trouble installing video card

[computerguy31]

Hi all, i need urgent help.

I recently bought this card : ATI RAGE 128 PRO 32MB PCI W/VGA and my computer is an old DELL OPTIPLEX GX270. This is about the only video card that will fit in a slim small desktop.

When i put the card in and start the computer i get a black screen. The computer doesnt boot into windows. So i dont even get a chance to install and run the software cd. I went into BIOS and couldnt change anything because i bought the desktop used and i guess the old user had a password on bios and changing options. I cant find the old owner.

Im also open to suggestions on how to re install windows. It has xp pro. sp3 now. I just dont have the cd.

The reason i need a new video card is that the motherboard graphics chipset....i guess not working right. The colors are all messed up and theres a red tint brightness to the whole screen.

(Have to say i tried all the screen resolution, settings, refresh rate, all that shabang) No success.

Please help its urgent for school work. The screen is a new samsung syncmaster 20" or 19" not sure.

Thanks alot.

[caperjack]

hi ,start with taking the bios battery out for a half hr or so ,its the quarter size silver battery on the motherboard ,this will reset bios to defaults ! but i don't think you find any thing in there to disable onboard video ,it should just switch to the pci card i think but could be wrong ,i did have a 270 once but memory is bad .lol

[computerguy31]

Its actually a gx280 but doesnt makea big difference.

How do i remove that battery? What does it look like?

Right now i am forced to use the onboard chipset. I cant plug in the card at all.

Do you think reinstalling restoring windows fully to factory settings will fix it? the computer needs a clean fresh install but i dont have the cds.....what can i do ? get an illegal copy of xp or something?

[caperjack]

Its actually a gx280 but doesnt makea big difference.

How do i remove that battery? What does it look like?

Right now i am forced to use the onboard chipset. I cant plug in the card at all.

Do you think reinstalling restoring windows fully to factory settings will fix it? the computer needs a clean fresh install but i dont have the cds.....what can i do ? get an illegal copy of xp or something?

i think i already explained what the battery looked like .silver the size of a quarter ,
what do you mean you cant plug in the card at all. do you meant it doesn't fit into the slot or that you cant plug the vga cord from the monitor

[computerguy31]

The card fits in slot perfectly and the monitor cable fits too, but what i meant is when i plug the card and power the computer all i get is a black screen so i cant go into windows to install it etc....

[caperjack]

is the a card new or used purchase!

[computerguy31]

brand new, thats it, i was looking for something cheap cause i dont play games or anything and the comp itself is old and cheap.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2174312&SRCCODE=NEXTAG&cm_mmc_o=2mHCjCWw0fzTCjCVqHCjCdwwp

[caperjack]

all i can add is ,maybe something in the bios/or jumper on motherboard to turn off on board video or the card is bad !
jumper on MB is old way of doing it , not many boards do it anymore ! even setting in bios is not use much anymore just plug in and use auto switching ,do you have access to another pci card to try any old card will do if you find one that is not sff lowprofile ,just remove the backplate and try it .

[computerguy31]

Hey,

I successfully reset my bios password, which is good. I also installed a fresh copy of windows xp pro, however, i am stuck at the activation window and cannot boot into desktop. Im kind of stuck. The computer is stuck at the activate windows screen and its not activating.

Any thoughts?

[caperjack]

click to activate later ,you will likely need to install network drive to be able to connect to the internet to activate

[computerguy31]

There is no activate later option. Its like i have to activate it to get into the desktop. Either by phone or internet. Kinda sucks. I dont know what to do.

[yollyP.]

When you purchased that video card, did you care to ask for the instructions on how? If you failed to seek help before, then why not go back to the store where you bought it - just a practical way to solve your dilemma ;)