Safe mode uses VGA graphics mode, so I agree there is something systemic going on at the Windows level. Just to see if there is a ghost in the machine try to switch back to the old card or the default video-out on your mother board. If this makes no difference then you have a Windows problem. You may have to reinstall Windows which could lose a lot of your files. If switching video cards DOES help then you either have a bad card or a bad driver. In that case I would use a separate computer to visit the web site of the graphic card manufacturer. Find the latest driver for your version of Windows and put it on a floppy. With that in hand, see if you can load the new driver from VGA mode. You may also want to power down, open your computer and "reseat" the card. This just means to make sure your card is securely locked into the spot.