why doesn't my nvidia riva tnt2 model 64/model 64 pro display above 640X480?

I am having trouble with my NVIDIA RIVA TNT2 MODEL 64/MODEL 64 PRO graphics card.
when i boot up my PC it goes to the COMPAQ splash screen (by the way, i have a COMPAQ PRESARIO 5000) boots up windows xp and then goes black like all computers, but instead of going to the welcome screen like other computers, it just stays as blank as a dumb persons face when you ask them an easy question. I press the menu button on the monitor and it still displays 640X480 (which is the default screen resolution of the loading screen of win xp) But here is the catch: when the graphics card is not displaying anything (after loading screen) the built in onboard graphics outputs the display. so to summerise it up, the graphics card does the displaying up to after the loading screen (when the screen resolution is changing from 640X480 to 1024X768 (1024X768 is my screen res) then the display switches to the onboard display for the 1024X768 display. the graphics card used to do all the displaying and so did the onboard graphics. i have tried different screen resolutions, different colour depths, both res and colour in different combinations, updating drivers then rolling back if not working, but i haven't tried it in another computer (ie: my brothers) because if i do and it fries his computer like a fish in a frying pan then he will kill me within 3 seconds from sundown. can anyone suggest anything that would work, or at least a good (but not too expensive) graphics card, or something? HELP!!! thanks in advance, justin.

 

It sounds like you have both the Riva card and the onboard graphics enabled and the drivers installed for both. This can work sometimes, but I think you have found out what happens when it doesn't.

To correct it I think you will need to disable the onboard graphics, remove the software and drivers for both, then reinstall the Riva drivers (which version of Windows?). I don't think you will be able to continue running both or this may keep happening.

Yes, can you tell us more about the problem? I can't tell if you may be using 2 monitors (one attached to each VGA connector) or if you are reconnecting the monitor to the other connector (probably not good if the system is running).

I take it that the resolutions you are describing are a readout by the monitor itself, not the settings you make in Windows.

If the Riva card works up until Windows loads, then goes blank or or will only run at low resolutions, this should point to a driver problem.

Matt