What steps do I have to take to install a video card in my computer?

read the instructions that came with the card

Hi! Follow this steps to connect your Video card... 1. Disconnect from the mains and open your cabinet. 2. Clean your motherboard and ports if it is dusty. 3. Remember to touch the cabinet outer surface so as to neutralise any static electricity on your body... Preferably where an anti-static wrist strap, that is available at all computer hardware stores. 4. Open the package and remove the card. 5. Open the screws in the cabinet to remove the slot plate. 6. Insert the card into the port making sure the DVI-ports are facing outward of the cabinet. 7. Insert it until you here a small snap from the clips on the port. This ensures that the card fitted perfectly into the port. The PCI-E port is usually located near to the PCI ports on most boards. 8. Close your cabinet. 9. Connect your monitor to the DVI port of your graphics card. 10. Restart your computer and boot into the BIOS setting and under peripherals section change the graphics card setting from Onboard/PCI/AUTO to PCI-E. 11. Save the settings and boot into windows. 12. Insert your driver CD/DVD and install the drivers, my recommendation would be is to visit the manufacturers website and download the latest drivers for your card and install them.

If you bought a retail video card, the instructions with the card should give you a step by step walk through for installing the card. At a high level though: - Power down the system and disconnect the power chord - Disconnect monitor cable - Open case - Touch metal frame of case to discharge any static electricity (avoid moving to keep from building up a charge) - Remove slot cover (metal tab) where the card will be exposed to the back of the case - Carefully insert card into slot (should require minimal pressure) - Secure card to slot (screw or slider, depends on your case) - Place cover back in on the system - Connect video cable to new card - Power up system - System should boot to a minimal graphic setting. - Insert driver media (or better yet, download latest from the video card vendor website) - Follow driver installation instructions and reboot system when prompted.

go to site below it got the full guide

read the instructions failing that, open your computer up, install the card, switch the VGA lead to the card, close the computer, start the computer, enter the BIOS and deactivate the onboard video, restart the computer, let windows start and cancel out of the "found new hardware wizard", put the CD in the drive and run the setup programme you will probably have to restart the computer yet again but it should be fine from there on in