Trouble getting a PCI graphics card working

[99-LS1-SS]

I have a hp pavilion XT936.
My motherboard doesn't come with a AGP slot and it is integrated video.

I bought a Radeon 9200se Atlantis. It has 128 DDR memory. I installed the drivers but I can't get the card to work.

I can get to the bios through the card but, the screen goes black after the hp splash screen. I can take the card out and plug the monitor back into the onboard video and it works fine.
My computer didn't come with any motherboard paperwork so I don't know what jumpers control the video card. Can someone help me? Thanks.


Brandon

[DanU]

Have you disabled the onboard video? There should be an option to disable the onboard video either through the BIOS or via jumpers on the motherboard. I highly recommend downloading the manual from HP's web site before proceeding. It will tell you where to go to disable onboard video.

[99-LS1-SS]

Originally Posted by DanU

Have you disabled the onboard video? There should be an option to disable the onboard video either through the BIOS or via jumpers on the motherboard. I highly recommend downloading the manual from HP's web site before proceeding. It will tell you where to go to disable onboard video.

The problem is, I can't find ANYTHING that tells me how to disable onboard video. I have looked everywhere that I can think of. Any help would be appreciated.

[Kuasimodem]

Had this problem with a Gateway that I was working on. There are two ways to do it, the first requires two monitors. The second uses one monitor.

Here's the one monitor method:

• Install the card and drivers for the new video card. (which you've already done)
• Connect your monitor to the onboard video card connector and boot the system.
• Open you Display Properties window (right-click on desktop and select properties).
• Click settings tab.
• You should see two monitors available in the box. Click on monitor 2 to highlight it.
• Below and to the left are two boxes, first check the box marked "Extend my Windows desktop to this monitor" and click Apply.
• Next check the box marked "Use this device as my primary monitor".
• Select monitor 1 and uncheck the box marked "Extend my Windows desktop to this monitor" and you monitor should go black and shut off.
• Now move the monitor connection to the new video card
• Your display should now be on the new monitor

The two monitor method uses the same steps but you use two monitors so you can see the changes taking effect on both connections at the same time.

Don't worry about hot-plugging the monitor while the computer is running, there is no danger to the hardware in doing this.

[Peter M]

The answer to the "how do I disable the integrated VGA" is: You don't. The integrated pseudo-AGP device will coexist with the added PCI VGA. Proper BIOSes should let you set the preference for the boot output device to PCI or AGP, and that's it.

There are plenty of boards which, thanks to BIOS fsckups, don't do that right. If you got one of those, you're lost.

[sm8000]

Try this: Open Device Manager (Control Panel->System->Hardware) and disanle the integrated video by right-click->Disable. Then shut down, insert the card, connect the monitor to it and boot.

While you're at it, check HP's website for a BIOS update to your model, and update your chipset drivers while there.

[Peter M]

... and that won't help the power-on state, nor will it change BIOS behaviour, nor will it help anything up to the point where Windows changes to the "Welcome" screen. All you do with that driver-disable stunt is just that - keep Windows from starting the driver for this device.

[sm8000]

I know that's supposed to be true, but on the odd rare occassion I've seen my suggestion work. It came in handy a few times when I worked support desk for a video card maker. Even the bit about updating BIOS chipset drivers would help.

But yes, at the end of the day you should only need to tell the BIOS to boot from PCI video.

[Peter M]

BIOS updates are the only thing that helps _here_ (as the system apparently doesn't even attempt to boot). i81x chipset boards are notorious for that problem.