Hi. I need some info. We unplugged the small connection on the Motherboard and it only has 4 holes (is that called 4 pin) the connector on the new PSU says PCI-E and is 6 or 8 pin. Is this universal and will it work?
Is has ATX-CPU below the connection point.

There should be at least 20 pins. Nowadays you usually see 24. The extra 4 may be separate from the other 20. Maybe this site will help explain it.

http://www.motherboards.org/articles/guides/1487_4.html

Another picture
http://techreport.com/r.x/tyan-tigermpx/power-connectors.jpg

Terri may be talking about the CPU connector. I'm sure the one on your motherboard is only 4-pin. What you're looking at if it says PCI-E is NOT the CPU connector, but rather a 6 or 8-pin connector to power a video card which needs power. There will be another 4-pin connector on that power supply for the CPU power and it should be marked as CPU. There may be be two of them together for use in an 8-pin CPU connection. There will also be a small 3 or 4-pin (single row) for the CPU heat sink if it has a fan.

ATX simply means the form factor of the power supply which means it may be a bit bigger than the original power supply.

The large connection Jenny refers to is the main power supply to the motherboard. Your motherboard will have either a 20 pin or a 24 pin connection. Most power supplies have what is called a 20+4 connector. That means a 4-pin connection can either be used if needed for a 24-pin motherboard, or the 4-pin can be pulled aside and the remaining 20-pin connector used on a 20-pin motherboard.

If this is your first time replacing a power supply, you might think about taking a picture of all the connections that go from the power supply to the motherboard so you can refer to it as you put the new one in. Making sure all the fan headers are connected is critical.

Here is my order of doing a power supply. I leave the main large 20 or 24-pin connection until last - well last before I install any video cards which need power.

1. The 4-pin (square) CPU connection.
2. The 3 or 4-pin CPU heatsink fan connection (assuming the heatsink has a fan).
3. All motherboard and case fan connections.
4. The main motherboard power connection (either 20 or 24-pin).
5. If I have a large PCI-E video card which also needs power (either one or two 6 or 8-pin) connections, I plug those in after I install the card.
6. Data cables from the components to the motherboard.
7. Power cables from the components to the motherboard.

What is the brand and model of your replacement power supply?

This should be the one here -

HP Upgrade PSU

Good little replacement power supply. It says it has a 4+4 CPU connection, which means you will only use one of them for your CPU power. The extra is if you have a high powered CPU which needs the extra power of an 8-pin connector.

The main motherboard power connector is a 20+4 connection, so you can either use all 24 pins or pull the 4 on the end away for use on a 20 pin motherboard.

All these connections are "keyed" so there is only one way to plug them in. But pay attention to the side where the little clips are secured on the motherboard header.

Again, do make sure all those case and motherboard fans are connected! After you get everything plugged in, boot it up with the side still off so you can immediately shut it down if a fan isn't running - especially that CPU heat sink fan if there is one.

EDIT: Forgot to say that since this is an ATX form factor power supply, it may not fit well in your case unless the previous power supply was also ATX, which most of the OEM power supplies are not. Check to be sure it will fit properly and securely in the place for the power supply.

Hi. Just got all of your posts. I had done some googling and found that the eight pin connector could be separated into a four pin, so all is done. Wasn't difficult, just tedious. Didn't want to disturb anything that I didn't need to.
I appreciate all of your help. Once I found the info I needed on the 8 pin split, I couldn't wait to give it a try.
Thank you all, you are so nice and helpful. Now, what do you think I should do next, it's running just like it did before, cycles on, cycles off, on, off and then on!
Terri

Wow, what great news! It can definitely be tedious to be sure every is connected including the optical drive etc. I take it that it fit OK in the case and all your fans are running?

Good job!

Oh gee, If I drank I'd get drunk for sure. After reading Draclvr's post about to be sure the fans are cooling, I ran to the back of the pc and didn't hear a thing but felt the side of the tower and it was somewhat warm and there was a slight odor. We went step by step, even marked what needed to be plugged in. However, I now am wondering if there is something to be plugged in on this one that the other one didn't have or was combined with something else.
Drac, thanks for the good job but the cycling on and off is not what it is supposed to do. I am so tired of making a mess of things. I think I just might go to bed.
Thanks,
Terri

PS. I think the 4 pins was for the CPU and the motherboard has 24 pins. Since it was on the board I thought it was part of the motherboard.

The odor could be the new PSU - they do that sometimes.

Open the case and then power it on. Do you see the fans spin up? If so, you probably have a BIOS option to spin them down until needed. Mine stay off most of the time.

Sounds like you're making progress

That's why I said to power on the computer with the side off first. That way you can see if the fans are all turning - especially that CPU fan. If it's not, that could be why it's powering down.

But like Inland says, a new power supply can have a smell at first sometimes, although I've never had one do it. Make absolutely sure those fans are all turning.

Yes, the 4-pin was for the CPU POWER, but not the CPU heat sink FAN - assuming it has one. The 24-pin was definitely the main motherboard power.

Draclvr. I had already done everything when I saw the postings.
I don't think I'm going to do anything with it tonight. I do know that we plugged in 4 connectors, same as the other PSU. I can see two fans with the cover on the pc. One has a disk in the center with AVC on it an I can't make out the other one. Don't see one where the new PSU is but am pretty sure there is a fan in it. Now I'm curious where it is, since I don't see it on the back on the pc.
The odor could be the new H/ware but the side of the cabinet was a bit warm, too warm. Also my pc ran so cool to touch and I could always hear the fan(s) going. I will remove the cover tomorrow and take a look.
Take care fellow Boomers, and thanks.
Terri

When you tackle it tomorrow, take the side off. I looked at your service manual. You should have a good-sized heat sink fan on top of your CPU. The connection for the small plug from the fan to the motherboard appears to be located just in front of the RAM modules. Make sure it's plugged in.

The only other fan I could see was the one on the back panel as an exhaust fan. Of course, the power supply has one too.

So, make sure the heat sink fan is turning and the rear panel fan is turning when you power up with the side off.

Help me understand this -

Is the PC restarting itself? If so, do you hear a beep code? Beep codes can be very faint, you really have to listen.

Is the PC starting, but you see No Signal on your monitor?

Draclvr. I'm going to have to look at a diagram to see exactly what you're talking about. I'll hopefully get to it later today. The weather is bad with thunder and lightening. I really don't think the fans were turning, the pc was so quite, don't think there was any noise. I wish I had the guide, I guess they forgot to put it in the box.

InlandAZ, It's doing the same thing it was doing before I installed the new PSU. When I hit the on it acts like it is going to boot up, lights flash and I can hear it starting but then it stops, then starts again, stops, starts etc. Not sure if I had the monitor on at first but when I did turn it on there was a signal. I've never heard any beeps when it does this.
Terri

Sounds like there could be a loose connection somewhere. Check that everything that can plug in is plugged in tight. Best to unplug(unseat),then plug back in(reseat).It also could be a componant that is rapidly heating up and failing.That would be a serious problem.

Without seeing the PC it's a hard call - I don't know how far into the boot process you're getting.

But... the next time you actually get it up and running, check your restart settings in Windows.

Here's a how-to for Vista -

How To Disable the Automatic Restart on System Failure in Windows Vista

Ok I'm back. All three fans are running, very quietly I might add. The first time we turned it on I got the on, off cycling and fans went off, then on, same old thing. We shut it down to put the cover back on, hit the power button and got scanning, no signal. It appears to be on, fan running, EHD is on but the monitor is showing no signal.

That was my concern too, Geo. And why I thought taking it in to a shop might be best. It becomes very hard to diagnose hardware problems from a distance. There could be a bad connection on the motherboard or any number of reasons for this that have nothing to do with the power supply. The $20 power supply tester I got a couple of years ago has been a real help to me. If the power supply is good, then I can move on to something else.

However, if Terri does get this figured out, she will still be ahead with that nice new power supply even if the other one was still good.

Another handy diagnostic item is a Post Card - I don't use one, but I've seen them in action. And yes, from-a-distance diagnosis can be a challenge.

It'd be nice to know just how far into the boot it's getting (past the POST, or Starting Windows).

Check those auto restart settings - it's a wag, but it might tell you something.

You don't see a place to plug an external power source into your video card do you? I don't recall your specific card having one, but you might want to check.

Turned it off, waited a few minutes, turned it on and it's up and running. Will go in and change the setting on the Auto restart as InlandAZ recommended.
I am very disappointed, I got my new 23" monitor today and wanted to hook it up to my HP and hook the 20" to the Compaq. Guess I'll have to wait a bit.
Thanks,
Terri

Why wait - maybe the old monitor has a problem.

I reset the auto restart. If the pc gets past the no signal screen I'm not aware of it. The first time we turned on the pc the EHD was not hook up. Another question (hubby's?) What about the wireless adapter. But if there were a problems wouldn't it show up for both pc's? Then I think back to the printer, neither pc reconizes it. Strange because I was able to copy things from the computers with no problem, now nothing.
Looking back at my desktop, the items that are on The Book (EHD) are not showing the icons, now just a file. I might change the location of the adapter to the HP, it's presently on the Compaq. Would that do anything?

I really don't think the old monitor has a problem. I had hooked the Compaq to it to check if that PC had a monitor problem, it did and I borrowed one from my daughter. So, I bought a bigger one for the HP and intended to put the HP 2009m with the Compaq.
You probably don't remember, I had a problem going with both PC's at the same time.

Please let us know if you've taken that side off and made sure all your fans are running. That's critical. You can find pictures of the inside of your computer in the Service Manual that Inland linked you to - maybe in the other thread? Can't remember for sure.

One other thing I would suggest is to unplug that EHD while you're booting up at this point in time.

Draclvr. I posted earlier that all three fans were running smoothly and very quitely. I do see that the back of the pc is a little warmer than I remember. The new PSU's fan is on the bottom and does not face toward the back where the vent holes are. Wish it did.
I did have it plugged into the other pc for about a week but will unplug it from my HP.
Thanks,
Terri

Oops, Terri! I see we were both posting at the same time earlier and I missed it! That's a great relief to know because we know it's not overheating anyway.

Since your power supply is located at the top of the case, it's not a big deal that it's venting out the bottom at all.

What did you have plugged in to the other PC?

Hi. I'm not sure what you're asking.

I wasn't sure what this meant... What was plugged in to the other PC?

Oops. I see. The posts got stacked. I was posting when Inland was replying about hooking up the new monitor. I had ordered a new monitor for the HP and was going to use the HP's monitor on the Compaq. Sorry for the confusion, I re-read it and it confused me to. lol

Normally, not a long trip for me either, Terri!

PC made the cycle noise when I powered it up. When I say cycle noise I mean off, on sound. I put my ear to the front of the tower and could hear a slight noise, not a beep, not a clank, it was so slight and different, if pushed to say I might call it a slight shuffle noise. I do have the EHD unplugged. Once it boots up it's fine.

That's probably the hard drive moving the head, normal at startup. Or... the fans spinning up and then off.

Couldn't that be the CD drive initializing?

Like Inland says those sound like normal startup sounds. So, are you saying that when you unplugged the EHD it boots up normally and isn't going on and off all the time?

No. Today it cycled two or three times, then it was fine.
Draclvr. It sounds as though it's not quite sure if it wants to start and keeps changing it's mind. lol

Jenny it's in the front and that was my first thought, the CD drive.

I think at this point I'd start disconnecting any non essential hardware like Optical and Floppy drives. I don’t know how much RAM you have installed, but you can also try removing it and adding it back in one stick at a time.

Does the PC actually shut down? In other words do you have to press the power button again?

I don't have any non essential hardware. I have 8GB Memory RAM.
When I press the power button it will flash the lights and sound like it's coming on, then it sounds like it turns off, then on, off, on. When it comes on it's runs perfectly. (Remember for a short time it was turning itself off if it sat idle for very long). At night when I shut it down it shuts down without a problem.
Tell me C drive is 80% free and D is 10% free. What is D?

Since you're describing sounds, not necessarily behavior, I'm wondering if Inland isn't correct. When he says to disconnect non-essential hardware, I'd start with the optical (CD) drive (your computer doesn't appear to have a floppy drive). Open up the case and unplug both the data and power cables on the back of the CD drive. Power it back up and see if it does it then.

EDIT: Forgot. The D drive is probably your recovery partition. What drive letter is your CD drive?

What does it say it is from Start, Computer?



Could be, it depends on where the information coming from. Recovery partitions aren't normally visible to Windows (with the exception of Disc Management).

The Recovery Partition doesn't show up in My Computer most of the time for sure. It would be odd for anything else to be showing 10% free though. Unless..... Terri, is there a CD in your drive?

CD drive is E. No CD in drive. I was just curious about D, never really thought about it before.

You guys make me smile. I know that you must realize what a chore working on the pc is for me. I am glad that I am learning something but am not so comfortable pulling on these wires. I have no idea what anything is, let me ponder this a bit.
I really appreciate all of the support that you Boomers have given me but I am so computer illiterate.

Just trying to cover all the bases, Terri! Wouldn't it be nice if there was a nice simple explanation...

You can always disconnect that CD drive to see if that's causing all the noise when starting up. A failing optical drive could very well be causing some of the problems. It might be worth a try.

I'd say the fans are all working, there is no CD in a drive, the EHD is not connected during boot up and it does eventually boot up that you might have to call this a qualified success for now. Plus you learned a little bit about the inside of your computer - always a good thing.

Now, keep those dust bunnies cleaned out!

Hi. I think I will wait until the weekend to check things out further with the computer, my daughter may be here this weekend.
Draclvr, I'm really not concerned about the little bit of noise when the pc starts. I'm wondering why it doesn't power up immediately. The off, on again thing is a bit worrisome. When the pc is on and running like it should it is very, very quite.
Terri

The computer initializes components when it boots. If you have a CD drive, it will make a noise when it initializes. If you have a floppy drive, and have the boot order set to boot off the floppy, it will sound like it's "clearing its throat." The fans in the power supply may temporarily spin faster than usual. The computer will probably make more noise when it boots than at any other time. That's normal. Unless the computer is having trouble booting, I wouldn't worry about it.

If you've set the boot order of the computer so it boots off a CD before booting off the hard drive, it may make additional noise while the CD drive is searching for a CD.

They do indeed make noise, but this cycling issue has me bugged.

I wonder if enabling a boot log might not be in order. At least we'd know if it was trying to start Windows before the recycle.


Start MSCONFIG and press the Boot Tab - you'll see the option to create a Boot Log.

That's a good idea, Inland. I'm leaning towards Jenny's thoughts that it's really not cycling at all, but rather just going through a lot of gyrations and noise during the boot process. But a boot log might point to something else happening. Since the computer doesn't seem to have case speakers, we can't use any beeps for help.

Yuppers -

Hi. I've set the boot log. Again what I am calling cycling is as though the pc can't make up it's mind if it's going to start or not. If that's normal, then something is wrong with my other pc, it doesn't do that. The HP never did it until recently. I should never have used the word noise, this PC is very quiet.
Terri

I'm anxious to hear what the boot log tells you...

Now, I'm guessing I should shut the computer down and boot it back up. Then what?

You should be able to click Start and enter ntbtlog.txt in the search box to locate it.

Well.......I just tried to restart it and it's not getting a signal and the monitor is going to sleep. Swell!
When it logs, will it continue to log until I change the setting?

Yes, it should.

And... while it's in this state... are the fans spinning?

Oh Inland. I didn't check that.
Ok, tried again and I have the log. There are several "Did not load driver \SystemRoot\System32" and then the rest is somewhat different. Am I to send this to you, if so how?
In a minute check your email please.

Alright - now we know a bit more. The driver that's failing to load is related to Symantec Endpoint Protection. The thread below sounds somewhat similar to what you've described.

SRTSPL64.sys…blue screen…doesn’t allow boot up into Windows Vista

Computer was restarting initially and recycling on its own until I used the F8 command, choosing Safe Mode with Networking (which is the only way I could access the Internet), and located and unticked "automatically restart" under the startup and recovery - settings - under the title - system failure (luckily found this one) after logging on (as Admin, I believe). When Safe Mode begins, computer goes through long list of Windows files, and allows me to log on as usual. Attempted some research on the Internet, leading me to believe it was my AV software; am running Symantec. Tried to uninstall Symantec (Internet recommendation), but Windows would not follow the uninstall command while in Safe Mode. Laslty, I have not recently installed any software or hardware.

Using a second laptop at the moment, which allowed me to locate this helpful forum and post this plea.


Assuming you're running Norton -

You can download the Norton removal tool from their web site. Make sure you have access to your product key and access to the installer before you try uninstalling Norton.

Oh, good grief - Norton could be causing this? That would have been the last thing on my mind.

You have got to be kidding. All this trouble because of Norton! It's odd because several weeks ago they upgraded me to Internet Security 2012 on both PC's, wasn't sure why. I will uninstall and try again. I do hope this is the culprit and all this ends. That would be fabulous. Thank you so much InlandAZ!
I am thinking I have several games and programs I got from GOTD, that I don't really use, and I think it might be time to remove them.
Terri

.

Let us know how that goes - the link I provided was for another Norton file, but the symptome looked very similar. I also found many references to the exact file in your boot log, but they always pointed back to Norton.

Norton has been uninstalled and reinstalled. I will know when I turn the pc on in the morning if that was the fix. I pray that this is the final chapter in this saga.
Much thanks,
Terri

Pins n Needles - let us know.

Me too!

Nope, that apparently wasn't the problem. I did notice that the fan(s) do go off during this cycling, perhaps that's what I am hearing.

You did mention that you reinstalled Norton. Create another boot log and see if it's still hanging on that driver.

Edit -

Also run check disk to verify there are no issues with the file system.

Would one have been created when I started the PC this morning? Also what do you mean by "check disk"?

If the checkbox in MSCONFIG is still checked, yes -

To run check disk tap F8 when the PC is starting and select Safe-Mode with Command Prompt. When you see the ready prompt,enter: CHKDSK /F

InlandAZ. Check your email please.

Got it - it's the same module failing to load. Uninstall Norton again without reinstalling. Let's se if the PC still stalls without it.

Apparently I have another program on my pc that is conflicting with Norton, correct? What do you suggest I use for to protect my PC? I know there are trials out here.
Thanks again.
Oops, scratch that. You're wanting me to uninstall and then reboot now, correct?
Also, do I still need to do the check disk?

Let's see if it boots without Norton first - you may have to open a problem report with them to figure out why it's failing to load.

In the interim, assuming it starts without issues, you can use Microsoft Security Essentials - Security Essentials

Yes, run check disk.

This one might be my fault. I only uninstalled, did not use the Norton Uninstaller, I think.
Fans are running and the monitor says No signal.
There is no cycling sound.

Do you still see the driver not loaded message in the boot log?

I have 4 Did not load driver, they are all different.

Wow, the only thing I can think of at this point is to completely reinstall the OS (or try a repair install).

If you reinstall the OS you will lose all of your data.

Gee, I was doing a disk check and it's stuck. It said it couldn't do it now and something about NTFS and cannot lock current drive. How do I get out of here please?
Ok, I got tired of being stuck and shut it down. But that message was "Cannot run because the volume is in use by another process". Could I have caused this by doing something wrong, probably.
Thanks bunches,
Terri

No, that's a normal message - it should ask you if you want to schedule check disk on the nex reboot - reply yes and restart the PC.

I did and that's when I got stuck. It wouldn't let me do anything, I couldn't get out of there and I shut the pc down.

Are you sure it was "stuck?"
Chkdsk normally takes a long time.

You should be able to logoff and restart - but if not, press Ctlr+Alt+Del to start task manager, select Log Off and then shutdown.

The next time you start your PC it will run Scan Disk.

Jenny....I thought it was stuck. I sat there with a black screen and only "safe mode" in the four corners.

Inland, when I shut down the pc or restart what is going to come up. What information will I get? Or better yet, how will I get it?

You should see something like this -

Screenshot of Check Disk

It will only run a few minutes with the "/F" parameter - look to see if it finds errors and corrects them.

Hi. While the Check Disk was running I left the pc at about 45% finished and missed the results, is there a way to retrieve the data?

Yes there is -

Click Start and enter eventvwr.msc into the search box. Start the Event Viewer and left click arrow to expand Windows Logs - Highlight Applications and Right click it. Peruse to find, enter chkdsk, and press the enter key.

A couple of additional questions -

1.) Did you reset the BIOS defaults in the BIOS Setup Routine?
2.) Have you checked the power settings (under Control Panel, Administrative Settings)?

There are a lot of threads on this issue and I don't recall... Did this problem exist before you upgraded you video card?

Oh my. Inland, this is so involved. I am not finding what your instructions are telling me to find. Is the find on a drop down menu? If so, I did type in chkdsk and enter key, nothing changed. I think this might be a bit much for me, I find it very stressing.
Did not reset Bios.
Did not check power settings, haven't a clue what to do.
No, this problem did not exist before the card was changed.
I'm just about ready to just run it as it is until it croaks!

The Find option is selectable from a menu - when you highlight Applications use the right mouse button and you should see it. A dialog box will open and allow you to enter the text.

When you get time, try removing the card and see if it behaves the same way. If not, it’s pretty clear that the card is the culprit.

PC's can definitely be stressing - hang in there

When you click on applications it opens up what I called a drop down.....
open saved log
create custom view
import custom view
clear log
Filter current log
properties
Find....
etc
That is where I typed in chkdsk. It says Find what, I hit enter, however it has Find next and Cancel buttons.

I have several Error's.exception codes (time stamp) among others and "a component version required by the application conflicts with another component version already active."

Did you find the chkdsk log then?
If not, I found this tutorial on how to do it:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/96938-check-disk-chkdsk-read-event-viewer-log.html

Jenny. I have no idea what I've found. Upper left "Event Viewer". Center page, application 42,795 events.
Thanks,
Terri
It appears that is what I did. I am trying to check again to be sure I did it correctly and now the "find" is not useable, it is not highlighted.

That sounds like everything -- not just chkdsk.
See if you can filter out everything but the chkdsk so we can see what chkdsk found. The link I mentioned in my previous message has pictorial instructions on how to use eventvwr.msc to see what your chkdsk did.

Follow Jenny's thread -

Or just "Right" click Application once it's highlighted.

Yes it does and I did exactly as it said, but the Find is not highlighted and I can't use it. I shall try again.
It did not mention highlighting Application before clicking, Inland did, but I was following the link, now it's h/l. It says checking file system C: after clicking on the find next button.

So you don't see anything like ***this***?

or ***this***?

If not, or if you only see a small part of the beginning, it sounds like maybe the chkdsk didn't complete. Maybe because it crashed.

Jenny. My previous post said Checking file system C:, which is what your second link is. Now what do I do?

It says 254208 file records processed. on same line 0 bad records processed.
It cleaned up 301 unused index entries from index $SDH i file 0x9.
Windows has checked the file system and found no problems.
There is other info.
then we have Internal info and a lot of numbers.
What do I need from here?

That's the only message you need to see.

Super. Thanks Inland.
Have been in the Bios, they were set correctly. However under Power, how should the NX (no execute) be set? I may have accidently changed it. It is set on Enable.

One question I've never seen answered from the other thread... The DXDIAG was still seeing the old integrated graphics and not the new card. Is this still the case? Did you ever check to see if you need to disable the onboard graphics in order for the new card to be seen. I'm not saying you SHOULD have to do that, but it's possible. Did you ever install the drivers for the new card?

Hope I'm not asking questions that have already been answered! I've been away for a few days. I've just never liked that the DXDIAG still showed the old graphic chip.

From HP's site I only find XD, and that is enabled.

And this brings me back to the BIOS settings for the video card - Move to the Advanced tab and look at the Primary Video Adapter settings - what options does your PC offer?

From the BIOS Docs:

Primary Video Adapter (The graphics adapter type used at startup - set to the slot-type if installing a video card).

Obviously thinking and posting along the same lines at the same time, Inland!

I am not finding Primary Video Adapter. I find no reference to anything about video

You may not be in the correct place to see that. Mine is in one called Integrated Peripherals. But Inland has your BIOS document, so wait for him to tell you where to find it.

Hi. The advance tab has nothing about anything video. I've got:
CPU type
CPU speed
Cache Ram (L2)
Cache Ram (L3)

PS/2 Mouse
SATA1 Controller
SATA1 Controller Mode
Onboard LAN
Onboard Lan Boot ROM
Onboard 1394
Supervisor Password
User Password

Onboard Audio
Change Supervisor Password

I wouldn't think it would be in the Advanced heading. If you're in the BIOS, just take a look around in each of them and see if you can find it. Is there one for Integrated Peripherals?

EDIT: I just saw that Inland said it was in the Advanced one. So there is nothing there that says Primary Video Adapter?

I see no reference to Integrated Peripherals.

I can't find any user manuals or documents for the motherboard. What are the main headings in the BIOS menu? Like, Standard CMOS , Advanced BIOS etc.?

Gee, hope I'm in the right place. Main....Advanced....Power...Boot.....Exit

That sounds right for a basic motherboard BIOS menu.

Take a peek in the display tab in DXDIAG and see what it says.

Look for this -

HP BIOS Advanced Tab

Just below the Plug and Play OS. When you select it, what options do you see?

Ok, Don't mind taking a peek. Do I type that in the search box?

Drac, I'm trying to save space. It is showing GeForce GT220!

Inland. My BIOS advanced tab doesn't show any of that. Gee, am I in the wrong place?

Oh, yay, Inland is here! Where the heck did you find those BIOS setting screens - I looked everywhere.

Terri, when you listed your BIOS menu, it sounded right because you listed the same ones that show at the top of the screen that Inland linked you to.

Gee, you're already on another page, I posted on an old post. It is showing the GT220.

On display, Current Display Mode why does it say 1360x768 (32bit)(60Hz)? Does it matter that it's Vista 64bit?

This is the only reference I have -

HP Bios



If you're referring to 32 bit - no. That would be the color depth.

Duh....I knew that. Ok, are we considering it fixed? I think this is hopeless and it's probably the the nut with the mouse using this pc that's the problem. What do you think?

Inland. If we're done I'm going to call it a night, My head and eyes are telling me it's bed time.

Let me also ask this. There are so many posts on here on my PC problem, to save space can we remove the things that would be of no interest to someone else. The main things that would be beneficial are the posts by you, Drac and Jenny on what to do and what to look for.

Regarding the BIOS screen, I just want to confirm that you were able to switch to the "Advanced" screen using the keyboard. If all you're seeing is the "Main" screen, you won't see the options ***here***. You need to have the top of the screen highlighted and use the arrow key to change screens.

I saw nothing that said video adapter or video anything. I did use the arrows and went from Main to Advanced.
Today the pc froze at start up on the HP screen, and it wouldn't budge.
I certainly don't know anything about computers but surely this is a hardware problem.

Hardware, BIOS, software - hard to say. I would still reset the BIOS defaults with the new card installed and see what happens.

Edit -

Here's a response from HP that appears to be suggesting similar... although he doesn't specifically mention loading the defaults (which is what I'd try at this point).

New video card, PC won't boot.

Look at the last suggestion -

No worries.

Try entering the BIOS (F10) and select PCI graphics card for graphics display while you have no graphics card inserted.

After it boots up, shut windows back down and unplug the power cord and insert the graphics card in the PCI-e x16 slot. Then plug in the powercable and try the startup routine again.

I cannot tell you specifically where it is in the BIOS menu as I do not know.