Vertical lines and BSOD on startup

Beron · 08-19-2009, 11:30 AM

First off, this may belong more appropriately in the video card section, but I'm not certain, given the issue is occurring on my laptop. Sorry if this is the wrong forum.

Also, my laptop is currently under the care of technicians at my local store, but I've used them twice in the past for this computer and both times they've taken 6 weeks to return my laptop to me, so I'd like a second opinion.

My laptop is an HP Pavillion dv9330 and not one of the models covered by the recall. Full specs are here on the HP website.

My problem is the exact same as the fellow in this thread, except my video card is a 7600 Go and as a laptop, I can't simply solve it by replacing it. Specifically, my problem is that I get vertical lines going down my screen when I start up and it automatically goes into blue screen when it boots. I can reboot into safe mode, where there are still some lines, but they are much lighter and harder to see.

In an attempt to fix the problem, I uninstalled my drivers, which let me re-enter normal mode, but then the laptop re-installed the drivers and when I restarted, the whole problem repeated. I also connected my laptop to an external monitor and both the monitor and laptop screen showed the lines, so I think I can safely rule out an issue with the monitor. I suspect it is a GPU issue, but the store I bought it from says otherwise.

My laptop is still under warranty, but the technicians refuse to fix it claiming that it is a software problem related to compatibility and therefore not covered by the $450 extended warranty I paid (I'm a wee bit bitter about that...). My laptop is still currently with them as they've talked me into paying another $100 to wipe my hard drive clean and reinstalling everything fresh. I've read posts on other tech forums and I feel like there may actually be an nvidia GPU failure problem (which would be covered by warranty), not a software issue, so I feel like I've been ripped off by my store, but I was hoping for some confirmation one way or the other. I'm afraid I'm going to get the laptop back and the minute I attempt to run one graphically stressful program (e.g. a video game), I will be staring at the blue screen again.

Madcatz · 08-20-2009, 09:44 AM

well, you do have an HP, and I'm guessing its out of the HP warranty and is now covered by the stores warranty.

First question, do the lines appear the very second you power it on and get video display? do you see them at the HP logo screen? If you do, then it is 100% deffinately a hardware problem and not software.

Lines on the external and Internal display, that you can see at the HP logo screen or in BIOS settings, is going to mean your GPU and/or motherboard need to be replaced (depends if they are seperate).

Beron · 08-20-2009, 11:43 AM

The lines do show up almost immediately and they do show on the HP screen, but I did not check the BIOS screen. The technicians at my store (you're right it's only covered by store warranty, not HP's) claimed it was a software issue, because the lines were not showing up when they tried System Repair, but I'm skeptical as to their competency based on previous results.

Guess I got ripped off $100 and have some complaining to do. Thanks for the help Madcatz.

Madcatz · 08-20-2009, 11:54 AM

well, i would be guessing your store is a best buy? if it is, the geek squad can't do any laptop hardware repairs in the store anyway (unless they changed that). So I'd suggest talking to them and tell them to ship it out to the depot reapir.

And yes, the only software there is at the HP logo screen is the BIOS, you can update that, but i did not see any fixes for lines in the screen.

Beron · 08-20-2009, 12:29 PM

Good guess. It's actually Futureshop (Canadian big box chain owned by Best Buy) and they did ship it out to the depot in the past. In fact, when I went to them with this problem in early July, they shipped it off for six weeks and when they returned it to me, they told me it was a software problem, but they "fixed" it out of the "kindness of their hearts" (still bitter...). I was not amused when the lines came back within three hours of me using it.

Unfortunately, I'm moving cities for school in two weeks, so I can't afford to leave it in their or the depot's hands.

Thank you again for the assistance. You are awesome.

08-19-2009, 11:30 AM	#1 (permalink)
Beron Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 3 OS: Vista sp1	Vertical lines and BSOD on startup First off, this may belong more appropriately in the video card section, but I'm not certain, given the issue is occurring on my laptop. Sorry if this is the wrong forum. Also, my laptop is currently under the care of technicians at my local store, but I've used them twice in the past for this computer and both times they've taken 6 weeks to return my laptop to me, so I'd like a second opinion. My laptop is an HP Pavillion dv9330 and not one of the models covered by the recall. Full specs are here on the HP website. My problem is the exact same as the fellow in this thread, except my video card is a 7600 Go and as a laptop, I can't simply solve it by replacing it. Specifically, my problem is that I get vertical lines going down my screen when I start up and it automatically goes into blue screen when it boots. I can reboot into safe mode, where there are still some lines, but they are much lighter and harder to see. In an attempt to fix the problem, I uninstalled my drivers, which let me re-enter normal mode, but then the laptop re-installed the drivers and when I restarted, the whole problem repeated. I also connected my laptop to an external monitor and both the monitor and laptop screen showed the lines, so I think I can safely rule out an issue with the monitor. I suspect it is a GPU issue, but the store I bought it from says otherwise. My laptop is still under warranty, but the technicians refuse to fix it claiming that it is a software problem related to compatibility and therefore not covered by the $450 extended warranty I paid (I'm a wee bit bitter about that...). My laptop is still currently with them as they've talked me into paying another $100 to wipe my hard drive clean and reinstalling everything fresh. I've read posts on other tech forums and I feel like there may actually be an nvidia GPU failure problem (which would be covered by warranty), not a software issue, so I feel like I've been ripped off by my store, but I was hoping for some confirmation one way or the other. I'm afraid I'm going to get the laptop back and the minute I attempt to run one graphically stressful program (e.g. a video game), I will be staring at the blue screen again.

08-20-2009, 09:44 AM	#2 (permalink)
Madcatz Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 1,424 OS: XP/7/Server 2008 My System	Re: Vertical lines and BSOD on startup well, you do have an HP, and I'm guessing its out of the HP warranty and is now covered by the stores warranty. First question, do the lines appear the very second you power it on and get video display? do you see them at the HP logo screen? If you do, then it is 100% deffinately a hardware problem and not software. Lines on the external and Internal display, that you can see at the HP logo screen or in BIOS settings, is going to mean your GPU and/or motherboard need to be replaced (depends if they are seperate). __________________ memtest86+ \| Hard Drive Diags \| Speed Fan \| Unknown Device Identifier

08-20-2009, 11:43 AM	#3 (permalink)
Beron Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 3 OS: Vista sp1	Re: Vertical lines and BSOD on startup The lines do show up almost immediately and they do show on the HP screen, but I did not check the BIOS screen. The technicians at my store (you're right it's only covered by store warranty, not HP's) claimed it was a software issue, because the lines were not showing up when they tried System Repair, but I'm skeptical as to their competency based on previous results. Guess I got ripped off $100 and have some complaining to do. Thanks for the help Madcatz.

08-20-2009, 11:54 AM	#4 (permalink)
Madcatz Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 1,424 OS: XP/7/Server 2008 My System	Re: Vertical lines and BSOD on startup well, i would be guessing your store is a best buy? if it is, the geek squad can't do any laptop hardware repairs in the store anyway (unless they changed that). So I'd suggest talking to them and tell them to ship it out to the depot reapir. And yes, the only software there is at the HP logo screen is the BIOS, you can update that, but i did not see any fixes for lines in the screen. __________________ memtest86+ \| Hard Drive Diags \| Speed Fan \| Unknown Device Identifier

08-20-2009, 12:29 PM	#5 (permalink)
Beron Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 3 OS: Vista sp1	Re: Vertical lines and BSOD on startup Good guess. It's actually Futureshop (Canadian big box chain owned by Best Buy) and they did ship it out to the depot in the past. In fact, when I went to them with this problem in early July, they shipped it off for six weeks and when they returned it to me, they told me it was a software problem, but they "fixed" it out of the "kindness of their hearts" (still bitter...). I was not amused when the lines came back within three hours of me using it. Unfortunately, I'm moving cities for school in two weeks, so I can't afford to leave it in their or the depot's hands. Thank you again for the assistance. You are awesome.