of Windows 7. The driver team has developed a driver that does support ReadyBoost, but it is still undergoing testing. This information will be updated when the driver is made available.
USB
Full support for VIA's USB 1.1 and 2.0 chipsets and controllers is included in Windows 7. It is not necessary to download extra drivers.
1394 Firewire controllers
A driver is built into Windows 7 by default. No extra download is required.
Ethernet (Networking/LAN/WLAN)
Drivers for VIA's integrated Rhine, Rhine II and Rhine III Ethernet solutions are included in Windows 7 and no extra download is necessary. Windows 7 drivers for the VIA VT6655 and VT6656 wireless WLAN controllers are available at the driver portal. |
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Linux
| Q: |
Where can I obtain VIA support packages for Linux operating systems? |
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All packages including legacy versions can be found at the VIA Driver portal. The latest packages and news about support can also be found at the VIA Linxu Portal. |
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| Q: |
I have downloaded a VIA Linux support package and I cannot decompress it or it seems to be corrupted. |
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Please use "tar -xvjf" instead of "tar -xvzf" to extract the compressed file. |
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AUDIO
| Q: |
Where should I obtain the best driver for my VIA audio solution? |
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The audio drivers provided on this website are general sound effect drivers with common functions. System manufacturers and motherboard vendors customize audio hardware and software and therefore, to ensure optimal sound quality and compatibility, we strongly recommend you to obtain the system-validated and certified audio drivers directly from your system manufacturer or motherboard manufacturer.
If you use audio drivers provided on this website and you experience a difficulty, we recommend that you uninstall them and instead use the latest drivers supplied by your motherboard or system manufacturer. |
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| Q: |
Where can I find drivers for my Envy24 or Envy24 HT sound card? |
| A: |
VIA does not supply drivers for sound cards based on the VIA Envy24 or Envy24 HT audio controllers. Drivers for those sound cards must be obtained from the manufacturer of the sound card. |
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| Q: |
What is the VIA VT2020 or VT1828Saudio solution? Where can I get a driver for it and why is there no information on VIA's site about it? |
| A: |
The VIA VT2020 and VT1828S are VIA HD audio controllers that have, thus far, been sold exclusively to ASUS for their high-end motherboards. Drivers are available on ASUS's website as they develop the drivers specifically for the way they have implemented the chip on their boards. |
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| Q: |
Where can I obtain the latest VIA 74mu or VIA 68mu audio drivers?
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Since June 2002, VIA has provided one combination driver for non-HD VIA audio solutions. Prior to this there was a 74mu170a driver for VT8233/VT8233A/VT8233C and the 68MU220b driver for VT686A, 686B & VT8321. The "combo" driver combined those two drivers into the one package and added support for the (at the time) new VT8235 southbridge. Further improvements have been made in subsequent releases, including adding support for more codecs and the driver package is now called Vinyl_AudioCodec. |
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VIDEO/GRAPHICS
| Q: |
Where can I get a driver for my VIA chipset to support a widescreen monitor/resolution? |
| A: |
The availability of a driver to support widescreen depends on what the chipset supports and whether or not the manufacturer of the motherboard featuring the VIA integrated chipset has requested the driver. All P4 and K8 chipsets do not support widescreen. This includes the following chipsets: PM880, PT800, PM800, P4X533, P4X400, P4X333, P4X266A, P4X266E, P4X266, P4M266 K8T900, K8T890, K8M890, K8T800 Pro, K8T800, K8M800. Older legacy chipsets supporting CPUs such as the Intel Pentium III and AMD Athlon and Duron processors, also do not support widescreen. The CN700, CX700 and CN896 chipsets are capable of supporting widescreen. To support widescreen the system BIOS must support it as well as the driver. You should obtain your latest BIOS and driver from the motherboard manufacturer and if widescreen is not supported, ask the manufacturer to update the BIOS and driver to support widescreen. The VX800, VX855 and later chipsets support widescreen as a standard rule, so all drivers for those chips on this website and on the motherboard manufacturer's websites will include this support. |
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| Q: |
I have an old S3 Graphics video card (like ViRGE, Savage or Tri3D). Where can I get the drivers? |
| A: |
From S3 Graphic's software archive. |
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| Q: |
I cannot run a game I want to run. I have an integrated UniChrome™ 2D/3D graphics controller. |
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Some games require a 100% Directx9.0(b) compatible 3D graphics accelerator, such as (but not limited to) Zoo Tycoon 2, ROME: TOTAL WAR or Call of Duty. Please check the minimum specifications of the game. The UniChrome 2D/3D integrated graphics controller is not Directx9 compatible. To play a game requiring DirectX 9.0a or DirectX 9.0b, you can install a DirectX 9.0 compatible 3D accelerator (video card) and disable the integrated graphics in the BIOS. A guide explaining how to do this can be found here. |
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| Q: |
I need help to identify my integrated graphics solution. |
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We recommend that you follow this guide. A list of VIA integrated graphics chip IDs and chipset series names can also be found here. |
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| Q: |
I use a legacy Microsoft Windows desktop operating system (i.e.
Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98SE, Windows ME or Windows 2000) and have a problem with a VIA chipset, or integrated graphics driver, or a system with a VIA chipset. Where can I obtain support? |
| A: |
Microsoft and VIA no longer provide official updates or support for these legacy operating systems. VIA chipset and graphics drivers released for use with these operating systems are available from our driver portal; however, VIA no longer supports these driver packages.
For support, please check online discussion boards, such as the VIA support forums. |
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USB
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NEED MORE HELP?
A further resource for FAQs related to VIA products can be found here.
If your questions are not answered in these FAQs, please check the support forums to see if you can find your answers there, or add a post to ask your own question. |
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