Why won't my video card work?

[Drunner611]

I bought an Nvidia Geforce4 TI-4200 video card. I installed the drivers on Windows xp professional. When i go to run a game that i installed, it goes to a blank screen and freezes up. How can I fix this so I can actually play my games instead of stare at a blank screen?

[scott_d]

Could you list some more specs please?
What model of motherboard/processor do you have? how much ram? what power supply? how old is your computer and is it "home-made" or is it made by a big company (dell, compaq, gateway, ect..)
Doing this will make it easier for people to find you an answer.

[TimPoet]

You need to install the new drivers on top of the Standard VGA drivers, not the old drivers. Video drivers are touchy that way. I don't know how to do it in XP. But if you didn't do that, I betcha that's the problem.
Anyone here know how to do that in XP???

[Drunner611]

My computer is home built. It has a biostar mobo M7VITPro, 80gig hd, amd 2500xp processor, 768mb of PC2100 ram, a 600w powersupply, and an 8X AGP Slot. I installed the vid card driver as well as the AMD/AGPslot driver.

[Alienware_Dude]

Run DXDIAG(Start>Run>dxdiag), and see if it passes all the tests.

[Drunner611]

I ran the direct x diagnostics tool and the only thing that stood out was it said my driver is not digitally signed which means that it hasn't been tested by Microsoft Windows Hardware Quality Labs. It says I could try to get a driver that is digitally signed. What now?

[TimPoet]

Dude, how do you install your new drivers on XP? Don't you get rid of your old drivers and install the Standard VGA drivers and THEN install the new ones? If so, can you explain it step by step?
TIA

[Alienware_Dude]

Well, what I do is un-install my current drivers via the Add/Remove Programs applet, then boot up into Enable VGA Mode. Then I install the Catalyst drivers, reboot, ATI Control Panel. Works like a charm.

[Drunner611]

Now some of my lower end games work but the higher end ones still freeze up. Any suggestions?

[Alienware_Dude]

Exactly which games work, and which ones don't work?

[Drunner611]

Starcraft works perfectly. Aquanox, Master Rallye, Rainbow Six, and America's Army do not work. All the games that come on Windows XP work fine.

[TimPoet]

Drunner611, did you install properly as AlienWare_Dude explained for XP?
Also, did you install the games while you AntiVirus program was running?
My roomie installed several games successfully, except MOHAA just wouldn't work (he couldn't even UNINSTALL it) until he realized he had his AV on....

[bell_kicks]

have you re-installed all of the games that don't work??

[Drunner611]

yes, i have reinstalled the games as well as xp many times and the drivers

[Alienware_Dude]

Have you hit up Windows Update? Try installing DX9.0, if you haven't already.

[Drunner611]

what updates should i get, and yes i have dx9