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Dragbag · forum member Joined: 18 Oct 2007 Posts: 55

may not see you guys for some time as iv pc problems i don know whats going iv posted on gadget detective thred " need help fast" which lets you no what the problem is ill try @ weekend to ask your advice on ts or you can add to the thred Crying or Very sad

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Mike Bacon · Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 7:24 pm Post subject:

Post some details of what is going wrong, and maybe I could help.

Does computer turn on ?

Does windows load?

Can you login to windows ?

Do you suspect any hardware component failure ?

Have you done any recent driver or software updates ?

Could it possibly be a virus or spyware problem ?

Is it BSOD.

Can you load into the bios on statup?
if so check you memory settings for startup, to do a full memory test on startup.
This was the problem with my old alienware machine, a memory chip had gone and I did not realise, susequently this then trashed and corrupted the windows installation on the harddirve, had to remove one of the memory chips and re-install window from scratch.
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Barjack · [LRDG] Member Joined: 02 Apr 2010 Posts: 14

Simon, I've read your problem description on that Gadget Detective site.

I've had the same problem before, and it was because my graphic card died. I had to replace that hardware, and everything was back to normal.

But before going into a definitive purchase, make a test with an old graphic card, or try to borrow one.
There is always a chance that it's the motherboard, or monitor. But I bet on the graphic card.

Again, it was the same for me: graphic artefacts as from the BIOS splash screen, even when computer was cold. It would manage to boot normally but then always crashing at some point, especially after playing a game for a couple of minutes.
On some occasions, after yet another restart, the graphical artefacts could even disappear... But only until the PC would crash again.
All due to a dead graphic card.

With another PC, I had graphical artefacts not as from the BIOS splash screen, but as from the Windows loading screen. Also, the computer would occasionally freezes either during Windows loading, or after a complete load and a bit of time using it.
That time, very strangely, it was due to the monitor. I changed it because it finally died completely a few weeks after the beginning of those issues (and many Windows reinstalaltions...), and with the new one, those problems disappeared.

Your problem description matches more the 1st case described above.

Dragbag · forum member Joined: 18 Oct 2007 Posts: 55

i dont think its the monitor as that would not give me a blue screen of death ( iv had a black screen of death to) would having a dead graphics card in the pci slot even though i disabled the drivers still give me the problems with the graphics, iv run the av in safe mode , which i loads just default graphics
& it was the same, & i thought i would rest the bios but there to the graphics are unreadable Crying or Very sad

so the main question from me is .....would having a dead graphics card in the pci slot even though i disabled the drivers still give me the problems ????????????? just to say that " in device manager it dose not say that theres a problem with the card ie... no x.
if the card were dead would it say theres a problem ??
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Barjack · [LRDG] Member Joined: 02 Apr 2010 Posts: 14

You mean you have 2 video plugs on the back of your computer?
That can be the case if you have a display device integrated to your motherboard, in addition to the one on your ATI card.

But if you have a single plug, the one of your ATI card, as long as you're using that one for your monitor, your graphic card is in use, whatever driver you install/use.

Now, if you have and use an onboard graphic card, not your ATI, and get the same issues, it's not the ATI card that cause the issue, indeed... I hope its' not the motherboard.

Malware? I don't think so. I know no malware that cause graphical glitches as from the BIOS splash screen.

Dragbag · forum member Joined: 18 Oct 2007 Posts: 55

my mb is old but its a asus p5d2-x, i dont know if it has a on board graphics port for the monitor i dont think so, the monitor is pluged in to the radeon x1950 pr bif the card were dead then an i using the on board graphics though the radeon card?? even though its dead??

but if it dead why does it not say in device manager??

back to the main question i have ....if the card is dead in the pci slot
would this give me the problems i have!!would this interfere with the default graphics ? i will try to get on ts after 8.00pm if any once around!!..................................im a very blurry eyed chimp looking at this text Shocked

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Barjack · [LRDG] Member Joined: 02 Apr 2010 Posts: 14

That motherboard doesn't have an onboard display adapter, according to the documentation I found (incl. Asus manual for that motherboard).

I'm not sure what you mean by disabling the driver. But the ATI is your only graphic device, and if you disabled/uninstalled the ATI catalist drivers, the Windows default ones will be used along with your (defective?) ATI card.
Anything displayed on your monitor can only come from your ATI card.
Device Manager can't detect all existing possible hardware issues. In my case, it didn't detect either any issue with the graphic card. Yet, the card was the culprit.

So, I bet on the graphic card again. If you've an old spare one somewhere, or one that you can borrow, give it a test, to be absolutely sure before going into a purchase.
EDIT: or try your card into another computer.

Mike Bacon · Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 7:16 pm Post subject:

Drag,

Finally worked out how to get on the gadget detective site and read your post.

It is 100% your graphic card that is starting to die and causing your problems.

Had the same on one of my old rigs that was running SLI, tested each card one at a time a one card was doing the same as your's. Removed it and run with the other card, problem fixed.

You will need a new card, but note all cards on market are PCIe 2.0 slot cards and I expect your motherboard has only got a PCIe 1.1 or 1.0 slot.

The newer PCIe 2.0 and 1.1 is supposed to be forward and backward compatible but there are no gaurentees.

You may aslo have to change the motherboard.

I would suggest etting a ATI HD 5770 as a minimum spec replacement, cost about £130.00 to £140.00

And if you need to change the motherboard the ASUS P5QD turbo is a good mid range board that would run your Core-2-Duo chip and your DDR2 memory. £97.42 inc vat at yoyotech

http://www.yoyotech.co.uk/item-detail.php?products_id=3086939

Regards

Mike
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BAT.Mayhem · Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2010 12:12 pm Post subject:

Hope you get it sorted m8 Wink

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Barjack · [LRDG] Member Joined: 02 Apr 2010 Posts: 14

Anything new, Simon?

Dragbag · forum member Joined: 18 Oct 2007 Posts: 55

Mike Bacon · Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 7:43 pm Post subject:

Great news, welcome back from the PC graveyard.
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BAT.Mayhem · Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 9:37 am Post subject:

Thats good news m8 Wink

Monkey mania!
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