Problem: LCD laptop monitor is garbled when put on higher resolution.

[wyumez]

Okay, so I was typing up a report yesterday on my laptop 1980x1200 screen.  When all of the sudden the screen becomes garbled and I couldn't do anything but force shut down.

I ended up rebooting in VGA mode (which worked) but when I tried to put my screen up to 1600x1200.  I can get it up to 1400x1050 but past that will be garbled...

So I backed up all the valuables and reformatted the hard drive.  I'm still having the same problem.  Without the graphics card, I can't get my monitor to its peak (1600x1200).  With the graphics card, my peak is 1980x1200 but I cannot get it past 1600x1200!!

Stuff that I have done:

1. cleaned up the graphics card fans and tested for loose wires
2. reformatted the hard drive
3. ran a diagnostics test

Specs:

Intel Centrino Duo
1gb ram
Nvidia 7800go graphics card
WUXGA lcd laptop screen

Anyone have any idea what's going on?  I am going to try using a desktop monitor and see if I can adjust the refresh frequency to see if that works.  I would keep it at its current resolution but for gaming purposes, I will miss my high resolution. It kind of feels like it's not registering that it's a widescreen display!

Any help would be great.  Thanks!

edit: my laptop is two/three years old

[quaxo]

Make and model of the laptop?

[julio]

please can you send me information on LCD screens

[wyumez]

Make of the laptop: Dell Inspiron E1705

What information on LCD screens would you like, julio?

[wyumez]

bump.

[patio]

http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00JCS2

Sounds like a common issue...have you traveled to the Dell Forums for additional info ? ?

[wyumez]

Thanks for the info.  I'll check it out.

After a few installing/uninstalling several graphics drivers, I found one from tweaksrus.com that works pretty well.  When I restart the computer, it automatically starts in 1920 resolution.  I can keep it working just fine until I do a command that involves quick movement (like closing a popup). Then the screen looks like one of these:

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a264/pacey86/100_3494.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a264/pacey86/100_3491.jpg

http://bellet.info//photos/2003/Aug/10Aug18:10/P8100004.JPG

or

http://www.spaceage.nl/files/screen.jpg

[wyumez]

I just remembered: this was the last major thing I downloaded (a day before)

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896256/en-us

I was experiencing really weird connection errors in game.  After I downloaded this, the game was perfect... until the next day.

[patio]

Un-install it and re-installl your vid drivers once more...this may very well be the root of the problem.
Did you check to see if your Centrino processor was one of the ones on the list affected by the update ? ?

[Kai-yan]

Dear Friends,
                 My LCD monitor  is now free of any problem after replacing all its capacitors with the good.

[wyumez]

I've uninstalled and reinstalled my video driver several times.  When I uninstall it, my screen works pretty good (except for some lag while scrolling) in 1400x1040.  When I install it, my comp will go to 1900 and work well for awhile.

I didn't read much on the download I did... I read it was for dual core processors... and I have a dual core... so I downloaded it.

[wyumez]

Strange.. the links worked yesterday ::shrugs::

http://bellet.info//photos/2003/Aug/...0/P8100004.JPG

http://www.freebsddiary.org/images/i...creen-mess.jpg

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/7096/dscf0638ht4.jpg

Someone suggested the problem is with the ram... any thoughts?  I read somewhere that some guy fixed his garbled screen by replacing the ram.

[patio]

Un-install it and re-installl your vid drivers once more...this may very well be the root of the problem.
Did you check to see if your Centrino processor was one of the ones on the list affected by the update ? ?

The MS download could be the problem...re-read this step.

[wyumez]

it doesn't say intel centrino duo specifically, it says, "Computers that are running Windows XP Service Pack 2 and that are equipped with multiple processors that support processor power management features may experience decreased performance." I was running sp2, and I had the processor power management.....

I'm sorry but I'm not quite sure what list you're looking at.  Can you please clarify?

[Kurtiskain]

just my 2 cents...
those attached images certainly look like a corrupt RAM problem!
same thing happened with my 9600...it was fine unlill it booted into windows as it was at low res...then kicking into 1280x1024 must have been pushing into the corrupt ram areas and it was all over
and most people here must know the higher the resolution, the more memory must be used to run at that resolution...proof comes from the old ViRGE DX cards with expandable ram..2MB by default, with 2 slots for extra mem chips...which gave you a max of 800x600 16 bit. When u bumped it up to 4MB you got 1280x1024 24 bit

so if none of the above methods work...just possibly the next thing to check