Blank screen after XP loading logo, after installing new video card

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Specs -

Win XP Pro
Athalon XP 200 or something like that, running at 2.1 ghtz
1 Gig of ram
Win XP, latest SPs
The video cards -

GeForce 4 4400 Ti
and
Gigabyte - ATI Radeon X800 XL (AGP)

Upgrading from the Ge to the ATI, obviously.

From the Device Manager, I uninstalled the GeForce. I then shut down the computer, removed the GeForce and installed the (gigantic!) Radeon X800 XL. Seemed to have gone well.

Upon reboot, everything proceeded as usual until the WinXP loading screen. The XP splash screen with the loading animated bar below it displays as normal, then the screen goes blank and stays that way. The hard drive and processor sound like they're finishing the loading process, but nothing is displayed on the screen. There is a signal, just no image.

Attempts to go into safe mode are met with the same, or the computer halting, shutting down and rebooting during the process.

Attempts to put the old card back in the system and load windows from the "last successful boot configuration" is met with the same null image. All attempts to reboot in any safe mode or regular configuration with either card is now met with the blank image after the XP splash screen.

I'm looking in to hunting a Windows XP disc to try to boot from that and see if anything will happen in that, if I need to do a repair install and what not.

ANY ideas regarding this would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Cpt Biggles
 
The nVidia drivers are kept in a folder in program files. Uninstalling the card was good but if you didn't remove the old Detonators through add remove programs, they may be trying to load when you boot and poor XP is confused. There are a lot of different reasons why it would stop after the boot and just before the welcome screen The fact that the boot screen shows suggests your OK in the drivers department though. You may have damaged your logonui.exe file. If you can't get on the screen then you're pretty much helpless and the repair install may be your only option.

You could burn Bart's PE to a CD and try to boot from that. It's a stand alone live XP program that is self contained. You need to set your boot order to boot from CD. It uses none of your drivers to load and should show up. You can access your files then if it's a software issue, and run the system file checker from the run box to scan and repair any missing or corrupted system files. If you do run the sfc you will have to reinstall all your service packs and updates when you are done.Type the following into the run box and hit OK

sfc /scannow

Or you can open command prompt and start system restore. From the run box type in cmd and the command prompt window will open. If your OS is not on the C drive then replace the C with the appropriate letter. When the command prompt opens you will see

C:\Documents and Settings\your user name>

Type in c:\windows\system32\restore\rstrui.exe

then hit enter and the system restore program will open.
 
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Thanks a million for the response.

While it's my only option right now, would an issue like this persist even with the old card in place? While I'm trying most anything right now, I'm just trying to pare things down before executing order 66 on this thing.

Thanks again!
 
Once you have corrupted the drivers, yes it can continue even if you try the old card again. If you do the repair install, use method 2. You won't lose any data at least
 
Unlike your old card, your new card has a 12V connector (probably molex) on the end opposite from where it connects to the outside of the case. The current supplied by the motherboard is insufficient by itself. By chance did you neglect to connect this to the power supply?

Also, I agree with luvhuffer that once you stick in a different card you can mess up the driver. Start fresh. Uninstall and reinstall everytime you replace a card.
 
I did wind up uninstalling but had no way of knowing that nVidia would tuck drivers elsewhere.

The new card wouldn't boot without a connection to the power supply, so yes, I did make that connection. The instructions Do tell one about that, thankfully. :)

Looking for the repair install option.

Thanks again.

cptbiggles
 
Update - now, it might be a bad copy of win XP but as it boots from the cd, during the "now examining your hardware configuration" the computer reboots. This happens with either the new or old video card in the AGP slot.

Just thought to mention this new developmet...

Biggles
 
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