Installed a new graphics card now my monitor is black

4kittiesmom

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May 21, 2009
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I installed a GeForce 8400 PCI graphics card into my pc. When I turned everything off to switch the monitor to the new card the screen was black. I put everything back and the screen went on. The computer was using the onboard graphics. I tryed everything to disable them but I can't figure it out. I went into the BIOS but I don't really know what I'm doing. I followed the advice of someone online and turned something from AGP (i think) to auto or the other way around hehe I don't remember.... the monitor was black still so I put it into the old slot and it was still black! But I could get to the BIOS screen so I fixed what I had done and then the pc was using onboard graphics again and now were it had said my new graphics card was working like in my device manager and in the run box.. dxdiag now the GeForce is gone. and when I put the disk back in it now says it is incompatible with my computer. My husband had removed the new card at one point and tryed another slot. Could this of made it all go away? WHat should I do? My original old graphics card was a AGP but the new one is a PCI. I have 2 extra spots that fit PCI. SHould I return it and get an AGP? Or is there something else I should do? Would not having a high enough power supply cause the screen to be black? There is no extra slot for a power supply plug in the new graphics card I checked.
Thank you all for reading this! I hope you can help me. I was so sad I couldn't play my games.. I did a system restore to get my original graphics card to work again so I'm playing my games again but I now have an 80$ thing looking at me... Thanks!
 
First thing you need to do is unistall the drivers for your current graphics, reboot and let Windows install the generic VGA driver.
That should not keep it from POSTING, but it could cause the new card to not work once Windows is loaded.
Also.....
You will likely have to enter the BIOS and set the display to the PCI slot first, or disable the onboard, or something like that. Since you do not list the motherboard or PC type, it is hard to tell you exactly what you need to do here, or what the exact display options and settings are in your particular BIOS, but the black screen immediately with no POST screen says the PC is still running with the onboard video, and not using the new card.

And, by the way:
PCI -really old and really, really slow
AGP -old and essentially outdated now
PCIe -newest and fastest
 

4kittiesmom

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May 21, 2009
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18,510
:D Thank you for your reply! I have a Dell I donno the motherboard type , I should open the tower and look? I noticed that there are more PCIe graphic cards to choose from but I don't have a spot to fit those :(
When I go into the BIOS what's the display called? Its not called display on mine. Should I update my BIOS? In a thread I read someone suggested that.
 
G

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Did U try disabling your old graphics card?
Right click on my computer and hit manage. On the right there should be an option called device manager, select that then right click on your old graphix card on the left of the window and select disable.

oh yea, make sure your pluging your moniter into the new graphics card.