ATI driver 'disappeared' after last system update

[GatesHater52]

After installing the last round of updates, I lost my extended desktop, and when I try to open Catylist, I get a message that no supported card is installed. "Install drivers'" comes up with a blank window, while my Radion HD4200 intigrated graphic chip shows if I run sudo lshw -C display in a terminal window. It is not listed under system information. HELP!


[attachment deleted by admin, more than 25 days old]

[Valtam]

In the last round of updates, were you prompted to enter any options or information at all?

[GatesHater52]

Not that I noticed. The terminal window closed on its own,&everything was fine until the next reboot.

[Valtam]

Open up Install/Remove Software and see if there are any fglrx packages marked as installed there, you can right click on them and Mark for Reinstallation, make sure you get them all. Also, how did you install the ATI driver in the beginning?

[GatesHater52]

Thanks, I'll try that tonight. The driver was installed through the "Install Drivers" choice on the settings menu.

[Valtam]

did you manage to fix this, if so how?

[GatesHater52]

I apologize for not responding sooner. I managed to get my displays back, but not properly. Reinstalling did not work, but everything I do is a learning experience. In looking over all of the fglrx packages, it seemed like two driver + the generic driver were active. I completely removed all three, and installed the generic driver using get-apt from the shell after rebooting. that got me back into the GUI. Then I visited the AMD website and downloaded the .deb package they recommended for my integrated processor, installing it in a terminal window. Now the strange part. After rebooting and logging on, I both monitors had the settings, including wallpapers I had specified previously,with one glaring exception. The wallpaper on display #2 (1024 x 728) shows up on top of the desktop of monitor #1 (1280 x1024) partially obscuring its wallpaper. Opening 'Catylist', a dialogue opens recommending settings, which happen to be the ones I want. I click on yes, then apply in the main window, the second wallpaper overlay disappears! I select keep settings, and close. So far so good. The problem remains that have to repeat these last step each time I start the machine.

[gold_finger]

I've never used the proprietary AMD drivers myself, so the following is purely a guess.

When changing the settings for the Nvidia driver, it must be done as root for the changes to take effect on reboots.  So, I'm guessing that if you right-click on "Catalyst" and pick "Open as Administrator", then make your changes and save, that it might then work for reboots.  May want to give that a try.

[GatesHater52]

The ATI panel requires the root password to open. Thanks for the thought.

[Valtam]

The Help Manual has proper instructions under Hardware for configuring ATI including the control panel.