video card/driver question

[AW1858]

Hello I would like to start off by saying I am NOT good with computers.
Awhile back I got a new video card because my old one had died, i got a Radeon 9800 pro. when i got the new video card all i did was just plug it in. I never installed any drivers or anything. I bought a new computer game and went to play it and its not working so I had my friend take a look at my comp to see why and he said that my computer is saying that I have a nvidia Geforce video card and not the radeon 9800 from ATI. My question is:
How can I get my computer to recognize that my video card is a radeon 9800 and not an Nvidia?

[patio]

Instrall the drivers that came on a CD with the card...
It's pretty common for Win to mis-identify hardware.

[AW1858]

I no longer have the CD that came with the video card.

[JJ 3000]

What operating system?

[AW1858]

Windows XP

[jason2074]

How can I get my computer to recognize that my video card is a radeon 9800 and not an Nvidia?

At this point you must also mention as to what kind of machine/model you have...? If your computer has any onboard,dedicated card installed. Since you have posted that you replaced a Graphics card from old to new and never even bothered to install any driver. You could also look on your "Device Manager" for a certain hardware identifying as to what's installed and lacking(yellow or red marks) by:

Start --> Run --> type devmgmt.msc --> Ok --> Look under Display Adapters and expand


 
 
 

[JJ 3000]

Go here:
http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/index.aspx

Under step 1 select desktop graphics

step 2 select Radeon 9xxx series

step 3 select Radeon 9800 series

step 4 select windows xp 32 bit

step 5 click on display results

scroll to the bottom and download the driver. Save it somewhere on your computer. Then double click on it to install.

[AW1858]

Jason I have a gateway computer. I did what you told me and under display adapters it reads NVIDIA GEFORCE 2 MX/MX 400.
JJ I did what you said and have installed it but now what? I should also note that when i start up my comp this message comes up and has been coming up for some time now.
"The Catalyst Control Center is not supported by the driver version of your enabled graphics adapter. please update your ATI graphics driver or enable your ATI adapter using the Displays Manager."

What should I do now to get it to no longer say i have a Nvidia but recognzie my radeon

[OpenSource]

(assuming you have onboard video);

1) Take out your new graphics card.
2) Uninstall the Nvidia drivers.
3) Reboot.
4) Make sure the Nvidia drivers are gone.  You may have to run Ccleaner on your registry.
5) Turn off computer.
6) Install the graphics card.
7) Turn computer on.  Run the ATI all-in-one driver package.

If you don't have onboard video, try uninstalling the Nvidia drivers.

[Allan]

You do not need to remove your graphics card to uninstall the drivers. Let's start at the beginning

Uninstall the nvidia driver. Go to the ATI Website and download the latest driver for your new video card. Install that driver.

I'm not sure what else you have done, but that's all you should have to do.

[OpenSource]

You don't need to but it helps because windows will automatically try to install the faulty driver when you reboot and you're back to square 1.

[Allan]

You don't need to but it helps because windows will automatically try to install the faulty driver when you reboot and you're back to square 1.

What?

[OpenSource]

It is my understanding that he has a faulty driver.  He also said it's showing up as his old Nvidia and not his new ATI AFTER he installed the 'correct' driver, right? 

Windows must be pointing to the old, bad driver.  If he takes his card out and uses onboard, he can uninstall the old software without windows coming up with 'NVIDIA such and such found' and automatically installing the wrong driver.

[Allan]

Windows doesn't work like that. And if it did, all he would have to do is either boot to safe mode or use the default Windows driver. But since he has an ATI card installed he will have problem uninstalling an Nvida driver.

[OpenSource]

Would it be easier for him to uninstall the nvidia driver using the onboard video or with the new card plugged in?

Sorry, I'm assuming he's using windows XP.

[Allan]

Makes no difference whatsoever.

Before upgrading a video driver don't you generally uninstall the old one? And you don't remove the video card, correct?

[OpenSource]

I believe he's upgrading his video card, not just the driver.  It sounds like he just put the new card in without uninstalling the old drivers before doing so, and then installed the new software.  He also says windows is saying he has his old video card in after he put the new one in.

I'm just going by what he's saying, and it sounds like there are some details left out.

[AW1858]

I believe he's upgrading his video card, not just the driver.  It sounds like he just put the new card in without uninstalling the old drivers before doing so, and then installed the new software.  He also says windows is saying he has his old video card in after he put the new one in.

I'm just going by what he's saying, and it sounds like there are some details left out.

that is exactly what I did. i had upgraded video cards to a new one and never uninstalled my old drivers. When I get home i will uninstall the nvidia drivers.

[Allan]

You do not need to remove your graphics card to uninstall the drivers. Let's start at the beginning

Uninstall the nvidia driver. Go to the ATI Website and download the latest driver for your new video card. Install that driver.

I'm not sure what else you have done, but that's all you should have to do.

[OpenSource]

You do not need to remove your graphics card to uninstall the drivers. Let's start at the beginning

Uninstall the nvidia driver. Go to the ATI Website and download the latest driver for your new video card. Install that driver.

I'm not sure what else you have done, but that's all you should have to do.

In theory, that is supposed to work.  Sometimes it does.  It's pretty common though that you remove the old card before uninstalling the drivers.  The success rate of that is 100%.  Not trying to be argumentative or anything, but i've seen your method fail too many times to not suggest removing the new card before getting rid of the old software.

[Allan]

He has an ATI card and is uninstalling Nvidia drivers. Please - stop posting the same suggestion.

[OpenSource]

(assuming you have onboard video);

1) Take out your new graphics card.
2) Uninstall the Nvidia drivers.
3) Reboot.
4) Make sure the Nvidia drivers are gone.  You may have to run Ccleaner on your registry.
5) Turn off computer.
6) Install the graphics card.
7) Turn computer on.  Run the ATI all-in-one driver package.

If you don't have onboard video, try uninstalling the Nvidia drivers.

[BC_Programmer]

None of this is really relevant. I don't think there are any driver issues here at all.

when i got the new video card all i did was just plug it in. I never installed any drivers or anything. I bought a new computer game and went to play it and its not working so I had my friend take a look at my comp to see why and he said that my computer is saying that I have a nvidia Geforce video card and not the radeon 9800 from ATI.

When you installed the new card, XP recognized the 9800 and used the built in drivers; you didn't need to install them. Either that, or it used the very generic drivers (which means you hadn't played any games other then this "new" game).

Secondly, the game probably didn't run because, as you said, it was a new computer game. The 9800 Pro is quite a few generations behind, so the new game probably refuses to run with it.

Third, your friend is clearly not familiar with On-board video configurations, and is throwing out reasons that don't make a whole lot of sense.


To confirm this, visit Device Manager (Start->Run devmgmt.msc) and see what is listed in the "Display Adapters" Tab.