:eek: i've just tried to install a verto geforce4 mx420 graphics card on my packard bell imedia 4608, however, when i switch the computer back on after putting the new card in pci slot 1, the logon screen is fine, but when i get to my user account the computer freezes. :confused: this happens after the found new hardware wizard box appears on the desktop( running windows xp ). i went into bios, but there doesn't seem to be anything i can change there, as next to pci 1 it says auto which i presume means it will automatically detect a new card being inserted into it. any help will be greatly appreciated

Were the video card's drivers sucessfully installed?
Did you try installing the video card in a different slot?
Did you try starting in Safe mode and checking for a problem with the card in Device Manager?

hi ski. i haven't installed the drivers yet as the computer freezes before i get the chance. unless i'm supposed to install the drivers before i install the card? i thought i had to put the card in first then install the drivers. i haven't tried another pci slot as i thought that graphics cards had to go in the first slot due to needing more power? safe mode?? i'm a bit of a novice when it comes to computers (this is my first one, that i bought 4 mths ago) so there's more to the power of ten that i dont know than what i do know!
any further advice would be greatly welcomed.thanks.

If this card is an AGP card then it only has one slot it can go in.

What should happen, if you removed all the drivers for the current card, is after you insert the new card and reboot windows should ask for the driver disk.

If you did not remove the dirvers for the old card, you need to put it in and reboot to Windows, then you should be able to either remove the drcard in Device Manager or changie it to "Standard VGA" under the adapter properties, then instead of rebooting power dwon, switch the cards, then power back up, when Windows boots you should then be asked where the drivers for the new card are located, just point the wizard to them (either the CD or hard drive, where ever you have them).

The most likely reason a new video card hangs at startup is that it is wanting to utilize an IRQ which is already taken....probably the sound card IRQ. Pull the sound card out and put the vid card in and it will probably load up. After configuring the vid card with drivers, reinstall the audio card and hopefully it will take another IRQ and you will be set....esp if you are using Win98 or XP.

:) thanks for the advice guys, i'm going to try again iow, and i'll try the things you said. i'll let you know how i got on.
once again, thanks for taking the time. :cool:

i,ve just had another go at installing the card(unsuccessfully) and have found that the pci slot i put it into is sharing irq 9 with something else. i also tried disabling the sound, as i have onboard sound(soundblaster pro) as well as onboard graphics(intel 810e chipset) and still the computer froze, even in safe mode. i have a challenger mobo in a packard bell imedia 4608, by the way. can a pci slot share an irq with something, or should i just give up trying to upgrade the graphics?:( anyway, thanks for the help so far.

If you have onboard video you need to disable it first (either with a jumper on th board, in the BIOS or in some like my HP, the only option is to do it in Device manager), also some boards have an option as to which is the primary card the onboard (AGP) or the PCI...make sure that it is set to PCI.

hi there. well i've just given up trying to install the new card, and have taken it back and exchanged it for a dimm stick to double the sdram on my machine:p . thanks for all the help anyway as i'm sure it will all come in useful when i manage to find another pci graphics card with a tvout. one thing i've learned is that when i buy my next computer, i'll make sure it has an agp slot in it:eek: ! oh, by the way, thanks to mjc for the links. i'm sure that's going to be pretty useful when i'm thinking about my next upgrade/purchase new machine.
anyway, thanks guys, i'll probably be posting again soon for more help. bye for now :cool: