Z77 Extreme 4 and Windows 8 no correctly detecting Gigabyte 7970

[rodan1967]

I seem to be having this issue where I can reboot my computer once in a while and lose the correct video card detected in Windows 8 device manager. My mobo is a Z77 Extreme 4 with newest bios. The video card is a Gigabyte 7970. When I look in device manager Windows 8 will say the video card detected is a "Basic Windows Display Adapter" I have tried the newest drivers for the video card, uninstalling and reinstalling with no luck. I can sometimes get Windows 8 to detect the correct video card if I swap the DVI connector to the HDMI on the video cards and then Windows will detect it correctly. This will only last till I rebook or turn off computer. Also I have the integrated video on the mobo disabled in the bios. Any help appreciated.

[parsec]

When you installed Windows 8, and it started for the first time, was the display already in the correct display resolution? Unlike Windows 7 where the display will be in a low resolution mode until you install the video card's driver? Also, during the last stages of the installation, did you just skip past the screen where the "Automatically install updates" was displayed?

If so, what happened is Windows 8 installed its own video driver for your card, so it is seen as, "Basic Windows Display Adapter". The annoying part is if you install the specific driver for your card, and check Device Manager, I bet you'll see two device entries in Display Adapters, the Basic one above, and whatever your card's driver usually displays. Have you seen that?

BTW, you only have one video adapter active in your PC, not two, as long as you truly have the IGP disabled. How did you do that?

There are several ways you could fix this. Have you tried manually updating the driver of the Basic Windows Display Adapter entry?

Try installing the driver you want, and then check Device Manager, Display Adapters, for two entries. If you have two, disable the one you don't want, if it lets you, and if the screen goes black, just press the Reset button to reboot. Either way, reboot after disabling that entry and see what happens.

[- wardog -]

I can sometimes get Windows 8 to detect the correct video card if I swap the DVI connector to the HDMI on the video cards and then Windows will detect it correctly.

What parsec implies/asks, and:

Check that the card is fully seated in the correct PCIE2 slot and that the locking latch on the end of the slot is fully engaged.

[- wardog -]

Also, what specific Gigabyte 7970 are we talking about here?

I asked previous to make sure it's seated fully, and now looking at some of Gigabytes 7970 offerings I'll again ask that you check that it is seated and not being interfered with being seated by anything adjacent.