Graphics card question: urgent
 

I just bought and installed a new Xtasy 9200 256MB PCI graphics card into my machine. I have a Dell Dimension 4600, 512MB RAM, 80GB HD, P4 2.8, Windows XP. I installed the drivers off of the cd they supplied with it and restarted the machine. It started, but I couldn't see the Start menu. I tried the Windows button, but that didn't work. When I dragged the mouse to the right side of the screen it would keep going for about six inches off screen where I couldn't see it.

I uninstalled everything and tried again. This time, the screen didn't even turn on when I restarted. The green light that tells you the monitor's on was orange and wouldn't turn green no matter what I did. I uninstalled everything again and downloaded the newest drivers off the VisionTek web site. I installed them, but the same thing happened with the blank screen.

I have no spyware, adware, or viruses and have not loaded much of anything on it since I got it. Can someone please help me?

From sound of it, it's not your Graphics card cuasing the problem.

But the moniter itself.

Unhook the graphics card and put it all back the way your computer was BEFORE you got it.

Then figure out the make/model/what ever of your moniter, go online and find the latest drivers for it. dl em, and install.

This worked for me.

Edit: I almost forgot about this, some of the graphics cards now require that the Moniter be directly hooked to them (from back of computer) instead of it going through the normal slot. For me I had to hook it up to the card and Re-dl all the drivers... so it could also be a combo of the two.

I have it directly hooked to it. I downloaded the newest drivers for the monitor, but whenever I try updating it, it doesn't detect the driver where I put it. I also got a message once that it doesn't use a driver.

I really don't think it's your monitor. Especially if it was made in the last 2-3 years.

Looks like your computer had integrated graphics beforehand (from dell.com's specs). Ran into this problem with my friend's eMachine once before.

1) Set your computer the way it was before you had the card; plugs, drivers and all (or at least, whatever configuration will allow you to perform the following steps).

2) go to control panel -> device manager -> display adapters -> (insert integrated graphics name here) -> properties

3a) Under the drivers tab, uninstall the old device's drivers
3b) Under the general tab, set the device to 'Do not use this device (disable)'

4) turn of the computer

5) install your new graphics card

6) plug your monitor into your new graphics card

7) turn on your machine, install the new card's drivers, and reboot

Disabling the integrated graphics is the key to installing a new graphics card. Simply uninstalling drivers for integrated graphics won't do anything. You must disable in order for the computer to know that there's an alternative method of displaying graphcis.

The shutting off integrated graphics thing could be the trick. Theres also a possibility, though slightly unlikely, that Windows and/or your card are rejecting your drivers. Head on over to Safemode (Press F8 repeatedly while your computer is booting up until it starts beeping) and see if everything displays properly. If so, its likely the drivers/display settings, indicating faulty drivers or the device conflict Toaster mentioned and described how to fix.

I also forgot to mention that whenever the screen goes blank, if I just switch the monitor from one card to the other it comes up fine, except when I'm on the new card, then I can't see the Start menu.

I tried what you said to do and when I uninstalled all of my display drivers and reboot, they just come back like nothing ever happened. I'm bringing it to a school tech today to see if he can fix it.

If you uninstall and disable the integrated graphics, and then just reboot without putting the new card in, then it'll just go back to the old stuff.

It could also be that the card isn't using the correct resolution. As a result, things that should come up won't.

Tried changing the resolution. Didn't work.

seeing all the steps that youve just made im gonna do the following suggestions thinking you know how to enter BIOS and whont screw up

suggestion 1 (level of danger = 0 )
ok from that thing you mentioned that your monitor movees 6 inches to the left , that could be because if you video card has (video out) it could be enabled in a way to extend your desktop right click on the desktop

Properties > Settings(tab) > Advanced > ok now you should have like 6 to 8 tabs on top try searching for the one that says " twin view " and select Clone

Note: these suggestions are assuming you have your video card installed



Suggestion 2 (level of danger = meteo = 9999)
just kidding all you have to do is dont touch anything i dont tell you to.

when you reboot your pc hit "F2" or "delete" any of these should bring up a blue screen with options if any of these work try searching on the dell logo what key you have to hit to go to (setup or BIOS) any of those will do

ok here on the blue screen yuo need to search for hmm.. "integrated peripherals" i think thats where you cna find it and DEACTIVATE you "Integrated Graphics" and try searching for your video card options and select PCI then sve setting and exit.


hope i was useful

Doesn't your monitor have settings to shrink/expand the screen size? Maybe that's it. Hell, happened to me once. Maybe putting in the new vid card reset those settings and youjust have to shrink it back down.

I mean, usually these catastrophic errors are easily fixable.