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I just bought a refurbished video card (Pixelview nVidia GeForce MX 4000 128 MB PCI) from newegg.com and am trying to install it in my IBM Aptiva (model # 2158270). I have the card in a PCI slot and my BIOS recognizes it (when I boot up my computer, the BIOS setup screen is visible with a monitor plugged into the video card's monitor port). But I can't get windows to start up in any way with the card.
My system has an on-board video card which I am using right now. My BIOS provides me two options for video: "Onboard" and "Auto". Supposedly, if I select Auto it will disable the onboard and choose the installed video card as the primary. The BIOS recognizes the installed video card correctly.
But if I select 'Auto', my system hangs before windows starts to boot up. Before I could choose to boot in Safe Mode, before I get a DOS prompt if i start up in MS-DOS mode. Right after the BIOS screen finishes I just get a blank screen, and my computer doesn't make the hard drive spinny noises it usually makes while windows is starting up.
If i choose Onboard, then the built in card is used to boot up. Although windows 98 recognizes the card, and asks for drivers and I can install them (I installed the latest version from nvidia's website, 77.72, and the version that came on the install disc with the card, to no avail), the device shows up in window's device manager with a "!" next to it. 'Properties' reveals that my system booted up with window's ASD and skipped the new video card, because it causes windows to hang.
I have also tried installing 'Standard PCI Graphics Adaptor (VGA)' driver for the device and starting up windows with my bios set to AUTO--it still hangs before windows boots. With my bios set to Onboard, the device shows up as "!" on the device manager, with the explanation that the driver does not support dual monitors.
So I guess my question is: Is there something wrong with the card I bought that is causing windows to hang? Or is this some sort of driver or other software problem, and if so, can I fix it? I am curious if using windows 98 (first edition) is giving me problems.
Thank you, tech wizards.
The first thing I would have suggested is to load the Standard VGA Graphics Adaptor. This is a standard video driver that all graphics cards are meant to support.
As you have already done this it is beginning to look that the card is faulty and wont switch from text mode to graphics mode.
There is only one other thing you could try and that is putting the video card in different slot and see if that makes any difference.
Stuart
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Tho this may sound and be risky... In my old HP it had no bios setting for onboard video and I had to go into control panel and disable the onboard video in device manager. Then shutdown, and install pci card, and boot back up.
You could try this with your IBM set at AUTO but if the card is bad i'm not exactly sure how you would be able to re-enable the onboard video in device manager.
Good Luck.ASUS A7V8X
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This is an Agp 8X card and I would bet 1.5v card, that probably will not work in the older 3.3 v slot your IBM most likely has, but that is a guess. However, I have seen motherboards that did the same thing on auto where I had to choose agp card which shuts off onboard in the bios, to get it to boot up. You may also have to set that slot for 128 meg agp and who knows if an older machine is even capable of doing that.
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Rich, it's a PCI card, not AGP.
hamdrewburglar,
The fact that you can see the boot screen with the card indicates that the card "probably" works. It would appear that the onboard isn't disabling. Here's what it says about your system at the IBM website:
"Automatically disables when an auto-disabling PCI video card is installed"
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/BMOE-3Q8JAJ.html
Do you have another system you can test the video card in? That would tell you if the card is bad, or if there's a problem with the auto-disabling
Asus A7N8X-X
1800+ @ 8.5 x 200MHz
1280MB PC3200 2.5-3-3-7
Asus A9550GE/TD 128MB
WinME/WinXP Pro
0
Since IBM clearly states your PCI card should auto disable the onboard video, as neither your BIOS nor the board requires a jumper to disable it. With what you've done so far, I'd say try a little variation of what you did earler make sure the PCI card is removed prior.
- Remove all display adapter(s) showing up in the device manager.
- Switch the display settings to 640X480X16 colors.
- Go into Add/Remove and uninstall your current driver.
- Shut down the PC, install the PCI card (preferably) in another slot.
-Turn the system on, as windows begin to load, if you get a new hardware found cancel out of it, once you get to the desktop, pop your Geforce CD in and install the driver that way.
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OOps as to the AGP slot, but principle is still the same and I would disbale the onbaord for a real test and not rely on the auto to do so.
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Boot up with the onboard, go to device manager and find the onboard graphics chip. Right click on the card, select disable, then select uninstall.
Reboot, choose auto in your bios again, and hopefully it should boot using your new card.
If all else fails, see if IBM has a BIOS update for your computer.
P.S. It's my understanding that Newegg's "refurbished" goods are simply items returned by customers, in working order. Not damaged or repaired. They test them to ensure they function, then resell. The card should be fine.
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Thanks for the suggestions, folks. No luck so far, I think I am going to send the card back and try a different one. Newegg gives me a 15 day period for returns.
Stuart: No luck with "Standard Display Adaptor (VGA)" or "Standard PCI Graphics Adaptor (VGA)". Also I've tried the card in all three of my PCI slots.
Chad: I found your suggestion on a website earlier, the only problem is that the Device Manager must "know" that I have an onboard video card, because there is no option for "Disable device" like there is on my other devices.
Jam: Man, I really wish I had another system handy I could test the card on, unfortunately that is not the case right now.
Sabertooth: Your suggestion sounds pretty thorough, the only problem is that instead of booting up and windows beginning to load, I just get a black screen after my BIOS finishes its startup processes (e.g. listing BIOS version and installed RAM).
Jb60606: Same as Chad, for some reason there is no option for "Disable" device in Device Manager. I have tried removing the driver entirely for my onboard, but that doesn't work either. In fact I even tried making 2 hardware profiles, one with just the onboard, and one with just the new card, but once again my screen goes black before windows asks me which hardware profile to boot with.
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hamdrewburglar,
To do what Sabertooth suggested you have to be using the onboard graphics...make all the changes he listed, THEN:
"Shut down the PC, install the PCI card..."
Asus A7N8X-X
1800+ @ 8.5 x 200MHz
768MB PC3200 2.5-3-3-7
Asus A9550GE/TD 128MB
WinME/WinXP Pro
0
Just a followup post. I returned the Prolink Geforce MX 4000 and got a Sapphire Radeon 9200SE instead, and the install went off without a hitch. Either there was some major incompatibility problem with the first card, or it was just defunct. Thanks for the help, guys.
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 Modify monitor cable plug...
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Beeping VIA mobo
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