PCIe Graphics Card Dosnt work when Integrated graphics enabled

[Tigerpie_VS]

I have a HP Z230.

- No Graphics installed on either PCIe Slot system boots

- Graphics Card installed on either of the PCIe slots but integrated graphics DISABLED, PC Boots

- Graphics Card installed on either of the PCIe slots with integrated graphics ENABLED, PC "doesn't boot".. when I say it doesn't boot, it actually does boot, but there is no output from either integrated display or graphics card(s).

I know it boots because I can logon via teamviewer.. however the display looks like it is 640x480 and all as i can see is the windows start / orb button. the rest of the dekstop is black, no task bar. If i move the mouse its like it is revealing the desktop although it is all "garbled".

Its not the graphics card, it works fine in other computers. I have tried multiple cards.. however they are all NVS 310 cards.
I updated he BIOS from 01.61 to 01.62 but this did not help. 
secure boot is enabled.

When I reset the BIOS and boot, go into CMOS and enable the integrated graphics, save and exit.. the computer powers back up and beeps at me 6 times with the power LED flashing RED (HP manual, says possible graphics card problem and to reseat the card) which I do... then it goes through the process of booting up, but with no display....

This is really annoying as I have been re-purposing a lot of Z230's and this is happening on about 3 out of 80 machines.... 
Any help would be greatly appreciated 

[Tigerpie_VS]

I have also tried downgrading the BIOS to version 1.58 but still have the same problem.

[DGroves]

playing with the BIOS will do nothing about your video issue but possibly cause a dead system.......... i really wish people would stop trying/flashing their bios for every problem under the sun

when having a dual video system with onboard and add in graphics capability that does support dual video out, it's strongly recommended that the embedded video drivers be installed first to prevent video issues

once the onboard video is working, set it to a windows default resolution that the monitor supports at 60hz which  is also a supported resolution that the add in card supports (1024x768 is a good resolution to pick)

and install the new discrete card and reboot, you should  have windows 7 boot using its basic display driver

also not every monitor supports dual video switching correctly, (especially if using different input modes like DVI/Displayport)   in theory should but reality is a bit different

on most systems if you install a card in the 16x pci-e slot it will disable onboard video, but using a 1x slot video card will sometimes allow both to be enabled

[Tigerpie_VS]

Hi Mate,

I am happy to give your suggestion a go as I am all out of ideas myself. But how does changing anything in windows solve what seems to be a BIOS / Hardware issue?

The fact that neither display I am using (I am using a HP ZR2440w monitor and a TV) shows the POST screen would indicate the issue is not related to windows.

Windows (or any OS) has no effect on the BIOS and or computer during POST.

I would agree with your comment about flashing the BIOS if it was "back in the day" but these days with the ease of flashing a BIOS and dual BIOS setups I think "bricking" a PC is of lesser concern.

Other reason I tried the BIOS was that I had read another forum topic where a similar problem was described and the issue was resolved by updating the BIOS as it has something to do with Secure boot.

Also, there was a BIOS limitation (pre 1.54 i think it was) where you could not select which card was the default boot device (to show the POST Screen).

So again, as I said I was out of ideas so updating the BIOS seemed like a good shot.
I'll have a crack at your suggestion and let you know. And Thank you for taking the time to reply.

[Tigerpie_VS]

HI Again DGroves, I was just thinking when I was about to give your suggestion a go that the issue only occurs when I ENABLE the integrated video in the BIOS settings.

If i have integrated video disabled and an add in card installed (in either PCIe Slot), then the systems works fine. But if I then enable the integrated video this is when it all goes south.

So I guess its safe to say that this has nothing to do with windows.

[DGroves]

please reread what i previously wrote "not all systems support dual video with onboard + video card" and many of those that do disable the onboard video when a add in card is inserted to a x16 pci-e slot, and a small amount will work if a x1 video card is used

don't you think reading the HP manual on your system to see what it's video abilities are would be a good place to start?

if your system supports both video devices at the same time it will be documented in the HP  user or service manual for your system

[Tigerpie_VS]

OK, Admittedly I have not read the user manual.. when i built up my first system I assumed it supported using the integrated graphics along with an add in card.. as it worked for me.

I have about 50 x HP Z230's out in the field all running with integrated graphics and either 1 or 2 x NVS 310 Graphics cards installed. I think I have 2 of them running with a single NVS 510 (for 5 video outputs)

So I figured they must have supported this type of configuration?

[Tigerpie_VS]

OK, I just read the user guide

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c04487630

Chapter 8 page 2 has a note
"Simultaneous usage of integrated Intel HD graphics and discrete graphics cards (in order to drive more than two displays) can be enabled
using Computer (f10) Setup Utility. However, HP recommends using only discrete graphics cards to drive more than two displays."

[DGroves]

ok, so the system can do dual video, so the issue is most likely the video card or the display or video cables

try setting the nvidia card as the primary display if the default is the intel display and note the results

(try this below as primary and sec display device)

try disconnecting the nvidia display until the system is booted then connect the video cable

[Tigerpie_VS]

Hi Groves,

thanks for your perseverance but if you read my OP

- No Graphics installed on either PCIe Slot system boots

- Graphics Card installed on either of the PCIe slots but integrated graphics DISABLED, PC Boots

- Graphics Card installed on either of the PCIe slots with integrated graphics ENABLED, PC "doesn't boot".. when I say it

So really, I think the mobo is screwed on all 3 boxes.

when I have graphics cards installed and integrated video ENABLED
there is no display to any screen.
HOWEVER
the system boots as I can login to it via teamviewer.. (but I cannot see the POST on any screen) but windows is unusable

i can only the windows ORB, there are no desktop icons and no task bar, and when i move my mouse around, parts of the screen or revealed.. but its all "blotchy"
So this would indicate a driver issue... you would think, HOWEVER, the fact that it doesnt show the POST screen to any display surely indicates the BIOS is not functioning correctly when integrated graphics is enabled with an add in card, and therefore the correct information is not being passed to windows, so windows can not load the drivers / display correctly.

Would that seem like a logical "diagnosis"?

As a bit of  test, I uninstalled and selected to delete the driver files for the NVS 310 Cards and the integrated video.

I booted up with the NVS 310 as primary (onboard disabled by default through the BIOS) and the system boots up.

But when I ENABLED onboard graphics in the BIOS thats when the problem of the system not putting out any sort of output to either the Graphics Card or the Integrated display occurs.

The monitors are not an issue, they are totally fine.

I guess if nobody else has any ideas, I just have to use these computers as they are with only the graphics cards usable.
Which is painful, as when I put systems out into the field I prefer them to be all the same configuration so it is easier for trouble shooting and so forth.