Did you try any sys recovery options? (including sys recovery /re-installing the os?it may be that there was an error when you connected to the tv that caused your puter to freeze, when you connect a monitor vista will attempt to auto config for that monitor. when it detects this it saves that setting for the next time you connect to it. somehow the setting corrupted the settings for your main monitor as well. there are millions of settings that are automatically detected for monitors within the system configurations. for the future, switch off the tv befor you connect to it, connect the cable to the tv, then wait for a few seconds, then turn on the tv. i frequently use a second monitor and if i attempt to connect it while its on sometimes it messes up and found if it is off it never has any problems.
Thanks - I did try multiple system restores to times prior to when I started having problems, and unfortunately that did not work either.
I can't imagine the video card is failing - everything runs fine...it's just when I try to run something in Windows Media Player, computer games, or view images.
This is exactly symptomatic of how the nVidia 8400 and 8600 chips fail - the first evidence is usually exactly what you are seeing - artifacts that appear when video-intensive applications such as games, Media Plaer, and high resolution image viewing software is used. The problems will appear more regularly in other apps, produce freeze-ups, etc., until the system is no longer useable.
It's also strange because when I delete the display driver, my pictures appear fine without lines over them (but then I obviously can not play any games or watch videos with no display driver)
NVIDIA and I have been e-mailing back and forth, but it is taking them forever for them to reply.
Thank you for the information ejn63. I looked on Dell's website for an upgradable video card, but they only list a previously-owned version of the same kind for a ridiculous $200. I can't even upgrade it if I wanted to.
This system is only 2 years old and has been a lemon since the day I bought it - last year my hard drive failed only 1 year old and now this? I will never, ever buy another Dell!
If recovery did not fix it, unfortunatly he is probably right, the vid is failing. perhaps you can take it to a local repair shop and explore other options, did you extend your warranty? i have one of these little aspire laptops that i use when traveling (mostly as a movie player) and it got knocked off the table once and it made the sound get all choppy, what had happened was on the sound board there is a few resistors/transisters n such and one of those got knocked loose, a simple spot of sodder fixed it. since you say that the sys has been a lemon from the day you bought it, it may be that it was damaged when you recieved it but it just took a while for the symptoms to show up. i would certainly spend 20-30 bucks to have a tech guy take a look b4 spending any real cash to replace any more parts,
ejn63
9 Legend
•
87.5K Posts
0
March 5th, 2010 18:00
Replace the video card - it is failing.
zelozelos
9 Posts
1
March 5th, 2010 22:00
Did you try any sys recovery options? (including sys recovery /re-installing the os?it may be that there was an error when you connected to the tv that caused your puter to freeze, when you connect a monitor vista will attempt to auto config for that monitor. when it detects this it saves that setting for the next time you connect to it. somehow the setting corrupted the settings for your main monitor as well. there are millions of settings that are automatically detected for monitors within the system configurations. for the future, switch off the tv befor you connect to it, connect the cable to the tv, then wait for a few seconds, then turn on the tv. i frequently use a second monitor and if i attempt to connect it while its on sometimes it messes up and found if it is off it never has any problems.
mattd319
5 Posts
0
March 6th, 2010 06:00
Thanks - I did try multiple system restores to times prior to when I started having problems, and unfortunately that did not work either.
I can't imagine the video card is failing - everything runs fine...it's just when I try to run something in Windows Media Player, computer games, or view images.
Any other ideas?
ejn63
9 Legend
•
87.5K Posts
0
March 6th, 2010 10:00
This is exactly symptomatic of how the nVidia 8400 and 8600 chips fail - the first evidence is usually exactly what you are seeing - artifacts that appear when video-intensive applications such as games, Media Plaer, and high resolution image viewing software is used. The problems will appear more regularly in other apps, produce freeze-ups, etc., until the system is no longer useable.
mattd319
5 Posts
0
March 6th, 2010 12:00
It's also strange because when I delete the display driver, my pictures appear fine without lines over them (but then I obviously can not play any games or watch videos with no display driver)
NVIDIA and I have been e-mailing back and forth, but it is taking them forever for them to reply.
Thank you for the information ejn63. I looked on Dell's website for an upgradable video card, but they only list a previously-owned version of the same kind for a ridiculous $200. I can't even upgrade it if I wanted to.
This system is only 2 years old and has been a lemon since the day I bought it - last year my hard drive failed only 1 year old and now this? I will never, ever buy another Dell!
Thanks for the input.
zelozelos
9 Posts
0
March 6th, 2010 12:00
If recovery did not fix it, unfortunatly he is probably right, the vid is failing. perhaps you can take it to a local repair shop and explore other options, did you extend your warranty? i have one of these little aspire laptops that i use when traveling (mostly as a movie player) and it got knocked off the table once and it made the sound get all choppy, what had happened was on the sound board there is a few resistors/transisters n such and one of those got knocked loose, a simple spot of sodder fixed it. since you say that the sys has been a lemon from the day you bought it, it may be that it was damaged when you recieved it but it just took a while for the symptoms to show up. i would certainly spend 20-30 bucks to have a tech guy take a look b4 spending any real cash to replace any more parts,