cheap pc suggestions please...

[Guy]

windows 7 verification 

yeah I was using a trial version which i never verified 

[Guy]

try get into it again, even with the crap low res graphics with and install these:
http://www.nvidia.co.uk/object/win8-32bit-296.17-preview-driver-uk.html

interesting.. thank you

it wouldn't let me install the other drivers before without having the card in place... and it wouldn't boot with the card in place, so are you saying that I can force the software to install somehow and then pop the card in?

i am determined to get the old system up and running, just out of sheer bloody mindedness, although I do know we really should be looking at another system

so you guys reckon overclockers.co.uk is the site to be using.. this build your own sounds interesting... what are the things i need then..

case
mobo
psu
processor
graphics card
ram
dvd drive

[Jay]

it wouldn't let me install the other drivers before without having the card in place... and it wouldn't boot with the card in place, so are you saying that I can force the software to install somehow and then pop the card in?

I've never tried it doing it that way... give it a go and let us know.

When you say it won't boot, what exactly does it do? Do you see all the Dell stuff before windows? If so, do you see "Fish loading screen" when Windows is booting?

[Guy]

it wouldn't let me install the other drivers before without having the card in place... and it wouldn't boot with the card in place, so are you saying that I can force the software to install somehow and then pop the card in?

I've never tried it doing it that way... give it a go and let us know.

When you say it won't boot, what exactly does it do? Do you see all the Dell stuff before windows? If so, do you see "Fish loading screen" when Windows is booting?

i very much doubt i'll be able to install the drivers first... from what I have gathered win 8 is fairly authoritarian.. nope.. you can't do it that way and thats that!!

when i try to boot it displays the graphics card info

then it displays the dell screen

then it goes black

and then it displays the graphics card info

then it displays the dell screen

then it goes black

and then it displays the graphics card info

then it displays the dell screen

then it goes black

and then it displays the graphics card info

then it displays the dell screen

then it goes black

and then it displays the graphics card info

then it displays the dell screen

then it goes black

and then it displays the graphics card info

then it displays the dell screen

then it goes black

and then it displays the graphics card info

then it displays the dell screen

then it goes black

and then it displays the graphics card info

then it displays the dell screen

then it goes black

and then it displays the graphics card info

then it displays the dell screen

then it goes black

you get the idea... 

[justalex81]

don't mess with the microsoft pd yo!

[Jay]

What does it do after it went black that last time?  


Was the card plugged in when you installed Win8?

Boot it up and at the Dell logo screen keep tapping F8, Choose Safe mode with networking and see if you can get in that way.

[Guy]

don't mess with the microsoft pd yo!

i don't even know what this means?

[Guy]

What does it do after it went black that last time?  


Was the card plugged in when you installed Win8?

Boot it up and at the Dell logo screen keep tapping F8, Choose Safe mode with networking and see if you can get in that way.

nope it wasn't plugged in when I installed as i tried installing it with the card plugged in and it wouldn't reboot to finish the install

will try the f8 trick tomorrow