Cannot change graphics card from Nvidia to AMD

I am wondering if someone can point me in the right direction. I am running Windows 8 64-bit with an old Nvidia 8800GTX card. I have a new HD 7970 card. When I put the new card in, I can't get the OS to boot. It just says "Windows ecountered a problem" and will just do this over and over. I can't preinstall the ATI drivers before I put the card in. Can anyone offer some advice? Thanks.

You have to uninstall all the old NVIDIA stuff first. This includes the drivers and all software. Once you are sure you are clean, then change the cards and boot into win 8. Once there, you can install your new ATI drivers.

Try the tip from JustATest.

With any issues from there, go to safe mode, see if you manage to get to the desktop. Nvidia stuff is not loaded in safe mode.

Where is safe mode:
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/4924-advanced-startup-settings-boot-windows-8-a.html

Thanks for your replies.

I removed all the Nvidia software.

When booting up for the first time with the new card, it just gets the spinning wheel on the boot screen. After about 15 minutes I turned it off. Second time, it comes up "Your PC couldn't turn off properly. A requested device isn't connected or can't be accessed. Error code 0xc000000f. You'll need to use the recovery tools on your installation media...".

Third time it comes up " Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. We're just collecting some info and then we'll restart for you. ... If you'd like to know more, you can search online later for this error: SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (Rt630x64.sys)" Seems to be the Realtek driver, which is strange.

Booting into safe mode works (it didn't work previously when I tried this without first uninstalling the Nvidia stuff). But when trying to install the AMD drivers, at "Detecting graphics hardware", it pops up "Failed to load detection driver" (twice) and then fails with "Failed to detect system configuration".

[Edit: a google search revealed that these drivers won't install in safe mode, so that's why the last part happened]

Weird.

Do you have an integrated/onboard graphics option in your BIOS? If so, you might try moving your monitor cable to the onboard graphics connection and changing the BIOS option to boot using integrated graphics. This is just an in between step to see how far you get.

Yes there is integrated video on the motherboard. I have just tried that and get the same result.

Also, the problem reported in the "Your PC ran into a problem screen" seems to be with a different driver every time. I've seen reported hidusb.sys, USBPORT.sys, some other ones too that I can't remember. Different errors: PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA, ATTEMPTED_EXECUTE_OF_NOEXECUTE_MEMORY, SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED.

Thanks

Hmm.. that is interesting and a very good observation on your part. Henceforth, consider my subsequent suggestions as just stabs in the dark. With that said, and considering your new information, I would try running on one stick of RAM and if that doesn't work, I would replace it with the other and try again. I am assuming you have a 2x8GB arrangement. If you have a 4x4Gb arrangement, try one stick at a time on that as well. I understand if you choose to ignore this recommendation but I can only suggest what I would do if I were in your shoes. Good luck.

Yeah, I think that the RAM is good because there are no problems running with my old Nvidia card. I think I will try to reinstall the OS with the new 7970 in. Maybe there's something wrong with this card though.

Thanks for your help.

beast said:

Yeah, I think that the RAM is good because there are no problems running with my old Nvidia card. I think I will try to reinstall the OS with the new 7970 in. Maybe there's something wrong with this card though.

Thanks for your help.

Click to expand...

That sure sounds like it is worth a try; however, did you ever actually try a clean install with the new ATI card? If not, that might be a better first move.

When uninstalling old drivers you should do it from safe mode and after that use something like "Driver Cleaner" Download Driver Cleaner Professional - MajorGeeks
To vacuum up all the leftovers from the old drivers, only them you can say that system is reasonably clean of the old ones.
If you are doing clean install of the windows, make sure you are connected to internet and windows will pick up drivers that you can replace with newer ones at the later date and still have the basic ones to fall back ti if need arises.