windows 7 crashes my graphics card

[jmraney]

It simply disables display.
My screen goes blank right after the glowing windows logo.
This is a fresh install.
It's an ATI card. Brand new. It was working (for 2 weeks) on vista perfectly.
I understand that there is an issue with ATI catalyst control center.
with all due respect, I can't load a driver if my screen is disabled.

 

[Canowyrms]

Does your motherboard have an onboard graphics controller? Try plugging your monitor into that and see about installing the drivers for your ATI card.
Other than that I would try an older card if you have one. Pop it in just to get the display drivers for your card installed, then swap it back out.

 

[WDAexodus]

Does your motherboard have an onboard graphics controller? Try plugging your monitor into that and see about installing the drivers for your ATI card.
Other than that I would try an older card if you have one. Pop it in just to get the display drivers for your card installed, then swap it back out.

To add to that ensure that you enable onboard video/VGA in bios and then do what was stated above.

 

[torrentg]

Which card? You can boot to safe mode (f8 key while booting, keep pressing it) and install the driver there. Reboot to normal mode.

I'm almost sure you can do this. I never needed or tried. You might have to install manually through device manager. Right click card | update driver software | browse | let me pick | have disk | browse.


Now find the .inf from Catalyst install package that you previously extracted. C:\ATI......

As far as your screen going blank? For how long? It's not unusual for that to happen under certain circumstances. Waiting it out for 2, 3, 5 minutes may help.

 

[jmraney]

There is no onboard graphics adapter on my motherboard. Here is the graphics card. I can not load into safe mode. Windows 7 is still in the process of stabilizing when it disables the card. When I attempt to go to safe mode with networking it tells me it can not finish set up from safe mode.
I have no other PCI express card or PCI card laying around.
Further, I was instructed by Windows Vista to remove all ATI software before updating, as it was labeled as not compatible. I was very careful to remove it all. Shouldn't matter.
The second install I tried I formatted the drive and installed. It didn't work. Exact same thing happened. I'm reinstalling Vista now.
But then what?

 

[torrentg]

What is preventing you from going to safe mode? Regular safe mode I mean.

You should be using a driver from here.

http://game.amd.com/us-en/drivers_catalyst.aspx

Do not run setup.exe to install, only to extract. Close after it extracts. Install by device manager as I said.

 

[jmraney]

I am installing Windows 7. During one of the many reboots Windows attempts during Windows setup Windows disables my graphics card's ability to interact with my monitor. When I attempt to start Windows 7 in safe mode, Windows 7 tells me I can not start Windows 7 in safe mode because Windows 7 has not completed set up.
When I reboot the computer from there, Windows 7 makes it to the point that the shiny Windows 7 logo appears (right after the pretty little stars) and my monitor ceases to receive a signal from my video card.

 

[torrentg]

"I can not start Windows 7 in safe mode because Windows 7 has not completed set up."

Time for a repair install.

Here is an excellent guide published by our admin Brink.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

When it's done, run setup.exe from Catalyst in normal mode and let it completely install.

But since you can not get to desktop, I guess you need a complete new clean install.

 

[jmraney]

Out of curiosity, now that I have reinstalled Vista and my system is running again, do you seriously think that if I download a driver update and install it before attempting to update a second time, I'll have anymore more luck given that the operating system is disabling my graphics card's ability to function before it's done with set up?
I'll give it a shot, but it seems like a long one.
More interesting: why is this OS disabling my graphics card?

 

[torrentg]

Something got messed up with your previous Win 7 install according to that error message and the fact you can't get to safe mode.

I doubt you will see this issue again with a clean install, especially if you burn the .iso again at a slightly slower rate and use that.


If you do try another install, setup a restore point before installing anything so you can revert back in case of errors.

 

[thefabe]

If it is working in vista here is a windows 7 driver install solution. By exporting the Vista driver with driver Max . Hope this will help.http://www.sevenforums.com/drivers/789-windows-7-driver-solution.html#post5336

 

[jmraney]

Torrent- I certainly appreciate your optimism! I'll give it another go when I get home from work. I was rereading everything you wrote yesterday to make sure I answered all your questions. Initially when the monitor kicked off (from lack of receiving a signal) I waited about two hours for it to come back on. So I wanted you to know that.
So today, I download working ATI drivers and install your patch on to Vista. Then I attempt an update from Vista to 7? If the graphics card shuts down again, I try to get into safe mode without networking and install the patch again. If I can't get to safe mode, I attempt repair install, if windows 7 tells me the install is fine (this is my guess), I wipe the drive and attempt a fresh install.(?)

 

[torrentg]

I wouldn't even bother installing the video driver in Vista if you're going to upgrade Vista to 7.

Just do the upgrade. When it's complete, save a restore point manually. Then install the Catalyst driver and it should be fine. If your computers goes crazy on ya, you can choose to fix it in safe mode with system restore. Or at boot, last good settings that worked, or similar choice. Or you can use system restore if you boot to the DVD itself and choose repair my computer.

Hope it goes well for you.

Perhaps you should make a backup image of your Vista, preferably to another hard drive or external hard drive, to restore from should the upgrade go wrong.

 

[jmraney]

Thanks, I appreciate your patience.

Could you please link me to a page that gives some detailed instructions on creating a restore point?

The instructions you sent me on repairing windows assumes I have a functioning OS, desktop and monitor. Did you give those instructions assuming that I'd be able to make it to safe mode somehow? Weren't the instructions given to get me to safe mode?

 

[torrentg]

You're welcome. It is easy to create a restore point.

Start menu. Right click Computer. Properties. Click system protection near top left. Make sure the drive that has Windows on it is set to have protection on. It will say (System) next to it.

If not, click it once, then click configure. Choose "restore system settings and previous versions of files."

Drag the slider over until it's like 10 GB, give or take. You can get away with less, safely. Click ok. Then click create.

If you should need to actually use this restore point, you can do so by booting to the DVD. I'll explain more on that if you do come to need it.

 

[jmraney]

Gotcha.

For the record, I am seriously considering buying a cheapo PCI card and using it to get my drivers.

But I'll be a sport for a third try.

And I understand the issue is likely my card/ATI and not the boot disc. The Sapphire series of ATI cards has notoriously crappy driver support.

 

[torrentg]

The link I gave you on the previous page for drivers is straight from ATI and very current. Post #6. I'm actually running that myself and performance/stability is excellent. So at least you know you have proper driver ready for the card.

 

[Joshatdot]

When you press F8, do you see the option for Enable low-resolution video (640x480)

Mebby give that a try on one of the Setup/reboots...

 

[jmraney]

I'm back. I just downloaded the motherboard drivers in Vista. I downloaded the newest ATI drivers for windows 7 while running Vista. Luckily this did not crash the video card. I then made the OS backup as instructed. Now I am attempting to update from Vista to 7. I am aware this was not the course of action recommended to me, but I am stubborn, and for some reason think that if given the proper driver for the video card, windows 7 may actually run it.
Windows 7 told me during set up that the ATI program would certainly not work and that I needed to delete it before I proceded. I ignored that.
I figure I have absolutely nothing to lose in taking this course of action. Maybe a little time.
I'll keep you posted

 

[jmraney]

That worked like a charm. Thanks for the advice everyone!