Tip #4460 - Troubleshooting Session: Video Cards
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Q:
I've been having some trouble with my monitor and I think my video
card may be going bad. I'm not 100 percent sure though. Do you have
any troubleshooting tips for video cards? Please help!
A:
Oh, I'm so glad you asked! You may not realize
it, but your video card is what keeps your monitor working. If you
didn't have a video card, you'd be staring at a blank computer screen
instead of all the awesome Web sites you visit, the e-mails you receive
each day, all your digital photos, all the projects you work on from
time to time and so on. And what a shame that would be! As you can
see, it's very important to have a properly working video card, so
if you suspect a problem with yours, you need to start troubleshooting
right away!
Luckily,
I have some great suggestions for you today. Now, before you get started,
keep in mind that all of the below techniques require you to work
inside your computer. If you don't feel comfortable doing that, please
find someone to help you. Whether it's someone you know who is really
good with computers or if you have to take your PC to a shop, it's
better to get some help with this kind of thing. If you don't, you
could end up messing up other parts of your computer and I would hate
it if that happened. So, when you're ready, let's get started!
1.)
Reseat Your Video Card - The first thing you can
try is just a simple reseat. That is, removing the video card from
its slot and putting it back in. Doing that ensures the card is in
tight and properly set. Note: You can not do this
with an on-board video card.
2.)
Try a Different Card - If reseating the video card
doesn't work (or if you have an on-board model), try exchanging it
with another one. Maybe you have access to an old card and you can
try putting that one in your computer instead. If that one works,
you'll know for sure that your video card has gone bad. Otherwise,
keep troubleshooting!
3.)
Replace the Video Card - If the above two methods
didn't do the trick, you may just want to go ahead and replace your
video card. Unfortunately, if an alternate card doesn't work, it's
almost certain you'll need a brand new one. There's just not much
else you can do when it comes to getting the best display possible.
4.)
Replace Your Motherboard - Now, this one should only
be used as a last resort. If you're still having trouble after replacing
your video card, you may need to look a little further into the problem,
which brings up the topic of your motherboard. In fact, you may not
have a bad video card after all. Yep, you could have a defective motherboard
instead. In that case, you'll want to replace your motherboard and
you can then try your old video card again. That should solve the
problem.
Of
course, it's unfortunate if it goes that far, but it does happen every
now and then. Also, you'll definitely want to get some help with your
motherboard if you don't feel comfortable working inside your computer.
As you can probably tell, things are pretty cut and dry when it comes
to problems like this. You can either fix it very easily or you have
to do a little more digging to get it resolved. Either way though,
it's good to know what you can do to get the problem fixed once and
for all. Don't you agree?!
~
Erin
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