Graphics Card stops sending signal to monitor when Windows boots to Desktop - Help!

**X10** · 21-11-2007, 11:51 AM

Hello all,
I'm hoping there's someone out there that can help!
The problem is this:

My graphics card stops sending a signal to the monitor when Windows begins to load the desktop.
I get a signal fine for the BIOS POST screen, and the 'Windows is loading' blue scroll blocks bar things, but the second it should switch from that to the blue Desktop background with the Windows loading box and then going to my desktop (I don't have a password to log on so it goes straight to desktop) it stops sending a signal to the monitor.

I've just started having this problem, I was using the PC fine to do some audio recording, shutdown, disconnected my firewire device, then booted up and there was the problem.
-> First I thought it was the LCD Monitor, sometimes the monitor goes into standby and takes forever to come out of it, but no matter what I did it wouldn't go from Stanby to On.

-> I tried using a different monitor, the same thing happened, so I eliminated the monitor.

-> I can boot into Safe Mode (which is where I'm typing this from) so I know the PC is fine and loads.

-> I can boot into VGA Mode, but if I load up the Display Properties and try to change the bit depth from 8bit to anything else, or 640x480 to anything else, the second I hit 'Apply' the monitor loses signal and goes to standby (the same applies in Safe Mode).

->I have tried re-seating the graphics card.

->I have tried plugging in a different PCI-E Power cable from the PSU

->Booting in Safe Mode & checking the Display Properties, I get this under the Adapter Properties->Resources Tab:

Input/Output Range 03B0 - 03BB used by:
Intel(R) G33/G31/P35 Express Chipset PCI Express Root Port - 29C1
Input/Output Range 03C0 - 03DF used by:
Intel(R) G33/G31/P35 Express Chipset PCI Express Root Port - 29C1
Memory Range 000A0000 - 000BFFFF used by:
Intel(R) G33/G31/P35 Express Chipset PCI Express Root Port - 29C1

(Though it does say the device is working properly)

Has anyone got any clue as to what could be the issue? I'm hoping it's a software issue, or some hardware conflict rather than something that needs to be sent back!

All your advice is appreciated.
X10

System Specs:
Windows XP 64Bit SP2
XFX GeForce 8800 GTS 320Mb
LG L226WTQ
430W SEASONIC S12II-430W
Intel Core 2 Quad-Core Q6600 G0
Asus P5K-E

**s_kinton** · 21-11-2007, 12:09 PM

I had a similar problem on my HTPC. Safe mode worked fine and the screen was fine during POST etc, but as soon as it hit windows it was just a black screen.

I think the problem might have come about by using a driver cleaner program. I used the Guru3D driver cleaner tool to remove all nvidia drivers and then this happended. I cant 100% verifiy that was the cause though. Have you used any similar software recently?

In the end I gave up trying to figure it out and just reformatted the PC.

**X10** · 21-11-2007, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by s_kinton

I had a similar problem on my HTPC.... Have you used any similar software recently?

In the end I gave up trying to figure it out and just reformatted the PC.

I was just using my Saffire (which requires the Saffire Control Panel to be running) and Adobe Audition 2 before this problem happened. I didn't install any new software or change any settings or options (besides which audio device Audition should use to record from).

If it's a software issue, as that's what it sounds from your similar problem s_kinton, then there must be something awry and some way to find out what it is, I don't fancy having to re-format, especially as I've only had the new PC about 2.5 months.

X10

**kalniel** · 21-11-2007, 12:57 PM

Drivers.

You can boot into safe mode, so first try a system restore to the last time it was working, then try the CD that hopefully came with the card, then try several official drivers. Start with some fairly old one and try installing ontop with newer ones.

**X10** · 21-11-2007, 02:00 PM

Thanks for your help guys.
I re-installed the nVIDIA drivers I had when I first set-up the PC and all seems to be okay now. I've lost my Custom Colour Settings, but that's no biggie, just glad I can use my PC now!

I guess I should add -> Drivers - D'Oh, an early step in troubleshooting!

Thanks for the help.
X10

**X10** · 26-11-2007, 01:22 PM

UPDATE:

Hmm, this problem has happened once again.
This time all I did was unplugged the cable from the back, unplugged the power cable, moved the monitor, replugged the power cable and monitor cable, and once again - Nothing!

I tried rebooting and had the same problem.
The solution seemed to be to reinstall the graphics card drivers.

(I'm using nVIDIA v162.18 WHQL Drivers).

Does anyone have any clue as to why this has happened once again, or what the cause could be??
I'm stumped now, and it's beggining to annoy me.

X10

**Colossous** · 26-11-2007, 01:52 PM

Definetley sounds like a driver issue, have you installed anything recently (windows updates ?) that could be corrupting your vga driver?

**kalniel** · 26-11-2007, 03:02 PM

Do you have some kind of monitor detection in the drivers? ATI ones have the option to detect when you plug a monitor in and that used to cause problems for some people - look in the control panel to see if there's something you can disable there.

**X10** · 26-11-2007, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by Colossous

Definetley sounds like a driver issue, have you installed anything recently (windows updates ?) that could be corrupting your vga driver?

I haven't installed anything that I think would interfere with the vga driver, but then who knows what might interefere with that!?
I certainly didn't notice this behaviour after installing anything specifically, which you might expect after having something new installed.

Also, I haven't installed anything since re-installing the drivers to fix this problem the first time it cropped up, so I'm assuming it must be an existing conflict with previously installed software?

Originally Posted by kalniel

Do you have some kind of monitor detection in the drivers? ATI ones have the option to detect when you plug a monitor in and that used to cause problems for some people - look in the control panel to see if there's something you can disable there.

Hmm, I've had a look through the nVIDIA Control Panel and I can't see anything that jumps out as monitor detection. I have the Monitor driver for the LG 226 WTQ from LG's website and so the LG226 WTQ shows up anywhere monitors are mentioned, but I don't see anything for 'detection' per se.

This is going to really bug me now.
Any other suggestions greatly appreciated.

Just thought I'd add, now that I think about it. I have had problems getting the monitor to turn back on after disconnecting it from my main PC and connecting it up to my old PC. Sometimes it would just get stuck in Stand-By and I'd have to reboot the old PC to get the monitor to come on.
I don't know if this is related but thought I'd mention it now that I recall.

X10

**dancingmatt** · 26-11-2007, 07:25 PM

I suspect it could be the 162.18 drivers because, if I understand your symptoms correctly, my problem is much the same and we have those drivers in common.

My problem is I have 2 Asus PW201 screens connected to my 7900GX2 card, and if I don't turn them on whilst the PC is booting, then I can end up with my PC booted but both screens displaying "no signal" and going into standby. Normally you can boot the PC and then turn on the monitors later and they spring into life, but in my instance nothing I can do can "wake" them, so I have my case's power switch set to shut the PC down so I can do that blind, and then I boot again.

It does seem that if the PC can't find the monitors at a certain time, it can't find them at all. Even wierder (?) thing is that this can also happen, occasionally but not often, even if I turn the screens on right away - they display POST, Windows XP loading scrolling bar, and then "no signal" and obviously that's particularly annoying.

I think maybe these monitors have a particularly short time in which they look for a signal before going into standby, it seems to be very short and only a couple of seconds. Perhaps this is when XP "loses" them?

Unfortunately last time I looked Asus didn't care to release a monitor driver for them. Maybe the problem lies with the 162.18 drivers, I can't remember if it happened before that...

DM

**X10** · 27-11-2007, 06:29 PM

Hey dancingmatt,
Glad to find someone who is also having the same symptoms as me! Not glad that we have to find a fix, but nice to know I'm not the only one.
I guess the suggestion would be to change drivers. I'll find a different set and load those up and let you know what I get. If you do it before me, let me know what the results are.

Thanks,
X10

**X10** · 12-06-2008, 01:03 PM

Well, I've tried several different drivers from nVIDIA and nothing has changed, I still have the same problem.
I tried contacting both XFX and LG, but have not had a response from either yet. Does anyone have any fresh light to shed on this?

X10

**Skinleech** · 12-06-2008, 01:46 PM

Are you sure you're not setting the resolution or refresh rate too high for your monitor to handle?

I know it sounds lsilly, but it could be. I;m sure I;m using the same driver set on my PC and HTPC with no issues.

**X10** · 13-06-2008, 01:52 AM