Another reader wrote in with a similar problem:
“I got a new graphics chip, and I can’t get a picture on my monitor. I downloaded drivers but it still won’t work.”
Remove Old Drivers
You can, and should, remove any drivers from the old graphics card that may be on your system. Depending on the manufacturer of the old card, visit the website and look for driver uninstaller software. If you don’t find anything, there are driver cleaners available for download online. As always, be cautious of applications that you allow to access your computer. There are driver cleaners available to buy online as well, such as Driver Genius.
Update your Drivers
In case you haven’t already, or even just for future reference, the place to start is downloading and installing the latest drivers for your operating system. To do this you will need to know the brand of your graphics card (Nvidia, ATI, etc,) and go to the manufacturer’s website. Open the graphics card driver page and find the model name of your card and the corresponding download for your operating system.
Manually Disable the Onboard Video Card with Jumpers or BIOS
There is a reasonable chance that the new graphics card isn’t configured properly with the onboard video card and that the computer isn’t automatically detecting the new card. To get around this, you can disable the onboard card but you will need to troubleshoot the motherboard settings in able to do so. Consult the manual for your computer or motherboard and find the information about the video or graphics card. You want to know whether the card is set with jumpers or in the BIOS and choose the setting to disable the card and set it to the AVG port, which will instruct it to recognize the new card. Reboot and see how you go.
Manually Disable the Onboard Video Card in Device Manager
If you aren’t able to switch the jumper or the BIOS settings, try disabling the video card in Device Manager. First, remove the new graphics cars and reboot the computer.
- Click Start, then Settings, and then Control Panel
- Click twice on System
- Choose the Device Manager tab
- Beside Display Adapter, click the + sign
- Click twice on the video card when it is displayed underneath
- Check the corresponding box to Disable
- Shut the computer off normally
- Install the new video card
- Reboot the computer
Kate Dubensky | April 22nd, 2009
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