Unable to view screen after trying to enable graphics card driver

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  1. Posts : 2,246
    Windows 7 Pro SP1 64 bit
       #1

    Unable to view screen after trying to enable graphics card driver


    I have a Dell M6500 Workstation, with Win 7 Pro, which includes a NVIDIA Quadro FX 3800M graphics card in addition to integrated graphics (never have been able to determine what I have in that regard). The graphics card has a history of over-heating and blu-screening. The Dell Pros told me to reset back to factory settings to resolve the issue but that is only a temporary fix and the factory reset would take me back to a 10 year old version of Win 7 and I would have to reinstall the subsequent updates. As a result, I usually disable the cards' driver unless I'm doing something that requires the card.

    Recently, I sought to re-enable the driver. However, that didn't work and now I can't see anything on the screen with either the graphics card or integrated graphics. During boot, a screen with graphics will come up for about 1 second and then disappear. Since pressing F12 normally gets me to boot options immediately after the memory check is done, I've tried repeatedly pressing it as soon as I start the system and for several minutes. Nothing. I have tried a Windows repair disc as well as other bootable discs but can't see anything on the screen. Kind of a tough position and I'm not sure where to go with it. The Dell Pros told that they had to modify the card to fit it on the mobo and I also can't use any driver later than the original. I thought about burning a boot disc with the driver on it and setting the driver to run at boot but haven't found the correct software to do that. Even if I did, one has to answer a number of questions when the driver executes and that's tough to do when you can't see anything on the screen.

    Anyone have any ideas?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 2,246
    Windows 7 Pro SP1 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #2

    The computer boots into Windows. Can one write some kind of script to install a driver that could be burned to disc and then automatically run when the disc is installed while Windows is running?
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  3. Posts : 16,119
    7 X64
       #3

    you could detach the card.
    then integate the driver into your win7 installation using dism++ from booted winpe
    then attach the card again
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  4. Posts : 2,246
    Windows 7 Pro SP1 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Thanks for your response. I really appreciate it.

    The issue is that I have no graphics whatsoever from boot through Windows loading. All I have is a grey screen. As a result, I can't make choices. If I could, I would have resolved this long ago doing a system restore, etc.

    This afternoon, I found that one can create a autorun CD which contains the autorun.inf file which points one to software to run.

    I have two questions about that- First, I downloaded the graphics card driver .exe file. Will that actually do the installation?
    I guess I simply burn both files to a disc and then just load the disc. The other issue is that Windows is going to ask if I want the program (file) to change the system. Since I can't see the Yes or No, Is there a key stroke to select one or the other?

    I'm curious about what you said. Why would one need to detach/attach the card in your scenario.
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  5. Posts : 16,119
    7 X64
       #5

    wither 2 said:
    Thanks for your response. I really appreciate it.

    The issue is that I have no graphics whatsoever from boot through Windows loading. All I have is a grey screen.
    I'm curious about what you said. Why would one need to detach/attach the card in your scenario.
    so you can see when booted into winpe

    you could uninstall the graphics driver with dism++ if that is causing the problem

    if you wasnt to install a driver using dism++ or anything similar, extract the files from the .exe first.
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 2,246
    Windows 7 Pro SP1 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Let me clarify things. The motherboard itself has a graphics chip (don't know what it is) which provides graphics when the driver for the graphics card is disabled. In the circumstances I originally described, I lost both sources of graphics. As a result, it really doesn't matter if I disconnect the graphics card. I had the system looked at by a local computer repair company last month and I specifically asked them to disconnect the graphics card. They told me they did that and it didn't make any difference. I have a disc which came with the system that has all the drivers but I don't know what each one is for. When I go to the Dell support page, they don't show a graphics driver for the mobo so I downloaded the one for the graphics card and hoped to reinstall it using the autorun CD. I don't know if that changes your recommendations.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 13
    10
       #7

    If you have graphics issues before you make it to the OS then you have deeper problems at this point it could be anyone's guess but failing to post successfully can mean many things, it means hardware problems usually at this point in the boot procedure.

    Just the fact that you cannot even see an image at boot makes it hard and basically it means you have one option reset the cmos which you would have to consult your computers manual as its a laptop and they vary pretty quickly between models.

    You said there is image briefly for like a few seconds and then straight to blank grey screen this is a somewhat good sign it means that the display and the GPU are either still functional or if they are not then intermittent but resetting the cmos should be the first step as there could be some sort of jank going on. Installing drivers are not going to resolve anything as your issue starts before drivers are even loaded.

    Windows has basic class compliant drivers anyway so if you got it fixed and into windows then it would use the basic adpater drivers to display image.

    Failing all that then you are sool unless you take it to someone who knows what they are doing or it may be wise to cut your loss. Sometimes diagnosing problems like this especially on laptops are not worth it and you would be better buying a new one in some cases.

    - - - Updated - - -

    i guess the question is do you actually get a post screen when you turn the PC on? Like does it display the test with numbers or a splash screen with the laptops branding?

    This would help determine what is happening as you never really specified.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 2,246
    Windows 7 Pro SP1 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #8

    There is no display at post through Windows loading. I wanted to reinstall the GPU driver using the disc just to see if the existing driver had gotten corrupted. The only issue is, Windows will want to know if I want the installation to change my computer and I can't see the screen to select "Yes."

    - - - Updated - - -

    Well, I created the disc yesterday and tried to run it but it didn't work. I think that's because the autorun isn't working. I put it in another Win 7 system and it asked if I wanted to see what was on the disc. When I said yes, it pulled up the files but, of course, I didn't want to run it on that system. I put it in a Vista system and it didn't come up until I went to Computer. In short, the autorun doesn't run as it should (or as I understand it should). Maybe that's because Microsoft disabled autorun some years ago.

    Edit: I found the answer to the last question. I went to a different website and found that one needs to burn the disc as a bootable disc. I didn't do that. The only question left is do I insert this during boot up when Windows isn't running yet or can I run it when Windows is running?

    - - - Updated - - -
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 16,119
    7 X64
       #9

    Edit: I found the answer to the last question. I went to a different website and found that one needs to burn the disc as a bootable disc. I didn't do that.
    Have you got a link to that curious advice?
    -----------------------------------------------------------------
      My Computers


  10. Posts : 2,246
    Windows 7 Pro SP1 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #10

    This is the link- How to Make an Autorun CD: 5 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow

    However, I misspoke about what it says. The comment is in Step 4 there. I found that I can't make a bootable disc with the .inf and .exe. I ended up burning a CD-ROM UDF/ISO. I ran it but nothing changed in regards to the graphics.

    By the way, I started a new conversation with you from the Vista forum but didn't get a response.
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