Weird Lines On Screen At Bootup

Question

Everytime I turn on my Dell Dimension 8200, there are vertical lines across the screen. Normally, I just turn it off, then turn it back on again and it boots normally. Today, I tried to turn it on and it would not boot normally. It has been showing lines for the last hour and a half, and I do not know what to do. I am a novice when it comes to computers. The lines alternate between black and white. At some point, the screen was changing colours - red, green, I think. I'm not sure if I'm in the right place, but any help will do. I have coursework on the desktop that I need to access - I did not get a chance to back it up, because I did not know I was going to have this problem. I keep hearing beeps, but I do not know what they are for, because I cannot see anything. The lines vary in type, ie thick lines, thin lines. Mostly the screen is grey/white with/without black lines. I do not the full specification of the Dimension 8200, because I cannot access it.

I would appreciate any help.

Thanks

sgrfsh · Answer

This most likely means that the graphics card is toast.  Any unusal activity other than what you're used to seeing is a good indicator.  The beeps are also important, as they can be used to figure out what the problem is as the motherboard sees it.  For instance, a beep combination of 1 - 2 usually means that the graphics card is either absent or is not working.   Additionally, problems with graphics cards can start slowly and result in a total melt down such as you are describing.   Since you don't have any expertise in the area of PC repair I suggest you take it to a qualified technician and have them look at it.

tkbirdie · Answer

Once, I had a problem with my sound card.  It turned out that it was covered in dust.  After my dad cleaned the dust off, it started working again.  Do you reckon the same thing has happened with the graphics card - covered in dust?.  Maybe the card has moved in its slot.  I'm guessing that sometimes that happens.  I'll get my dad to open up the computer and check on dust and possible movement of the card.

tkbirdie · Answer

We cleared the dust and checked the placement.  It is still not working.  What does it mean?  Do I need to buy a new card?

sgrfsh · Answer

I'm afraid so. You can probably pick up a fairly reasonable card for around $40-$60. Try to get as much on-board memory as possible, do some research to figure out if your system requires PCI, AGP or PCI-E, and read some reviews before you buy. One of the better companies to buy from is New Egg. I hope it all works out for you.

tkbirdie · Answer

Thanks for the help.  I'll give it a go.

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Weird Lines On Screen At Bootup

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