Basic Steps to Upgrade Video Card?

NJHokie · Nov 13, 2003, 05:29 PM

Was hoping that someone more experienced than I could piece together a basic outline of how to correctly install and upgrade a video card, including the new omega/catalyst drivers, motherboard chipset upgrades, bios, removing old drivers, using safe mode, etc..

I have read the entire topic on the radeon drivers and have a basic idea, but no sure plan. I have been trying different things as suggested but keep encountering problems with black screens, restarts, crashing in game, etc.

I just put together a comp w/:
AMD XP 2600+
512MB PC3200 RAM
Asus A7N8X-X mb, w/ nForce2 chipset
ATI All-In-Wonder 9600 pro
WinXP Pro

I currently have my old GeForce2 video card in and running smooth, and probably some ati crap still there hiding from previous tries. My plan was to use the Drive Clean software to remove any remaining, then reboot in safe mode, DC to uninstall the nvidia nforce stuff, reboot regular, re-install the nforce2 drivers, reboot, uninstall the old video card stuff, restart, then shutdown and install the new ATI card, boot into safe mode to install the omega/catalyst driver for the ATI, restart, go from there and update what else? I'm clueless as the correct steps. Also when I remove the old video card software it asks to restart but not shut down, then on restart XP automatically reinstalls the stupid thing. how do i shutdown with the old driver removed and the system clean so i can put the new card in and start fresh with the ATI driver?

Confused....

Chaos · Nov 13, 2003, 05:44 PM

Welcome to DH, and after erading that I am confused also.

1: Uninstall all nvidia drivers through add/remove programs including the nforce chipset drivers.

2: Run Driver Cleaner and clean both ATi and nvidia files

3: Boot to safe mode and install nforce chipset drives then reboot

4: Install ATi/Omega drives whichever is your preference but if you use Omega's do not install the ATi control panel as it is in Omega's install routine.

5: Reboot as required and with any luck yoou are good to go

TonyMonTana · Nov 13, 2003, 05:45 PM

Ok, your doing good up untill the driver installtion.Before you do this, do this....

1) Disconnect from internet or unplug your nic card.

2)Remove any old drivers from add/remove software.

3)Reboot your pc into safe mode, hold down f8 during bootup.

4)Now, when you reboot in safe mode your OS (if your using xp) will detect the card and install drivers for it, let it finish this then go to device manager and locate dispaly adapter.When you find this choose remove/uninstall.DONT REBOOT!

5)Run drive cleaner 2.6, use cabcleaner if your old card was a nividia, then run cleanup but make sure you select the right software to clean (Ati, nividia, hydravison etc etc)

6)Now empty out your recycle bin and reboot into normal mode not safe.

7)Now all remains is for your new drivers to be installed, First install display driver, then install control panel, reboot and your done!

8)One more thing, you dont have to but i always reinstall direct9b after driver upgrade.

Hope this helped

Tony.

NJHokie · Nov 13, 2003, 06:05 PM

Thanks so much for the replies and welcome!

Just some more quesions though.

When do I actually remove the old video card and put the new one in? after I remove the drivers in control panel and Drive Clean and reboot and before i go into safe mode? it does a restart there, do i just interrupt the restart, shut down and put the new card in, then boot into safe mode? its those little steps that im confused on.

thanks for your help. this might take a while...

Junk · Nov 13, 2003, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by NJHokie
When do I actually remove the old video card and put the new one in? after I remove the drivers in control panel and Drive Clean and reboot and before i go into safe mode? it does a restart there, do i just interrupt the restart, shut down and put the new card in, then boot into safe mode? its those little steps that im confused on.

after you boot into safe mode and run driver cleaner, power off your system. then remove the nvidia card and install the ati card.

then boot into normal windows, install dx 9.0b (if you haven't already), reboot. chipset drivers, reboot. ati drivers/control panel, reboot.

TonyMonTana · Nov 13, 2003, 07:19 PM

Even if you have directX9b some times people have problems after they install new drivers for there card and it makes directx directdraw and/or direct3d acceleration not function or work incorrectly.
It does no harm to reinstall direct9b even if you had it before, just be sure to use the none webdownload version.

Tony.

NJHokie · Nov 13, 2003, 07:26 PM

Thanks a bunch for the help guys. This forum is a great resource and seems to have really good folks willing to help.

I'm really not a retard when it comes to computers, it's just this ATI board seems to be giving people tons of problems and I just want to be specific and correct in doing it from the start. Then after that, i'll try and deal with the issues that pop up like i've been reading. Hopefully that won't happen though doing it right from the start.

Just to be correct on the installs to use when doing this:

Drive Clean 2.6
nForce 3.13 WHQL - chipset drivers
omega catalyst 3.9 (would recomend over the Ati version right?)
directx9.0b (where do i get a non webdownloaded version?)

Junk · Nov 13, 2003, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by NJHokie
Just to be correct on the installs to use when doing this:

Drive Clean 2.6
nForce 3.13 WHQL - chipset drivers
omega catalyst 3.9 (would recomend over the Ati version right?)
directx9.0b (where do i get a non webdownloaded version?)

be sure to uninstall driver from the control panel in normal windows before booting into safe mode and running driver cleaner. run cab cleaner (driver cleaner > tools > cab cleaner) for whatever .cab files are available.

you can download the dx 9.0b redist here

NJHokie · Nov 14, 2003, 03:40 PM

Well here's the low-down on what happened:

What worked was un-installing all nVidia/nForce drivers in normal XP and restarting into safe mode, in safe mode using driver cleaner to get rid of all persistent Ati and nVidia files. then installing the chipset drivers in safe mode. shutdown and swtich the cards, restart into normal mode, install the Ati drivers (omega) in regular XP and restart.

What did not work:
-trying to install directx in normal XP, after using DC in safe mode, before installing the chipset and Ati drivers (resulted in a totally blank screen on restart)
-trying to install the chipset drivers in normal XP, not in safe mode (also resulted in a totally black screen on restart)

i already had directx installed but thought to give it a try to reinstall it. i'm not doing that again. i'm thinking its good to get directx on the system before you start to do everything else.

i still have problems off and on with the card not displaying the POST information after a restart (bios, etc...) so I am unable to go into the bios settings or use f8 (nothing is displayed), but letting the comp boot into windows the display turns on when the select a user screen comes up in XP. that seems to happen after I change something in the display settings or whatever else that requires a restart. it also restarted on it's own once. all the POST info is displayed though after I do a regular shutdown.

next thing to do i guess is to make the system more stable and learn how to tweak it correctly. bios and everything...

Nov 13, 2003, 05:29 PM	#1
NJHokie DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Jersey Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	Basic Steps to Upgrade Video Card? Was hoping that someone more experienced than I could piece together a basic outline of how to correctly install and upgrade a video card, including the new omega/catalyst drivers, motherboard chipset upgrades, bios, removing old drivers, using safe mode, etc.. I have read the entire topic on the radeon drivers and have a basic idea, but no sure plan. I have been trying different things as suggested but keep encountering problems with black screens, restarts, crashing in game, etc. I just put together a comp w/: AMD XP 2600+ 512MB PC3200 RAM Asus A7N8X-X mb, w/ nForce2 chipset ATI All-In-Wonder 9600 pro WinXP Pro I currently have my old GeForce2 video card in and running smooth, and probably some ati crap still there hiding from previous tries. My plan was to use the Drive Clean software to remove any remaining, then reboot in safe mode, DC to uninstall the nvidia nforce stuff, reboot regular, re-install the nforce2 drivers, reboot, uninstall the old video card stuff, restart, then shutdown and install the new ATI card, boot into safe mode to install the omega/catalyst driver for the ATI, restart, go from there and update what else? I'm clueless as the correct steps. Also when I remove the old video card software it asks to restart but not shut down, then on restart XP automatically reinstalls the stupid thing. how do i shutdown with the old driver removed and the system clean so i can put the new card in and start fresh with the ATI driver? Confused....

Nov 13, 2003, 05:44 PM	#2
Chaos Number Nine Join Date: May 2002 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 5,269 Rep Power: 165 System Specs	Welcome to DH, and after erading that I am confused also. 1: Uninstall all nvidia drivers through add/remove programs including the nforce chipset drivers. 2: Run Driver Cleaner and clean both ATi and nvidia files 3: Boot to safe mode and install nforce chipset drives then reboot 4: Install ATi/Omega drives whichever is your preference but if you use Omega's do not install the ATi control panel as it is in Omega's install routine. 5: Reboot as required and with any luck yoou are good to go __________________

Nov 13, 2003, 05:45 PM	#3
TonyMonTana I wish i was a tree....... Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: uk..Birmingham Posts: 199 Rep Power: 0	Ok, your doing good up untill the driver installtion.Before you do this, do this.... 1) Disconnect from internet or unplug your nic card. 2)Remove any old drivers from add/remove software. 3)Reboot your pc into safe mode, hold down f8 during bootup. 4)Now, when you reboot in safe mode your OS (if your using xp) will detect the card and install drivers for it, let it finish this then go to device manager and locate dispaly adapter.When you find this choose remove/uninstall.DONT REBOOT! 5)Run drive cleaner 2.6, use cabcleaner if your old card was a nividia, then run cleanup but make sure you select the right software to clean (Ati, nividia, hydravison etc etc) 6)Now empty out your recycle bin and reboot into normal mode not safe. 7)Now all remains is for your new drivers to be installed, First install display driver, then install control panel, reboot and your done! 8)One more thing, you dont have to but i always reinstall direct9b after driver upgrade. Hope this helped Tony.

Nov 13, 2003, 06:05 PM	Thread Starter #4
NJHokie DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Jersey Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	Thanks so much for the replies and welcome! Just some more quesions though. When do I actually remove the old video card and put the new one in? after I remove the drivers in control panel and Drive Clean and reboot and before i go into safe mode? it does a restart there, do i just interrupt the restart, shut down and put the new card in, then boot into safe mode? its those little steps that im confused on. thanks for your help. this might take a while...

Nov 13, 2003, 07:19 PM	#6
TonyMonTana I wish i was a tree....... Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: uk..Birmingham Posts: 199 Rep Power: 0	Even if you have directX9b some times people have problems after they install new drivers for there card and it makes directx directdraw and/or direct3d acceleration not function or work incorrectly. It does no harm to reinstall direct9b even if you had it before, just be sure to use the none webdownload version. Tony.

Nov 13, 2003, 07:26 PM	Thread Starter #7
NJHokie DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Jersey Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	Thanks a bunch for the help guys. This forum is a great resource and seems to have really good folks willing to help. I'm really not a retard when it comes to computers, it's just this ATI board seems to be giving people tons of problems and I just want to be specific and correct in doing it from the start. Then after that, i'll try and deal with the issues that pop up like i've been reading. Hopefully that won't happen though doing it right from the start. Just to be correct on the installs to use when doing this: Drive Clean 2.6 nForce 3.13 WHQL - chipset drivers omega catalyst 3.9 (would recomend over the Ati version right?) directx9.0b (where do i get a non webdownloaded version?)

Nov 14, 2003, 03:40 PM	Thread Starter #9
NJHokie DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Jersey Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	Well here's the low-down on what happened: What worked was un-installing all nVidia/nForce drivers in normal XP and restarting into safe mode, in safe mode using driver cleaner to get rid of all persistent Ati and nVidia files. then installing the chipset drivers in safe mode. shutdown and swtich the cards, restart into normal mode, install the Ati drivers (omega) in regular XP and restart. What did not work: -trying to install directx in normal XP, after using DC in safe mode, before installing the chipset and Ati drivers (resulted in a totally blank screen on restart) -trying to install the chipset drivers in normal XP, not in safe mode (also resulted in a totally black screen on restart) i already had directx installed but thought to give it a try to reinstall it. i'm not doing that again. i'm thinking its good to get directx on the system before you start to do everything else. i still have problems off and on with the card not displaying the POST information after a restart (bios, etc...) so I am unable to go into the bios settings or use f8 (nothing is displayed), but letting the comp boot into windows the display turns on when the select a user screen comes up in XP. that seems to happen after I change something in the display settings or whatever else that requires a restart. it also restarted on it's own once. all the POST info is displayed though after I do a regular shutdown. next thing to do i guess is to make the system more stable and learn how to tweak it correctly. bios and everything...