I just installed Windows 8 Enterprise Trial version on HP nx9420 laptop (2GHz dual core prosessor, 4gb memory, ATI Motility Radeon X1600 graphics card with 256mb own memory, 1680x1050 native display resolution) on second partition, side by side with existing Windows 7. 

Installation succeeded perfect, except Windows 8 couldn't install, nor did find from Windows Update display driver for ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics card. Only Microsoft generic display driver was installed and it offered maximum 1450x800 resolution, so not laptops native 1680x1050 screen resolution. 

Windows 7 can install working ATI driver right from Windows Update for that graphics card (version 8.561.0.0 dated 1.12.2008). 

Laptop manufacturer HP has latest, old driver for Vista (version 8.453.0.0 dated 22.1.2008), so I installed that, selecting compatibility mode Vista with setup-program in Windows 8. That installed, but seems to have some problems, telling of missing library, maybe with some ATI extra diplay manager software and C++ 2005 library, that it installed. 

MY QUESTION: Is there some problems with Windows 8 and that ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics card? Why isn't the Windows 7 -version of ATI mobility radeon X1600 display driver available in Windows Update for Windows 8 too? 

• Edited by MinaIte Tuesday, September 25, 2012 4:22 PM

So the problem with Windows 8 64-bit installation now is, that it can't install drivers for ATI Mobility Radeon x1600, neither from Win 8 64-bit installation media, nor from Windows Update -service - it just installs generic windows display driver. 

If one installs older Vista-version drivers for that graphics card, there may be problems that on boot laptop flickers several minutes display and then either gives Windows 8 login screen or just keeps flickering, varying time to time.

I know that there is latest legacy driver package at ATI, but that doesn't support Mobility Radeon Xnnn-models, it only supports plain Xnnn-models. If one tries to install with that, it says that graphic card (so mobility radeon -models) isn't supported.  So these won't work. 

http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/windows/Legacy/Pages/radeonaiw_vista64.aspx

================================

BUT THEN I FOUND A WAY TO FIX PROBLEM

===============================

With Internet Explorer (this doesn't work with other browsers!) I checked Microsoft's update catalog service (where it-support of companies can download windows update -packages for centralized testing before deployment to workstations of them), so - do this with administrator-user in Windows: 

http://catalog.update.microsoft.com/ 

That asks to install Microsoft add-on in IE to use that service at first, so do it. 

Then in search field, in upright, search "mobility radeon x1600" and you'll find those driver-packages that Microsoft Update -service offers. There are x86 and amd64 drivers of that graphics cards for Windows 7  (version 8.561.0.0 dated 1.12.2008). 

One can download those Windows 7 -version drivers from that update catalog on a folder as cab-file and then to use that package to update graphics card drivers, in Device manager, graphics card properties and updating drivers from the download folder of those update catalog drivers (one can unpac cab-file with 7-zip or such).

I managed to do that and got those drivers (version 8.561.0.0 dated 1.12.2008) installed and working on Windows 8 and now ATI mobility radeon X1600 works like a charm in Windows 8 too (like it does with Windows 7). 

So, why Windows 8 install / windows update -service don't offer that same ATI mobility radeon driver for Windows 8 on laptop with that ati mobility radeon x1600 or why doesn't it recognize ati mobility radeon x1600 on that hp-laptop, thus the driver works with it? That works for Windows 7 installation / from windows update -service and that same driver seems to work perfect in Windows 8 too, like it does with Windows 7. 

• Edited by MinaIte Tuesday, September 25, 2012 4:57 PM
• Marked as answer by Niki HanModerator Monday, October 08, 2012 9:19 AM

Hi there,

I am lost. I have just bought and installed Windows 8 Pro (32 bit x86) on my old laptop Asus A6J. The accelerated videocard (ATI Radeon Mobility X1600) does not work and it seems almost impossible to install the drivers.

I have tried almost everything as descibed above.

All the time I am facing the error:

The selected driver for the device does not support this Windows version.

Right click on desktop-> Screen resolution -> Advanced Properties show the following type of videoboard: Video Board Microsoft Basic, and any attempt to update the driver fails.

Please, help me on fixing this issue... Otherwise I have lost money and time with W8 and I have to go back to Vista or XP

thanks

 - EDIT -

Solved!

The following WDDM driver must be used:

ATI Technologies Inc. driver update for ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM)

• Edited by x1600 Sunday, December 30, 2012 1:24 PM

hi X1600

I have the same troubles. Can you tell me where you found this WDDM driver and how you managed to install it?

best regards!

• Edited by WilbertE Thursday, January 10, 2013 1:46 PM

I had the same problem and just resolved it.

Follow the steps given by MinaIte but instead typing "mobility radeon x1600", type what x1600 suggested "ATI Technologies Inc. driver update for ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM)".

Then go to Control Panel > Hardware & Sound> Device Manager and install the downloaded driver for the graphic card device (in my case it was called: Display Adapter)

• Proposed as answer by gugus Thursday, January 17, 2013 8:10 PM

Victory at last. Thank you all: Mr Minalte, Mr Ziegler, X1600 and Mike Warrenovsky!

Asus A6ja: follow the Minalte post. Make sure you download the WDDM drivers (vista) X86 architecture.

In device manager I removed the display adapter 2 times. Thirst the basic adapter. After removal windows8 finds another PnP adapter. I removed this one also. Afterwards Windows showed a VGA adapter with a yellow questionmark in the device manager.

I then updated the drivers of this VGA/questionmark adapter and pointed to the unzipped WDDM driver files.

Ready!

Best regards

W.

• Edited by WilbertE Saturday, January 26, 2013 10:09 AM

Thank you all of your thanks. 

I can confirm that this solution works with Windows 10 Technology/Insider preview too. And surely works with forthcoming Windows RTM too. 

Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 TP work both like a charm with nearly 10 years old HP Compaq nx9420 laptop, with Intel Core 2 Duo and ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 display adapter. Nice co-operation of "old" hardware and very Modern Windows OS.

So in brief:

If you have laptop with ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 or other X1000-series display adapter and

you want to install Windows 8, 8.1 or 10, do this:

0) First just install Windows 8.x/10. It will install Microsoft Generic display driver, but that doesn't support full resolution of ATI Mobility Radeon X1000 -series - for example it may show maximum 1400x1050 -resolution, thus your laptop display and Radeon X1000 may support native 1650x1050, but you can't obtain that resolution with that Microsoft generic driver. So you need ATI-driver and you can get it this way: 

1) With Internet Explorer (this doesn't work with other browsers) go to

Microsoft Update -catalog:   http://catalog.update.microsoft.com/

2) Search "ATI Mobility Radeon X1600"   (or X1300, X1800 etc)

3) Sort search results by date (last update -column), latest on top. You will see drivers for Windows 7 - they will work with Windows 8.x and 10 too. There is certainly two of them; other is 32 bit only and other is 64 bit dirver.

4) Select proper driver version of them, according your Windows 32 or 64 bit, so click Add

5) At top-right click Show basket and then download those driver packages to your computer. They are cab-file -packages. 

6) Obtain 7-zip -utility, install it and with it unpack that cab-driver package on folder with its package-name.

7) On start of taskbar, right mouse button click Windows-Start and then select Hardware management. On Hardware management -window open Display adapter -section, then mouse right click Microsoft adapter and select Update driver. Then on next window, select search driver from computer. 

8) Browse on folder, where you unpacked ATI driver (on stage 6 earlier) and select Next ... that updates driver, on the go and you don't need even to reboot Windows. 

9) Now you have proper ATI Mobility Radeon -driver in use. It  surely sets automatically resolution according your laptop screen (so recommended native resolution of screen panel) or you can select that on diplay settings. 

Extra: For that Windows 8.x/10 boot works fine too, do this too: 

Seems that Windows 8.x (and Windows 10 too), with their hybrid-shutdown -functionality, require some support of the display adapter, that ATI Radeon Mobility x1000 -series don't have. 

So the solution is to disable that Windows 8.x (or Windows 10) hybrid boot -functionality (that is quicker boot) and to use "normal boot". 

You can fix that this way:

- at end of Taskbar click battery/power icon and select Power settings

- navigate to power and sleep settings

- either at bottom of those settings, or in Win10 more power settings, select power buttons functionality/settings (so what power button, sleep button or closing laptop screen does)

- at bottom of those settings is shutdown options (or with similar name). uncheck "use quick boot" -settings (for to uncheck that you may need to click first upper "changing disabled settings" (or similar name) at top or windows) 

(I recommend to check Hibernate at the same time too, because that is usefull)

- then Save settings and reboot Windows and you have got rid of that problem that Windows 8.x/10 don't show Lock screen, now it does.

Boot takes just a little longer, so practically no problem. And if you need quicker boot with laptop, use Hibernate-state, so don't shut down your laptop, but instead put it into Hibernate-state (that is better than Sleep mode, because Hibernate-mode doesn't consume battery-power, like Sleep-mode does)

• Proposed as answer by ReidOnly Wednesday, July 29, 2015 10:22 PM

Hello

What about full 3D acceleration in MS driver - with my radeon x1600 is v. poor.

Drivers for older obsolete cards are on Windows update. If none are available you will need to get a newer video card.

 Just so all who need to know - THIS WORKS with Windows 10 too!!! Edge will ask to use IE automatically.

Hi! What about the power options? Has somebody managed to get Catalyst Control Center working? If not, how can you change the power state to low? X1600 can get quite warm.