Graphic card doesn't work

[BC_Programmer]

Since the graphical problems appear on the POST screen, this sounds deeper then windows driver issues...

[Kalenden]

@Broni

Sorry to be unclear.

I did exactly do what Carbon said, I did install the video driver and installed it.

But he said I had to enable my graphic card, which I can't do because my laptop won't start up then, except in Safe Mode.

@BC_Programmer

What do you mean by POST screen? If you mean my P.S addition in my previous post, I was just commenting that this site was often offline for me, while on the other sites I visit I never have a problem, it has nothing to do with my graphic card problems.

Thanks for the replies.

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

Quick question, when you go to Device Manager, are there any yellow question or exclamation marks?

[Kalenden]

When the card is disabled ( like it is now ) it has a white arrow pointing down.

Should I enable it now, without restarting, it has a yellow/orange exclamation mark, but that is because I need to restart to fully enable it, and then my laptop won't successfully start up.

[BC_Programmer]

by POST screen I meant the Dell boot-up screen; since this is shown before windows even starts to load, and it is shown with graphical glitches, it would appear the problem is more deeply rooted then the driver.

[Kalenden]

That doesn't sound very good...

Any idea what it could be? Hardware or software?

[patio]

Borrow a known good card and swap it in there...
If the problem goes away it's time for a new card.

[BC_Programmer]

Patio- was this not a laptop? you yourself said:

Laptops have video chips...not cards.
Let's hope it's not the chip...they are expensive to replace.
Follow the excellent advice above on re-installing your drivers...

lol.

[patio]

I'm certainly off kilter again today...no ?

[Kalenden]

2 days since last post, so I'm allowed to bump (I hope).

[Kalenden]

Sorry to bump yet again, but it has been 4 days since my last one.

Please help me with this one, I'm thinking about perhaps getting another laptop, but I want to be absolutely sure this one is irrevocably lost.

[Calum]

As no one else has replied I'll pop in.
Sounds to me like the graphics chip is dead.
Just try it on the BIOS/POST screen though - when you turn on the laptop you'll see a message to press a key to enter the BIOS, CMOS, Setup, something like that, the wording is different with each manufacturer and sometimes model.
Hit that key and enter the BIOS, leave it for a while - do you see the graphical glitches there too?

[Kalenden]

Thanks you for the quick reply

I restarted, pressed F12 and came unto a black screen with 4 options of which Bios Setup and Diagnostics.
In this black screen I had several white dots/lines on random places over the screen.

In the Bios Setup ( which is blue ) in the background there are groups of vague brownish/reddish short lines also spread randomly over the screen.

[Calum]

In that case, I'm sorry to tell you that your graphics chip is dead.  The chip also can't be swapped, so if Dell won't repair it, the laptop is basically junk.

[Kalenden]

Absolutely sure? A couple of posts back BC_programmer said something about the problem being more deeply rooted then the driver.
So the hardware of my graphic card is dead or is it a general software failure or something like that?