Weird unistallable graphics card problem

[clarendon]

Hi everyone, I'm a newbie here, but the standard of advice and helpfulness seems very high, so here goes:

I was running a GF 4600 with no probs at all. Then I installed fresh memory (replacing 2x256 with 2x 512) and, at the same time, put in a more powerful fan for the card, which was tending to overheat. This required taking out and then replacing the card

Ever since then, the card won't work. It seems to function in a basic sort of way (the video output is from the card, not the MB), and its name is flashed up on start-up. But everytime i launch windows xp, I get an install new hardware message, and all attempts actually to load the NVidia drivers fail (I usually get a "bad data" message at this point), even though I have tried several sets of drivers and downloaded frsh ones.

On device manager (and dxdiag), the card is not showing up at all under display ....all I get is a yellow ?-ed "VGA device" (not named) under "Other devices", running generic drivers.

I've tried Driver Cleaner, and I've put in a cheap alternative card (an MX400 GF3) and get exactly the same problem, so I don't THINK it is a card malfunction.

Does anyone have any smart ideas, cos I've tried everything. I really don't want to do a re-install of XP, as I've got loads of photos, music and documents on the HD.

Thanks a lot to any of you who can think of anything...

C

 

[Nodsu]

Run a memory test to make sure your new RAM is OK.

Wouldn't hurt to try a PCI video card in case you messed up the AGP slot somehow.

 

[Photo601]

Nodsu,

Not to ask a sidetracked question, but I have read in different places about using a program called mem test, or something approximating the name. I also read somewhere the program captures certain identifiable information from your computer. I was looking to get the program in case of a need for diagnostics, but that would be a concern if it's true.

 

[Nodsu]

I don't know what program you are thinking of..

In order to be able to test the whole system memory a memtest program runs straight off the bootsector with no interfering operating system underneath. This means that it doesn't know anything about hard drives, video cards, network cards, modems, files, porn, credit card numbers, cookies or USB powered vibrators and therefore cannot collect any (useful) information about those.

Of course there may be programs that claim to test your system memory but actually do nasty things when you run them.

To point you at proper memory testers:
www.memtest86.com
www.memtest.org