I have this monitor hooked to my PC ATI 7500 graphics card with a DVI cable. When the PC initially boots up, the monitor display is blank - it does not display the boot-up messages until the MS Windows display screen actually comes up. So, it is not possible to boot into "safe mode" or other "dual boot" OS option. Is this normal, or do I have a problem with this particular monitor?

you need a dvi to vga adapter not a dvi to vga plug and you must also go into your graphics card setup catalyst control center if its ATI Nvidia Display manager for Nvidia if you boot the computer with it pluged in and you can see the boot screen on bolth displays then its an os thing just right click and select the display manager the activate all display's through the managers

you may need to change some bios settings i don't know what type of BIos you have but the setting would read something like: initial display on boot...and the options would be onboard or pci make sue its pci

^but befor you try that try booting up your pc with the graphics card plugged in (if you haven't already tried)

I have had that very same problem before. Unfortunatly it is all bad news. The card is going bad. You will have to replace the card. I wish there was something else I could tell you, but I know with 100% certanty that the card isnt any good. And the reason your other graphics card may not work is due to you not either uninstalling the 7500 drivers before you swapped, or some of the software affiliated with the 7500 were not completly removed during the uninstall process. Try this program http://www.guru3d.com/category/driversweeper/ to completly remove all dirver files for the 7500.

Remove the card, plug into your built-in card. Start your PC in safe mode. Uninstall all ATI software and delete the card from Device Manager. Restart. Reinstall the ATI drivers. Power down. Install the card and connect your monitor to it. The OS will find the card in default mode - let it. Restart. When it comes back up, you will be able to select the full range of operating modes.
BACK UP :)

Try removing the video card, and look up your motherboard / system manual on dell's website on how to manually reset the bios.

1. Remove video card
2. Reset BIOS (physically opening the computer and using a special jumper and/or removing the battery...what ever the manufacturer says to do to reset the BIOS).
3. After BIOS is reset, try booting up via your onboard video card first. Once you get that working, go into the bios settings and make sure it is set to boot the onboard only for right now and then you can make sure the ATI software is fully uninstalled when you get into windows.
4. Reinstall the ATI card and boot up with the video still connected to the onboard card. See if it will let you install the driver.

The trick here is to reset the bios and get the system booting off the onboard card if at all possible. If that works, then you can always reinstall drivers and then tweak the bios to boot off the AGP card instead of the onboard.

From the AMD.Com website: Display Support

• One Dual-Link DVI-I connector for high-resolution digital displays
• ATI Radeon™ DVI-I to HDMI2 with 5.1 audio (adapter)
• One VGA analog connector
• HDTV Component (YPrPb) output (adapter)
• Drive two displays simultaneously with independent resolutions and refresh rates4
• TV output requires HDMI, component, S-video or composite cable (not included)

Two integrated DVI display outputs

• Primary supports 18-, 24-, and 30-bit digital displays at all resolutions up to 1920x1200 (single-link DVI) or 2560x1600 (dual-link DVI)1
• Secondary supports 18-, 24-, and 30-bit digital displays at all resolutions up to 1920x1200 (single-link DVI only)1
• Each includes a dual-link HDCP encoder with on-chip key storage for high resolution playback of protected content2

It does using dual link DVI. Is that the cable you are using?

Here is a link to the complete specs

Thank you for providing your configuration details.
You have failed to specify wheather or not your LCD Display is under Warrenty.

Perhaps these simple trouble shooting procedures will get the job done.

1. use the DVI to VGA adaptor that came with your card

Plug in a regular CRT monitor to the Primary Display Output Port using the DVI to VGA adaptor
( either port can be designated as the primary by you )
I like to use the Port nearest to the motherboard as the Primary

2. plug in the your LCD monitor on Secondary Display port using your DVI cable

At this point you should be able to see your desktop on the Primary CRT Display

3. Go to the display properties and use the Nvidia Dual Display Setup Wizard

set both desktops to CLONED at a resolution of 1024x768 and set the refresh to 60Hz
which is default for most LCD displays , some have higher refresh rates , consult your user manuel

If the display resolution and refresh are set incorrectly for your CRT or LCD you will see
Signal Out of Range ( if the display has the ability to display that error message )

At this stage both displays should be showing a Windows Desktop

If you now see your desktop on both displays , you can now put the LCD on the Primary Port



No Signal Detected ( this means the display device is not receiving a signal )

If your LCD display is still displaying the error message
"No Signal Detected" after performing the trouble shooting proceedures
You may need to read the user manuel about how to enable DVI signal input.

If you are certan you have done everything correctly but still see only "No Signal Detected"

Your LCD Display may need replacement

Loch Hime :-)

I have no experience with the DVI links because such technology is still unavailable here in Argentina. We have DVI video cards but finding a suitable DVI monitor is another (long) story.
I think that your card (that has 2 DVI ports) is initializing one port first (the primary one) and then, when windows starts, it initializes the other and outputs video from both ports.
Try connecting the monitor in the other DVI port.
If your card has a VGA output, the VGA gets initialized first.

Hey there Carol H, I would agree that the amplifier is the likely source of the distortion or picture break up. It is the last in the series of steps therefore most likely the problem. Also the problem did not appear until the signal ran through the amplifier, thus indicating that the amp created rather amplify the problem. If your need is to have multiple monitors installed on one machine, I suggest you consider a system which supports Scalable D.G.E., Crossfire, or SLi technology. These allow multiple video cards and therefore multiple connections, as well as improving overall performance, and reducing strain on system resources. I hope this helps. Good Luck!

what you have the ATI card hooked up can you see the boot screen? If you can see that you might want to try going into safe mode and making sure your graphics settings aren't set beyond the capability of your monitor. If you can't see the boot screen then your card might be dead.