[Trogador]

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/com...1-f268a275394e

I've had this problem before. When I start up my computer, the screen goes blank and the monitor says its in power save mode. I fixed this by reinstalling my graphics drivers. The whole fiasco occurred when I was updating my monitor drivers when Vista suddenly shut itself down.

Since then my monitor has thrown a fit whenever I restarted my computer (goes into power save mode). Yesterday I installed drivers for a new video card, and about 3/4 through the installation, the screen went into power save mode (I shut the computer off, started it back up, and everything seemed to work okay).

Today I tried starting up my computer and the monitor went into power saver mode. I could not boot windows in safe mode or anything like that, so I fear I must replace my monitor. I need help!

[Trogador]

Umm, anyone?

[Trogador]

...anyone? hello?

[Rumpel]

Have you tried hooking up a different monitor to your system? If so, with what result?

[Trogador]

I hooked up a CRT monitor from another computer onto mine, and I still get the same problem (at least whenever the new vid card, an ATI Radeon 2600, is in). When I take the card out, my computer runs fine.

I have an integrated video card (Intel), and I think the two cards are clashing even though I uninstalled everything for the Intel card and disabled it under the device manager.

[Rumpel]

Originally Posted by Trogador

I hooked up a CRT monitor from another computer onto mine, and I still get the same problem (at least whenever the new vid card, an ATI Radeon 2600, is in). When I take the card out, my computer runs fine.

My understanding is that it is the video card that signals the monitor to wake up or go into standby/sleep mode. Now that you have gotten the same results with two monitors, it's probably safe to assume that the monitor is not the issue.

Have you tried the ATI Radeon 2600 video card in another system? I'm beginning to think that may be where your problem is. Cards are rarely faulty right out of the box, but it can happen.

I have an integrated video card (Intel), and I think the two cards are clashing even though I uninstalled everything for the Intel card and disabled it under the device manager.

Hmmm. That comment raises another issue. But first -- what do you mean by "integrated"? Are you referring to video circuitry that is part of the motherboard and is not in fact a separate card?

If that's the case, it may not be enough to disable it in the Device Manager or uninstall its Windows drivers. You may need to go into the computer's BIOS setup and disable it there.

[Trogador]

Originally Posted by Rumpel

My understanding is that it is the video card that signals the monitor to wake up or go into standby/sleep mode. Now that you have gotten the same results with two monitors, it's probably safe to assume that the monitor is not the issue.

Have you tried the ATI Radeon 2600 video card in another system? I'm beginning to think that may be where your problem is. Cards are rarely faulty right out of the box, but it can happen.


Hmmm. That comment raises another issue. But first -- what do you mean by "integrated"? Are you referring to video circuitry that is part of the motherboard and is not in fact a separate card?

If that's the case, it may not be enough to disable it in the Device Manager or uninstall its Windows drivers. You may need to go into the computer's BIOS setup and disable it there.

The card is in the motherboard itself. Where do you go in BIOS to disable it?

[Rumpel]

Originally Posted by Trogador

The card is in the motherboard itself. Where do you go in BIOS to disable it?

Yup. That's "integrated", all right.

How you get into your system's BIOS setup, and where you go from there, depends on which motherboard and BIOS you have. It would help greatly if we knew what each of those is.

When you first power on your computer, some computers will throw up a screen that identifies the BIOS for a few seconds. That often appears at the bottom of the screen. Hit the [Pause] to stop execution of the boot sequence so you can make a note of whatever information is provided. There may also be information that identifies the motherboard.

Hit any key to continue the boot sequence.

At the same time, or perhaps immediately afterwards, you may see something like "Press [***] to enter setup". With an Award BIOS, [***] will likely be [Del]. You may see others, such as [F1] or [Esc], or some combination of keys. Your opportunity window to press the necessary key(s) is only a few seconds, so you do have to be ready and waiting.

If you manage to hit the right key(s) at the right time, the boot sequence will stop. You'll see a screen offering a place to set a whole bunch of parameters, usually starting with date and time. There will likely be some information at the bottom concerning navigation within the BIOS setup screens. Different BIOSes from different manufacturers organize these things differently, so it's difficult to provide specific direction without knowing which BIOS you have.

Ideally, your computer came with a manual that explains how to get into the BIOS and what options you can set. If you don't have that manual, you may be able to download a copy from the motherboard manufacturer's website. It would be a good idea to do that if you need to -- with any luck, it'll tell you exactly what you need to know to disable your on-board video subsystem.

[Trogador]

I tried that, and it did not say anywhere that I could disable the onboard video. I figured it was my 305 watt power supply (the card requires at least 400 watts), so I got a better one (which I needed anyway) and still nothing. I believe the only cause left is a defective video card. I think I'll call ATI and see if they can send me a replacement.