Display Adapters not picked up/shown in device manager

remove the drivers completely.
reboot the system
clear the registries.
install latest driver with add hardware wizard.

Now u have to uninstall the half-installed drivers for ur display cards.....first of all look into the Control panel>Add remove program list....if any software for ur display card is present, uninstall it.
next see in the C:\Program Files folder, if any folder is present here for the display cards....delete it form here.

after that u should goto the Device Manager>then uninstall the drivers of ur Display Cards.....reboot the system....it will again ask u for the Disk or CD of ur Display Card drivers......insert it....and let Windows to install them this time ;)

Thanks for the comments.

How do I know what to clear from the registry?  I've gone through searching for 'nvidia' and removing what I thought was necessary, but still no joy.  There are also no entries in Control Panel for Nvidia or GeForce.

'Display Adapters' is not shown in device manager, so i cannot uninstall the current drivers.

right click on the Desktop>Properties>goto Settings tab> click on the ADVANCED button in the lower right corner. got the ADAPTER tab.....what is the Adapter type written there ??

alos tell me that in the Device Manager do u get any yellow question mark(?) or some icon with a cross on it ??

There is no adapter listed in the system settings part (under the picture of the monitor it just says 'Default Monitor (on)'.  There is also no adapters listed there, and the properties on the advanced tab just say '<unavailable>' (I believe, i'm not at the computer with the problem right now).  When I click on the 'Properties' button, it says the adapter is 'VGASave'.

There is nothing in device manager with a yellow question mark next to it, or any crosses - all looks fine except for the missing 'Display Adapters' section.

hmmmmmmmmm......if u have uninstalled everything form ur computer related to ur display adapter......then u should go for a new and clean installation of the drivers for ur display adapter......u surely got the CD with the display adapters....but i think there is some problem with the CD.....either it is not the correct CD or it has got damaged, that's why XP didn't recognise it and asked again to insert.
My suggesstion is to download the latest and updated drivers for ur dsiplay cards, GeForce FX 5200 , which u can download form the below sites:

1) http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_2k_52.16
2) http://www.sparkle.com.tw/html/download/driver_nvidia.htm#FX

or if u r not sure abt the correct model and version of ur dislay cards then u acn download this utility to recognise ur display adapter:

Aida
http://www.aida32.hu/aida32.php

after recognisisng ur display adapter u can goto tht NIVIDA DOWNLOAD DRIVERS site to download correct drivers for ur display adapter.
http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp

So, download the latest drivers form any of the site given above.....and run the setup program. It will install the latest and required drivers for ur display dapter.But remember to turn off any type of Antivirus programs, of firewalls, or Norton Disc Doctor or any type of Ad-Blocks, if u have installed them.

GOOD LUCK :)

Unfortunately, the Nvidia download you kindly provided was the one i've been using to try and install.  Still no luck.

Thanks for your time anyway, it's appreciated

>>Recently I re-installed XP over an existing install.

what was the previous OS......and why did u reinstall the OS again.....i mean waht was the problem.....was it a virus or hardware failure, or something else ??

I installed Norton Systemworks 2002, and subsequently every time Windows booted up, I got the blue screen of death and it crashed.  So I reinstalled over the existing XP install and removed systemworks.

Ok wait a minute......u said above, when u goto Display Properties>Settings.....no display card is written, in ADVANCED tab there is UNAVIALABLE written....but in PROPERTIES windows VGASAVE is coming up....means u r able to open the properties window for ur display adapter :)
so open the properties windows and goto the DRIVER tab, there u will see UNINSTALL DRIVERS....click on that.....say YES to confirm......nowreboot the system......after login windows should ask u for the driver CD or location for the driver files.....chooz Automatic Search for Best (Recommended) and let them to install the drivers, and if it will prompt u that no drivers were found then go back and insert the driver CD or disk which u got with the display adapter and again chooz Automatic Search for Best (Recommended), this time it should find the drivers form the CD, so let the drivers be installed and after that check in the device manager for display adapter.

and if window will not ask u to install the drivers then go back to DisplayProperties>Settings>Advanced>Properties>Drivers and click on Update Drievrs.......now select Automatic Search for Best (Recommended).......windows will find the best drivers available on ur hard drive for ur display adapters. and if it will prompt u that no drivers were found then close this installation wizard....and run the setup.exe which u downloaded form the nvidia website.
then reboot the system and check now that the problem is gone or not??

come back and tell me :)

i'm afraid there's no 'Uninstall Drivers' button.  Here's a couple of screen grabs, hope they shed some light on the situation...

<a href="http://www.boredatuni.com/VGA1.gif">http://www.boredatuni.com/VGA1.gif</a>
<a href="http://www.boredatuni.com/VGA2.gif">.gifhttp://www.boredatuni.com/VGA2.gif</a>

read the link bellow.......im sure this is the real problem with ur system :)
http://www.subwolf.org/v2/articles.php?article=1

also see this:
http://pub173.ezboard.com/funofficialsonyfrm43.showMessage?topicID=71.topic

can u plzz send me the pic of ur Device Manager ??

have u solved ur problem or still having it ??

SheharyaarSaahil, you're a legend!  I reinstalled my Motherboard drivers, then run the Nvidia download again, and it's working again.  Thanks so much for your time and patience!

u r WELCOME b4tch :)
glad that ur problem has solved.....ALL THANX to EE :)

solved my problem too! thanks SheharyaarSaahil

shia

u r most Welcome slevi, im glad that whatever i have learnt from this time, that is helping others to solve their problems =)

!! REGARDS !!