Member Avatar for feas2407

I attempted to install an nvidia graphic card and it showed up in device mgr. but my monitor indicated no signal found. I was advised to go in BIOS and disable on-board peripherals(set to auto) and reboot. Now I have NO display at all, just a black screen. I can't see to get back into BIOS to turn it back on. System boots and I try pressing F12, but see nothing to know if I'm in or not... It's a dell dimension 2350 w/win xp. I sincerely appreciate any- and everyone's help.

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Short summary and quick checks: after installing the NVIDIA card and disabling onboard peripherals in firmware you very likely switched the system to use a video output that’s now inactive — or the monitor is still plugged into the wrong port. First, confirm the monitor cable is connected to the discrete card (not the motherboard), cycle the monitor’s input, try a known-good cable or spare monitor, and make sure any PCIe power leads to the card are firmly seated. These physical checks are the fastest way to rule out cabling or power faults. (blog.silverpc.hu)

Resetting CMOS is the reliable fix that will return the BIOS to factory defaults and undo the change that disabled onboard video. As suggested, perform a CMOS/BIOS reset safely: power off and unplug, open the case, press and hold the front power button to discharge, then either remove the coin cell for a few minutes or use the motherboard “clear CMOS” jumper per the manual. Dell documents the same safe steps and the jumper/battery methods in its support article. After you power back up you may need to press F2 to enter Setup and restore date/time or other settings. See Dell’s guide for exact steps. (Dell: How to reset BIOS/CMOS). (dell.com)

If you prefer alternatives before opening the case: move the monitor to the motherboard video to confirm integrated output works, or try reseating the GPU and its power cables. On the Dimension 2350 specifically, the BIOS Setup key is F2 (not F12), and the owner’s manual also lists the diagnostic lights/beep codes to watch while booting — those can help narrow the fault if you still get no display. If the system posts to onboard video, re-enter BIOS and set Primary Video to PCI‑E after installing the card. (manualslib.com)

Cautions and next steps: ground yourself to avoid ESD, don’t force connectors, and replace an old CR2032 CMOS battery if you find one with low voltage. If a CMOS reset and the hardware checks don’t restore video, try the new card in another PC (or reinstall the old card) to isolate a faulty GPU versus a motherboard/BIOS issue. If unsure, a local technician can perform the CMOS clear and test safely. (intel.com)

Member Avatar for Bob_180_Bob

Hi,
The easiest way is to reset the BIOS. Remove the BIOS/motherboard battery for a few minutes (not seconds) and then replace. you should then be able to access the BIOS on boot.

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