R9 290 Black Screen While Installing Drivers

[SeaDooSnipe]

I recently developed a problem where as soon as my Display Drivers install, the screen goes black. It stays there infinitely.

I have tried putting it in different PCI slots, different driver versions, reinstalling Windows on another SSD, and also I checked all power connectors.
Still have no luck.

I'm quite stumped, I've tried reflashing the BIOS to the stock Sapphire one (never flashed to 290x, just reflashed incase of corruption) but had no luck.

I currently am running RedMod, by having an H55 on the core and heatsinks on memory and VRM, as well as a fan blowing fresh air on the heatsinks.

 

[thilanliyan]

Was this happening before you changed the cooling and/or flashed to a different BIOS?

 

[SeaDooSnipe]

It happened before RedMod. Sadly before I only thought it was because my driver installer was borked, and continued with RedMod.

 

[thilanliyan]

It happened before RedMod. Sadly before I only thought it was because my driver installer was borked, and continued with RedMod.

Did it happen before flashing the BIOS?

 

[SeaDooSnipe]

Yessir, I only flashed the BIOS after the problem happened and I was trying to eliminate problems, such as a corrupted BIOS. Mind you I never flashed to 290x or anything, I only flashed with the BIOS on Sapphire's site.

 

[thilanliyan]

Hard to say if it's a dud card for sure if you're getting video before installing the drivers. Any other AMD card you have that you could try?

If not, I'd say contact Sapphire and go through the trouble shooting with them and if nothing works then it is probably a dud card.

How are you connecting the monitor to your card?

 

[SeaDooSnipe]

I have no other GPUs. :/

I contacted Sapphire and they just responded basically saying they don't know, and just RMA. :/

 

[thilanliyan]

Which connector are you using to connect to the monitor?

 

[blackened23]

VGA or VGA converters won't work, I think that's what thil is getting at - the 290 cards only work with digital outputs. IE not VGA. DVI, HDMI and DP work. But I don't think that's his problem, since he doesn't get the blackscreen until a driver install is attempted? I could be wrong though.

 

[SeaDooSnipe]

I'm using straight DVI to DVI.

The black screen never happens until the SECOND the display driver installs. As soon as it at least tries to install, screen goes black, yet my monitor still shows it's getting a signal and does not go to sleep mode.

 

[thilanliyan]

Hmm...I know that the screen is supposed to go black once or twice during a driver install but it should come back.

Which driver versions have you tried?

 

[SeaDooSnipe]

13.11, I couldn't use any older version for it not supporting R9, and AMD says it's latest.

 

[Kenmitch]

What OS are you running?

Why did you bring up the never tried to flash to 290x if you didn't?

Did you try both bios switch positions?

 

[IEC]

Try 13.12.

 

[SeaDooSnipe]

Windows 8.

Incase people thought I flashed my BIOS to 290x when I said I flashed the card.

I tried uber as well, but had the exact same results.

 

[AnandThenMan]

You might have memory/core clock settings left over in the registry. Try rolling back to a older copy of Windows if you can, or do a system restore. If you can't do that, then perhaps a driver cleaner will work, although I have not used any in a few years so I can't recommend one.

 

[thilanliyan]

13.11, I couldn't use any older version for it not supporting R9, and AMD says it's latest.

13.12 is the newest driver IIRC.

 

[SeaDooSnipe]

I installed Windows again, except on my other SSD. Same results. Still haven't tried 13.12 yet though.

 

[IEC]

I installed Windows again, except on my other SSD. Same results. Still haven't tried 13.12 yet though.

Try 13.12.

 

[Bubbleawsome]

Hello seadoo. :3
Anyways, just though I would pop in and say that it might be a combo of that memory thing sapphire was talking about and driver issues. Have you updated the mobo BIOS? I also remembered that my 7770 did the same thing right after a registry edit right after installing two drivers on each other, both amd. It had something to do with a virus in sys32 or something and then it wouldn't reinstall. Try running a portable Linux to rule out windows.

 

[SeaDooSnipe]

I've updated mobo BIOS to rule out some things.

I'll try portable linux, I tried LinuxMint but it was very glitchy, even on integrated graphics. :/

But first I will try 13.11.

 

[SeaDooSnipe]

Sorry for being a long time since I replied. I've been beyond busy with school.

Anyways, I tried Ubuntu again. But after installing drivers, just get the usual black X as a cursor and black screen, and can't leave it without reboot. Mind you this only happens after I install drivers.

I'm at a loss. The cards getting shipped out Monday, once it comes back it's hitting eBay and I'm getting a 780 Lightning.

 

[SimianR]

I recently developed a problem where as soon as my Display Drivers install, the screen goes black. It stays there infinitely.

I have tried putting it in different PCI slots, different driver versions, reinstalling Windows on another SSD, and also I checked all power connectors.
Still have no luck.

I'm quite stumped, I've tried reflashing the BIOS to the stock Sapphire one (never flashed to 290x, just reflashed incase of corruption) but had no luck.

I currently am running RedMod, by having an H55 on the core and heatsinks on memory and VRM, as well as a fan blowing fresh air on the heatsinks.

I was actually having an issue with my screen going black and staying there indefinitely and found out it was the catalyst control panel launcher. I used msconfig to stop it from starting and the issue went away. Not sure if it's the same issue you are having.

 

[Blue_Max]

Just for laughs - you have more than one monitor hooked up? I had my TV hooked up while doing driver/BIOS stuff and when my monitor went blank, I eventually tried the TV and found the info up there.

May be worth a shot?

 

[Gloomy]

I was actually having an issue with my screen going black and staying there indefinitely and found out it was the catalyst control panel launcher. I used msconfig to stop it from starting and the issue went away. Not sure if it's the same issue you are having.

If you're overclocking the memory in the CCC, don't. That's a one way ticket to a black screen on boot.