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    eGPU Trouble - laptop screen goes black

    Discussion in 'e-GPU (External Graphics) Discussion' started by D-man66, Jun 7, 2013.

  1. D-man66

    D-man66 Newbie

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    Running a Toshiba A500 laptop, Windows 7 Pro 64bit and a MSI GTX560Ti 2GB OC edition with the PE4H version 2.4 & EC2C express card adapter.. Power supply is a Corsair CX500M

    Events

    1. Tried MSI's install disc, menu was f'd up, the window cut off most of the options. Typical! Then tried installing drivers from MSI though their site, loaded with bloatware & twitchy as hell. Got rid of it all
    2. Downloaded drivers from Nvidia's site for the Geforce 500 series GPU's, install failed because GPU was not on.
    3. Turned on GPU power, showed up in device manager, windows installed it right away, hit restart an screen never came back on. Just stayed black.
    4. Powered off laptop, turned off GPU power, turned laptop back on, windows started normally.
    5. Turned GPU power on again, device showed up with yellow exclamation point in device manager, said restart needed but did nothing.
    6. Installed drivers from Nvidia's site via the GeForce experience software, worked now that the GPU was on. Completed with no problems, an said to restart
    7. Again laptop restarts but screen stays black.
    8. Did same as step 4.
    9. Now anytime I turn on GPU power (via that little switch that comes with the kit) the screen goes black. Even if I power down the GPU I do not get the screen back, I have to turn the GPU power off an turn off the laptop then restart with the GPU off of course. Tried connecting the HDMI cable running to my TV to the GPU but nothing happens to that screen. Also tried modifying my external screen options to use laptop screen only.

    Seems like a driver or setup problem, however how the hell can I change the driver if the moment I power the damn thing on it makes my screen go black.

    Only thread I found online with a similar problem was this
    http://forum.notebookreview.com/e-g...-pe4h-elitebook-8440w-black-screen-issue.html

    However no solution offered.

    *Update*
    Figured out how to remove the GPU device settings from manager when it's off so I uninstalled it but if you try the install again, same thing.

    Also notice my external mouse stops working right before it clunks out on me, it's a wireless connected to the USB, does it regardless of which USB port it's installed in.

    *Update*

    Hooked up an old Flat PC monitor to the VGA/DVI-I2 port on the GPU, when windows did the install it did before, restarted an after waiting 10 minutes it worked however the GPU showed up in Display as a standard vga device.

    Tried updating the device driver using MSI's cd an it restarted, worked again but the screen was glitchy, then corrected itself, but under device manager it disappeared from Display an appeared in "other/unknown".

    So then updated software using Nvidias latest driver software package. Again installed then restarted, worked but just as it got past the Windows 7 load screen an should have entered the User login screen a blue screen flashed an it crashed. Windows 7 started the restore function, completed an restarted, again it blue flashed & crashed so I powered down the GPU, unplugged it, an powered off the laptop, then turned on an here I am. Restored to point before I began everything.

    Don' know if I can play a game with it listed as just a standard VGA device, past experience say's no.

    *Update*

    Found this guide, seems to address the current problem
    http://www.sevenforums.com/graphic-cards/279406-external-gpu-egpu.html