Windows 7 If you're computer genius please help! windows 7 not detecting my graphic card

[Garnerbk]

Ok so I have been working on this all day yesterday and all day so far today. I have been on the phone with Nvidia Tech Support, Windows 7 Tech Support and Dell Tech Support. With Windows 7 Tech Support remotely accessing my computer trying to figure it out, but couldn't. Anyone who can solve this riddle I would be willing to pay you $50 for the solution! haha

This originally started with having two monitors. I originally had a windows vista(i think) operating system on the computer then I downloaded the Windows 7 system last week. Since the download the device manager will not recognize my Nvidia graphics card. The only display adapters that show is an Intel(R) G45/G43 Express Chipset (Microsoft Corporation- WDDM 1.1). I have tried to disable and uninstall this driver in hopes that it would detect the Nvidia card, but it doesn't detect it. I restart the computer or check for new hardware and all it does is automatically redownload the above intel one. I've tried disconnected my internet and it still automatically redownloads the above intel one. I've tried changing my system settings to where no automatic windows adjustments could be made and it still automatically downloads the intel one. I've gone into the BIOS and changed the Advance Chipset Features to the PCI-Express option. (there are only three options to chose from-Onboard, PCI & PCI express) Which one of the tech guys said to do PCI express. The graphics card is in the PCIE slot. I have inserted it and re inserted it a thousand times over, making sure it is properly seated each time. I have installed the driver on a different computer with a different operating system and it detects it and works just fine. I have downloaded the latest BIOS version to the computer then have re performed all the above things. I have gone to nvidia website and selected the correct driver to download for my graphics card, but it won't finish the download because the system won't detect the hardware on my computer. So I have saved the most up to date driver software needed for my graphics card to my desktop, which is as far as I can get with it because when I try to run the driver it stops due to not detecting my hardware. The windows 7 tech people are from the Philippines and while they are polite and nice to talk to, I don't believe anyone there is smart enough to figure this out. The only option they have suggested is to do a custom re installation of windows 7 disabling the intel card from being installed, but I don't have the time to redownload the software, back up everything, etc, as it would be an all day event. I am a pretty technologically savvy person and have tried everything I can possibly think of to fix this as well as tech support from Nvidida, Dell and Windows 7.



i have gone to the power options, change plan settings, change advanced power settings, selected the PCI Express drop down tab, then the link state power management drop down, then put the settings to off to give the PCI Express slot the most power possible since i read somewhere that it may have to do with the graphics card not getting enough power or something like that. I have literally tried everything and am at my wits end on what to do here, because the custom re installation thing is just not going to work for me.

the below or attached picture is the picture of my screen upon start up after the Dell logo, so i know my computer is detecting the graphics card, but windows 7 won't allow me to find it in my device manager in order to get my second monitor working! And the below steps it asks me to follow i have done a hundred times over with no luck...


Please, please, please help if you know how to fix this!!!Link Removed

The Nvidia graphics card I have is the Geforce 210
My operating system is Windows 7 Professional Service Pack 1
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual CPU E2200 @ 2.20GHz 2.19GHz
Installed Memory(RAM): 4.00 GB (2.96 usable)
System Type: 32-bit Operating System
Computer: Dell Vostro 220

 

[kemical]

Hi, what do you see when opening device manager? Do you see a yellow question mark? Sorry..reread your post and must have missed what you said about Device manager. see Jongs post below and post back.

 

[Jong]

So I'm confused. Your BIOS seems to be telling you exactly what is wrong - Your monitor cable is plugged into your onboard graphics port instead of your add-on card. It sounds like your BIOS will only let you use one at a time (not true generally, certainly for current generation machines, which is why it may have worked in the other pc you tried.)

Have you tried:
- turning off the PC
- pluging your monitor in to your NVidia card
- reboot the PC and enter the BIOS
- disable onboard graphics.
- save the BIOS and reboot.

You may not need to disable onboard graphics. Moving the monitor may be enough, but it is worth trying. NB: the setting you are looking for is most likely under "peripherals", not "advanced chipset settings". I believe the setting you changed is merely the one which determines where it looks first.

 

[Garnerbk]

it's fixed now! I had the first monitor plugged into the main monitor port on the computer and the other monitor plugged into the graphics card port. When I should of had both monitors plugged into the graphics card instead of one and one... Stupid, stupid, stupid mistake I know, but I have been working from 7am to 8-9pm most days with a crying baby at home so I think my mind was a little messed up! haha I ended up going to best buy, buying a new graphics card, buying a new psu then letting them hook it up, when all i really had to do was just hook both monitors up to the graphics card i already had and it would of worked fine. So I ended up spending money that I didn't have to spend, but I figured having a higher watt PSU and better graphics card wouldn't hurt anything either so I kept them. Also when I posted this thread it took a couple of days for it to showh up, so had it shown up sooner than I probably could have figured it out with ya'lls help, but o well. You live, you learn!

Thanks!