Matrox PowerDesk Tools Unavailable after Windows 2000 Upgrade

After you upgrade your Microsoft Windows NT-based computer using a Matrox video adapter to Windows 2000, the Matrox QuickDesk and PowerDesk utilities no longer function properly.

This issue occurs because the Matrox video adapter tools for Windows NT 4.0 are incompatible with Windows 2000.

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
To resolve this issue, contact Matrox to inquire about the availability of a fix for this issue at (514) 685-0270, or visit their Web site: To work around this issue, disable the Matrox video adapter utilities:

1. Use Registry Editor to locate the following registry key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
   Delete the following values:
   
   MGA QuickDesk = "C:\Program Files\MGA NT
   PowerDesk\QDesk\MGAQDESK.EXE"
   MGA Hook = "C:\WINNT\System32\MGAHOOK.EXE"
   
   Quit Registry Editor.
2. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Services.
3. Double-click the MGACTRL service.
4. Under Startup Type, click Disabled, click OK, and then click Close.
5. Restart the computer.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

The third-party products that are discussed in this article are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.


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