VGA driver issue on AMD 880G chipset/Win7 64 bit

grell2k

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Sep 25, 2011
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Hi all,

I'm currently having an issue with a newly put toghether rig with an GA-880GM-UD2H mobo, its onboard AMD 880G chipset and VGA unit (the VGA is integrated in the 880g north bridge, id'd as HD 4250) and, more specifically its Win7 VGA driver. (Im running Win7 64 bit)

The system runs using Win7's default VGA driver (except for not win7 not filling the screen entirely and not at optimal resolution). When I install the chipset/VGA drivers, on the other hand, the system will freeze immidiatly after loggin in leaving me with nothing but a black screen. I've tried the drivers provided on DVD by Gigabyte as well as never ones from the AMD site, same result.

Windows Safe mode lets me roll back the VGA driver, which resolves the issue but still leaves me with just the windows default VGA driver.

Anyone who knows what I can do to get a functioning VGA driver for my chipset?
 

grell2k

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@anon: Yes, I tried having win update find me the vga drivers. Ended up with the same result: required boot->login->freeze.

@swift: And yes, I installed all the drivers off the disc (even the bloatware). Having installed the VGA driver I cant really right click on anything tho.. Only rolling back the VGA driver is enough to make me able to enter win7 again (with bad gfx). So yes, all drivers were installed, and, the VGA driver is cause of the problem.
 
this is kinda lame but in the BIOS, you have the onboard video enabled ? and all connections are made that would provide power to everything and all hardware and all wires are seated properly.... and the power supply is a good one ? did you try with only one stick of ram installed.... and in the right slot ?
 

grell2k

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Yes,yes, and yes. Don't know about the PSU, it's 400w, but its only powering 1 hdd, dvd, and cpu. no expansion cards or multiple hdds. Haven't tried with only one RAM stick. Installed them according to the guide, so I'm assuming it's correct.

The screen goes black, but the system still got power. Also the HDD is writing/reading for some time after the screen goes black. Also a the win7 'busy' cursor (blue, rotating circle) is displayed, altho frozen. Then it disappears and nothing happens.
 

grell2k

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I've tried juggling the ram sticks (tried both by themselves, in different slots). No improvement.

I've tried several fresh installs several times. Ended up with the same result every time. Now Im only rolling back the driver in safe mode instead of installing fresh. Both methods give the same result; Win using default vga driver, fail when I install Catalyst driver.

Also, Ive tried catalyst 10.4 and 11.8 and possibly others. No worky.

Got an Ati catalyst popup at boot just now tellig me No ATi driver was installed (wrong) or not working properly (correct), and to download the latest driver. ... which I've got.

Dont know how far resetting cmos will get me, as I havent made any changes in BiOS.

Thanks for hanging in here with me!
 

grell2k

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Ok, not sure if I got it. Found no explicit 'Hybrid crossfire'-switch in BIOS, but set the onboard vga to initialize first - the first boot failed "traditionally". Couldnt find any other thing that seemed relevant.

Ok... SCRATCH THAT!

i was typing this on another comp while booting the pc in question. And voila, im in!

My guess is that some updates that hadn't been downloaded got installed last time i was in win7 using the default driver. Might be that Catalyst required some things that are not included in win7 on dvd.

Interestingly, as this issue resolved, win7 is now claiming my copy isnt genuine.
 

grell2k

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Ok...after a yellow screen of death (no text, just plain yellow), blue screen of death and, now, im back already observed blank screen. So I've changed my mind.

This is most likely not a VGA driver issue. Altho I could log in as mentioned above I couldnt validate Windows. I tried downloading the validation app from microsoft but it only gave me a black screen, similar to the one ive had trying to log in.

I rebooted, was then told I needed to validate windows, I entered the product key and got an error code. I checked the code; obviously my CMOS clock was off and thus I couldnt validate.

I booted, corrected my CMOS clock, continued boot, entered login, and boom, same original error happened again.

Note that during my short moments of bliss (being able to login to win7 with functioning catalyst drivers), a message was displayed above the clock in bottom left corner saying that my windows was not genuine.

So, I go back into safe mode, roll back my VGA driver, go back into regular win 7 (now running on crappy win7 default VGA driver) - AND THERE'S NO MESSAGE THAT I NEED TO VALIDATE WINDOWS. Could the required validation be halted when I have no proper VGA driver running? And when I've got VGA driver running, it will proceed to validation and crash the system?
Note that the validation tool/app also crashed the system in a similar manner.

 
i get a validation thing once in a while when i shut down and restart microsoft security software..... test your hard drive for errors. the multi color monitor thing sounds vga or monitor related. MIGHT be the monitor cable. anyway to use another or another monitor ? next time in desktop disable auto updates.
 

grell2k

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I believe the yellow screen is VGA related. It was just a static yellow screen (i was just listing the different screen of deaths i had experienced. they were all at different times).

The error I've been having thru all this time (freeze while loading win7 after entering login credentials) might be some application that's crashing as it's logging into a profile/desktop. The validation app froze in a manner that felt similar, and that was after I had logged successfully in. I know this hypothesis is a bit of a stretch, but seeing how the win7 login screen loads nicely and in full resolution might rule out the VGA error.

Anyways, the comp is for my grandfather, so I want to validate windows, set all updates to auto and go home knowing I won't get a call from him asking about some popups.
 
you mentioned bloatware up top. I had used that ONCE in the machine I'm on now. I kept getting errors because it would keep trying to update BIOS or something else every time I booted the machine. If you can get into the control panel/add remove, remove it.