[FIXED] HD graphics card boots to blank screen

[SteveH]

Since repartioning my hard drive and reinstalling FE, my HD graphics card (R7 250X) boots into a blank screen (I see the early boot screens, but the monitor goes blank when Workbench is due to load).
Since the card previously worked fine with FE and my older graphics card works OK, I guess it is a problem with the drivers/libs.
Could someone please confirm which combination of drivers/libs (and their versions numbers) I should have for the HD card to work?
I have OS4.1 FE plus the Enhancer pack installed.
Thanks
Steve

[tonyw]

Steve, it's almost certainly caused by the new installation writing over your RadeonHD.chip file in Kickstart/. Did you have a newer version installed, eg from AmigaKit? If so, you will have to reload it from a backup or download it again.

[SteveH]

Steve, it's almost certainly caused by the new installation writing over your RadeonHD.chip file in Kickstart/

Hi Tony - I thought I'd done that but will check when I get home this evening.
Thanks,
Steve

[SteveH]

Steve, it's almost certainly caused by the new installation writing over your RadeonHD.chip file in Kickstart/. Did you have a newer version installed, eg from AmigaKit?

Hmmm, this doesn't seem to be the problem, as I have now installed RadeonHD.chip v2.10 (the latest version from AmiStore).
The X1000 still fails to boot, although instead of giving a blank screen when it is about to launch Workbench now shows me the A-Eon splash logo instead, at which point the machine locks up and needs to be rebooted. I wonder if my HD graphics card is damaged?
I can still boot using the old card.
Steve

[tonyw]

I'm not familiar with the "A-Eon splash screen". But if it can display a picture properly, it suggests that the card is OK and can be programmed from the CPU.

Presumably it's an X-1000 and it shows the CFE display OK?

Then shows the red progress bar OK while booting?

Then what? Does it not show the "AmigaOS4.1" splash screen? It shows something from A-Eon?

If you suspect the card, I'd try reseating it first. Some of those big, heavy cards make perilous contact and I usually have to bend the rear bracket slightly to get the card to sit straight when it is screwed in place. I have found it works to make sure the card is properly in its slot, then adjust the bracket so that the mounting hole lines up perfectly before trying to fasten it with the screw.

[SteveH]

I'm not familiar with the "A-Eon splash screen".

I mean the X1000 splash screen - it is the logo you see within seconds of powering on the X1000.

Presumably it's an X-1000 and it shows the CFE display OK? Then shows the red progress bar OK while booting?

Yes to all.

Then what? Does it not show the "AmigaOS4.1" splash screen?

Once the progress bar reaches 100%, the "AmigaOS4.1" splash screen doesn't show. Instead, the monitor goes blank (power light goes off). After a few seconds, the monitor powers itself back on, at which point the A-EOn/X1000 splash screen is displayed but the X1000 is unresponsive (keyboard won't work) so has to be powered off.

If you suspect the card, I'd try reseating it first

I will try this again, although I have removed and replaced it several times recently and it seemed to be firmly in place.
Should I be able to boot OK from the FE boot CD?
Steve

[SteveH]

Should I be able to boot OK from the FE boot CD?

Answering my own question! I can't boot from the FE CD with the HD graphics card installed - again, all goes well until the red progress bar hits 100%, then the blank screen appears and the monitor turns itself; and I am waiting a good 5 mins before switching off, just in case the OS is really slow booting from CD. Unlike when I try to boot from HD0:, the keyboard remains responsive and I can use the keyboard to do a reset (although the OS fails to boot as before).
My next step is to install FE onto my backup boot partion and see if I can boot from that with the HD Card in place.
All very odd!
(Oh - and the card is defintely firmly in place).
UPDATE: Have just freshly installed FE onto DH1: and copied RadeonHD.chip v2.10 into Kickstart ... tried to boot it up and I get exactly the same issue as when I try to boot from the bot CD (eg, blank screen once red preogress bar reaches 100% but keyboard still responsive). Next step: downgrade RadeonHD.chip back to version on the install CD and see what happens.

[SteveH]

FIXED - AFter all that, turns out the cable into the back of the monitor was slightly loose. For some reason, this only affected the output from the HD card.
Anyway, OS4 is booting beautifully again ..... thanks again to Tony for your time!

[tonyw]

Would never have guessed that one. Good you found it !