Video Card Help

**Farnan** · July 17, 2007, 01:49 PM

Ok, I want to transfer the video card from my old computer to my new one. Whenever I replace the video cards though and try to boot up my computer I get a black screen that doesn't go away. What am I doing wrong?

Note: I am using Windows Vista.

**Spiff** · July 17, 2007, 02:07 PM

Does the card still work if you place it back in the old computer? Also when you say you get a black screen, do you mean as it tries to load into windows, or is it a constant black screen from the moment you press the power button?

Obvious things to check i suppose are that the card is firmly seated in the motherboard, that the monitor cables are all firmly plugged in and such, and that the card has all the needed power cables plugged in.

What kind of card is it?

**Farnan** · July 17, 2007, 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by Spiff

Does the card still work if you place it back in the old computer? Also when you say you get a black screen, do you mean as it tries to load into windows, or is it a constant black screen from the moment you press the power button?

Obvious things to check i suppose are that the card is firmly seated in the motherboard, that the monitor cables are all firmly plugged in and such, and that the card has all the needed power cables plugged in.

What kind of card is it?

My old computer's motherboard fried, so I have no idea...

And the monitor acts as if the computer is off and it is on, if you understand that.

I still have to install the driver, but doesn't the card need to be in first, or do you install the driver first?

Its not the plugs as when I put the card that came with the computer in it works fine.

The card is an Nvidia 7600 I believe. The card that came with the computer is a 6150 SE

**Spiff** · July 17, 2007, 02:19 PM

Hmm no what you're doing is right, you should be able to plug the card in, boot into windows and then install the drivers - the fact you're confronted with a black screen definitely means something is up.

The only thing i can think to do, since you've shown that the computer works fine with another card, is to test the 7600 card on another computer.

Unfortunately though to me it does sound like it's been damaged at some point. Admittedly I'm not the most tech savvy so maybe someone else will have a better idea.

**Farnan** · July 17, 2007, 02:28 PM

It seems M2TW and COH works ok with the one I have in now, so I'll just wait and buy a new one later. Thanks anyway.

**Roy Batty** · July 17, 2007, 03:12 PM

I know it sounds kind of loopy, but did you take the time to actually screw in the fasteners for the monitor cable? My own cable is somewhat finnicky without those fasteners wound tight, and when moving my case about for LAN tournaments often got a black screen when in my haste, neglected to properly attach the monitor cable.

As to the driver question, Vista should have a generic driver that allows your card to -at the very least- get you to the desktop. From there you would probably be forced to download drivers in order to play games. Whatever your problem is, I don't think it revolves around your drivers.

**Farnan** · July 17, 2007, 03:17 PM

Do you have to uninstall your old driver first?

**Hadrian** · July 17, 2007, 06:42 PM

Farnan, go on line to www.Guru3d.com and download your new driver to your Desktop (I prefer "My Documents") and then delete your current drivers with your Control Panel's "Add and Remove Programs" function, reboot your system into "Safe Mode" (Used to be F8 during your system post at bootup), use a program like "DriverCleaner", also available at Guru3d. Quickly run the cleaner program (Its fast) and then dump your desktop's "Recycle Bin", reboot and unzip your new driver and download it using Vista's automatic Install Wizard (?)( I don't have Vista, so I'm assuming some of the basic functions are the same). Old drivers, or the remains of them, can often corrupt the new drivers, especially when dealing with a new OS such as Vista.....hope that helps.