Sorry to be back so soon but is anyone else having problems with their monitor on Gameboomers.Com? I keep getting flashes. The screen goes black for just a split second, my post disappears, then it,s ok. Also the other day it kept signing me out, but that's not happening now.
Thanks,
Terri

Oops, it's not letting me post this. I'll keep trying.

No problems here at all, Terri.

The problem might be due to the extra graphics load from the Christmas decorations. If it's not happening at other sites, it's not your monitor that's the problem.

Got an update on my monitor situation. The other day when I connected my XP pc to this monitor (to check to see if it was my XP pc or it's monitor) my little helper inadvertently hooked up my Vista monitor to the CRT input on the back of the computer when we were finished checking out the XP problems. Exactly what problems is that going to cause my Vista pc and it's monitor? Hope this all makes sense.
Thanks,
Terri

You don't have a Vista monitor or a CRT input. You have a PC with the Vista operating system on it. You probably have a VGA interface on the back of your computer which is what the older CRT monitors had. My Veiw Sonic monitor has both a VGA input and the newer DVI input. DVI is digital and VGA is analog.

I don't know what brand your monitor is, but it doesn't matter whether you hook up the computer and the monitor with a VGA or a DVI cable. I have my Windows 7 computer connected with a DVI cable (which is the interface on the back of my video card on my computer) and my XP computer connected to the same monitor with a VGA cable (the video chip on the back of my XP computer has both a VGA and a DVI output connection).

I equally hope all THIS makes sense!

Hi Draclvr. I realize that I don't have a Vista monitor or computer. I thought that might be the easiest way to explain what was going on. I suppose I need to be very exact when posting. (we call our pc's the Vista or the XP)
Now, on the back of the computer we have DVI, HDMI and CRT. The monitor, which is a Hp, around two years old, was plugged into what I think was the CRT, it's yellow with many small holes in it and screws on both sides. That is not where it belonged. Oh, if VGA is on the back of the computer, I didn't see it.
Can hooking up the monitor improperly cause a problem or could it be from hooking up my Compaq PC to my HP monitor? My thought is this......perhaps the Compaq PC was the problem all along and it wasn't it's monitor at all.
Nothing technical makes sense to me. At least nothing about computers.
Thanks,
Terri

It is good to use the same terms to avoid confusion - which is not a long trip for me sometimes! There is such thing as a CRT interface.

This is a picture of a VGA and a DVI cable end with the VGA on the left. They are either male or female. This picture is of adapters, so there is one of each. The DVI can have more pins in it, but the shape is the same. VGA and DVI

If the video chip or card in the computer can run the resolutions supported by the monitor, it does not matter which interface you use.

If the monitor was the problem and did not work on your computer using the DVI connection, it would also not work on a computer using the VGA connection. If the monitor doesn't work, it won't work. There is the chance that the ports are the problem, but the issue would remain the same - something on the monitor is broken.

Hello again. Apparently I am not getting my thought across or asking the correct questions. So, I will just sit back and see what happens with my monitor or computer. I appreciate you trying to help me.
Thank you much,
Terri

I definitely get what you're asking! You are saying there is a connection on your computer that is called CRT. But there is no such thing - if you could plug a CRT monitor into it, it is a VGA connection. It's all about what those connections on the back of your computer are connected to inside - either your video card or the video chip on your motherboard. Just look at the shapes and compare to the picture I linked to. The VGA connection is a trapezoid and the DVI is more of a rectangle.

For instance, on my XP computer, I have a motherboard with a video chip which has both a VGA and a DVI connection. It does not matter whether I plug in an old CRT monitor with a VGA cable or a brand new monitor with a VGA cable - it will work.

Another point is that you cannot plug the wrong cable into the wrong connection on the back of your computer. They are different shapes and it is physically impossible.

Let me ponder this a while. However the cord running from my monitor, with a blue plug was plugged into the yellow trapazoid shape on the back of the computer. She showed me which one she first plugged it into and then screwed it down to tighten it. The monitor did not receive a signal at all, so it went to sleep. Actually now when the pc is turned on, many times there is a message on the monitor that something isn't getting a signal. Also sometimes when the pc is turned on it just basically sits there, lights on but the yellow light is not flashing on startup. Hopefully my daughter will be by today and can make sense of what we've done.

The colors aren't important - only the matching interfaces. Hopefully your daughter can figure it all out for you. I know she has been a great IT tech for you before. That's what my 88 year-old mom tells me, that she has her own personal IT department!

It will do that if the computer is off.


If the computer has connections for both a VGA and a DVI monitor, you might check your computer's Display Properties to make sure it's using the type of connection you're using as the default (which seems to be the VGA connection). The monitor may also be set to use Input 1 before Input 2. Monitors usually switch to the connection that has a signal automatically, but I've seen one where you had to press the button to switch to Input 2.

My View Sonic monitor has that feature - it's how I switch between my two computers when they're both on. It switches between the VGA and DVI inputs. But they both have to be one for that to come into play. If just one computer is on, that's the input that will be active.

Make sure that you are not connecting the monitor to 2 computers at the same time. To connect a monitor to 2 computers you need to use KVM Switch. A KVM Switch allows you to connect 2 computers to 1 keyboard and mouse and 1 monitor and select with the KVM switch and sometimes the keyboard the computer you want to use. Here is an example of a KVM switch.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3749674&Sku=A225-1286

With my old monitor, I had to use a KVM switch, but with my "new" (3 years old) View Sonic, I don't have to, Donald. As Jenny says, the monitor has a switch that allows me to switch between the VGA and the DVI interfaces. With both my computers on, all I have to do is press the button on the bottom of the monitor to switch between computers.

With my old monitor, I had to use a KVM switch, but with my "new" (3 years old) View Sonic, I don't have to, Donald. As Jenny says, the monitor has a switch that allows me to switch between the VGA and the DVI interfaces. With both my computers on, all I have to do is press the button on the bottom of the monitor to switch between computers.

After the second KVM croaked, I have a separate mouse and just swap the little wireless receiver for the keyboard. Not as convenient, but it works!

I'm anxious to hear what Terri's daughter was able to figure out for her.

Hi All. I'm still in the same place and on the same page. My daughter hasn't been able to come over, she's ill. But maybe in a day or two she can.
Today when I got home, my pc had turned itself off. (when I left, it was on, I had been using it) Odd, sometimes when I turn the pc on, it's not on. The blue light is on, but the yellow one isn't and of course then the monitor gives the no signal message and goes black. It's as though when I push the button to turn it on, it isn't engaging fully. This has been happening for the past two days.
Anyway, the Auto Switch Source is on and the default source is DVI.
Also today I checked Nvidia to see if there were any new drivers, d/loaded 285.62. Later I got a message that the Nvidia graphics driver stopped working. This has happened before.
My conclusion.............There are some people that should not use the computer and I have deduced that I'm one of them!
Thanks Boomers,
Terri

Shucks! I was hoping your daughter was able to resolve your PC ills. You have plenty of company, so don't feel like you're alone out there!

This problem isn't your fault, and drivers won't help if the video card is failing.
Think of how many people drive cars without knowing how to fix them.
It's the same with computers.

Thanks Jenny100, I needed that!
I got an email from Zotac asking that I uninstall all Nvidia drivers from windows control panel. Took-a-look-see and I have several items listed, they are as follows:
Nvidia 3D Vision Controller Driver 285.62
" 3D Vision Driver 285.62
" Display control panel
" Drivers
" Graphic Drivers 285.62
" Phys X System Software 9.11.0621
" Update 1.5.20
Ok.....my question is do I remove all of those are just the ones with the word driver(s)?
I certainly don't want to make things worse by uninstalling the wrong thing. It was mentioned if it's not a corrupted driver file it might be the card and if it is, to contact the card supplier for repair or replacement. Yeah, right.
Funny you should mention cars. Now, that I'm more familar with. We had a 61 Ford Starliner when we first got married, The Washington's stood up for us, perhaps you know them as Martha and George. Anyway that's when I first began to help my new husband work on the car and as time went on I got fairly good at it. Today I wouldn't attempt too much since the mechanics are so different.
Thanks again,
Terri Merry Christmas!
PS If you need to remove some of this post, feel free.

I'd uninstall all of them. There's nothing there that can't be reinstalled, and often driver packages include configuration software -- not just the drivers.

Yes cars are a lot different than they used to be. They're all full of electronics now, so you have to be an electronics expert to be an automobile repairman.

Hi. I was finally able to get online. I have a passel of problems with my computers. Presently I'm using my Compaq computer with my HP monitor. Could not get a signal from the HP,(no DVI or VGA signal) so doesn't look like I will be able to uninstall the Nvidia drivers. Oops, now my HP pc is working on my Optiquest monitor. (I switched things around to see what would happen) This is so weird, so I'm uninstalling all the Nvidia. Oh no, screen went black. Will have to continue that later. Anyway I no longer know what to say. Is there anyway that Norton could have caused a problem? I ask because I have had to download Internet security 2012 on both pc's in the last few days, even though I have 122 days left on my 2011. There was a big red exclamation mark on the Norton Icon.
Sorry for all the questions.
Thanks,
Terri
Strange, when I try to "view more smiles" I get this thud sound from the computer.

I did a search for
Norton red exclamation point
on Google and according to what I found it could mean an activation problem, or it could mean you are infected with adware or spyware, or it could mean something else.

Norton wouldn't cause a video problem, but Norton might be effected by the same thing that's causing the video problem.

If your computer is infected with a virus, all your problems could be because of the virus. Probably the easiest way to test for that would be to boot off a Linux Live CD and see if you have the same video problems.

The "thud" when you try to "view more smilies" might mean a problem with your web browser. On my computer, clicking "viewing more smilies" causes a popup with smileys to appear. Check to see if your web browser or web filter is blocking popups.

I do nightly scans before I sign off and full scans once a week. I did do a full scan last night. No problems. Jenny, I have no idea what a Linux Live CD is ,but will google it. I have gotten messages that the AOL browser has to close on my compaq, which is what I'm using now. Gee, have to look to see which I'm using. lol
I know that you have more to do than help me with my computer dilemmas. It's the Holidays, and I will try to manage with or without my pc the next few days.
Thank you again,
Terri
This is crazy, no thud this time!

A Linux Live CD will boot an entire Linux operating system off of a CD. Depending on the version of Linux, it can look and act very similar to Windows, so someone who has never used Linux can still find their way around. For example, here's a screenshot of Kubuntu.
http://deviceguru.com/files/kubuntu804-livecd-desktop.jpg
You get to the "Start Menu" the same way you would in Windows, clicking the icon in the lower left.

If the AOL browser is giving you problems, try downloading the Firefox or Opera web browsers and see how they behave.

However since it's not Windows and isn't dependent on what's on your hard drive, it won't be affected by any virus or misconfigured/damaged drivers that are affecting Windows. If the Live CD works properly, you know your problem is software and not hardware.

OMG. I uninstalled all of the Nvidia on my HP and now I can't do anything. I can't get on the web. It says "Windows needs to install driver software for your Ethernet contoller". It asked if I had a disk that came with my Ethernet, don't remember one. Bottom line, I can't do anything now. Any suggestions?


Thought I'd do a system restore. Ain't gonna happen. I can't even use my keyboard

Even if you did uninstall your ethernet controller (and none of the things you listed in your previous message were ethernet controllers), your keyboard should still work.

I'm wondering if your hard drive has failed.

Are you able to get to Safe Mode?

If you're able to get to Safe Mode, run a Chkdsk from the command prompt

chkdsk /r

Here are a couple of sites that explain how to use chkdsk

http://vlaurie.com/computers2/Articles/chkdsk.htm

http://www.computerhope.com/chkdskh.htm


What model HP are you using? Some HP computers have built-in hard disk checking utilities that can be run from the BIOS or by pressing an F key.

HP p6115y. I called HP last night and was told to run the recovery disks, that I had no alternative. I decided to wait until today. However, the issue with the monitor is not going to make it possible. I cannot sit all day and hit the on/off button so that I can see what's going on. I did check the volume for errors but got the message "windows can't check disk while it's in use". (chkdsk)
The keyboard issue......Don't know, I switched the keyboards and some how got a password typed in on the other pc. Don't ask, I have no idea what's going on.
Oh, also called my ISP. They said no way could they help. I did find my Zotac disk, tried it, no go. Can't remember how many files are on it but couldn't make up my mind which to try to install. I think this is hopeless unless I can do a full recovery!

I'm not sure what you mean. If you're getting anything on the screen before Windows boots, the issue is not the monitor. Since you were able to get as far as starting a chkdsk, there must be something on the screen.


It should ask if you want to run chkdsk next time you boot -- and you say YES, then reboot.


An ISP is only responsible for problems with accessing the Internet. Your computer's problems have gone beyond that.


If your computer has a hardware problem that you're not addressing, you'd be wasting your time attempting to do a recovery. That's why I wanted you to check the hard drive, or see if your computer had any diagnostic utilities in its BIOS.

Apparently your computer did not come with recovery discs -- only a restore partition on the hard drive. This of course is useless if the hard drive has failed.

Is the computer still under warranty?

I believe that Ethernet controller drivers are included in Nvidia graphic drivers. Try re-installing...Good luck

I had already responded to run chkdsk and am now rebooting. I made recovery disks when I first got the computer. I think there are 4 or 5. I still think there might be a monitor problem because the monitor does the same thing on both pc's. That's where the problem first started.
Screen flashes, dims and goes black. It appears that the chkdsk is done but don't have results. It was at 99%, screen went black. Back to desktop now. Nope, it's two years old, no warranty.
I think I'm done with this. I'm back to square one.

If the monitor does the same thing on both computers, then the monitor is almost certainly malfunctioning. If you don't have another monitor, it's time to get one.


Too bad you didn't get the results of the chkdsk.


If you don't want to mess with it anymore, you have two options -- take it to a tech and pay to have him fix it (assuming it's fixable) or go shopping for a new computer. From a Google search, it seems like this is not a terribly good model, and some people even had it catch fire
http://www.my3cents.com/showReview.cgi?id=97132

If you decide to have another go at it after taking a break, be sure to use a working monitor.

I had read that before, kind of concerned me but really didn't have any problems and liked my pc. I think I am going to have to buy another one. Went to Office Depot, they had a great LG monitor, but they were out. I think that was a good thing because when I got home the pc's blue on light is on but the yellow light is not blinking and no where to be found. So I guess it's turned itself and my EHD off again. It apparently stays on as long as you're working with it.
I cannot imagine having a problem with two items at the same time, on different pc's. I can't help but go back to the fact that the HP was ok until the monitor was plugged in the wrong spot.
Oh well, may have to wait a bit before shopping for another computer, I spent quite a bit on Christmas this year. Bought a couple of blings for myself too.
Thank you for all of your time Jenny. Hope you and yours have a very Merry Christmas!
Terri

Too bad they didn't have the monitor you liked.


It could have been coincidence and the monitor may have nothing to do with the rest of the computer's problems.

But if someone really did try to force the monitor plug onto the wrong connector, there could be bent prongs on the video jack that are causing a problem. That's something else to check.

I'm back once again. Last night I worked on the HP and got the drivers back. I so wish I could remember what I did so that I might be able to help someone else. I had to go into the area several times to get everything back. I hope I can figure it out again. Now I need to find one of my old keyboards to connect to the HP, the one that I'm using seems to be connect to the Compaq somehow. Actually they both are.
I should think if the prongs were bent they would not hook up to the other pc. Monitor is still causing me problems/ on/ off/on/off. Drives me nuts.
That's it for now. Need to get wrapping.
Thanks,
Terri

Hi. Hope everyone had a great Christmas!
I have my compaq up and running. It needed a monitor, borrowed one my daughter wasn't using, need to buy one now.
Wish all was well with my HP. Sometimes when I hit the on button it doesn't start up properly and I have to shut it down and restart it. Then after it has been idle a while it shuts down. Also in order to get my icons to show up on my desktop, I have to hit the "Source" button on the monitor. Anyone have any idea what this is all about? This pc is only about 2.4 years old.
Thanks,
Terri

My guess is a failing power supply.

Thanks Jenny. Would anything in particular cause that?
Next, you know this question is coming. What power supply do you recommend? I have a HP p6115Y desktop with a Zotac GeForce Gt220, min. requirements 300 watts, don't know the max. Also how difficult to change the power supply out?
Terri

You really should take it somewhere so they could say for sure that's it. If you know someone who has a power supply tester to check it out, that would be great too. It's virtually impossible to diagnose something like this and be 100% sure from a distance.

Thanks Draclvr. I absolutely agree. I asked so I would be a step ahead incase that is what the problem is. No way would I try to change it out without knowing for sure that was the problem.
Terri
~Happy New Year~

Yup, plus by checking here, you know a little better what questions to ask someone else. Hey, Happy New Year to you, too!

Good luck. I hope it turns out to be an easy fix.

Hi. Thus far, I've done nothing with my HP computer. I did call Office Depot and was told they only check if there is a software problem. But to call Best Buy, they will check everything but they are very costly. That was somewhat discouraging. The pc is worse now, have had several more problems. Extreme flashing on the monitor and have to boot it up several times before it will actually start. Is there a device to check the hardware? I know there was a mention of checking the power supply with a power supply tester. I'm guessing that's nothing close to a volt meter. I am thinking if it would be close to a couple hundred to get it checked, maybe I should think about a new pc.

Terri
~Happy New Year~

Is this flashing happening after replacing the monitor?


Chkdsk will check the hard drive.
Memtest will check the RAM (and the motherboard with respect to RAM)
Some computers have built in Diagnostic programs -- or diagnostic programs that you can download from the brand of the computer. For example there is Dell Diagnostics for Dell computers.


Since it does only one thing, it's a lot more simple than a volt meter. You can certainly check a power supply with a voltmeter if you know how to use one. Note that power supplies are meant to operate with a load on them, so if you disconnect everything from the power supply you won't get an accurate reading from the voltmeter.


If they can get you to pay it, they will.


If your PC was damaged by a power surge, it could have had hardware damage. If the motherboard is damaged, you may as well replace it. If all you need to do is replace the power supply or video card, it's probably worth repairing if the computer is good otherwise.

If your PC was damaged by a voltage sag, or repeated small voltage sags, it's probably only software. Testing a computer by booting it off a Linux Live CD, browsing the Internet, checking forums, and doing other simple things that Linux is able to do off a boot CD is one way to test the motherboard and video card. If nothing seems wrong, it's probably just a software problem that could be fixed by reinstalling Windows.

One thing you could try is buy a cheap $30 video card and see if the flashing problems you're seeing happen with a different video card. It could also be the power supply, which affects the video card output if the voltage it's supplying drops too low. Weak power supply problems can often be seen during boot because the computer temporarily needs to draw more power as it starts up and initializes its components.

If this is too much information, you might want to just start looking for a new computer. Make sure to get one with a good video card and power supply.

Hi Jenny. I know this is all so confusing since I have had problems recently with two computers.
This pc is an HP p6115y, with a Vista OS.
Several months back I replaced the video card (nVidia GeForce 9100)with a Zotac GeForce Gt220. It never did show anything about a Zotac video card anywhere on the pc though.
Anyway, when I have tried to turn the pc on the monitor, which has been fine, has been flashing to the point that I can't even tell if that is my desktop or what.
I did run some tests several days ago I think it was off PC Doctor, all was ok. This seems so hopeless since I am not knowledgeable about computers.
Do I need to order the Linux CD or can I download it off the internet?
Thank you,
Terri

It wouldn't say anything about Zotac, but it should have said something about Geforce GT220 once you installed the drivers.


Most versions of Linux are free. The Linux Boot CD I've used most recently is called
KNOPPIX_V6.7.1CD-2011-09-14-EN.iso
and can be downloaded from here
ftp://mirrors.kernel.org/knoppix/
You have to choose a mirror site and click a button for the legal disclaimer before you get to the download page.
I'd recommend one of the mirror sites in the USA. If you happen to choose one that's too slow, you can cancel the download and choose another one. After downloading the .iso file you have to burn it to disc as an image file -- don't just copy the .iso file to a CD or it won't be bootable.

If you want to try the "talky" version of Knoppix, get
ADRIANE-KNOPPIX_V6.7.1CD-2011-09-14-EN.iso

Needless to say I have never done this before.
After I download the ADRIANE-KNOPPIX iso how do I open it? What do I open it with? Then what's the next step?
Thank you,

This doesn't look right to me. I opened it with bitzipper and extracted it to a new folder and there are a ton of files. What do I do? Help!

You don't open it. You burn it to disc as an image file. Exactly what steps you take to do this depends on what CD/DVD burning software you use.

The free burning program I use is called Imgburn.
After opening Imgburn I see this
http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/6611/imgburnopening.jpg
I click the icon for "Write image file to disc."
Then I see this
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/7854/imgburnselect.jpg
Where it says "Source" and "Please select a file" I click the small yellow icon with the magnifying glass over it and browse to where the .iso file is.
Under where it says "Destination" it should list your CD/DVD burner,
Once both source and destination are properly identified, the icon at the bottom with the arrow between the discs shoud become clickable. Click it, and you should be able to figure it out from there.

Of course if you already have burning software installed on your computer, you can use that. Just be sure to burn the file as an image and don't just copy it straight to the CD or you will not have a bootable disc.

Once you've written the disc, you can boot off of it.

Thanks again. I burned the file to disk, got message after all was done that something was missing from the original, so will redo the entire process.
However, I did turn the HP computer on in hopes of getting it up and running, second try it was up and running but got message on monitor that *DVI Active, VGA No Signal. Turned off monitor and when it came up again I got No source signal. After hitting the source button I got the *DVI Active and VGA No Signal.
Any thoughts on this?

If you've burned your disc properly, you should see files on it. But it sounds like you may have had a bad burn.

I'm not sure what to make of those messages from your monitor. Is the computer connected to the monitor by the DVI connection or by the VGA connection?

Ok, disk done, in drive of HP. I haven't a clue what to do. I am now stuck and don't know how to get out of this. No matter what button I hit, it just sits here. I am now stuck in something that has Login, Info, Delete , Toggle saving, Clear, Save Close. I knew this was going to be a challenge but this might just be too much of a challenge for this ol gal I think I'm done.
Thanks

I'm not sure I understand.
Did you boot off the CD?
The only reason to look at the CD from Windows is to make sure it burned correctly and that you see the Linux files. To actually use the CD you should boot off of it.

Is your HP set to boot off the CD if there is one in the drive? Some HP computers have a boot menu you can access by pressing the F12 key when you first start the computer. Instructions ***here***. If your computer is set to boot off the CD, you may still get a message to "Press any key to boot from CD" and you have to press a key or it will boot from the hard drive.

Once you boot Knoppix from the CD you should have a Desktop that looks something like ***this***.

Jenny I got nothing like that. I got directions on how to use the cursor and it was both visual and audio. I had the pc on, put the disk in the drive (E) and restarted the pc. I had never booted from a CD, thought that was the way to do it. This maybe too much for me to handle. I never considered myself the brightest crayola in the box, but this is ridiculous.
I turned the pc on this morning and got VGA no signal but the desktop came up. Also couldn't turn the monitor off last night, got message "power button lockout". I know this is very frustrating for you, has to be, so if you don't think you want to continue to help me, or at least try to, I will understand.
Thanks,
Terri
Got the power button lockout resolved.

Tried it again, restarting and had cd inserted in drive. What I got before was this:
Adriane # 0-14, o, press enter for help, 1 www, 2 email, 3chat, 4 sms, 5 multimedia, 6 contacts, 7 notebook, 8 calculator, 9 text scanner, 10 file manager, 11 shell, 12 graphical programs, 13 setup, 14 shutdown.
My boot menu button is "esc". I'm wondering if it's my disk that I made or if it's me. I tried again it gave me two choices to boot from, I selected first one this time and it went into the same thing again with the list of 14 items.
When all of this is done correctly, does it give you a read out of the results/problems?

What do you get if you choose "12 graphical programs?"

Your boot disc seems to be a little different from mine, but I used regular Knoppix and not the Adriane type. It sounds like it's bootable though -- and you found out the Escape key was what worked for the boot menu, which is progress.

Now I'm a bit confused. If I used ADRIANE-KNOPPIX-v6.7.1CD 2011-09-14EN.iso, shouldn't they be the same? I hoped it was the same so that you would know exactly what I'm looking at. Perhaps I d/l the wrong one. It took about 30 min to do but don't mind re-doing if I need to.
Forget the confused part. I have seen the error of my way. I chose one that was different and will now try to redo this. I am finding that I don't pay the best attention to details.

I used the KNOPPIX_V6.7.1CD-2011-09-14-EN.iso
which does not have the speech. The Adriane-Knoppix should be the same only with speech.

I've seen the kind of thing you described on other bootable discs. It shouldn't be a problem. Just choose the graphical programs when the choice comes up.

When I get the KNOPPIX 6.7 image (blue, white and black) what do I do next? There is an image in the upper left and some icons on a tool bar at the lower left.
Forgot to mention, I burned another disk.

Just check out the different programs included with Knoppix. See if you get the same problems you did in Windows. If you don't, that suggests the problem with the computer is software-related. If you do see problems like the screen flickering or any of the other problems you had in Windows, that suggests the problem is hardware-related.

As Jenny stated, you should see a GeForce GT220 Display Adapter. If you don't, I'm suspecting that the BIOS needs to be modified. There is an option to disable on-board graphics (at least in version 7) on the Advanced Tab under Device Options -

It looks like this HP BIOS Screen

Make sure yours states Disabled.

Ok, presently I am in GB on my other pc using Iceweasel, so I've gotten that far. Under graphics it is showing nVidia 9100. Now, I've clicked on several files..system tools, graphics, appearance and I can't do anything with the files, what am I doing wrong?
For the bios, will I have to reboot and go into bios when the pc starts again?
I love the way the page breaks apart when you click on the X......that's too cool!
Yesterday when I let it sit idle, the pc froze up and I had to manually shut it down.

You have to reboot to get into the BIOS and change the settings.
The BIOS is not part of either Windows or Linux.


Was that when you were booted to Knoppix or when you were booted to Windows?

Booted to Linux. It was the first time that I got onto the blue, white, black screen and I waited hoping to get an answer as what to do next, so left it idle and it froze.
I need to remove the disk before I boot into the bios, right? Can you give me a clue what I am looking for once in there?

That's a hardware problem then.


It doesn't really matter, since you should access the BIOS before the computer starts to boot from the hard drive. The BIOS is stored in a chip on the motherboard, not on the hard drive.


Inland gave you a link to a picture of the setting in his last post.
***link to picture of HP BIOS onboard graphics setting***

You probably need to navigate the BIOS with the keyboard arrows, Enter key, Escape key, etc. The BIOS will list any other keys you need to use.

However I don't think changing the graphics setting will help with your freezing problem.

It could be a hardware detection error, I'm not sure how knoppix handles that one.

You're not by any chance connected to your IGP's video port are you? In other words, the monitor is plugged into the GTX220's port, not the IGP's.

InlandAZ.I'm embarassed to say that I have no idea what that is. My daughter plugged everything back in after she installed the new video card.

Inland means, are you sure the monitor is plugged into the new video card and not the old motherboard graphics?

According to your Service Manual (Check the Removing/Replacing an Add-In card section) you have three horizontal slots just below the PSU fan. Is your cable plugged in to one of them?

Here's a picture of the back of a computer, showing the connections:
***Back of a computer***

The red arrow points to the connection for the onboard graphics.
The green arrow points to the connection for the video card.

In this example, the computer's onboard graphics have a VGA connection, and the video card has two DVI connections, but your video card may have a VGA connection and a DVI connection instead of two DVI connections. The important thing to notice is where the connections are. The onboard graphics is higher up, where other connections to the motherboard are -- while the connection on the graphics card is further down, where add-in cards are located.

Where do you guys find these tutorials/explanations?
Presently everything is connected at the bottom of the pc, gettig DVI active, VGA not active. Last night my daughter checked out the situation. I think she did plug something into the top and we got no signal. We have decided to take another look at the v/card, be sure it is still secure etc. Also went into device adapters, clicked on nVidia, it shows GeForce 9100 and can be disabled from there.
One mention, I ran the Smart Extended Self test, just because I could, and it passed, so guess hard drive is ok.
You guys are so kind to help me.
Thanks,
Terri

If the monitor is plugged into the video card (and not the onboard graphics), the monitor must be getting its signal through the video card. It sounds like the old Nvidia solfware is still active though if your GTX220 is still showing up in Nvidia Properties. I wonder if it's software other than drivers that is showing the wrong card -- maybe software that didn't uninstall or update itself when you uninstalled and reinstalled the video drivers.

Did you have the freezing problem before you added the video card?

Verify the BIOS has the on-board adapter disabled.

Plus, according to the link to the Service Manual for this computer that Inland posted, the new graphics card will be in one of the upper 3 horizontal slots just below the CPU fan. All the lower connections on this computer are on the motherboard.

So, Terri, if your monitor is plugged into the bottom, it is not plugged into your new graphics card. Look up at the top of the back for another set of connections for a monitor. That will be where you plug your monitor into the new graphics card. That must have been where your daughter plugged in the monitor and you got no signal.

Click on Inland's link; let the PDF file open up and then scroll down to Removing and Replacing an Add-in Card and look at picture #4. That shows the 3 slots available for an add in card. That's where your new video card should be and that's where you monitor should be plugged in.

And definitely be sure the motherboard graphics are disabled in the BIOS.

Yesterday I took a break from the pc. When I turned it on, it was on, then off, then on, then off. I could hear it cycling. Blue light was on, yellow/orange light was not but when I tried to open the CD drive it opened.
Next....originally I don't know how we had the monitor hooked up. Christmas my daughter's husband redid things and I think he changed it to the bottom of the pc.( white to white, blue to blue) On the back of the monitor there are two cords, one blue, one white. Are they both to be in the horizontial (yellow) positions on the back of the pc?

You only need one cord connecting the monitor to the PC.

Jenny. It doesn't matter which cord is hooked up, I get no signal.
Ok, got the pc on. Now if I can just get into the bios to fix that part. I can't remember what I found last time but it didn't look anything like the picture that Inlandaz posted.

Oops, had put the Zotac disc in drive and getting message that Windows found driver software for your device but encountered an error while attempting to install it ."The required line was not found in the INF".
Found new hardware-Video Controller (VGA Compatible)

There's not much we can do about a hardware problem, which this seems to be. The hard drive may be OK, but I don't know about the power supply and the motherboard.

The only way I know to test a power supply is to replace it with a power supply that you know is good -- and if the problem goes away, you know the power supply is bad.

Jenny we were posting at the same time. What is an INF?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INF_file

It sounds like you've got the wrong driver for your video card.

Is there any way you can take a picture of that, and then upload it to image shack or photo bucket so we can look at it? Also what is the model make and number of the monitor?

BTW - to enter the BIOS I believe you have to press and hold F10 when you boot up the PC.

Well, I'm not sure what is going on or what I've done. I downloaded the latest driver again for the GT220. Rebooted the pc and after doing that it reconized the GT220. The pc has been working fine for the last few hours. I don't know if anything has been running, like Norton doing a check, but the pc has not turned itself off yet. I find it hard to believe that is the end of my problem but I certainly hope so.
Thanks Jenny, Drac and Inland. I appreciate all your help. Please keep your fingers crossed!
Terri

Excellent news

Glad you got it sorted out.

I wonder if the GT220 drivers never got installed for some reason. Be sure your monitor is plugged in to that video card and not the motherboard video card! A picture might still be a good idea...

That's great news. Hopefully this was just a driver issue, though it doesn't really explain the problems you had in Knoppix or outside Windows.

As we suspected that wasn't the only problem. PC booted up after second try. Again the tower showed the blue/white light, but not the yellow flashing one and the EHD was on but monitor was not getting a signal. If you think a new power supply would resolve the problem, which would you recommend. Do I have to stay with a 300 watt?
Hopefully I got something resolved and with all the posts, hope they help someone else.

In my opinion, at this point you would just be sticking replacement components in your computer without knowing whether they are the problem or not. Like Jenny said, it's impossible to diagnose hardware problems from a distance. If no one has a power supply tester, I would take it in to a computer repair shop.

Actually it's quite possible that the PSU isn't supplying enough power to the video card (which could explain the signal issue).

So far as I'm aware, the GT 220 doesn't require an additional power input, so all of its power is supplied by the PCI-E port.

Try disconnecting your external hard drive and see if it boots more consistently.

PSU are relatively inexpensive, and not too difficult to swap out.

The odd thing is all of this just recently started and I've had that card installed for several months. I am seriously considering doing a complete recovery and going from there. I did have my EHD on the Compaq for several days, so I don't think that's an issue. I am wondering if what ever started this also did something to my Epson Workforce 320. I can make copies but can copy nothing from either PC. I don't want to put too much in the HP but a PSU wouldn't be much. I've got an out of the country trip planned for this summer, so don't want to have to buy another pc either. I am at a loss and really don't know what to do.
I do think I'm going to take a break from this mess that I've made, and give all of you a break too.
Thank you so much for all the help and all of the time you've spent trying to help me.
Hugs,
Terri