Computer wont load past motherboard screen after new gpu/ moving my HDD

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samowenwhite

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Jan 2, 2016
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Hello, first of all id like to say I'm a complete noob when it comes to computers/anything to do with computers and I have very little understanding of anything too complicated / technical.

Recently I decided to upgrade my GPU from a GTX 660 to a 970 which was more than fine , but I ran into an issue when I realised the 970 was larger so I had to move my HDD into a different slot to be able to fit my 970 in, I unplugged the SATA cable and power cable connected to the HDD so I could slot it into a new place, I put my GPU in connected the 2 6 pin power cables to it and it seems to be slotted in fine. I then put my HDD into a new slot and used a SATA cable lying around (I'm not sure if I used the same SATA cable and I'm unsure if I slotted it into the same place on the motherboard but apparently that doesn't matter), so once I had done all of this i saw my CD DRIVE(i think it was a cd drive, its where i put discs in) had a sata cable coming out of it but it wasn't connected to the motherboard so i plugged that into a sata slot on my motherboard, not sure if that means anything or could effect anything but I'm trying to let you know all the details(a weird thing i notice was the tray still opens with it plugged in and without) anyways now i turned my PC on and it would load to the motherboard screen thing and then would just go onto a black screen and not do anything past that, i figured my HDD wasn't been prioritized anymore or went unnoticed as i had moved it around but i could not get into my bios as whenever i pressed DEL or anything else when on the motherboard screen it would not do anything, and this is where i am now. Everything was fine before i changed anything around.(i use a pirated windows 7, maybe that might effect it)

My specs:
GTX 970/660
Ivybridge i7 3700k
2TB HDD made by Seagate
Z77 D3H motherboard

Also my HDD has an extra slot in it other than the SATA cable and power cable its like a row of 4 LED + things i think but i don't remember them being plugged into it before.

Please me friendly and respect my lack of knowledge.

Did a double post 1 on the storage section as I'm unsure which issue it is the gpu installation or hard drive.
 
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william p

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First I would unplug the CD. It may have been disconnected for a reason. I would look closely at the MB and find SATA #0 and put the HDD on that. Check that all the cables are securely connected, and all the memory modules are seated properly. I would then install the old video card. See if you can get into BIOS. Set set the Boot sequence to have USB first, then CD,then HDD. you might need it later. Check in Maintenance/SYSLOG or EVENT LOG and write down any errors there, then clear them. Exit from BIOS. If you can get it to run Windows then you're back where you started. Create a SYSTEM RESTORE point ( Programs/ Accessories/System Tools/System Restore).You should remove the drivers for the old video card. It will still run on default VGA settings. Then follow the instructions for setting up your new video card paying attention to whether the card installs first or the drivers. The card should run VGA without the drivers.
 
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samowenwhite

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Hello, it turns out the issue is just my 970? i put my old one back in and everything is fine including the HDD, and my CD drive seems to still be opening and working fine so litterally my 970 just isnt working? can you try and tell me what i need to do again? your post was abit complicated for me . I have a cx600 PSU 600 watts im quite sure.
 
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william p

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Well it's running and that's good. 1- Set up a SYSTEM RESTORE point. 2- Remove the drivers for your old card. (Control Pane/ Uninstall Programs/ "your old GPU driver'. 3- Follow instructions to install new card. Including install new drivers. If that fails, put it back the way it was using old card and SYSTEM RESTORE point,(this will restore the drivers you removed) and contact GPU vendor.
 
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samowenwhite

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So do you actually think the reason my computer wont load past the motherboard screen (other than the black screen) could be due to having old drivers for a different gpu? also i have no idea how to setup a system restore point
 
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william p

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Any hardware problem will cause the BIOS to halt. There should be an error message in SYSLOG, or EVENT LOG telling why. No working GPU= no picture. Are the fans still running, or is it really dead? Contact the vendor and ask about an EUFI vs. AHCI conflict between the card and the motherboard. Your computer might even be running but you can't see it.
System restore will save your old drivers so you can remove them to install the new GPU, but restore them if needed.
Click- Start-All Programs-Accessories-System Tools-System Restore- then follow the instructions.
Both cards should run in default VGA mode with NO drivers installed.
 
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samowenwhite

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Im pretty sure my monitor is vga to DVI, i contacted scan ( the people i bought it from) and they told me to put in my 660 and go into the bios and update the bios to the latest version, no idea what that means, any ideas? and yes the fans are running im pretty sure.
 
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william p

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Contact your motherboard vendor. Or look on their website. The BIOS update procedure varies quite a bit. You might consider getting help with this. This would be a good time to back up your computer to an external HDD or DVD discs. If the BIOS update fails it's a very big deal.
VGA "mode" refers to a very old minimum display setting that all GPUs support, not just the cable type. It's what you see if you boot into SAFE MODE.
Basically everyone is telling you that you need up to date software (BIOS,Drivers) to run up to date hardware.
 
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samowenwhite

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I have no extra HDD or anything like that , just an SSD im waiting to install once i got my GPU sorted, could my issue be an outdated windows 7? i have a pirated version and im pretty sure im unable to update it.
 
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william p

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That looks about right. I'm not an expert Gigabyte MBs. I suggest starting another thread with the BIOS flash question. List your mother board in the title so the right people reply. You don't want the Beta BIOS, just latest stable version. Before installing your SSD go into System Tools/Disk Defragmenter. Turn off" Auto Defrag" This can damage an SSD. It's only for HDD drives.
 
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samowenwhite

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Thanks alot for your help then, do you think me updating my bios/updating my gpu drivers and removing my old ones is actually a issue or is it just to take all the precautions before i ask for a new gpu from the people i bought it from?
 
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william p

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The procedure I gave for the video drivers is just the normal procedure for installing a new video card. If you tried it and it doesn't work then contacting vendor would be next. Check to see if you have latest BIOS already. Before contacting GPU vendor find out if your MB is EUFI, or AHCI BIOS. The GPU vendor might ask this. It could be your problem. I would see if you can resolve this without flashing BIOS first. It's a little bit risky even if you know what you're doing.
 
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samowenwhite

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KK ill try installing the 970 drivers first, on every guide ive seen so far they say to install the drivers after the card is in though? so how can i install my 970 drivers if i cant load my computer with the 970 in? do i install the drivers before i put them in and after i uninstall my 660 drivers?
 
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william p

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Set System restore point first, so if it doesn't work you can RESTORE the old drivers. Remove the 660 drivers first, then the card. No driver can be better than the wrong driver.Cards will run with no drivers in a very basic default VGA mode (600X800). If you remove the 660 drivers it should still boot. Then install the 970. It should still boot. Then install the drivers for full function of the video card. If it doesn't boot with the 970 and no drivers then you have an issue. Safely uninstalling the old drivers is the first step. Until you do that you don't know if you have an issue with the 970 or not. Then start looking into video or motherboard BIOS issues.
 
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samowenwhite

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Hey, im uninstalled my graphics driver but it said i needed to restart my computer which i did and then on computer startup the drivers was being reinstalled? any idea how to stop this? Also which drivers do i uninstall "Nvidia graphics driver" only or do i do the vision driver and audio driver too?
 
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william p

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Try to Unistall the driver "Nvidia graphics driver" and swap the video cards before the restart ( In other words don't "RESTART" turn off ,swap cards, then turn back on). Then it should ask for the new drivers from disc. Install new drivers and if card works get latest driver down load from Mfg. site to update. Driver improvements are very common after cards ship. If audio driver is Nvidia it's for HDMI which includes audio , then yes change it. If it's for sound card, or onboard sound then no.
 
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samowenwhite

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Hello, i uninstalled the nvidia graphics driver but not the nvidia audio driver / or the nvidia vision driver , should i try uninstalling all those 3 again? rather than just the graphics driver , its worth noting that when i tried to do the startup this time after uninstalling the nvidia graphics driver it got past the motherbord screen again onto a similar black screen however this time there was a flashing thing in the top left and the GPU was abit warm when i took it out to put my old 1 back in. Also on startup after putting my old 1 back in i did a windows repair which automatically did a system restore point. Also when i initially tried to uninstall the nvidia audio driver first then the graphics driver it wouldnt allow me to uninstall the graphics driver without restarting to finalize the nvidia audio driver uninstall, so how can i do them all without restarting?
 
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william p

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You should be able to remove the audio driver and restart, then it should still run wit the old GPU in, then remove that driver , shut down and swap the cards.. If you get to the black screen with flashing cursor I would wait a while first and see if it proceeds, also I would put your driver disc in the CD and see if it finds it. It seems like you are having more than the normal amount of trouble. But at some level the GPU is communicating with the computer now. If the keyboard can make entries at the cursor call GPU tech support and maybe they can help.
 
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samowenwhite

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Problem was though i did remove the audio driver and then restart but then something automatically reinstalled that audio driver? do you have any idea how to stop it auto reinstalling?
 
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samowenwhite

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Good news, my GPU works and its running i installed a program that completely wiped all my nvidia drivers. Now i need to install my SSD , is there a way to get the OS on my new SSD and keep all of the files on my HDD?
 
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