No post while hdmi connected to my video card

[coralcrazed]

Hello all,

calling Dell is like calling your grandmother... nice to say hello but thats where it ends

OK so you can sence my frustration... here is my problem. I have an ATI Radion hd 3650 video cart with an hdmi port. Purchased a 50 foot hdmi to hdmi cable to connect from the video card to my TV (panasonic tc-p54g10) plazma 52" screen. ok simple enough. i plug it all in run the wire behind all the furniture and I get my pc to sho on my TV with some display adjustments and tweeks. OK great! i go to power off my PC and restart and nothing. Dell tells me its called a no post. thats when nothing shows up on the screen. interestingly when i restart my computer with just the DVI connected to the video card it starts no problem but again when the hdmi connection is used and plugged to my TV it prevents a system restart. Dell is useless and clame to have tried and updated the latest driver from ATI for the device. which did nothing. they even had a guy come to my home to switch out the card and same thing. whats going on why is this connection not allowing the computer to boot. They also tried changing the BIOS. i'm willing to try anything to get it working. also I was under the impression that HDMi will carry sound and video in one cable??? I get a picture once windows loads and i plug the HDMI into the video card but still sound comes from the computer speakers. can anyone PLEASE help me figure something out. After speaking to dell for over a week and a half i want to call my grandmother to say hi, i think she can tell me more than dell has been able to. :lol:

thanks sooooo much in advance for your help.

 

[coralcrazed]

anyone??? anything??? thanks

 

[coralcrazed]

no one?

 

[coralcrazed]

this board sucks... no help

 

[MarkJohnson]

I feel your frustration. I have the same issue with limited success.

first, the problem is that HDMI is being treated as a second monitor and all video is going to primary output. Probably DVI/VGA.

How I fixed it from reading tons and tons of posts:

first, connect the DVI and boot up windows in safe mode by pressing the F8 key repeatedly during the POST screen before windows starts loading and it should give you a menu to select, "SAFE MODE".

When you get to the desktop, go to, "Control Panel" and choose, "Uninstall a Program" assuming you are using Windows 7.

Next, make sure the drivers are uninstalled by going to, "Control Panel". Then select, "Hardware and Sound" and click on, "Device Manager" Then click the right arrow next to, "Display Adapters" and right clicking the video card name, which should be something like, "ATI Radeon HD 3600 Series" then choosing, Uninstall" which should uninstall the driver.

Now restart windows normally and download the latest drivers from ATI and install it. Reboot and make sure it took and then shut down the computer and plug in your HDMI to HDMI cable and hopefully it will work.

Don't worry if while booting you don't see a post screen or Windows starting. You won't get any video until windows gets to the desktop.

If this don't work, not sure what else to suggest except keep Googling for more info.

As for your sound issue, it sounds like it is using your sound card/built-in sound by default. You can change it in windows to use HDMI sound as default by going to,"Control Panel" then, "Hardware and Sound" then, "Manage Audio Devices" then right-Click the ATI sound usually called,"ATI DP Output" then, "Set as Default Device" and now you should have sound over HDMI.

Hopefully this is readable. I don't think so well past midnight.

Good luck
-=Mark=-
p.s. I have had great luck with the new 5xxx series ATI cards using HDMI as primary. I'm guessing the Eyefinity stuff helps make it work better.

 

[coralcrazed]

thanks, I'm all out of options until you posted... i will try this.

 

[chermesh]

Hi coralcrazed,
I wonder if you managed to solve your problem. My system dual boot - win7 and winxp pro) is suffering from a very similar problem. I planned it to be connected both to a monitor (Samsung SyncMaster 940bw) and a tv set (LG). The connection to the monitor is via analog mode and to the tv' hdmi.

Whenever I plug the tv cable, I see nothing on my monitor until win7 (my default os) starts. I can' however, see all Post steps (CMOS) and os selection menu on my tv. When win7 is set, everything is as expected.

Whenever I disconnect the hdmi cable, I see all Post messages and os selection menu (but, natuarally, see nothing on the disconnected tv).

Whenever I connect the hdmi cable to the pc following a complete booting session, while being insude win7 (or xp), I can see both through my monitor and my tv.

I've spent many hours seeking a solution, but failed. I've even replaced my motherboard and switched monitor, but nothing helped.

Do you' or anyone else, have a suggestion?

 

[Guest]

I can't tell you what to do, but I can share my story that has a happy ending. I posted a similar thread (Cannot Boot with HDMI plugged in (Dell Studio/ATI 4350) in November 2009. I too have a Panasonic tv and I got the same run around that you have been getting. Bad TV, bad HDMI port, bad ATI card, bad HDMI cable, bad motherboard, and on. No one at Dell had ever heard of this problem. I went to the Dell forums and found that hundreds of people were complaining about this problem. And Dell technicians were RESPONDING to some of the complainers. And lo and behold, Dell issued a BIOS patch in January 2010 which fixed EVERYTHING. The PC boots, I can use the DVI monitor or not, I can pipe sound through the HDMI, etc, etc, etc.

Obviously, a BIOS patch is specific to particular models so I'm sure my patch won't fix your ATI model. But I'll bet that Dell will magically publish a BIOS patch two months from now. Of course, no one at Dell will know anything about it until the day it appears, and then everyone at Dell will point to it. The user forums at Dell have lots of people flagging this problem with different model PCs. Obviously, Dell never envisioned people using a large flat screen as their main, or secondary monitor. And the left hand at Dell (Tech Support that answers the phone) is unaware of the right hand (Tech Support that responds to the Dell forums).

I suggest you skip all the workarounds (like an HDMI-to-DVI connector, a swtich box, leave the tv powered off during reboots, etc.) and just hang in there until the BIOS patch (which is the true, real fix to this problem) is finally published. Sadly, there's no way of knowing when that will be

 

[chermesh]

Thanks SMas203110 for sharing your experience with me. While my head says' stop, wait' my psych keeps pushing me to search for a solution. I may end up like you and get relief while updating my BIOS, Still, I hate to see my cable unplugged, lying close to my pc...

 

[chermesh]

Just to let you know that my problem is solved. The solution would never have been possible with Gainward support, who first reported an undocumented feature, meaning the fact that my graphic card's default is to turn first to its digital (DVI) connection, and only afterwards to the analog. Since my tv is connected via a digital connection, all Post messages were sent to my tv and not to my monitor.
Following my request, they prepared a special version of their BIOS, switching default connection, and making analog the first, digital, second.
Lift hokus focus' my problem disappeared.
Oh! These undocumented features!!

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey