Not linux, but it's supporty

[[RwS]DarkMarshall]

I had a graphics card problem with my computer a few weeks ago. I didn't want to deal with it then, but now I really wanted to figure it out. Yes this will be long winded bare with me.

First off I want to say this is what I'm working with:

My mobo is: soltek sl-865Pro2-FGR
The problem: Ati Radeon x1600 AGP
The temp fix: geforce fx5200 AGP

I restarted my computer after some install one day. I forgot exactly what I installed but it wasn't graphics related exactly. Anyways after this restart my computer would hang up at a specific preboot process( if that's what you call it) before it even starts windows so I couldn't try safe mode. My mobo has a little digital readout telling me what process it is attempting.

the users manual says for the little code display:
"Initialize different buses and perform the following fuctions: Reset, Detect, and Disable ( function 2). Function 0 disables all device nodes, PCI devices and PnP ISA cards. It also assigns PCI bus numbers. Function 1 initializes all static devices that include manual configured onboard peripherals, memory and I/O decode windows in PCI, PCI bridges, and non compliant PCI devices. Static resources are also reserved. Function 2 searches for and initialized any PnP, PCI or AGP video devices"

Now all that read like crap to me, but the very last line stuck out, so I pluged in my ol' reliable fx5200 graphics card and my computer actually booted up without needing to go into safe mode or anything. I stopped there last time, because I was really pissed, it was running, and I know better than to screw with stuff while I'm pissed off.

They are both AGP cards, but one works and the other doesn't so my first thought is the ATI card just went bad. It was working just fine before it restarted, and visually looking at the card I cannot see any defect at all, not even a spec of dust. It just seems weird to me that something will work fine, and then 10 seconds later, simply restarting the system, start giving me a hard time. I've never had a problem like that before, so I'm feeling that the card isn't defective and there is something else that I don't know about happening.

I'm not asking for anyone to do in-depth investigations necessarily, but more wondering if anyone has had a similar problem and how you fixed it if you were able to. Or even better if you know exactly what I can do to get that card to work that would be awesome.
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The bananas have started talking to me and I have learned a great deal about their culture. I have ceased my senseless destruction of their homes and consumption of their young.