# Video Card problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 1, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-card-problem/172422 "2003-05-01T17:14:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bryanmaguire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bryanmaguire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmaguire)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-card-problem/172422/1 "2003-05-01T17:14:40Z")
Yesterday my video card decided that it no longer wanted to display more than 16 colours. Perhaps its feeling deprerssed. Anyway, when I try to start ME with the colour depth set at more that 16 colours it hangs at the point when it switches from the text mode of the POST to the video mode of ME. The windows ME startup logo is also displayed in 16 colours. I have tried several different drivers, including the latest set from NVidia to no avail. Th card, btw is a GeoForce 2 GTS with a Creative Labs badge. Anybody got any ideas I can try before I dump the card and buy a new one? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-card-problem/172422/2 "2003-05-01T17:20:17Z")
It’s remotely possible that pulling the card and cleaning the contacts with a pencil eraser might fix it. I give this about a 2% chance of success, though. Other than that, it sounds like a replacement is in order. ---
**Author:** ![merge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9f8e36/32.png) [@merge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/merge)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-card-problem/172422/3 "2003-05-01T17:24:25Z")
It has to be the driver… keep trying… delete it from the device manager… turn off the computer… re-seat the card(for good measure) and try to install a new driver when it prompts you to. btw… ME is the worst OS I have ever used. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-card-problem/172422/4 "2003-05-01T17:24:33Z")
Sounds like it could be a memory problem. Maybe some of the video memory has gone bad in which case the most efficient thing is to get a new card. ---
**Author:** ![bryanmaguire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bryanmaguire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmaguire)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-card-problem/172422/5 "2003-05-01T17:30:56Z")
I;ve tried all the things suggested so far. No luck at all. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-card-problem/172422/6 "2003-05-01T17:39:37Z")
In Device Manager, highlight your video card and click properties, then Driver. See if the listed driver is the correct one, or just some generic driver. Otherwise, you’ll have to try manually changing to the correct driver. ---
**Author:** ![bryanmaguire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bryanmaguire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmaguire)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-card-problem/172422/7 "2003-05-01T18:03:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*In Device Manager, highlight your video card and click properties, then Driver. See if the listed driver is the correct one, or just some generic driver. Otherwise, you’ll have to try manually changing to the correct driver. \*\* Like I mentioned in the OP i downloaded the latest drivers for the card from Nvidia. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-card-problem/172422/8 "2003-05-01T18:21:36Z")
Yes, but did they _install_ properly? I’m just trying to cover all the bases here. ---
**Author:** ![bryanmaguire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bryanmaguire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmaguire)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-card-problem/172422/9 "2003-05-01T20:51:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*Yes, but did they _install_ properly? I’m just trying to cover all the bases here. \*\* Well, I installed them and it still didnt work. Whether they installed _properly_ is a question for whichever deity you subscribe to 😉 Anyhoo, the entire problem is now moot. I finally decided to install XP. I’ve been putting it off all week thinking it was going to be a nightmare. It recognised my video card without any problems (I had switched down to the generic SVGA driver before the install) and installed its own driver. Everything is now hunky dory. stupid bloody ME ☹