Possible GPU related issue

[AngusHoney]

Hey guys, first time posting here
run into a pretty major problem, basically i've got my monitor hooked up through my GPU, i'm getting video come through, but windows isn't detecting the card. Windows index is giving me a rating of 1 due to this, cannot run any games, also can't watch any sort of video that the computers integrated graphics wouldn't be able to handle.
I'm running an AMD setup, xfx double dissipation 270x 2gb card with a ASRock H97M pro4 mobo and a i5-4460 cpu with 8GB ram , as always i've had trouble ever getting drivers for this card also, AMD Catalyst never seems to work at all,
absolutely any help would be appreciated as i've just sold my xbox and need my weekly gaming fix

 

[Faktion]

Okay lets get to the bottom of this. So are you unable to get the drivers for your particular card? Did the card ever work in the past or is this a recent upgrade?

If you simply just need the drivers that is no problem at all. If you have installed the drivers and this is the result we will have to dig a bit deeper.

Let me know

 

[AngusHoney]

Okay lets get to the bottom of this. So are you unable to get the drivers for your particular card? Did the card ever work in the past or is this a recent upgrade?

If you simply just need the drivers that is no problem at all. If you have installed the drivers and this is the result we will have to dig a bit deeper.

Let me know

Well i've used AMD Catalyst, unfortunately the XFX site just links me to clunky "driver utility" applications that do nothing, To be entirely honest i wouldn't have a clue if the driers installed through catalyst at all, but the card has previously worked, up until a few days ago, now this started happening.
unfortunately i can't for the life of me just find a link to download drivers solely for this card
When checking any settings on my computer also, it says i'm using integrated graphics in the PCI slot, standard VGA adapter, yet i'm running my monitor through the card which is in my PCI-e slot, and it doesn't even have a VGA port

 

[Faktion]

Ok no problem. What operating system are you using?

 

[AngusHoney]

Ok no problem. What operating system are you using?

Win 7 64-bit,
i just reinstalled catalyst, came up saying "AMD Catalyst control center cannot be started. There are currently no settings that can be configured using AMD catalyst control center."

 

[Faktion]

Alright. It seems as though you have a couple of problems.

Lets begin:

-Uninstall Catalyst Control Center completely. (It will be reinstalled with the driver from AMD below).
-Use a Display Driver Uninstaller to remove any remnants of any previous drivers (this should be done whenever you update a graphics driver)
-Here is one of the two that I currently use : http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html
-Download your new graphics driver from the AMD website: http://support.amd.com/en-us/download/desktop?os=Windows%207%20-%2064
-Upon reboot enter your BIOS. Usually the system tells you on screen which button to press. Common keys to enter the BIOS are: Del, F10, F12, F9 etc.
-In the BIOS make sure you disable your motherboard's integrated graphics and select the option for the dedicated card or GPU. (Most motherboard do this automatically. Some do not.)
-Boot back into Windows and see if that solved your problem.

My guess is in the inactivity your CMOS battery on your motherboard lost most of its charge and the BIOS configurations reset. The GPU was still present but the motherboard reverted back to using integrated. Since the GPU is displaying the picture it would be my guess that the GPU itself should be just fine and it is just a setting that was changed by the long inactivity of the system.

Removing the GPU and booting into windows. Then turning the PC off and reinstalling the GPU and the drivers again might also allow your system to properly detect that a dedicated card has been installed and the integrated graphics is no longer needed, but we can hold off on that and see if we can manually get your system to properly utilize the GPU.

Let me know if that helps. If not we can proceed to trouble shoot the problem further.

 

[AngusHoney]

Alright. It seems as though you have a couple of problems.

Lets begin:

-Uninstall Catalyst Control Center completely. (It will be reinstalled with the driver from AMD below).
-Use a Display Driver Uninstaller to remove any remnants of any previous drivers (this should be done whenever you update a graphics driver)
-Here is one of the two that I currently use : http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html
-Download your new graphics driver from the AMD website: http://support.amd.com/en-us/download/desktop?os=Windows%207%20-%2064
-Upon reboot enter your BIOS. Usually the system tells you on screen which button to press. Common keys to enter the BIOS are: Del, F10, F12, F9 etc.
-In the BIOS make sure you disable your motherboard's integrated graphics and select the option for the dedicated card or GPU. (Most motherboard do this automatically. Some do not.)
-Boot back into Windows and see if that solved your problem.

My guess is in the inactivity your CMOS battery on your motherboard lost most of its charge and the BIOS configurations reset. The GPU was still present but the motherboard reverted back to using integrated. Since the GPU is displaying the picture it would be my guess that the GPU itself should be just fine and it is just a setting that was changed by the long inactivity of the system.

Removing the GPU and booting into windows. Then turning the PC off and reinstalling the GPU and the drivers again might also allow your system to properly detect that a dedicated card has been installed and the integrated graphics is no longer needed, but we can hold off on that and see if we can manually get your system to properly utilize the GPU.

Let me know if that helps. If not we can proceed to trouble shoot the problem further.

Done all that, kind of weird now though, can't boot windows now unless it's in safe mode, if i choose to run normally, gets to loading windows screen then just goes black, boots fine in safe mode
swapped the input over to the onboard graphics and it boots fine also, but atleast in catalyst now in system hardware it's saying i have a gpu installed, which is an improvement i suppose

 

[Faktion]

Did you completely remove the drivers and reinstall them in safe mode?

At least it boots normally with the integrated. That rules a lot of things out.

How old is your card?

 

[AngusHoney]

Did you completely remove the drivers and reinstall them in safe mode?

At least it boots normally with the integrated. That rules a lot of things out.

How old is your card?

Yep removed drivers using the program you listed, booted in safe mode then re-installed, did nothing
have had the card for a bit over a year
even tried swapping to a blank HDD and fresh installing windows on that, then using it, same problem though

 

[Faktion]

Well the really good news here is that you should still be under warranty for an RMA.

Any chance you have a spare GPU around to check to make sure you PCI-E slot is in proper working order?

 

[AngusHoney]

Well the really good news here is that you should still be under warranty for an RMA.

Any chance you have a spare GPU around to check to make sure you PCI-E slot is in proper working order?

Just checking on the website i purchased from now, unfortunately going to have to fill out a warranty application to see if they'll even replace it

and nope no other GPU spare unfortunately, seeing as i can't get this one going for the life of me i see no harm in requesting a replacement then

 

[Faktion]

They should replace it. XFX carries a lifetime warranty as long as you registered the card when you bought it. If not I think the warranty is 2 years, but don't quote me on that. I have always registered my cards.

 

[AngusHoney]

They should replace it. XFX carries a lifetime warranty as long as you registered the card when you bought it. If not I think the warranty is 2 years, but don't quote me on that. I have always registered my cards.

Purchased through an Australian PC website as thats where i live, but fingers crossed they replace it, being a student means i'll be saving again for a long time for another card haha
thanks for all your help though ! a shame we couldnt figure it out

 

[Faktion]

No problem. Let me know if you need anything else.