significant display problem

[matanzas]

I have an older box that has onboard display as well as a PCI display card. The onboard has failed. All I get is a screen with red or blue patterned snow.

When I plug the monitor into the PCI card monitor goes into power saver mode.

How can I get into the BIOS to change the setting to use the PCI card? Pressing DEL does not change the screen from snow to BIOS screen.

TIA

 

[JAG14]

If you reset the CMOS Jumper on the motherboard, press the power button, then replace it to normal mode,
Make sure the PCI card is seated correctly and the monitor is plugged into it and then turn on your system. It should boot onto the PCI Card first (The only one connected).
You may have to reset a couple of BIOS settings afterwards but this approach has worked for me on many occasions when the OB Graphics have died a death..

HTH

JaG

[tt]'Very funny, Scotty... Now Beam down my clothes.'[/tt]
​

 

[matanzas]

Thanks for the reply.

If you reset the CMOS Jumper on the motherboard

I removed the battery, waited for a few miutes and plugged the monitor back into the PCI card and booted. The image returns as windows is starting up. Pressing DEL wont get me into the BIOS screen, it seems to bypass that possiblity.
Is there a way to alet the BOS or set the boot to the PCI card form within windows?

 

[matanzas]

Interesting... I do not have a mouse anymore.
This might be a good time to recommend to my friend that this box be transformed into a boat's anchor.

 

[matanzas]

Changed to a usb mouse so I can at least navigate but still cannot get into the BIOS.

Any other ideas?

Thanks

 

[JAG14]

If you have a USB Keyboard, your problem may lie there... you'll need to plug in a PS/2 Keyboard and then reset the legacy USB settings in the BIOS.

HTH

JaG

[tt]'Very funny, Scotty... Now Beam down my clothes.'[/tt]
​

 

[matanzas]

No, it's a PS/2 KB.
I think it's time to call time of death on this beast.
Thanks

 

[JAG14]

you could try unplugging the keyboard completely before you turn it on, this normally produces a Keyboard Not FOund Error within the bios, asking you to correct it by pressing F1 (daft as that may sound!) normally, you could get into the BIOS after that bit..?...?

HTH

JaG

[tt]'Very funny, Scotty... Now Beam down my clothes.'[/tt]
​

 

[matanzas]

I'll give it a try when I return this afternoon, thanks

 

[fenix]

Hi, You didn't mention the kind of bios in the computer or the type of motherboard or brand name, so just to cover all the bases I wanted to post this.

Although the delete key is frequently used,
other common methods to access the bios setup
are F1, F2, and F10, just in
case you weren't aware of this. And sometimes to use
the F keys, the F lock has to be pressed first on some
keyboards to make the F keys work.

 

[matanzas]

Thanks fenis.

It is the DEL key as I have accessed it before. The problem is the onboard display adapter has died. No amount of updating will bring it back. There is nothing but red or blue snowy lines. When the monitor is plugged into the PCI adapter there is no image sent to the screen until the "Windows is starting" screen appears (using Win 2K Pro). Upon start there is the usual noise and even a single post beep but no image.

I have even attempted a repair install which it actually goes through without an image on sceen. I can tell becasue when it is finished I had to update from SP4 again. I would try a format / reinstall but I cannot get an image from a boot disk.

If you have any other suggestions, please send them along.

Thanks again

 

[fenix]

Very strange that you are getting a good post beep and that the onboard display has failed. Does it give the same beep with the PCI card removed ?

There ARE a few old bios systems that beep one short for a problem. Rare but they are out there. A Bigalow T/S book that I have has 1short as meaning "System RAM Refresh Failure. The programmable Interrupt timer or Prog. Int. controller has probably failed. Replace the mobo." for AMI Beep Codes.

Also, for AST Beep Codes, 1 short means "CPU Register Test Failure, replace mobo or cpu" No personal experience, but that is what this books lists.

If that's not the case and 1 short means good, and your determination that the onboard graphics are shot, then the POST seems to be recognizing that the PCI card is installed and OK, so I guess the bios setting isn't letting it take over for the failed onboard graphics.


Is there any difference in booting up as far as the beep code that sounds when you remove the PCI card ?

Have you tried all the PCI slots ? Sometimes changing the postion will make a card work.

Why did you have a card installed when you were using the onboard graphics ? Since you said this is an old computer, it probably doesn't have an automatic onboard disconnect when a graphics card is installed like some newer systems now have.

W2K had alot of driver compatibility issues while running dual monitors. Many times they would work seperately but not together.

Also very weird that you're getting a splash screen, but not a boot display. I can't even think of a theory for that one.

And you're saying that you did an repair install without seeing a display ?

One last suggestion. I have seen bad ram cause a blank display with nothing wrong with the graphics card, so check your RAM in another machine if possible, or if there is more than one stick installed, try one at a time. This could be a likely theory using onboard graphics which use shared memory.

Also, could the keyboard's delete key be inop ?
Maybe verify that it works on another computer.

All else fails, you can get a W2K tower these days for about $40 or $50. At some point you have to ask what your time is worth trying to fix.

Hope to hear from you again.

Good luck

 

[matanzas]

Thanks again fenix.
It's the end of the day here but I shall get back at it in the morning and let you know what I find out.