Display craziness

uly · 03-19-2006, 04:05 PM

Hello. I've ran into a video problem that's a bit hard to describe. Basically, my screen is filled with color patterns that makes it near impossible to read the text on screen, even though it is still possible to make out the general shape of things. I'd post a screenshot but the noise doesn't seemed to be captured.

The computer I'm using is a NEC LaVie RX 700/9 notebook, which I bought in Japan. It's equiped with a Pentium M 1.6Ghz chip and ATI Radeon Mobility 9600.

At the time when the problem occured, I was using the Omega Radeon 3.8.221 driver, but I have since removed it and installed the OEM driver, numbered 6.14.10.6505. In any case I don't think it's a driver issue since the problem occurs at power-on, prior to booting Windows XP. The error occurs in slightly different form at power-on, however: instead of the noise pattern, the screen is in general chaos with many random ASCII characters being displayed.

Another symptom that I have found is that after I removed the Omega driver and tried to reinstall it again (before reverting to the OEM driver), I crash into the blue screen shortly after starting up and logging in. The error message on the blue screen is equally illegible, but I could faintly make out something like ati2???.dll, which I assume is a Radeon driver file. I have not had crashes since changing to the OEM driver, even though it had not fixed the screen problem.

I have not had the opportunity to test my notebook on an external monitor, so I'm not entirely sure whether this is a screen problem or video card problem. But judging from the blue screens and the corrupted display at power-on, I'm leaning toward the video card. Lastly, one thing I've noticed is that the computer makes a very slight, very high pitched hum when I do certain action that involves somewhat straining video processing, such as dragging or scrolling a windows.

By this point, I'd usually send my computer off to the chop shop and get it over with, but I'm stuck in a country where nobody has seen this notebook model or heard of its maker, so I'm all on my own. Does anyone know what the problem might be and how I might resolve it? In another word: help!

dai · 03-20-2006, 10:23 AM

would suspect the video card or chip,i do not have anything to do with laptops on a desk top i would also susoect the power supply

**jnob** · 03-20-2006, 10:31 AM

Does sound like the video card. I'd do like you were thinking and hook it up to an external monitor to make sure it's not that. If you get the same problem it's most likely the video card.

uly · 03-20-2006, 11:53 AM

Yep, I hooked it up to an external monitor and bang! Nothing changed. So I'm about 99% certain that it is a video card problem. I'm not sure if this is important but the moment the problem occured I was playing Galactiv Civilizations 2 (not a very graphically demanding game) in 1400x1050 windowed mode (possibly quite a demanding configuration). My video card was not overclocked or anything, though. I've never fried a video card in my life, so I don't know if this is what it would look like. When I tried to run GalCiv2 now, many of the textures will blink on and off, and some of the polygons are randomly deformed, not to mention the screen is generally messed up.

But, well, what could I do to fix the problem? I've checked the price of shipping it abroad and get it fixed, and with that price I might as well get a new notebook. So, I'm basically going for broke here. Is there anything I could possibly do to this notebook to revive it? Is there any kind of low-level hardware diagnostic tool that might give me more insight?

**jnob** · 03-20-2006, 03:40 PM

If your handy with small tools you might just want to replace the video card yourself. Unfortunately I don'y have any laptop experience myself so I don't know how difficult of a task that would be.

uly · 03-21-2006, 10:14 AM

I'm experienced enough with disecting these beasts that I would probably have fixed a desktop with this problem already. But, like you, I've yet to even open up a notebook, so I'm quite hesitant. I tried to open up my notebook but couldn't even get the keyboard off, and I didn't want to risk forcing it and gave up.

**jnob** · 03-21-2006, 07:11 PM

A friend at school told me today he once was overclocking a video card and ended up with the same problem, all he had to do was remove the video card and reseat it. This was on a desktop system however. But it is worth a try.

I'd google around for some pointers to taking the laptop apart. One thing I know about some laptops is the components are usually attached by a fairly delicate ribon. Usually where the ribon connects there is a piece of plastic that you can slide open to slip the ribon out. It should never take much force.

alwrmc · 03-22-2006, 10:36 AM

Can you boot into safe mode? This sounds a bit like the graphics settings have been changed to a mode that the card is not capable of using.

03-19-2006, 04:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
uly Registered User Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 103 OS: WinXP SP3	Display craziness Hello. I've ran into a video problem that's a bit hard to describe. Basically, my screen is filled with color patterns that makes it near impossible to read the text on screen, even though it is still possible to make out the general shape of things. I'd post a screenshot but the noise doesn't seemed to be captured. The computer I'm using is a NEC LaVie RX 700/9 notebook, which I bought in Japan. It's equiped with a Pentium M 1.6Ghz chip and ATI Radeon Mobility 9600. At the time when the problem occured, I was using the Omega Radeon 3.8.221 driver, but I have since removed it and installed the OEM driver, numbered 6.14.10.6505. In any case I don't think it's a driver issue since the problem occurs at power-on, prior to booting Windows XP. The error occurs in slightly different form at power-on, however: instead of the noise pattern, the screen is in general chaos with many random ASCII characters being displayed. Another symptom that I have found is that after I removed the Omega driver and tried to reinstall it again (before reverting to the OEM driver), I crash into the blue screen shortly after starting up and logging in. The error message on the blue screen is equally illegible, but I could faintly make out something like ati2???.dll, which I assume is a Radeon driver file. I have not had crashes since changing to the OEM driver, even though it had not fixed the screen problem. I have not had the opportunity to test my notebook on an external monitor, so I'm not entirely sure whether this is a screen problem or video card problem. But judging from the blue screens and the corrupted display at power-on, I'm leaning toward the video card. Lastly, one thing I've noticed is that the computer makes a very slight, very high pitched hum when I do certain action that involves somewhat straining video processing, such as dragging or scrolling a windows. By this point, I'd usually send my computer off to the chop shop and get it over with, but I'm stuck in a country where nobody has seen this notebook model or heard of its maker, so I'm all on my own. Does anyone know what the problem might be and how I might resolve it? In another word: help!

03-20-2006, 10:23 AM	#2 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,569 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	would suspect the video card or chip,i do not have anything to do with laptops on a desk top i would also susoect the power supply __________________

03-20-2006, 11:53 AM	#4 (permalink)
uly Registered User Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 103 OS: WinXP SP3	Yep, I hooked it up to an external monitor and bang! Nothing changed. So I'm about 99% certain that it is a video card problem. I'm not sure if this is important but the moment the problem occured I was playing Galactiv Civilizations 2 (not a very graphically demanding game) in 1400x1050 windowed mode (possibly quite a demanding configuration). My video card was not overclocked or anything, though. I've never fried a video card in my life, so I don't know if this is what it would look like. When I tried to run GalCiv2 now, many of the textures will blink on and off, and some of the polygons are randomly deformed, not to mention the screen is generally messed up. But, well, what could I do to fix the problem? I've checked the price of shipping it abroad and get it fixed, and with that price I might as well get a new notebook. So, I'm basically going for broke here. Is there anything I could possibly do to this notebook to revive it? Is there any kind of low-level hardware diagnostic tool that might give me more insight? Last edited by uly; 03-20-2006 at 11:59 AM.

03-22-2006, 10:36 AM	#8 (permalink)
alwrmc Registered User Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Tennessee Posts: 79 OS: Windows Vista HP	Can you boot into safe mode? This sounds a bit like the graphics settings have been changed to a mode that the card is not capable of using. __________________ Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600, 3gb Ram, Windows Vista Home Premium SP1, HP w2207 Monitor, CD/DVD SuperMulti drive (Lightscribe), HD DVD ROM, Realtek ALC 888S, Nvidia 8800 GT OC 512mb. Cuppa JFG right by the monitor

03-20-2006, 10:31 AM	#3 (permalink)
jnob TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: CA Valley Posts: 692 OS: XP Pro, SP2 My System	Does sound like the video card. I'd do like you were thinking and hook it up to an external monitor to make sure it's not that. If you get the same problem it's most likely the video card.

03-20-2006, 03:40 PM	#5 (permalink)
jnob TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: CA Valley Posts: 692 OS: XP Pro, SP2 My System	If your handy with small tools you might just want to replace the video card yourself. Unfortunately I don'y have any laptop experience myself so I don't know how difficult of a task that would be.

03-21-2006, 10:14 AM	#6 (permalink)
uly Registered User Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 103 OS: WinXP SP3	I'm experienced enough with disecting these beasts that I would probably have fixed a desktop with this problem already. But, like you, I've yet to even open up a notebook, so I'm quite hesitant. I tried to open up my notebook but couldn't even get the keyboard off, and I didn't want to risk forcing it and gave up.

03-21-2006, 07:11 PM	#7 (permalink)
jnob TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: CA Valley Posts: 692 OS: XP Pro, SP2 My System	A friend at school told me today he once was overclocking a video card and ended up with the same problem, all he had to do was remove the video card and reseat it. This was on a desktop system however. But it is worth a try. I'd google around for some pointers to taking the laptop apart. One thing I know about some laptops is the components are usually attached by a fairly delicate ribon. Usually where the ribon connects there is a piece of plastic that you can slide open to slip the ribon out. It should never take much force.