Computer Hope
Hardware => Hardware => Topic started by: dazer on December 01, 2006, 08:03:10 PM
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When I turn my PC on all I get is a bunch of lines and little boxes in purply, blue and red colours.
I try going into the bios but it wont let me as I doubt it could display the page.
When I press the F8 button a bunch of times it does make that beeping sound for error.
All the fans are working. I can even hear that start up sound going after about 10 seconds that shows that stuff is being processed or something or other.
I have a feeling it might be the Graphics card or maybe motherboard.
ITs a Geforce 6600. The mobo is a Gigabyte K8NF-9 nForce4-4X chipset Motherboard
But I cant get past the screwy display.
Recently I did have a virus of sorts and some adware. Majority of it I think was removed when I get a virus/adware protection program on. Whether or not if all virus' were gone Im not totally sure.
This screen did happen in the past. One example I think is playing Civ4 and when I exited the program the lines and stuff come up (freezing) and I restart. Then everything would be fine.
But now it pops up immediately after starting the PC.
SO yeh.. IS there anything I can do?
before handing it to someone for some rip off price to get fixed.
I was though planning on getting a new Graphics card in around 3/4 months. Should I just fastrack that to now?
The Ironic thing is my PC is only a about 16 months old while the PC im typing from is about 4 I think ::)
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One thing you can check before you spend your hard earned money would be to borrow a known good vid card to see for sure if that card has gone South...
Try another monitor as well.
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Well I just took my video card out then put it back in. It appeared to have temporailly done somthing.
THis time around the computer loaded normally. Came up with the startup screen that detects hardware and etc. At this point I think it dosent seem likely to be a moniter problem. I see the windows loading screen (with the microsoft logo thingy). Following this it came to a screen that was testing the 'consitency' of the hardware or computer. It did 3 tests and didn't seem to have a drama with them.
After this was done the screen started going haywire again.
I think this could further confirm it being the Video Card or possibly a very nasty virus. Probably not the mobo I think now.
Unfortuntately the other computer in the house (this one now) has an integrated Video Card.
A little more spec info though.
THe moniter is a 19" samsung sync 913b.
1 gig of ram.
3000+ amd 939 cpu
120 gig hd
its integrated sound. (dont know if its relevant, but have had problems with the integrated sound in the past with the games; FEAR, Bards tale, Indigo prophecy and a few others).
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And if you go into the BIOS/setup screens before Windows loads is this TOTALLY normal? If not, it is the card for sure. Then go to safe mode (F8 at start up, before the Windows logo) and then use that for a while. Is that all normal? Post back and we will proceed?
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Okay after doing a little bit of playing around I have progress. Sort off.
For some lucky reason or other my computer actually worked right up until logging into windows and being able to do normal stuff. So I spent a fair while backing up all the essential data on that computer to this one now. THats done. My next plan is to format the hard drive I think.
However once again after the computer turned of it does it once again when turning it on. I take the Graphics out and back in and it does a normal load. But before getting to the windows login it will go the screwy screen again.
SO yeh what basically happens is as soon as the PC is turned on all I see is some really freaky lines and some spots here and there. If im lucky that wont happen for a for just a little bit in the load up and I may have the ability to see in the BIOS. Also it seems that sometimes after not turning it on for quite a while it does a normal start for a bit then screws up before login. I'll keep trying for the format of hdd (wanna do that anyway). And probly just get a new video card shortly.
Though I cant see why this should happen the card isn't all that old or anything. Unless a virus affecting the driver or some software that operates the video card.
And if you go into the BIOS/setup screens before Windows loads is this TOTALLY normal? Yes, I tryt 2-4 times turning the computer on and I dont even have the ability to access the Bios or other Setup screens. I have once but couldn't find anything to my use, But I dont really know Bios's that well.
If not, it is the card for sure. Then go to safe mode (F8 at start up, before the Windows logo) and then use that for a while. Is that all normal? Sorry, as you can probly figure accessing Safe mode is also not possible. Unless for some freaky reason I get a normal load again.
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Well it sounds like a faulty video card based on what you have reported. A virus will not damage your video card, and if it happens before WIndows that really points to the card.
Did you take Patio's suggestion and try another video card? Has this machine ever been overclocked in ANY way? What is the computer or motherboard make/model and what is the video card specifically?