Windows 7 Windows 7 Install - No Video Signal, Impossible to Fix?

[Bobby Thompson]

I have a sort of chicken and the egg type problem due to my attempt to install Windows 7 and have no idea how I can possibly work around it.

My wife brought home a computer from her work that they no longer needed. I had bought a 3 pack of Windows 7 Licenses a while back and had one remaining, so I figured I'd install it on the system.

I started by running upgrade advisor and it indicated the hardware would fully support all features of Windows 7. At the time I figured this meant exactly as it indicated, but as far as I can tell now, this may have been completely inaccurate...

Since I didn't need/want the data on the existing drive I started by doing a clean format then ran the install. After the first couple reboots the computer began loosing video every time it passed the initial "Loading Windows" screen.

The problem is, I can't figure out any way to fix this problem, and am wondering if I effectively now am stuck with a paper weight...

Since I obviously can't really know anything about what is happening after the video cuts out, I tried powering the system off and then booted into safe mode. This appeared to work, however once it gets past the point the video cuts out, I'm presented with a prompt that indicates for the install process to complete I need to reboot in normal mode.

This is where the chicken and the egg issue comes in, because since safe mode sends me back into normal mode, and normal mode completely looses all video and seems to not do anything beyond that, I don't see an possible way I can get around this problem. I have tried re-formatting and re-installing more times, but the same problem keeps occurring at the same point.

I believe the video card in the system is Nvidia, and I have read elsewhere that some Nvidia cards have an issue such as this. The question is, did I effectively render my computer permanently inoperable by formatting it?

If there are any possible suggestions I would appreciate it. I provided NT tech support for 5 years and have been working as a C# developer (ASP.NET) for nearly 8 years now, so I'm by no means a novice. However in this case I'm truly stumped... I am a Mac user at home by choice, and this box is literally my first personal Windows PC... It seems ironic to me that the first PC I ever got became a paper weight solely due to trusting an upgrade advisor created by Microsoft...

 

[Bobby Thompson]

Alright, this is a ridiculous and impossible to fix. Microsoft should really be ashamed to allow things like this to happen... I've never had to deal with anything even remotely similar to this in the Mac world...

I removed the video card, which I now know is a Geforce 7300 GT.

I installed Windows 7 using the onboard card. Everything appeared to install fine.
I shut the system down and inserted the card. I booted the system which proceeded to automatically install drivers (I couldn't prevent it).

I then tried to run the native driver install I downloaded but the computer would not let me saying I NEEDED to restart before I could.

I rebooted only to be sent to the same screen sending no video signal out.

It appears this video card cannot be used with Windows 7, even though upgrade advisor said I could. I really have no clue what else I can do since Windows 7 handles the drivers and it obviously isn't capable of doing so successfully... The card appeared to work fine under XP before I tried to upgrade. I would have been better off never trying, which I wouldn't have done if I wasn't lead to believe my hardware was compatible when it obviously is not.

Looks like less than a day after I got my first PC its officially my last...

 

[Bobby Thompson]

Man oh man, what a fight. As they say, if at first you don't succeed, try try try try try try try again...

I finally got into safe mode with the GeForce card working, ran the driver install program and finally video is working properly... A lot harder than I feel it should have been but at this point I'll take what I can get...

 

[Saltgrass]

I think the answer to your question might be "my wife brought the computer home from work." I might try a new video card.

 

[Bobby Thompson]

Except for the fact that she used this card on a daily basis for well over a year, and when it got home with Windows XP it was still working fine... The reason she brought it home was because she was laid off and they said she could take her work machine. If the video card is the problem then Windows 7 must have broken it because it worked fine right until the install...

Of course, now once again it isn't working, after running windows update I'm getting no signal... I'm guessing I can fix it again, but why in the world is Microsoft trying so hard to push a driver into my system that obviously is broken???

 

[Saltgrass]

Microsoft might, in some instances push a driver that has problems. If it is an Nvidia card, the best thing is to go to Nvidia and use their driver.

The funny thing is, I once had to use an older drive from Nvidia for my Video card to work in games.

I always have my system set up to not install any device drivers until I allow it.

 

[Bobby Thompson]

Video problems appear to be behind me now, finally...

Unfortunatly I'm now having an unrelated issue where Windows 7 update gets stuck at 0% and I can't seem to fix it. Microsoft's own help guides tell me how to fix this under Windows 98 & ME but don't seem to have anything regarding the same issue under Windows 7. The only Windows 7 reomendation I've come across was to perform a clean install... Of course if I did that I would have to re-fight my video card battle all over again, not not to mention this seems rediculusly drastic... I'm again left shaking my head in disbelief...

 

[Saltgrass]

You might start with the Windows Update Troubleshooter in the Control Panel, Troubleshooting, System and Security.

If that doesn't help, then you might try turning off Automatic Updates and check for updates yourself using the Windows Update panel.