Radeon HD5850 driver stops Windows 7

Windows 7 PC, installed around three years ago on a new build - I've updated my System Spec
ASUS M4A78L-M/USB3
Radeon HD5850
1TB HDD (now 2TB, HDD replaced, see below)
12GB DDR3

Last week I started getting "explorer.exe has failed to load properly" errors, with the details section showing it was appcrash.exe that was the problem and the desktop would then vanish. Via task manager I managed to get the command prompt up so I could run sfc /scannow which didn't find or fix anything. I then scheduled a scan disk on the next reboot, rebooted, and it failed to boot, stalling on AtcPcie.sys driver when the driver list scrolls up.

I couldn't get anywhere with it so took it to a PC repair shop (Bulldog Tech if anyone knows the name, the Camberley, Surrey branch) and was told the graphics card driver has corrupted Windows 7 and he couldn't find a way to get Windows to load and suggested a clean install. I have too many files I need to keep on that 1TB HDD so I bought a new 2TB HDD and installed Windows 7 on it - it's a Seagate ST2000DM001 7200RPM 64MB cache so was expecting it to be fast, or at least faster than my 1TB which was only 8MB cache but it seems to be a LOT slower, on booting and shutdown in particular.

Anyway, I've been installing my usual software programs and Windows updates and then went to the AMD site to download the latest driver for my HD5850, which the site told me was ok to download the latest 15.7 CCC package, released around a month ago. Install went fine, but on reboot, I get the black Starting Windows screen with the logo on, it then goes to the default Windows background but the desktop does not load. It is stuck. I restart the PC and boot into safe mode without issue. I restart the PC and boot normally and it hangs. I then uninstall the graphics card in safe mode and restart the PC and it loads up fine.

I tried installing the driver via Windows Update and same problem, hangs on reboot.

So, is there an older, stable, proven driver that will work with the HD5850 or does it sound like my graphics card has had it? It was bought second hand three years ago I think and I have never overclocked anything.

Thanks very much

K

I always had problems with the onboard graphics - I installed the driver recommended by AMD/ATI but PC would randomly reset, whether working or playing games, and I wasn't playing any demanding or new games, I think it was Football Manager 2007, so not exactly stressing the onboard gpu.

I can start experimenting with the older drivers - if someone has a similar problem and knows of a stable one I could install that would save me a lot of time and frustration, and I don't like keep having to use the reset button on the PC to reboot. It works using the standard Windows driver, shows the card as something like Standard VGA Graphics or similar, think I disabled the onboard graphics a while back as it kept interfering, I might have done this in BIOS, I can't remember now.

If it is the card, I'll have to start looking for something in the region of £100 (my budget), I don't mind new or second hand but I'd like it to be as good a card as possible and able to play games like STALKER, Deus Ex, Bioshock on at least medium settings. There's a lot of grief online about AMD drivers so maybe I should try a GeForce card this time!

K