Need help with Dell Dimension 3000

[justjan]

Hi
I have a Dell Dimension 3000 that worked fine till the onboard video stopped working. I bought a compatible PCI video card (and upgraded the memory to 1GB) but my problem is that in order to install the card I need to disable the onboard video via the bios but of course I cant get any video output. (Monitor works fine on other systems so I know thats not the problem, checked cables etc.

I tried installing the new card in the hope that the system would find it on bootup but no luck. I read on forum that resetting the bios by unplugging the system from mains and removing the battery for a few minutes would help but this made no difference.

Is there another way to dissable the onboard video? Without output on a monitor I am stuck, anyone else come across this problem and been able to solve it.

Your help will be much appreciated by this newbie :-)

Cheers

[odannyboy000]

Did you set the jumpers when you removed the battery?

[jlreich]

The only thing I can think of is if someone with the same system could go through the motions and write down the key sequence so you could do them without being able to see on the monitor.

Perhaps someone of the dell forums could walk you through it.

Good luck.

[DARKSCORPION]

What's the computer behavior before and after u installed the new memory and video card ? and how do you know the video card is the only thing giving you issues. (i know.. no video output= malfunction video card but like Paleo pete says "If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail..." :D)

[justjan]

when I removed the battery and the new card I was able to boot into the bios and it is set as auto for graphics card - the other option is onboard. I dont know about setting jumper at this point, where is it?

Anyway, got into windows with a resolution of 640 x 640 and was unable to change that.

Tried installing the new card in each of the 3 pci slots but each time, whether the monitor cable was plugged into that or the onboard port, no display . . removing the new card takes me back to limited display where windows starting screen comes up . . but then screen goes blank.

Now removing the battery for a minute and replacing it does not change this, even though I go straight to bios and reset the date/time

Any advice guys/

Cheers. Jan

[Paul Komski]

I would try a brand new CMOS battery and also see if you can boot into SafeMode (F8 during boot-up) without the PCI card.

Do the four lights at the back of the PC (http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim3000/en/SM/adtshoot.htm#wp1059100) light normally?

[DARKSCORPION]

the resolution 640x640 is usually when you have not installed the drivers of the new video card or they having conflicts and about the black screen could it be that you tried a resolution higher than the monitor supported and mistaken you saved the changes?

[Paul Komski]

There is obviously some display since you can read the BIOS settings. Is there absolutely no other output (white text on black) before Windows itself starts to load. This was the reason for asking about safe mode, which avoids using any specific video drivers.

[Rick]

Setting the Bios is a two step process when installing new hardware

First set the video option to auto
This will allow the bios to detect and use the installed video card AND monitor

BTW. that is what the bios is looking for.
What card has a monitor connected to it ( That is why it needs to be powered up first)

Then second thing required in many cases is telling the bios to refresh or allow a rescan/reset

I don't remember the exact wording used in the dell bios

Do Not connect anything to the onboard video card once the new card is installed.
make sure if the card has 2 connectors that you use the First or primary connector
The doc's should show monitor 1 and monitor 2 on the back of the card
If in fact it supports 2 monitor on the one card

Once everything is connected
The system should boot
BUT may not display the bios screen at first
Just let it boot and like above try to start windows in safe mode
Or press CTRL-ALT-DEL after a reasonable length of time and then as it reboots press the key combo to enter the bios again.
it should display the bios after the reboot