Monitor loses video in Windows... Help Plz!

MSI K8T NEO2-F
ATHLON64 3000+ WINCHESTER S939
2X512 CORSAIR VALUE SELECT
420 WATT THERMALTAKE PSU
9600XT ULTRA (POWERCOLOR) AND ALSO TRIED 9700 PRO (ATI)
rest shouldn't really matter

I installed windows with SP2, then installed chipset, audio, network, and video drivers. After I finally installed vid drivers I had to reboot... I get back into windows and after a bunch of stuff loads I lose video signal. I tried safemode, and NO PROB. I uninstall driver and go to normal windows... no problem. I install the newest catalyst driver again and back to the same problem after reboot.

I checked in device manager and noticed something REALLY weird. I had installed the sound and network driver from the mobo's CD, and under Network I see "... Realtek... " installed, and under Audio I see the "Audio Codecs..." and whatever else you would see if it's normally installed. HERE IS THE WEIRD PART... under "other" I see "network device" and "audio device" with the exclamation points... HUH? BUT I INSTALLED THEM AND THEY ARE ALREADY SHOWN WORKING UNDER "NETWORK DEVICES" AND "AUDIO DEVICES." I was even able to get on the internet!

Anyways, I figured let's do a format... I did a quick format to NTFS and reinstalled, only this time I NEVER installed a video driver, and I hit "cancel" everytime windows said 'new device installed..." I install SP2, then chipset, then network, then audio... did my reboots for each and every one individually and still the SAME PROBLEM in device manager. I try the mobo CD and boom lose video again. Btw, when I lose video the computer stays on and the HDD light is still working. I had this problem with both video cards listed up top.

I reset computer with reset button and go to CP to uninstall all drivers... none of the chipset, audio, or networking drivers are in there. I uninstall and reinstall network driver from device manager, and still no go. I try to go to DISABLE on the audio drivers and it didn't let me.

Sometimes the mobo CD doesn't make me lose video, and sometimes it does... I cannot narrow down the problem, but I feel like it's software (most likely driver) related.

Please give me advice or help. My next move is to format and reinstall without a service pack and see how it goes. Gnite, and thanks in advance!

I assume you've tried older video drivers correct? Also, you'll probably want to download and burn the latest chipset etc. drivers rather than use the ones on the CD.

I'd definately try installing the drivers before you install SP2, I've always done this just because I knew SP2 was buggy and I didn't want it leaving something out from a hardware configuration it didn't understand. You could even try installing the drivers that windows update lists for your devices.

Does the screen go black as soon as you access a CD? If true, you have a power issue.

I thought I had a power issue, so I opened up the 420 watt TT PSU and adjusted the pot to go from 11.68v on the 12v line to 11.86ish... my 5v line went up with it, tho. I guess the POT adjusts them both simultaneously. My 5v went from 5.02 to 5.33v... I hope that's not bad, but it did help raise the 12v a bit.

and your results were....., I'd stay within 5% on your 5 volt line or else ur mosfters are really going to cook. 11.68 is not too bad, it's truely about percentages and that's within 5% but ur 5V at 55.33 is hitting 7%, so I'd ease it back to the middle ground.

Anyone else know on the POTs on the Thermaltake 420 watt PSU? It has two POTs in there, but only one of them seems to affect the voltage of the 12v. It's just that it affects the 12v and the 5v simultaneously, so one is always off par.

I also wanted to mention that sometimes before I lose the video the mouse pointer acts REALLY weird. It can ONLY move vertically. It gets stuck on a vertical line and CANNOT move left or right from it... I have NEVER seen anything like this.

I tried a 9600xt and a 9700pro. EVERY SINGLE TIME I install the video driver the computer starts giving the problem again. When I'm in safemode or with no video driver the computer does not crap out AT ALL.

I made a system restore of all the drivers EXCEPT for the video driver after my reinstall of windows. Every time I restore to that point I'm perfectly fine. When I install video again it's screwed up. I tried a several month old catalyst driver as well and still same crap.

When I uninstall the video driver in safemode and NOT do a system restore, then when I get into normal windows the video driver is automatically installed somehow by windows. After that I'm again in crap-mode! The only way to get around it is by restoring to my first system restore which contains all the chipset, audio, and network drivers MINUS the video driver.

I think that the board doesn't like ATI, or the AGP slot is screwed up?

I'm desperate...

2X512 CORSAIR VALUE SELECT. I thought you had tccd? well try installing win2k and see. xp sucks for me too

This computer is for a friend. Right now I'm on NO SERVICE PACK on WinXP Pro. The only drivers installed are CHIPSET, AUDIO, and NETWORK. NO VIDEO DRIVER ON AND IT WORKS FINE... VIDEO DRIVER INSTALLED AND THE SYSTEM IS SCREWED UP!

use the cat 5.1 drivers then, I also had problems with the other versons.......

The 5.1 cat is the newest? I already tried the NEWEST, AND I tried an older one like 4.05 or something...

cat 5.1 isnt the newest but the most stable. older ones had the same problem for me but they went away with cat 5.1

Where do I get it? Link me. I'll try it tonight.

does windowsupdate offer any video drivers?

I forgot... I think so, though. In any case I spoke to MSI tech, and the email. I thought it was a problem with the AGP bus and so I got their chipset 4in1 driver and it installed some AGP driver... I figured that was a fix, but helllll no!

Newegg is giving me a full refund if I buy another motherboard, which I did. All good now... I'm getting the EPOX NF3 for my friend. I like epox.

Here is MSI tech email:

Dear Customer,



This seems like cause by the mb itself on the controllers with the video and AGP Bus.

Please kindly have the mb warranty replaced from your vendor or you can visit our website for manufacturer warranty info for the mb:

http://www.msicomputer.com/support/CustomerS.asp

Sincerely,
Technical Support Division
MSI Computer Corp.
http://www.msicomputer.com

Okay, so I got a new board... EPOX 9NDA3J, and now check out this thread!

thats wierd.

Ok, since were talkin about probs with computers, i have a question lol.My friends computer willl start up but the screen is just black. It will show its on,by the power button glowing. At first i thought it was the Monitor(or how ever you spell it) so we put it on my comp and it wrked fine. Then i knoticed that the little button usually shows when its loadingf wasnt on. lol i think its the hard drive but im not sure. any ideas?

If sumone could hlp i would be very greatfull. lol