Member Avatar for kp6286

I am trying to install an ATI Radeon 9200 PCI video card on my Acer Aspire 1845 and I am not having any success! I believe I have read every other thread but have not found my exact problem

Here's my senerio: I install the card and when I boot up all I have is a black screen. It also seems that it is hanging up on the Acer boot up screen, because my keyboard does not kick in however, I have lights on everything else (floppy drive, CD/Rom Drive). I can also hear the Hard Drive functioning and my fan is spinning.

My BIOS does not have an option to disable the onboard graphics but I have tried to disable through device manager and that does not change anything. I have also changed my current display adapter to the standard VGA PCI and same thing. I have deleted the display adapter , shut down, installed new card and still same thing! I do see jumper settings on my MOBO for it however according to my jumper layout they are not listed and therefore cannot be changed.

Heres my current info:
Windows '98
MOBO:V58XA (ACER or ALI)
160MB Ram
300MHz AMD-K6 Processor

I have searched and have not been able to locate any BIOS updates at all. Acer seems to have pretty much dropped the older systems completely as far as any help goes.

I have been on the FTP sites on found just about everyother MOBO but absolutely no info for a V58XA. It's like it never existed!

I am going nuts trying to think of any other options or maybe I am just missing the obvious! Help will be greatly appreciated!!

I see the jumper settings on my MOBO to disable however on my layout for the MOBO it is not shown and it states "if a jumper setting is not listed you must not change it" I don't know if I should attempt it or if that would cause MORE problems!

I am also wondering if you think it could be my PSU? I think i have a 200w but I am not certain. Is there anyway for me to find out or to determine if this is my problem?

HELP!!!

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by josh1billion

Dani AI

Generated

A quick reality check for and follow-ups: the suggestion to grab drivers from the card vendor (from ) is only useful after the system posts and Windows loads. As observed, a totally black screen during POST is a hardware/firmware issue, so concentrate on low-level checks first.

Try these steps, in order:

  • Verify the monitor is actually plugged into the new card and set to the correct input; confirm the monitor works on another machine.
  • Remove the add-in card and boot to confirm the board still posts with its original video. That isolates whether the card is causing the hang.
  • Reseat the card and try a different slot (if available) to rule out a bad connector.
  • Listen for POST beeps (add a small system speaker if none is fitted); beep patterns point to memory/video faults.
  • Reset CMOS/BIOS to defaults (power off, remove mains, take out the battery for a few minutes or use the clear jumper per the manual). Do not change any undocumented jumpers.
  • Test the add-in card in another working PC to confirm it is not defective.
  • If practical, swap in a known-good PSU or test the supply voltages; undervoltage or failing rails can cause hangs before POST.

Notes and cautions: flashing the BIOS can add video options but is risky — use only vendor firmware and follow instructions exactly. If no BIOS update is available and the card works in another machine, the practical options are: use the onboard video, find a different compatible card, or pursue professional repair. Prioritize the simple tests (monitor cable, reseat/remove card, CMOS reset, card-in-other-PC) before changing jumpers or flashing firmware.

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Member Avatar for mikeandike22

you might need to downlaod the drivers from ati

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