Is my laptop up the creek big time?
Discussion
Hi, this evening it seems as if my video card (or more likely built on the motherboard) is up the creek.
Even from the BIOS startup screen, this display is tiny & multiplied by 4, so you can barely see whats on screen. Windows starts but everything is effectively 1/4 of the vertical height it should be, and layered on top (If you can understand my rubbish description!).
Am I right in thinking that my motherboard / video card (less likely tbh) is fooked?
Cheers, lets have some good news... Luckily I had backes the whole thing up a week ago (what were the chances of that!)
Even from the BIOS startup screen, this display is tiny & multiplied by 4, so you can barely see whats on screen. Windows starts but everything is effectively 1/4 of the vertical height it should be, and layered on top (If you can understand my rubbish description!).
Am I right in thinking that my motherboard / video card (less likely tbh) is fooked?
Cheers, lets have some good news... Luckily I had backes the whole thing up a week ago (what were the chances of that!)
Cheers for the responses..
FlossyThePig: Good idea about the monitor - had the same idea while at work today but alas the only one I have access to at the mo has a standard vga cable, and the laptop doesn't have one. I'll have to wait till I get back friday night to try with my monitor.
Vispula: No odd programs running. I'd only done a complete re-install from disks over the last few days - in fact I hadn't finished installing everything. It was a pretty stable XP Pro install, and a zoostorm / pcnextday (mitac chassis) not an acer.
twinturboz : Unsure of the video, I'd have thought it was on-board rather than a seperate card. I'll find out when at home at the weekend. I take it those you mention have a tendancy to go pop?
It all bears down to either
a) a broken motherboard as bits are on-board or
b) broken video card + wireless adapter (that's up the creek too).
It's looking pretty dire whatever it is. Keep you posted...
FlossyThePig: Good idea about the monitor - had the same idea while at work today but alas the only one I have access to at the mo has a standard vga cable, and the laptop doesn't have one. I'll have to wait till I get back friday night to try with my monitor.
Vispula: No odd programs running. I'd only done a complete re-install from disks over the last few days - in fact I hadn't finished installing everything. It was a pretty stable XP Pro install, and a zoostorm / pcnextday (mitac chassis) not an acer.
twinturboz : Unsure of the video, I'd have thought it was on-board rather than a seperate card. I'll find out when at home at the weekend. I take it those you mention have a tendancy to go pop?
It all bears down to either
a) a broken motherboard as bits are on-board or
b) broken video card + wireless adapter (that's up the creek too).
It's looking pretty dire whatever it is. Keep you posted...
OP yeah some of those nvidia's are known to be defective. The wireless adapter packing up is also a symptom of the defective cards. Only mentioning it as if your laptop has one of those cards then technically you were sold defective goods, and Ive known a few people who have managed to get full refunds.
twinturboz said:
OP yeah some of those nvidia's are known to be defective. The wireless adapter packing up is also a symptom of the defective cards. Only mentioning it as if your laptop has one of those cards then technically you were sold defective goods, and Ive known a few people who have managed to get full refunds.
That's interesting to know. 
I'll do some googling...Gassing Station | Computers, Gadgets & Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff