[mmb42]

First, new to the forums. Hello! My computer

AMD Phenom 9550
ECS Black Series a780gm-a
western digital hard drive
ATI Radeon hd 3450 512mg
ATI Radeon 3200 graphics

I don't even know if thats the proper information. I am learning on computers. Internet savy but computers and their workings are still beyond me. I am desperate now though. Really. Here is my sob story...hope someone can help.

Got computer in 2008....had some idiot friend put Windows XP on it. Never updated it. Nothing. But computer worked fine until last week. It started refusing to boot into windows. Id turn it on, lights up...fans blowing...all normal sounds...but nothing. Couldnt get it to load past the screen asking if I want to start windows in safe or normal mode because the screen turns off and the monitor goes into power saving mode like it would if the computer is turned off but it isn't.

I take it to where I bought it knowing I need to upgrade to windows 7 but took it there because i had labour warranty and just wanted to make sure it wasnt hardware related. While there they update bios and get it to load windows and told me hardware is fine. I take it home and I am also able to get it to load and save my stuff. At this point I buy Windows 7.

Install windows 7 today....NO PROBLEMS at all. Everything updated..watch a HD video...all works fine...in fact it works AMAZING. I go to eat. Come back and what is there? Same as before...computer on, lights on, everything except monitor is off and in power saving mode. Hit keys, nothing. Move mouse. Nothing. Turn monitor on and off nothing. Hit power button on comp, nothing you have to actually turn its main power off then on again to restart. When you do, it turns on fine...hear the fans...lights etc...but monitor still in power saving mode as if the computer is not on at all.

I am so stressed out. I work on my computer and I just dont know what to do anymore. I dont have any money to get someone over here, and I thought everything was fine since the entire windows install was great. Please help

Edited by mmb42, 17 July 2010 - 05:06 PM.

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My guess is either the monitor or the ATI Radeon 3450 graphics card has either failed or fails intermittently.
Check the monitor first by borrowing a known good one if you can just as a test and connect it up in place of yours. If still the same problem, the fault is not with your monitor.

If you can borrow a graphics card (unlikely) all well and good, install it in place of yours, plus it's Windows 7 driver if necessary. It's possible though that the borrowed card's driver isn't compatible with Win7, and Win7 itself may not have one either, so you would only be creating more problems if you installed it. Far better to buy a new graphics card that works with Windows 7 (but not before trying out another monitor first, because it may be your monitor so no point wasting money on a new card unecessarily).

[phillipcorcoran]

My guess is either the monitor or the ATI Radeon 3450 graphics card has either failed or fails intermittently.
Check the monitor first by borrowing a known good one if you can just as a test and connect it up in place of yours. If still the same problem, the fault is not with your monitor.

If you can borrow a graphics card (unlikely) all well and good, install it in place of yours, plus it's Windows 7 driver if necessary. It's possible though that the borrowed card's driver isn't compatible with Win7, and Win7 itself may not have one either, so you would only be creating more problems if you installed it. Far better to buy a new graphics card that works with Windows 7 (but not before trying out another monitor first, because it may be your monitor so no point wasting money on a new card unecessarily).

[mmb42]

Hi.

Well the monitor works with another computer. When this originslly happened I tested that out at a friends because I figure ok maybe monitor bad.

Is changing a graphics card difficult? I am willing to at least save up and get a new card.

Can anyone suggest an affordable card that would be good with my system in case it turns out I need to buy? I have some paypal money so maybe ebay is an option?

Edited by mmb42, 17 July 2010 - 05:50 PM.

[mmb42]

My other question is why when I do try and start it can I only turn it on and off with the main power switch in the back instead of using the front button? Is it because the grsphics card is causing it to freeze or?