w500 switchable graphics. How to disable altogether

[westsailor]

I have a W500 that the ATI graphics card is apparently failing. It works for a short while then the display starts to 'pixelate'. Sometimes I get the message 'The ATI driver stopped working and recovered' and it works for a short time then begins to 'pixelate' again. . Most often it just ends up locking up the computer. Obviously the 1st thing I did was reinstall the driver. No joy and since the Mobile Intel chipset works fine I think it's the ATI card itself failing.

I'm perfectly happy using the Mobile Intel graphics. I just cannot figure out how to stop the W500 from wanting to default to the ATI card/switchable graphics. I've disabled the ATI card in device manager (not even listed now). I've set the bios from 'switchable' to 'internal' (other options are 'discrete & 'switchable') and it works fine but on the next boot it again defaults to 'switchable'. I've tried 'discrete' and it boots to a black screen. If I disable the O/S enabling switchable graphics in the bios it boots to a black screen. So when that happens I have to clear CMOS memory and I'm back where I started.

Right now the only I can use the W500 is change the bios from 'switchable' to 'internal' on every boot.

I thought I've tried every combo in the bios to default to the Intel Mobile graphics card but apparently I'm missing something.

Anyone have any suggestions how to 'kill' the ATI/switchable graphics once and for all?

[MikalE]

Have you looked in the ATI program and dis-associated all programs from the graphics card?

[westsailor]

I've uninstalled all ATI drivers, ATI Catalyst, disabled the card in Device Manager, etc. Nothing remains that I'm aware of to 'dis-associate'.

[MikalE]

Wish I could help.

[Thinkpad4by3]

If you take a screwdriver you can just rip the chip off the board?

Well it is an ATI chip not an nVIDIA so I guess that won't work. Plus if it was nVIDIA you could run FurMark and then lightly push it off the board