A graphics card upgrade is a common upgrade for computers,
especially on systems intended for gaming and design.
There are many different issues that might cause your
computer to not properly recognize your new graphics card.
It might take some time to isolate the graphics card issue,
but most fixes are easy for a home user.
Turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the back.
Check the physical connections of the video card.
Ensure that the power supply connector is properly attached.
Check that the card is firmly inserted into the AGP or PCI-E
slot.
If you are unsure that it is installed correctly, check the
manufacturer's documentation and reinstall the card.
Download the latest graphics card driver from the
manufacturer's website.
In most cases, you'll be downloading from NVIDIA or ATI.
Install the proper driver for your operating system and
graphics card model.
The installation process is the same for most graphics
driver installations.
Click "Next" and "I accept the license
agreement," choose a location to install the driver, and continue clicking
"Next" until the installation is complete.
Restart the computer when prompted and check if the problem
is fixed.
Installing the wrong driver can cause problems with Windows
recognizing the graphics cards.
Go to "Start" and right-click "My
Computer."
Choose "Properties."
Select the "Hardware" tab and click the
"Device Manager" button.
Look under the "Display Adapters" section for an
entry listing your graphics card.
If the entry is listed with an exclamation mark or a
question mark, there is an issue with the card being detected.
Otherwise, it has been detected correctly.
Try several different versions of drivers if the card is
still not recognized properly.
Check the manufacturer forums and support sections for
recommended driver versions.
Some graphics cards are more stable on older versions of the
card, or there may be beta drivers that will fix the issue.
Update the motherboard drivers as well. Sometimes
compatibility issues between a motherboard and graphics card are fixed with new
drivers.
Contact the manufacturer for a video card replacement if
it is still not recognized.
Hardware issues can manifest in many ways, and it may not be
possible for the card to be detected correctly with a physical problem.
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