Troubleshoot video card problems

Display problems are among the most common difficulties people have when upgrading either Windows or their computers. Here are solutions to some common display problems.

Your computer's display consists of two pieces of hardware: a video card (also known as a graphics card or display adapter), which is installed inside your computer, and the video monitor, where you see all the text and graphics your programs display.Windows uses drivers to work with these hardware devices. The majority of display problems are caused by incorrect, corrupted, or missing video drivers. Hardware failure or incorrect installation make up another set of problems, and external factors can also cause video problems.

If you have just installed Windows, or have changed your video card and are experiencing problems, the most likely cause is a missing or incorrect video driver. Most video cards will come with a disk that contains drivers and other software. Before you install it, check the information that came with the video card to be sure it supports your current version of Windows. If not, go to the manufacturer's website and download the most current driver for your version of Windows. For more information on drivers, 

Download the latest display driver.

 Remove your old driver by going to "Add/Remove Programs" and selecting the driver.

 Install your new driver by following the installation setup provided to you from the download. A new driver should fix any bugs from your previous driver.

Install a fan to blow on your computer.

Reduce overheating the video card by directing a fan at your computer. Play a game with high graphics with the fan keeping the computer case and inner components cool to test your video card for overheating.

Check your power supply.

Purchase a high-quality power supply product. Video cards can be damaged if the power supply allows too few or too many volts to the machine. If the power supply is not the issue, then simply return the product.

Do physical checks

Occasionally  it's just a mechanical problem. Sometimes removing and then re seating the video card in its expansion slot  or disconnecting and reconnecting auxiliary power cables can get it to start working properly. That's especially likely to solve your problem if your computer has just been moved or you just built it and haven't gotten it to work yet.  Once you've got the video card out, take a thorough look at it. If there is a lot of dust in the heat sink then you can poke it out or blow it out with a can of compressed air. Look at the capacitors to see if they're bulging or leaking. Check the heat sinks to make sure they are snug and not wobbling around. Loosely fitting heat sinks are the cause of many overheating problems. If everything appears to be in order, then plug it back into the motherboard and make sure to reconnect any auxiliary power cables. Make sure you push the card fully into the slot.  If your slot has a latch, then make sure that it is fully latched down. That helps make sure that the card is seated properly. You'd be surprised how often a card which appears to be dead is actually just not pushed fully into the slot.