How to Troubleshoot Video Card Problems
There are numerous clues that you are having video card problems with your computer. Some of these include strange artifacts on your computer screen, computer windows that are frozen in place and do not respond to your mouse, as well as no picture on the computer monitor at all.
Troubleshooting Computer Video Card Issues
- Check the basic settings. Right click your computer's desktop and click on “Properties.” In the tab labeled “Settings,” check that the correct screen resolution is selected for your monitor. Also, make sure that the proper display adapter is selected from the drop-down menu.
- Uninstall any old graphics card drivers. The graphics card driver is what the device uses to talk to your computer's operating system. If your driver is out of date, then you should update it via the graphics card manufacturer’s website. You can find out more information about your display adapter by clicking on the “Advanced” button in “Display Properties” dialogue box you opened in the step above.
- Install an up-to-date graphics card driver. Visit the website for your graphics card manufacturer and search on their site for the latest driver for your particular graphics card model. After you have downloaded it, right-click on your “My Computer” icon on your computer's desktop and open the “Hardware” tab to navigate to your computer’s device manager. Where you see your display adapter and click the “+” sign next to it. From there, you can choose to uninstall the device. To install your new display adapters, reboot your system. Your computer display might be in an odd resolution, but that is a sign that your graphics card does not have a driver. Your computer will usually display a dialog telling you to update your display driver, at which point you can point it to your newly downloaded drivers.