Very strange Windows XP/video card problem

[firestorm225]

Ok, in the past few days I've had some problems where when I turned on the computer, the screen would stay blank and then the little "No video input" thing would appear. After a few restarts the computer would boot up normally. At first I thought it was a problem with the actual video card, so today, I took it out and fit it back in making sure that it fit snugly into the AGP slot.

Then, I restarted, and right after the Windows XP loading screen (the one with the bar going from left to right at the bottom), the screen is just black, it doesn't load up the user selection screen at all. After about 30 seconds, the computer reboots, and I get to a screen that asks me if I want to boot up in safe mode or in normal mode. If I pick normal, it repeats the same thing. If I pick Safe Mode, it works, I can get to the user screen, and as soon as I click on the screen, I get this message:

http://firestorm225.homestead.com/files/error.jpg

Now, I uninstall the current Nvidia drivers. The computer resets perfectly fine, and boots up perfectly fine in Normal mode (I'm guessing using the generic Nvidia drivers), and I get two choices. Install my drivers again using one of my driver downloads, or let XP do the Auto-detect hardware and install the drivers by itself. After doing this, either way once again leads to the black screen after the Windows XP loading screen and I have to repeat the whole process.

Is there anything I can do? My system:
1ghz T-Bird
384mb ram
Geforce 4 TI 4200

I've tried two drivers, the 30.82's and the 29.42's and I always get the same problem.

 

[deftron]

I think XP is just reinstalling the drivers you had since they are still in the WINNT folder.




Have you tried using a different version of Nvidia's Detonator drivers ?

What version are you using.

 

[Insidious]

you might want to try this to clean out old remnants of drivers and then re-install your dets.

1) Run Regedit and navigate to this key.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr
entVersion
2) Record the locations entered in the "Device Path" value..
3) Search these locations and also, if not included, these below also for any nv3.*nf, nv4.*nf or nv4_disp.inf files and delete them.
C:\WINDOWS\System32\ReinstallBackups (allsubfolders)
C:\DRIVERS\VIDEO (for Dell Systems)
C:\WINDOWS\Inf (which should be the first entry in the device path)
4) Uninstall and reboot - you should be using the standard VGA controller at this point - but if not dont worry.

*********NEW SECTION OF ADVICE**********************
5) Add ";c:\nvidia" to the end of the device path value (without the quotation marks).
6) Create a folder at c:/nvidia and extract new drivers here.

Note: For future updates - extract new drivers to c:/nvidia then uninstall Dets and reboot- afterwards the new drivers will install automatically. Then reboot again and use the RefreshTool and then reboot again and you're ready to go.
**************************************************
*

7) Go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic

es\nv4 and delete this key.

Note: (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servi
ces\nv is the key which is used for detonator drivers whereas the nv4 is only for OEM and stock XP drivers)
8) Got to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro
l\Video
and delete any keys (eg. FF890-7895-7896-3611) which refer to detonator drivers.
(Uninstall drivers if not working under standard VGA) and reboot.
9) Drivers should now be installed automatically. Reboot and use the refreshTool. Reboot and you're ready to go.



I don't do the C:\nvidia part, but the rest seemed really effective.

-Sid