Member Avatar for sweggy

The issue I have is installing a Radeon 9250 PCI video card into an Acer Power SX with an S57M motherboard. I am using Windows XP.

I have updated the BIOS and installed the drivers for the card. When I go into the BIOS and switch ‘primary display adapter’ to auto, the system connects to the card. However it gets as far as the windows screen, which it shows very dimly, and then it freezes.

The only way I can get the computer to boot up is by going back into BIOS and switching ‘primary display adapter’ back to ‘onboard’. Windows will then start but this obviously bypasses the card. I can then see that the Radeon 9250 has been recognized and is showing in device manager. When I click on it I get the message that the device is working properly.

As I say, I have tried flashing the BIOS and updating drivers for motherboard and card. I have also tried disabling the onboard chip (SiS630E) in device manager. I have also checked the card on a separate computer and found that it works OK. I have checked the manual and seen that no jumpers are required and new cards should be recognized where ‘primary display adapter’ is on auto.

I have run out of ideas really, as I cannot get the computer to boot up through the graphics card. Any ideas?

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by joshSCH

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The pattern described by (system only boots reliably using the onboard display; selecting the PCI Radeon as primary causes Windows to hang) usually points to a BIOS/initialization or driver-mode conflict rather than a physically dead card. The advice from about drivers is on the right track; the following checklist fills in deeper, safer diagnostic steps that isolate BIOS, driver, power and monitor issues.

A useful checklist:

  • Disable the onboard video in the motherboard BIOS (not just in Device Manager). Look for options named "Onboard VGA", "Primary Display" or "Init Display First" and set them to PCI/Disabled. Save and perform a cold power-cycle to let the board reassign resources.

  • From a working boot with the onboard adapter, perform a clean driver removal in Safe Mode before reinstalling Radeon drivers. Using a dedicated driver-clean tool removes residual registry/INF entries that can trigger freezes when the card becomes primary.

  • Test minimal video mode next. With the card set as primary, boot into Safe Mode and choose low-resolution/standard VGA. If that reaches the desktop, the problem is mode/driver related rather than hardware initialization.

  • Hardware checks: swap VGA cables and monitors to rule out a monitor-compatibility hang; reseat the card and try another PCI slot; disconnect other expansion cards; swap in a known-good PSU if available.

  • Inspect Event Viewer logs (Application/System) from a session that ran with the onboard adapter. Look for display-driver or resource assignment errors recorded when the Radeon is present.

Final notes: flashing a card VBIOS or rolling motherboard BIOS can fix rare OEM/compatibility quirks but is risky—only use vendor images and back up current BIOS. Following 's driver-reinstall idea but adding a clean-uninstall + BIOS-level disable of onboard video and Safe Mode verification often reveals whether this is a driver/mode issue or a deeper BIOS/hardware incompatibility.

Member Avatar for joshSCH

Could there possibly be an overheating problem with the new graphics card? hmm.. I would try booting with the onboard video, then try installing drivers to the new graphics card. Then reboot and see what happens. If that doesn't work, you should uninstall the drivers, do a cold reboot, and try to reinstall them again..

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