New graphics card installation

[tweedledee]

Hi Guys, I have just bought a G-force 7600GT graphics card. Do I just whack it in, install drivers, and off I go? or do I need to remove the drivers from the old one? The instructions said install the drivers first. I thought I had to fit the card in first, and do they mean install the new drivers while the old card is still installed?

[Bodyslide]

I would turn off the PC, Remove the Old One, Install the New one with the included CD. Here's a Good Page with some info...
http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/xfx_g-force_7600_2.php

[redwudz]

I usually delete the old video drivers, then shut down and pull the card, install the new one. Reboot and install the drivers for the new card. It's usually a good idea to DL the latest drivers first and keep them on the hard drive for the driver install and not use the driver disc that comes with the card.

[Bjs]

redwudz has it correct , but you should remove the power source ...

If power is still flowing into the pc's psu , even though the pc appear's to be off ... it can wake up when you install the new card .

[tweedledee]

Thanks all, but after installing the new card I was having so much trouble that I changed back to the old (cheap) card and did a Windows restore. My PC was running slow, freezing up,and a program called CLI.exe was making the CPU run at 100%. I have a feeling that Zone alarm was involved some how. Do you know if Zone Alarm causes problems? BTW it was running when I installed the new card.

[Enygma]

The problem likely is your old video card drivers. You didn't specify if the old card was ATI or nVidia based. Either way, it's a good idea to uninstall the drivers for your old video card before installing the new one.

[KBeee]

CLI.exe could well be part of an old ATI setup, trying to use the Catalyst Control Center. If your old card WAS an ATI, then -

1. In Add/Remove programs uninstall all the old ATI entries, including one that might be listed just as "DAO"
2. Delete all remaining ATI folders from your C drive
3. Clear out your TEMP folder/s
4. Use something like RegCleaner to delete ATI entries from your registry (back up your Reg first just in case).

This should give you a clean base to install your new card

[tweedledee]

Thanks, My old card is an ATI, so I'll give it another go, but I'm a bit worried about fiddling with the registry.

[redwudz]

Good point, Bjs. I always unplug the computer whenever unplugging or plugging in anything internal to the computer. I should have mentioned that. Most newer PS's have 'Keep alive' voltages to RAM and other parts, such as the LAN circuits, even though the computer is switched 'off' with the OS.

I'm no expert on ATI, but sometimes video drivers don't uninstall properly. You can usually go to their website and they may have a uninstaller or some info on clearing out the remnants of their install. This is usually not a problem. Most companies also have a forum where most other questions are answered. The companies don't always want to admit that there may be a problem. Doing a Google search with the right question helps at times also.

If you do need to go into the registry, back it up before you make any changes. There is that option when you open it. Then if there is a problem, you should be able to go back. I use 'regedit' most times. Type that into your 'Run.....' window. Registry changes happen instantaneously. There is no 'Do you really want to do this?', so you have to use caution.

[tweedledee]

I have just installed the new card and it's working fine. I followed your directions carefully regarding removing old drivers, so now, thanks to you guys, my problem's solved. Cheers.