Delayed responses

http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/products/

In put service tag number in the box and select Submit



On the left side select Drives and Downloads
On the list on the right select Video.
Now download the correct driver for your system.

 

Thanks to both for the quick comebacks. After I posted I tried a restart. Since this computer originally came with Vista and I added a second hard drive for W7, on bootup I get the black screen which lets me choose which OS to use. I noticed that screen displayed normally, meaning full screen with no black stripe. This might mean that the issue is with the OS and not the hardware. I'm now going to restart again to see if Vista opens correctly, be right back!

 

No, it's not a hardware issue. I'm trying to find out if you can do anything with the computer while in Windows 7.

 

Vista loads properly. Of course, I no longer use it. When loading W7, the familiar "starting Windows" with the 4-color "flag" icon appears as normal, centered in the screen. But when the desktop screen opens, it is as detailed above, with the faults as mentioned. This seems to point to the W7 OS. Also, since this change, Firefox takes 2x or 3x longer to open.

 

Ok good. Now try the F8 options and choose Last Known Good Configuration. If that doesn't help, try Low Res Video or Safe mode. If you can then view the Window's 7 Desktop, then go into Device Manager and choose to roll back the video driver. If all that doesn't help, then a System Restore should fix it.

 

This would be on startup, right?

 

Yes. Power down the computer, then start tapping away at F8 to get the options menu I spoke about.

 

Sorry to be so dense, but what I understand to do is restart

Worked down your list of suggestions, no joy. Started system restore, eventually got a message box, could not complete due to interference from av program (malwarebytes). Says to disable the av, but, of course, I can't access local programs. Catch 22!

Also- when the desktop screen appears, there is a small black window that opens briefly, looks like a notepad-type thing, colors reversed with black background. There is no text, but the heading says (I think) something about amd systems or suchlike. It disappears too fast to get much from it.

 

Let's back up.

You got into Window's 7 system restore by using the F8 key. Is that correct?

Also, are you sure Safe Mode, etc, didn't allow you to use Window's 7?

 

My interpretation of your post #25 was to do system restore from W7 itself, via control panel. You mentioned that if I can see the desktop to go into device manager.

I can see the right side of the start menu with the keyboard start key.

 

So by restarting the computer (without using the F8 options), are you now able to get into Window's 7 with the screen being ok?

 

No, I still get the display defects

 

When I look at Device Manager from the Control Panel, it shows the graphic driver as the old one, Radeon HD3200. Maybe some glitch between the old driver and the new one that is supposed to be installed?

 

When using the F8 options, press the arrow keys to highlight Safe Mode then press enter. When Window's starts up, do you still have the display defects? If so, try pressing the Windows key. Can you bring up your start menu with the Windows key in Safe Mode?

 

Wait.

How are you now getting into Device Manager?

 

OK, I'll see what happens

 

You might have missed my previous post in which I asked how you were getting into Device Manager given that your display was unreadable.

 

We have both missed posts from each other while making our own posts. I did get full-screen display on safe mode, but with very limited functionality, including being unable to reply, etc. Now that I am back in the usual boot-up, the display defects remain. With the display errors, I can still see the right-hand side of the start menu, but not the installed programs list to the left.

 

I have to leave for a crucial meeting in about ten minutes. Beyond that, I'll have to wrestle with this problem tomorrow.

 

@Slowpoke47 do you even use Vista at all?

Why not just wipe the drive and do a fresh install of Windows 7 only.