ATI Radeon 7500 Installation Problems

[TheTooleMan]

I bought the subject card to play DivX videos from an old PC running
Windows 2000 SP4 on a TV. The PC is a Dell Optiplex GX1 with 5 PCI
slots, built in display adapter (ATI 3D Rage AGP 2x), and no AGP slots.


When I insert the card into a PCI slot and boot the PC, there's no
video from either the built-in card or the new card. I've tried
disabling the onboard card but it always seems to work. Don't know how
to switch the display to VGA mode.

Anyone with experience with this: HELP!

 

[First of One]

In most motherboards, the BIOS has an option listed along the lines of
"AGP/PCI boot priority", "Primary VGA BIOS", etc. See:
http://www.techarp.com/showFreeBOG.aspx?lang=0&bogno=130

Whether the normally spartan Dell BIOS offers the option, though, is quite
another matter.

And make sure you disconnect the TV; don't need that extra variable when
troubleshooting.

 

[TheTooleMan]

Yeah, "spartan" really describes it. There is no video setting in the
BIOS for this computer. And no, the TV is not connected.

Just to complicate things, I tried installing the card in an IBM
NetVista that I bought used. It has an Intel onboard video card. I was
able to reboot with the ATI card installed but still did not get
anything from the card. The Intel card was still functioning. Tried
installing ATI's software and got errors about "inf not found."
Apparently the VGA driver for the ATI card was not found, and none of
the ones I tried from the included CD helped. Win2K's "add hardware"
function said the card was a "mobility radeon 7000." First I've heard
of that.

The IBM's BIOS has a video setting that lets me pick between PCI and
AGP. Maybe I should return this card, get an AGP card, and try to set
up the IBM instead. But the sound is not working in the IBM... (I'll
save that for another topic.)

 

[Danny G.]

I bought the subject card to play DivX videos from an old PC running
Windows 2000 SP4 on a TV. The PC is a Dell Optiplex GX1 with 5 PCI
slots, built in display adapter (ATI 3D Rage AGP 2x), and no AGP slots.


When I insert the card into a PCI slot and boot the PC, there's no
video from either the built-in card or the new card. I've tried
disabling the onboard card but it always seems to work. Don't know how
to switch the display to VGA mode.

Anyone with experience with this: HELP!

I would think that the original display drivers should be uninstalled first.

Then disable the onboard (bios or maybe a jumper) display or if "card"
was not a typo remove the "card."

Then install the hardware and make sure the default windows drivers are
loaded. Not ATI drivers.

Then install the ATI software.

Dan

Better yet just do a search at Dell's support for your model and "display upgrade."

 

[TheTooleMan]

See below. Thanks for the suggestions, anyway.

I would think that the original display drivers should be uninstalled first.

Yes, that's part of the procedure I followed (multiple times)

Then disable the onboard (bios or maybe a jumper) display or if "card"
was not a typo remove the "card."

There is no bios setting for video with this computer. Dell has it
locked down pretty tight. Documentation says the onboard video should
be disabled when a new card is installed.

Then install the hardware and make sure the default windows drivers are
loaded. Not ATI drivers.

This may be the key. Which are the default windows drivers, and how do
I make sure they are loaded prior to shutting down and installing the
new hardware?

Then install the ATI software.

Dan

Better yet just do a search at Dell's support for your model and "display upgrade."

Their FAQ for the GX1 is pretty straightforward; unfortunately, it
doesn't handle the unexpected.