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ATi to Nvidia Card swap problem

tagbartok

tagbartok

tagbartok

Associate
Joined
23 Dec 2005
Posts
57
Location
Staffordshire
Today I busted the piggy bank and bought a BFG 8800GTS 512MB from OcUK. Great price and they're only just down the road.
Unfortunately I have hit a snag. I uninstalled the ATi 1900XT using Driver Cleaner Pro and fitted the 8800.
The system now hangs after I log onto my account and get as far as my desktop. It's so bad I can't even boot into safe mode.
I've refitted the 1900XT and all's fine again!
I've checked and rechecked everything. I suspect it's a driver or registry issue.
I spoke to OcUK support and he said I may have to do a full reinstall of Windows. I could really do without that if possible at this time.
I've never had this problem in the past when switching from one manufacturer to another.
Any ideas please?
 
First thing I would do would be to try the card in another machine (If possible), just to eliminate the possibility of a faulty card. Secondly, I'd run another pass of driver cleaner on both ATI and nVidia drivers to ensure everything is clean, maybe run another app like ccleaner to remove any other bad registry entries kicking about.
 
You don't even need Driver Cleaner. I don't understand why as the computer will never suddenly decide to use a device driver for a device with ID of X on one with Y. I just uninstall CCC then install Forceware like I did from a 3870 to GTS...I've changed Nvidia to and from Ati many times on various machines without the need of Driver Cleaner...using the Driver Cleaner logic you best run Driver Cleaner everytime you disconnect a USB device or any device...
 
When you uninstalled the ati software did you go into safe mode then run driver cleaner?

Then did you uninstall the graphics from device manage as instructed by ATI?
 
Best way is to add/remove the drivers, shutdown, swap cards, boot into safe mode, run driver cleaner to remove rest of the ATi drivers, boot normally, cancel the Found new Hardware Wizard, then install the Nvidia drivers.

Id try and test it in another machine first though as its a BFG, i wouldn't rule it out from being faulty seen as there was a shed load of their GT's buggered.
 
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Hi folks
I'm running the ATi 1900XT again after another failed attempt at getting the 8800 working.
I've used Driver Cleaner to the letter of the instructions again and it still hangs in Windows. I can't get any further in safe mode either.
I can't try the card in another machine as no one I know has anything similar.
If it was a major card fault then I don't think it would let me get as far as I am.
I think it's registry so a fresh install of Windows looks to be the only way.
In 14 years of building PCs and swapping hardware I've only had one similar experience and that was with a Black Widow SCSI (anyone remember SCSI) scanner which incidently came from Millenium Computers before they were merged with OcUK. That cost me a new motherboard!
 
Doe's your motherboard not need a BIOS update.

I don't think its going to work after a re-install of windows, as driver cleaner removes the registry entries, i reckon its a duff card, or you need a BIOS update.

If its not the BIOS then id take it back in to OcUK and get them to test it.
 
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the fact thst it acts the same in safe mode makes me think it could be down to the psu although i dont think x1900xt's were lean on power
 
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