Video card error?

Sloppydrippins · 09-15-2009, 08:37 AM

My homemade pc has been running beautifully since Jan 08, but this morning it failed to start up properly. It showed the boot up screen, but didn't go into windows vista like it normally does; after it gets done booting up the monitor just goes into standby mode. I hardbooted it a few times and it brought up the windows recovery screen and it would boot up into safe mode with networking. So I tried it boot it up again normally and got the same results - monitor in standby. It's making all the sounds as if the rest of the pc is running fine, but I got no screen. Does this sound like a dead video card to anybody?

pc stats:
2.67GHz intel e6750 dual core cpu overclocked to 3.06
2 gigs RAM
asus p5n32-e sli motherboard
nvidia 8600GS video card
x fi extreme gamer sound card
600 watt power supply
vista ultimate 32 bit
120 mm cpu cooler

**jcgriff2** · 09-15-2009, 11:38 AM

Hi -

I suggest that you try a different monitor. I have a system that acts like this at home and usually I can get into it w/ another screen.

When you get back into normal boot, check the Reliability Monitor for events that happened prior to this trouble -
START | perfmon /rel

Check the Event Viewer -
START | eventvwr.msc

Check Device Manager - uninstall the video drivers -
START | devmgmt.msc

Regards. . .

jcgriff2

.

Sloppydrippins · 09-16-2009, 07:17 AM

I think maybe I posted this in the wrong place. 17 views and only 1 reply is pretty piss-poor. I hope I can help out other people a little more than this.

FreeNerd · 09-16-2009, 09:21 AM

I hardbooted it a few times and it brought up the windows recovery screen and it would boot up into safe mode with networking. So I tried it boot it up again normally and got the same results - monitor in standby.

If I understand this statement you are able to boot up into safemode with networking and your monitor stays on.

If you can boot into safemode, but not standard mode than your issue is probably a driver. I suspect the display driver needs to be re-installed.

Boot back into safe mode and try to uninstall the display drivers from program management in your control panel. If you cannot uninstall the drivers go into device manager and uninstall your display adapter and reboot.

Vista has a habit of keeping track of outdated driver versions. I have written a guide on how to force the clearing of the drivers in vista and it's located here. http://www.freenerd.net/index.php?ti.../wrong_drivers

The driver removal guide is a bit complicated and as always at your own risk. I would attempt to simply uninstall and re-install your display drivers first and only use the guide linked above if the issue persists after removal / re-installation of the drivers.

dai · 09-16-2009, 11:19 AM

what brand and model is the psu

what does the bios list your voltages as

Sloppydrippins · 09-22-2009, 08:39 AM

Looks like my monitor died as well as something else in the pc. I already bought a new video card, switched it out and got the same results. I've tried the monitor on someone else's pc and got no screen at all. Also, the only way to turn the pc on and off is with the switch on the back of the power supply. The front buttons no longer do anything. So now I'm gonna switch out the motherboard with another that I have laying around.

FreeNerd · 09-23-2009, 01:31 PM

I think you may be getting ahead of yourself.

You didn't answer my question on if you can see video in safe mode or not. Unless your computer took a major power surge it's very improbable you lost a monitor and motherboard at the same time.

If you can see video in safe mode, you need to be looking into driver and software issues,not hardware issues.

Sloppydrippins · 09-25-2009, 07:40 PM

No, now I see no video at all. The power button now seems to do nothing. When it first messed up I got it into safe mode but then restarted in regular mode to see if it would work. Since then, the monitor screen is just black.

FreeNerd · 09-28-2009, 09:13 AM

Sounds like you may have had a power surge. To get so many issues all at once is very improbably unless your PC took a power surge.

Can you test your monitor on another computer or laptop?

When you hit the power button nothing happens now?
If this is the case, you need another known good power supply to test with. If you get the same results on a power supply you know is good than your motherboard is suspect.

It sounds like you have a few things going out at once, which makes trouble shooting even more complex. You need to isolate the part you want to test and confirm which components are good one at a time. Complete the steps above and let me know if your monitor works on another PC, and if your PC will power with a known good power supply.

FlashMyBIOS · 09-28-2009, 06:39 PM

at first this smelled like a driver issue.
also when your fidling around in the case swapping cards and such make sure you did not bump any wiring loose.
it seems to have happened right after you were in the box?
you said at first it would boot into safe mode no problem.

Sloppydrippins · 09-28-2009, 07:06 PM

I'll go back into the case and check for bad connections. I also will acquire a new power supply, this time one that doesn't suck. Come to think of it, after all the big name components I shelled out big money for I kinda limped out and got a thermaltake 600w power supply from Radio Shack. It lasted a year and a half, but I bet it was the weak link in the machine. I shall go forth and replace.

dai · 09-28-2009, 08:38 PM

Power Supply Information and Selection

09-15-2009, 08:37 AM	#1 (permalink)
Sloppydrippins Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 27 OS: Vista ultimate	Video card error? My homemade pc has been running beautifully since Jan 08, but this morning it failed to start up properly. It showed the boot up screen, but didn't go into windows vista like it normally does; after it gets done booting up the monitor just goes into standby mode. I hardbooted it a few times and it brought up the windows recovery screen and it would boot up into safe mode with networking. So I tried it boot it up again normally and got the same results - monitor in standby. It's making all the sounds as if the rest of the pc is running fine, but I got no screen. Does this sound like a dead video card to anybody? pc stats: 2.67GHz intel e6750 dual core cpu overclocked to 3.06 2 gigs RAM asus p5n32-e sli motherboard nvidia 8600GS video card x fi extreme gamer sound card 600 watt power supply vista ultimate 32 bit 120 mm cpu cooler

09-15-2009, 11:38 AM	#2 (permalink)
jcgriff2 Moderator, Microsoft Supp Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: The Great State of New Jersey - away from the gross corruption of the Riverside County, CA, S.O. . . . . . . . SHAMEFUL ACTIVITIES INDEED ! ! ! Posts: 10,168 OS: Windows 7, Vista Ultimate My System	Re: Video card error? Hi - I suggest that you try a different monitor. I have a system that acts like this at home and usually I can get into it w/ another screen. When you get back into normal boot, check the Reliability Monitor for events that happened prior to this trouble - START \| perfmon /rel Check the Event Viewer - START \| eventvwr.msc Check Device Manager - uninstall the video drivers - START \| devmgmt.msc Regards. . . jcgriff2 . __________________ . . . . . . . . BSOD Posting Instructions B Expecting a reply and waiting > 36 hours ? Send a PM to me containing a link to your thread Glad to be home in the Great State of New Jersey ! !

09-16-2009, 07:17 AM	#3 (permalink)
Sloppydrippins Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 27 OS: Vista ultimate	Re: Video card error? I think maybe I posted this in the wrong place. 17 views and only 1 reply is pretty piss-poor. I hope I can help out other people a little more than this.

09-16-2009, 09:21 AM	#4 (permalink)
FreeNerd Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 238 OS: Windows 7/Vista/XP	Re: Video card error? I hardbooted it a few times and it brought up the windows recovery screen and it would boot up into safe mode with networking. So I tried it boot it up again normally and got the same results - monitor in standby. If I understand this statement you are able to boot up into safemode with networking and your monitor stays on. If you can boot into safemode, but not standard mode than your issue is probably a driver. I suspect the display driver needs to be re-installed. Boot back into safe mode and try to uninstall the display drivers from program management in your control panel. If you cannot uninstall the drivers go into device manager and uninstall your display adapter and reboot. Vista has a habit of keeping track of outdated driver versions. I have written a guide on how to force the clearing of the drivers in vista and it's located here. http://www.freenerd.net/index.php?ti.../wrong_drivers The driver removal guide is a bit complicated and as always at your own risk. I would attempt to simply uninstall and re-install your display drivers first and only use the guide linked above if the issue persists after removal / re-installation of the drivers.

09-16-2009, 11:19 AM	#5 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,784 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	Re: Video card error? what brand and model is the psu what does the bios list your voltages as __________________

09-22-2009, 08:39 AM	#6 (permalink)
Sloppydrippins Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 27 OS: Vista ultimate	Re: Video card error? Looks like my monitor died as well as something else in the pc. I already bought a new video card, switched it out and got the same results. I've tried the monitor on someone else's pc and got no screen at all. Also, the only way to turn the pc on and off is with the switch on the back of the power supply. The front buttons no longer do anything. So now I'm gonna switch out the motherboard with another that I have laying around.

09-23-2009, 01:31 PM	#7 (permalink)
FreeNerd Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 238 OS: Windows 7/Vista/XP	Re: Video card error? I think you may be getting ahead of yourself. You didn't answer my question on if you can see video in safe mode or not. Unless your computer took a major power surge it's very improbable you lost a monitor and motherboard at the same time. If you can see video in safe mode, you need to be looking into driver and software issues,not hardware issues. __________________ “Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing” ~ Aristotle

09-25-2009, 07:40 PM	#8 (permalink)
Sloppydrippins Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 27 OS: Vista ultimate	Re: Video card error? No, now I see no video at all. The power button now seems to do nothing. When it first messed up I got it into safe mode but then restarted in regular mode to see if it would work. Since then, the monitor screen is just black.

09-28-2009, 09:13 AM	#9 (permalink)
FreeNerd Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 238 OS: Windows 7/Vista/XP	Re: Video card error? Sounds like you may have had a power surge. To get so many issues all at once is very improbably unless your PC took a power surge. Can you test your monitor on another computer or laptop? When you hit the power button nothing happens now? If this is the case, you need another known good power supply to test with. If you get the same results on a power supply you know is good than your motherboard is suspect. It sounds like you have a few things going out at once, which makes trouble shooting even more complex. You need to isolate the part you want to test and confirm which components are good one at a time. Complete the steps above and let me know if your monitor works on another PC, and if your PC will power with a known good power supply. __________________ “Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing” ~ Aristotle

09-28-2009, 06:39 PM	#10 (permalink)
FlashMyBIOS Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: OH Posts: 89 OS: Vista 64 sp2 My System	Re: Video card error? at first this smelled like a driver issue. also when your fidling around in the case swapping cards and such make sure you did not bump any wiring loose. it seems to have happened right after you were in the box? you said at first it would boot into safe mode no problem.

09-28-2009, 07:06 PM	#11 (permalink)
Sloppydrippins Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 27 OS: Vista ultimate	Re: Video card error? I'll go back into the case and check for bad connections. I also will acquire a new power supply, this time one that doesn't suck. Come to think of it, after all the big name components I shelled out big money for I kinda limped out and got a thermaltake 600w power supply from Radio Shack. It lasted a year and a half, but I bet it was the weak link in the machine. I shall go forth and replace.

09-28-2009, 08:38 PM	#12 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,784 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	Re: Video card error? Power Supply Information and Selection __________________