Windows 7: computer wont recognize original graphics card for dual monitors

i've never tried to hook up dual monitors before so its probably something simple. i installed a new graphics card a while back and haven't used the original for months, and now that im trying to hook up dual monitors it wont even recognize the original in the device manager, or that i have a monitor plugged into it. both monitors work perfectly fine in the newer card slot. any assistance would be appreciated. thank you for your time.

You can't use your onboard video card and an add-in card at the same time, it's one of the other. Well you can, but only on motherboards that support hybrid CrossfireX. In most cases your onboard video is disabled when an add-in card is detected by the BIOS. To use dual monitors you will have to have a video card that supports it and connect both monitors to that video card. Then press the Windows key and the P key to extend your desktop onto the second monitor.

EDIT: Filling in your system specs would help.

Small correction for you alpha. It isn't CrossfireX support but what ATI/AMD calls Surround View. The only thing similar between them is that both require an AMD video card to work with the AMD onboard video. I have also seen a few posts where it will work with some of the newer Intel based boards, but is limited to whether the bios supports it or not.

Yeah, I knew it was something like that. I should have Googled it a little more before I posted. At one time I used to be able to keep up with this stuff. The OP hasn't listed any of hardware specs so its still guess work at this point anyway.

I cheated. I had (still do in the kids computer) a motherboard that supports Surround View and used it on occasion, and it works very well.