Vista won't run graphics card

[Baraka_Guru]

I'm having a problem with my PC, where Vista will no longer run my GeForce 8800 GT. It says it's disabled because of a "problem."

This started happening when I restarted after a Windows Update, and the display went all wonky. It's low-res, which I think means it's reverting to my motherboard adapter. Things were a bit wonky otherwise (freezing, my Rogers Online Protection program not launching), so I reverted to a restore point before the update.

However, things are still not working. I'm not freezing anymore, but my Online Protection doesn't launch correctly (but it does eventually), and my graphics card isn't working.

I'm also getting the kind of artifact you see in the attached image showing at startup, both here, at my Vista load screen, and at the BIOS screen.

What gives?

Worst-case scenario is that my graphics card is fried, but it seems unlikely because I haven't been giving it any heavy use lately (not much in gaming) and the problem started with a Windows Update.

I've updated my graphics driver, I've done a virus/spyware scan, etc. I'm not all that keen on hardware problems.

Can anyone help me out? What should I be doing to try to get Windows to switch to the graphics card? If it can't or won't, does that mean the card is screwed? Is it just a coincidence, or can OS updates mess up graphics cards like this?

WTF?

[LordEden]

Have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling the video card drivers? That's the first thing I would do. I could walk you through it, if ya would like.

PM me.

[Willravel]

I only have limited experience with this, but I can think of a few things that could help.

First, unplug your computer from power/monitor, open it up, disconnect the card from power, pull it out, and put it back, making sure to gently push it until it's entirely secure. Put everything back together, ensuring that it's all 100% secure and try again.

Second, as LE said, uninstall and reinstall your drivers.

[Baraka_Guru]

I thought of uninstalling/re-installing the drivers, but I wasn't sure if it would have mattered.

I'll try the driver re-install first. If that doesn't work, I'll try removing and reinserting the card.

EDIT: I uninstalled/re-installed the graphics drivers.

When I rebooted, it found the new hardware, searched for the driver, installed it, and it went okay. However, when I rebooted again, the same problem occurred, and so I'm back to square one.

Will removing the card and putting it back really do anything at this point? It seems more of a software issue at this point, since it could find the card when the drivers were removed...and the OS reinstalled them just fine.

[Shadowex3]

Which video card on what power supply getting what kind of temperatures?

[Baraka_Guru]

It's a GeForce 8800 GT. I don't know about the power supply. I'd have to open it up again to look at it. Why do you ask?

[LordEden]

It could be that the PS is not giving the video card enough juice to run, which would cause these problems.

Really, at this point it's Trial and Error. Keep trying fixes till one of them works.

[Baraka_Guru]

The PS came with the system from Dell. I've been running this machine for at least a couple of years.

[LaLa1]

I had that problem with my Dell laptop when I first got it almost two years ago. Dell gave me the same advice of reinstalling the drivers, pulling the card and re-seating it. They insisted for about a month that my card was just loose. Finally ended up having to return it and get a new one after many re-installs of Vista.

You might want to try re-seating the card first, but it may just have gone bad like mine did. There was never really a clear answer as to why it happened but it was also after an update.

[Shadowex3]

Originally Posted by Baraka_Guru

The PS came with the system from Dell. I've been running this machine for at least a couple of years.

8800GT's are very hot power hungry cards and off-brand power supplies are LEGENDARY for being anything from worthless to outright dangerous. Dell themselves are famous for using some of the worst power supplies out there, for a while they weren't even using standard wiring.

[Baraka_Guru]

Okay, then, more info about the power supply: Liteon PS-6351-2 350W

It might also help to know that I have the Intel Core2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz processor and 2GB RAM.

[Martian]

Liteon isn't top of the line and definitely doesn't have the rep they used to. Still, I don't know if I'd call it an off-brand. Doesn't seem like a PSU issue anyway, though I suppose it's possible. It's been good for what, a couple years now? When PSU's go, they usually go with a bang (sometimes literally).

Reseating the graphics card also doesn't seem like it's going to help, although I suppose it couldn't hurt. PCI express cards are fairly idiot proof when it comes to it, and I'd expect a contact issue to be a lot more random than what you're describing. On the other hand, artifacts or errors during boot-up seem to rule out OS problems -- if it was a Windows thing it would be confined to the times when Windows is actually running.

I suspect your graphics card has, as we say in the biz, shit the bed.

I'm happy to come take a look at it at some point in the near future; we're probably due for another one of our Aroma coffee things soon anyway. If it comes to the worst and the card has gone to peripheral heaven, I have an 8600GT kicking around here somewhere that you're welcome to. It's not as fast as what you have, but I can confirm it worked when I pulled it and it's not like I can actually get any money for it these days.

[Baraka_Guru]

That would be rad, Martian. (Do we still say rad these days?)

After a few days of it being like this, and after several trial-and-error attempts (everything except re-seating it), I'm more inclined to belief the card's just toast.

It's just odd timing. I hadn't been using it much. Beyond basic OS stuff: Firefox, OpenOffice, etc. Though I suppose it has a lot of miles on it.

I really don't want to pay for a new card if I can avoid it.

[Martian]

Your Windows update likely caused a restart. If your graphics card's BIOS managed to get fucked, that's when errors would be most likely to begin manifesting -- it was good up until power was cut and then it wasn't anymore.

That's my working theory, at least. I'll bring the other one and we'll swap it out. Easiest way to get conclusive.

Name your time, sir. A weekend is preferable for me, since I'm a soulless corporate shill during the work week.

[Baraka_Guru]

Saturdays are good. The Missus coaches at tourneys these days.

[Martian]

Saturday is fine for me.

This conversation is probably better handled via text message at this point.

[Shadowex3]

Bright side in all this is that for the same price point more or less Nvidia's put out another "8800GT" class card that's ridiculously good for it's price range.

[LordEden]

I'm glad martian finally showed up, I was writing a post that basically said, "Why don't you call martian and see if he has any spare parts."

It helps to have tech friends nearby.

[Baraka_Guru]

Originally Posted by LordEden

I'm glad martian finally showed up, I was writing a post that basically said, "Why don't you call martian and see if he has any spare parts."

It helps to have tech friends nearby.

I just met Martian for coffee, and he passed his 8600 GT on to me.

I dropped it in after failing to get the 8800 GT to take. I booted the system up and immediately noticed the artifacts were missing from the boot screens. Upon Windows loading, it searched for the driver, found it for the 8600 GT, and installed it. After rebooting, bam, back to high-res graphics.

I haven't tested any games out yet, but the OS is running normally once again.

Thanks, Martian!

[Hektore]

This may or may not be true anymore, but it used to be...

The driver windows installed is probably a windows driver for the card(as opposed to an Nvidia driver). It's probably worthwhile to get theirs, should be available free from the website.

[Baraka_Guru]

I often check for updates to the driver. I'm not too worried about it at the moment.

[Martian]

Glad to know it worked out okay. I was actually considering an inquisitive text message, but decided to log in first.

If I'm not mistaken, all 8 series cards should share drivers. If that's the case, the drivers you had installed for your 8800 should be equally happy running an 8600.

Interestingly, while attempting to confirm this information I found this:

The reason for the high failure rate was because of improper selection of the underfill material for the chip. Underfill materials are a sort of glue that keeps the silicon die firmly attached to the packaging material, which is where the connection to the actual pins takes place. On this chips, the working temperature of the underfill material was too low for the task and allowed the chip to move slightly if temperature was raised above a certain level, weakening the solder joints by which the die is attached. This eventually leads to a catastrophic failure, although the way the chip fails is quite random.

A possible culprit for your troubles.

[Baraka_Guru]

Originally Posted by Martian

A possible culprit for your troubles.

Possibly. The card probably ran pretty hot.

As for the driver, I looked into it, as Hecktore planted a seed in my brain and I got curious.

I think Windows grabbed a driver that was perhaps embedded in its Windows Update records or something. It installed a driver that was released in July 2010. I normally upgrade the driver separately from Windows Update. So I just went ahead and installed the most recent driver, which is the same one I downloaded when I tried to fix my busted card.

I'm good to go now.

[Vorson]

Hello baraka. I have also faced this problem.I reinstalled windows in my computer , reinstall graphic driver but failure.and now i am using windows xp. So what should we do if vista not work. Tell us friends.Thanks