So my parents have an old Dell Dimension P4 desktop. They wanted me to update it so i got some more ram and noticed that the AGP ati 9700 pro video card fan was bad and overheating. I went to best buy and they didn't have any AGP cards so i picked up a cheap PCI 8400gs. I realize i should just order an AGP card but i'm only in town for the weekend and it was a quick solution.

I put in the 8400gs and installed the driver. I'm able to boot into windows with BOTH the AGP and the PCI card and i am able to use the PCI card as a secondary video card for a secondary monitor so i know the card works, but if i take out the AGP card the Dell bios logo screen will come up with the PCI card but then it goes blank and nothing happens.

I went into the bios and found the "Primary Video Adapter" thing. I switched it from AGP to auto (only options) and now the AGP doesn't work at all, and the PCI card still won't get past the dell bios screen.

Am i correct to assume this is NOT a driver or software issue because it's not getting past the bios? Would this be an issue with the bios, and should i try to update the bios?

I might just give up and try to find another AGP card to use.

http://www.computing.net/answers/hardware/agp-to-pci-switchover/55396.html

Same issue/card as that guy. Guess i'll have to go buy an AGP card.

[Edited on April 11, 2009 at 6:43 PM. Reason : .]

4/11/2009 6:32:35 PM

Quote :

"Am i correct to assume this is NOT a driver or software issue because it's not getting past the bios? Would this be an issue with the bios, and should i try to update the bios?"

no, exactly the opposite.

if you're seeing the POST screen, everything is fine in the bios.

try going into device manager and completely uninstalling the AGP card, then reboot.

if that doesn't work, boot into safe mode and make sure windows is seeing your PCI adapter as the primary video adapter.

4/12/2009 12:27:46 PM

^The reason i assumed it wasn't a driver issue is because when i have both cards in they work fine in windows. Also when i try to boot up with only the PCI card the dell bios screen will come up, but i can't even hit F2 for settings or F8/F12. Anything i hit causes it to just go blank and sit there. So i can't even get into the BIOS with only the PCI card.

I set the primary video adapter to auto in the BIOS but had the same results and i had to clear the CMOS to get back into the BIOS w/ the AGP card. Is there a way to manually set the primary video card within windows? I haven't tried completely uninstalling the AGP driver yet but i assumed that wasn't the issue because i can't even get into the BIOS settings with the PCI card.

4/12/2009 6:01:03 PM

^yes, go into safe mode and do it.

it's not necessarily a driver issue, per se... just an issue with what driver windows is actually trying to use.

it won't complete the POST with just the PCI card in there? if it's showing the POST graphic, you should be able to get into the BIOS, since that IS the BIOS...

try finding an option in your BIOS to turn off that god-awful full screen dell logo graphic, should be something like "display boot messages" or something. that might give you a better indication as to what's going on.

4/12/2009 6:30:41 PM

Yeah it's showing the dell post graphic with the "Hit F2 for settings" etc but when i hit F2 nothing happens and it goes blank, where normally it would go into the BIOS settings. So if i can't even get into the BIOS settings it seems like it's a BIOS issue. I'll mess around in the BIOS. I might try updating it.

4/12/2009 6:37:09 PM

pop the AGP card back in and turn off the POST graphic so you can see the actual POST messages.

also, there should be an option that's like "halt on... all errors/keyboard only/etc."

change that to all, maybe it'll see something... i'm shooting in the dark here, though.

honestly, you really should just return it and order them an AGP card video on the PCI bus sucks donkey dick anyway.

4/12/2009 6:42:55 PM