AMD Black Screen before login.

[Geo]

My old motherboard crapped out on me, so I got a new one. After installing it, I went to update my graphics card drivers. After the install/reboot, I get a black screen w/ cursor after the "Starting Windows" screen. I have tried 15.7.1 and 14.12. Disabling ULPS in regedit did not work. I do not have a second graphics card.

Specs:

OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit

CPU: AMD FX-8120 Zambezi 8-Core 3.1GHz Socket AM3+ 125W

GPU: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6950 11188-22-20G 2GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support

Motherboard: MSI 990FXA-GAMING AM3+/ AM3 AMD 990FX & SB950 6 x SATA 6Gb/s 2 x USB 3.1 ATX AMD

RAM: 2x CORSAIR Vengeance 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9

Edit note: I have figured out a work around. I switched from DVI to HDMI. While the DVI is still black screened, the HDMI seems to work just fine. I have not tested it out on games yet.

Edit note 2: Seems that when I upgraded, the computer thought that the DVI was monitor 2 and that HDMI was monitor 1. I have put the settings to duplicate the info among all detected monitors and once again have a working DVI mode.

So fix to this problem:

1. Plug in a HDMI cord between the GPU and the monitor.

2. Switch your monitor mode from DVI to HDMI and see if the login screen is displayed.

3. If yes, log in.

4. Go Control Panel\Appearance and Personalization\Display.

5. Click "Adjust Resolution" on the left hand side of the window.

6a. Set "Multiple displays" to "Duplicate these displays".

6b. Click monitor 2 (which should be the DVI), then check "Make this my main display".

7. Click apply.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Go download all the latest Drivers for any/all hardware to be used since you've made such changes.

Then uninstall any/all old/previous Drivers via the normal Uninstall methods.

Reboot as needed. Once those are all cleared out, download DDU > http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html

and then reboot into Safe Mode and use DDU to remove old drivers.

Then reboot into Normal Mode and install all latest Drivers for current hardware.

Such as:

> AMD 9-series Chipset Drivers 15.xx
> AMD GPU Drivers 15.xx

As well as others that pertain to this new Motherboard; such as USB 3.0, Audio, LAN, etc...

[_I_]

6950 is an old card
try cleaning it and make sure its fan is spinning when powered on

[Geo]

Used DDU to remove the old drivers, rebooted, installed all the latest drivers, but no luck. Im once again staring at a black screen.

And I did clean the card and the fans are spinning.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Are you using DVI? If so, try the other DVI port, then a cold boot.

[Geo]

I can try and switch to HDMI

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Nothing wrong with DVI; but on some GPUs I have seen many instances of GPUs that have 2x DVI ports, if you having issues from just running a single display off of one DVI, power off and try the other DVI. As some GPUs have issues regarding which DVI is the primary.

[Geo]

I downgraded to the 13.12 drivers and switched over to HDMI. I can see my screen, but its not fitted to my monitor. When I swap back over to my DVI, its back to black. Im going to try the newer driver.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

HDMI = you have to adjust the OverScan setting in AMD Catalyst

[Geo]

It fitted to my screen with the newest driver. Scared me for a second as it hung on a black screen, but it went to the login screen just as I said "Damn...."