Unsolved
This post is more than 5 years old
2 Posts
0
792
December 18th, 2008 05:00
Dell DImension 2400 Help
I got a dell dimension, first the screen went, which is a well known issue. Apparently it is due to the cheap parts Dell have used.
And know my PC onboard graphics have gone i have test the cable, and the screen that i was using with the computer.
So i have brought a new Graphics Card, but how do i automatically make the PC use the Graphics card instead of the Onboard Graphics?
Thanks
Strike
No Events found!
jackshack
6.4K Posts
0
December 18th, 2008 20:00
The Dimension 2400 BIOS defaults to "Automatic" with regard to the video adapter. When you install the video card the BIOS is supposed to detect it and automatically switch from the integrated adapter to the PCI card.
However, before you install the card, can you get any video at all from the integrated adapter? Also, have you checked the diagnostic lights on the back of the machine to see if any of them are yellow after the computer boots up? If you can get video when the computer is first started, you need to use the F8 menu to start Windows in Safe Mode. When you get there, go to the Device Manager, find the Intel Graphics adapter in the list, and use the device usage menu at the bottom of the Intel Graphics Properties box to select "Do Not Use This Device - Disable". This will cause Windows to load a standard VGA driver so that when you install the PCI video card you should be able to see a low resolution display while you install the driver for the card. Once this is done, shut down, unplug the machine from the AC power, and install the PCI video card. When you start the computer back up, cancel the "Found New Hardware" wizard, and put the drivers disk for the PCI card into the CD drive. Follow the instructions to install the drivers.
If you get no video at all from the integrated adapter, you can try to install the card first and go to the F8 menu when you start the machine with the new card already installed. If you miss the F8 menu, however, you will probably not see any video because Windows will try to use the driver for the integrated adapter, which will not work. If you get any yellow diagnostic LEDs when the machine boots up you may also have a problem since there is no way to physically uninstall or disconnect the integrated video adapter.
Strike13
2 Posts
0
December 18th, 2008 23:00
At the back the first lights are orange and the next to are yellow.
ALso so does that mean the cimputer is "dead"
jackshack
6.4K Posts
0
December 19th, 2008 10:00
That doesn't sound good. The troubleshooting advice for the Dimension 2400 is here: Advanced Troubleshooting. As you can see in the section marked "Diagnostic Lights" there is no listing for two orange and two yellow lights. I would count that as a motherboard failure.
Before you toss it, however, I would try re-seating all the expansion cards, memory, and cables, followed by a hardware reset of the NVRAM by removing the lithium back-up cell for about 15 minutes. These are simple enough to do and might get the machine working. If you get no positive results from this action, I would advise you to recycle the machine.