Windows 7 PCI gfx card detected, but attached display is not

[Honis]

Hello,

I'm running an Optiplex GX260 with Windows 7. The motherboard boots from the onboard gfx card and if set to auto choose won't boot. When I was running Windows 2000 this wasn't a big deal. The PCI gfx card still loaded with windows and I would just miss the boot screens.

In Windows 7, the gfx drivers load without a problem but the montior that is attached is never detected. I pulled in a second monitor to make sure 7 wasn't letting me activate a monitor that wasn't there. (In 2000, I used the onboard video, turned on a "monitor" on the x1300 then moved the cable.)

The info:
Vision Tek Radeon x1300, PCI. Driver Version 8.351.0.0

 

[kevin from Chi-town]

did you change the Bios?

Your primary display adapter must be put on PCI

 

[Honis]

Ok...

Got some steps on how to do this in 7? I'd been done with this if I could select the PCI gfx card and set it as primary as I could from the set resolution menu that has been in XP and older... I never used Vista so I can't vouch for where it is in that OS.

 

[kevin from Chi-town]

its in the Bios

depending on your board, you'd have to hit DEL, F10, F8, or maybe even F2 on boot. Aas a matter of fact, it should tell you before you hit the windows logo screen. Its in the same spot you set your boot order.

Are you running AGP or PCI express?

 

[Honis]

The motherboard boots from the onboard gfx card and if set to auto choose won't boot. When I was running Windows 2000 this wasn't a big deal. The PCI gfx card still loaded with windows and I would just miss the boot screens.

[...]

The info:
Vision Tek Radeon x1300, PCI. Driver Version 8.351.0.0

I could have been clearer, the bios only has 2 options for gfx card selection: Auto and Onboard. It will give an error code meaning Unknown Device if set to Auto. (The error code is an unmistakable 4 bit LED indicator.) The error leaves the screen blank across all monitors ports.