Windows 7: 8500GT 'works' when monitor turned OFF??!

CRT 21/750 Formac (SonyGDM) / point of view 8500GT / Windows 7-64
xfx 680i LT / 4 gB ram / Q6600 / latest XFX BIOS

(My first PCIExpress card - be gentle ;-) Here's what I've been doing
for what seems like the best part of two days -

1 Boot in safe mode, disable 8500. Reboot.
2 Drivesweeper'd nVidia display drivers in safe mode. Reboot.
3 Restart in safe mode to verify drivers gone, but 7 just goes ahead
and renistalls 195.62 anyway (A moderator on the nVidia boards says
that these latest drivers should NOT be installed in safe mode.) & asks
for a reboot.
4 Reboot as instructed, then screen blanks after entering password;
pretty much what I've gotten from day 1.

> Now, just today I tried something I saw somewhere here (?) where

A I reboot the PC (after 1,2,3 above) with my monitor OFF
B Enter my password 'blind'
C I finally get to a proper desktop which appears to be using the
correct drivers (Refresh rate looks much better) but I can't verify
graphics card changes, as this causes a blank screen again.



Monitor is the only device plugged into the GF card.
Where have I screwed up?

GO TO END OF PAGE FOR EMBARRASSING SOLUTION

Hi,

Just install the driver from the website in the normal way. Install the monitor's driver too to be on the safe side. Reboot and enjoy.

You could install the driver in safe mode. A driver is a driver. If it installs, it installs.

Doesn't matter how you get it to install as long as it is. You shouldn't need to do it though.

I'm not explaining myself well - when Windows 7 asks for a reboot with the
new-found drivers, (see points 1,2,3,4) it blanks out after entering password.

If I reboot with my monitor switched OFF, and enter my password when I think
it's the right time for it, then turn ON the monitor, I boot to what seems like a
correctly installed set of drivers. The screen looks much better than the default
VGA Save.

But when I go to say, increase refresh to 85hz, it blanks out again to a dead screen.
What I forgot to mention above, and this may be important, there is an old analog
Belkin Omni switch in the mix here.

You explained well.

Install the monitor driver and see how it goes. The manufacturer's website should have it.
Windows Update frequently installs them too. Just be careful to never install video card driver from WU.

Thanks TorrentG, Will start again tomorrow.

You're welcome.

I see your edit now about the switch.

I'd try removing that and see how it goes. Maybe you need a driver for the switch to work well. I don't know about those because I never owned anything like it.

If it works well without the switch, you know what to do.

WORKING! Why I didn't think to try a different screen earlier deserves some sort of Darwin award. That Belkin switch working with everything else is no excuse. Thanks again for taking some of your time torrentg.

+ Now that 7 correctly identifies my monitor and the refresh rates between both switched PCs, I'm using the Belkin omni switch again.

No way. That's nothing to be embarrassed about. It was a legitimate problem.

You're welcome.