Display problems

[Fer]

My PC at home started having "corrupt" displays, little lines around the mouse pointer, some icons a little garbled (vertical lines in them).

In my (blind) attempts to resolve this, I think I have fuggered my system up good. Now it only boots into safe mode, in VGA mode only, and I cannot seem to recover.

Please help.

[esselte]

Is the display running from an onboard video or an add on card?

[Fer]

Add on card, an ATI Radeon 9700. Been running 3 years without a problem.

[spivvy]

may be the fan on the card is not working and causing it to overheat

[Fer]

Thanks for the tip, I will open it up and have a look tonight.

[annodomini2]

My dad had one of those in his machine die recently although the failure effect was a lot more major than yours from the sounds of your description.

[Fer]

The strange thing is that when I boot into safe mode (managed to get away from VGA mode only) the display is fine, but when I boot normally it has the strange lines on it!

[annodomini2]

Nah my dad's would be doing it on boot, sounds like a driver issue to me, have you updated the drivers recently?

[bobthepsycho]

Possibly fried graphics card.

My girlfriend's computer's display went funny, garbled patchs, lines etc, but worked ok in safe mode. Therefore I'm convinced its a driver problem. Hours of reinstalls and buggering about, she calls helpline. They have no idea either, suggest a load of gumf that doesn't work. A techniciany bloke comes round, first thing he tries is a new graphics card, saying "The capacitors have a tendency to pop"

Apparently, they can go at any time, nothing to avoid it.

Try a different graphics card.

[Fer]

Fugger, I feared that.

Strange thing is when it boots, the Windows XP screen is covered in blue blocks...

Looks like a trip to PCW**ld.

[annodomini2]

Fer said:

Fugger, I feared that.

Strange thing is when it boots, the Windows XP screen is covered in blue blocks...

Looks like a trip to PCW**ld.

Try the latest drivers, if no help, then if its where you bought it from and still under warranty ok, but if not buy a new card (from one of the suppliers listed in the suppliers thread, as they're a lot cheaper!), takes 10mins, really easy job.

[Fer]

Will try the drivers, otherwise I will be looking for recommendations for an affordable card. Looking in C**ry's at lunch (only real place in Woking) but still my beer money for the month gone in a flash.

Thanks for all the advice, everyone!