[dmk747]

I have a custom built PC - AMD 64 processor - Windows XP operating system and a dominator ATI Radeon 9550 AGP graphics card. Please note, I am clever enough to install add'l drives, memory, keep a good update of drivers, security utilities, etc., and am also smart enough to know to have the PC rebuilt by someone who knows what they are doing (it used to be a Dell PIII). I say this, so you know I can find the BIOS, I can play in system config, but you still need to talk to me like I am fairly stupid (as opposed to completely stupid or having a real clue).

After the last reboot, all icons, menus, start options, etc. disappeared from the screen - in regular AND safe mode (yes that is frustrating). Actually for some time, the system tends to need resetting when turning on because it will sose the monitor signal entirely. You know, I knew that was a problem that would haunt me someday and yet I ignored it...

Anyway, does this sound like a graphics card problem? Will uninstalling the drivers-card/reinstalling the drivers-card be a good next step? If so, anyone got any handy ideas on how to do this?

Any help, ideas, places to go, suggestions or whatever would be greatly appreciated.

I can get to most icons on my desktop through the run/brows fnctn of task manager, but not all, and not without a ton of *.dll errors (for instance when I hit the firefox icon, it does come up but I have to click through a dozen google related dll errors). On last check w/spyware, spybot, adaware and norton, no virus/spyware detected - system has been armed to the teeth since day one.

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Get TuneUp Trial

http://www.tune-up.com

Run disc clean up then registry clean up then click optimize to run reg defrag, which takes a while and needs a reboot.

After the reboot, run Windows defragmenter.

Open TuneUp, click optimize, system optimizer to run optimize computer configuration, which requires a reboot

After the reboot, open TuneUp, click optimize, system optimizer to run internet optimization, which requires a reboot.

After the reboot, open TuneUp, click optimize, system optimizer to run system advisor


ATI have released Catalyst 5.6 for Radeon

If you unistall the Radeon drivers you should get a basic set of Radeon drivers from Microsoft Update

http://update.micros...t.aspx?ln=en-us

If so, see how it runs before installing the full set from ATI

https://support.ati....dge&folderID=27

Go to device manager, click + next to monitors, click the monitor, right click, click unistall, click to confirm and reboot to let Windows find the monitor when it loads

Did you get a software CD for the monitor, have you checked the connections

[Retired Tech]

Get TuneUp Trial

http://www.tune-up.com

Run disc clean up then registry clean up then click optimize to run reg defrag, which takes a while and needs a reboot.

After the reboot, run Windows defragmenter.

Open TuneUp, click optimize, system optimizer to run optimize computer configuration, which requires a reboot

After the reboot, open TuneUp, click optimize, system optimizer to run internet optimization, which requires a reboot.

After the reboot, open TuneUp, click optimize, system optimizer to run system advisor


ATI have released Catalyst 5.6 for Radeon

If you unistall the Radeon drivers you should get a basic set of Radeon drivers from Microsoft Update

http://update.micros...t.aspx?ln=en-us

If so, see how it runs before installing the full set from ATI

https://support.ati....dge&folderID=27

Go to device manager, click + next to monitors, click the monitor, right click, click unistall, click to confirm and reboot to let Windows find the monitor when it loads

Did you get a software CD for the monitor, have you checked the connections

[dmk747]

Thanks a ton. In true Deviant PC fashion, I turned it off - and on - again, for the 4,567 time in the past 4 days, and in spite of starting it in safe mode, diagnostic/selective mode, normal mode, restore point the previous 4,566 times, for whatever [insert four letter word]ing reason, THIS time it started up just fine. So I ran to mad dog and reinstalled the driver asap.

But I rarely trust problems to be solved when they spontaneously resolve themselves for no apparent reason, so I'm off to do all these steps just in case...

But a few more questions - should I replace the radeon driver with the microsoft driver (she says, puzzled at the idea of microsoft being superior to just about anything ) - or run all the tune up tests?

If I should skip the microsoft version of said drivers, should I get the ATI package (Catalyst 5.6?) and proceed with installing that?

(Monitor didn't come with a disc - plug and play NEC LCD1712 monistor, but I did update the monitor driver not to long ago .... hmmmm... come to think of it, I don't believe it required a reboot and oops, the shutoff that prompted this minor disaster might very well have been the first one since the updated/refreshed driver was installed... what'dya bet the source of the problem may well have been uncovered?

[Retired Tech]

The TuneUp tests will clear obsolete entries, which could cause things to run improperly.

Uninstalling the monitor will let Windows find it and load it correctly

Using the ATI driver from the Microsoft site will determine if running the full version makes a difference

[cheathawk1]

Just another tip you might want to try next time your desktop disapears. (Keep in mind this won't help if you lose the signal entirely, but it might prevent you from having to restart your computer)

Once the computer is all booted up and everything and you have an empty desktop staring at you, press Ctrl+Alt+Del to bring up the task manager and go to File|New Task and type in "explorer.exe" (without the quotes of course). Somtimes explorer.exe fails on me usually after installing new drivers or what-not. I hope this helps you while you try to find a permanent solution to your problem.

--Chris