Laptop displaying rainbow colors and freezing every few seconds

[smooth expat]

What is wrong with it? Anybody know? Is it dying? I use it a lot and the time it happened is when I used it heavily. It gets very hot.

[KittenKong]

It's overheating. The fan has probably failed or is bunged up with crap.

Fans can be cleaned or replaced and this can be easy or hard depending on the make and model.

If it keeps overheating at some point permanent damage will be done to other parts.

Some sort of stand like this may help:

Edited September 28, 2013 by KittenKong

[schondie]

Sounds like your LCD screen is on the way out. Don't bother looking at getting it repaired, it'll cost more than buying a new laptop.

If you only use it at home you can buy a cheap monitor and keyboard and use it like a PC.

[kotsak]

Most likely GPU got fried.. Mnding sharing with us what model it is? Some model are known to have bad GPUs that get overheated (like my Dell XPS for example based on Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT)

Using a pad helps plus keeping the CPU clock lower..

[Bpuumike]

Most likely GPU got fried.. Mnding sharing with us what model it is? Some model are known to have bad GPUs that get overheated (like my Dell XPS for example based on Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT)

Using a pad helps plus keeping the CPU clock lower..

Especially if you bought it in Europe, the fans and vents aren't as efficient as they are designed for lower ambient temperatures.

A silent cooling pad will cost less than Thb200 and I am never without.

[lemonjelly]

back up your hard drive before your screen dies......

[tingtong]

Sounds like your LCD screen is on the way out. Don't bother looking at getting it repaired, it'll cost more than buying a new laptop.

If you only use it at home you can buy a cheap monitor and keyboard and use it like a PC.

happened to me, did like that

rainbow definately sound like LCD issue, the heat might be just regular use with not enough ventilation...if more than the LCD cable, then no point to repair, LCD change just not worth it.

[hkt83100]

back up your hard drive before your screen dies......

Or take the hard drive out, put it in an external case and use it via USB/eSATA... connecting to a new notebook.

[BuriramRes]

Mine started by showing a green vertical line at the side. Now it also has a red vertical line on it. (I blamed Obama for putting the red line there). Should go away when the Syrians get rid of their chemos!

[Fookhaht]

Shouldn't this thread be transferred to the gay forum?

(Sorry, but the title was just begging for such a post. )

[wernerkl]

It joined the club of greenpeace activist in Syberia.

[Wordworx]

Could also be the video card or even motherboard. Some will tell you different, but video cards can be repaired. Same for motherboard. I know a tech who does both and more, but in Chiang Mai (also some cats in a roadside stall in NW Bali, but don't think that will help).

Cost me 1000 THB for repair of video card and cleaning (and yeah, clean the fans). Symptoms there were display would flash, color pixelate, laptop would freeze. Then some months later the thing completely died. Would not boot. Thought that was it, but two guys at dusty little roadside stall out in the sticks in Bali fixed motherboard for equal of about 1300 THB. Laptop has been running like new ever since.

In short, very likely can be repaired pretty cheap, just gotta find the right guy. If, indeed, the display itself is shot, you'll need to hit the stalls to find a used replacement, for a practical price. There, again, a talented and resourceful tech would be good to know, save some legwork, bargaining and other hassle.

[Headgame]

Your symptoms mean it could be a number of issues but most likely either video card or motherboard. Of the two, the motherboard tends to most often just die while the video card can generate the symptoms you indicate. As previously, if you can locate a reliable local tech, they can run some diagnostics and verify the problem. Parts here like the MB are not always available and tend to be cost prohibitive, IMO.

Good luck.

[Estrada]

^{For most laptop PCs the number 1 issue is fans, they tend to block up with fluff. For HP note book, they can't take the heat of hot climates and burn out. The old Sony used to suffer from dodgy RAM connections, whereby you have to unpug the RAM, clean it, and reinsert it whereby it works a treat for the next year. best take it to a good local repairer or the original manufacturer. I took my ACER to the Acer Service Centre in Seacon Square and they replaced the fan for a small fee. Now I always keep a wall fan running which prevents the internal fan from overwork and the PC from running to hot (which slows it down).}

Edited September 29, 2013 by Estrada

[slipperylobster]

Your symptoms mean it could be a number of issues but most likely either video card or motherboard. Of the two, the motherboard tends to most often just die while the video card can generate the symptoms you indicate. As previously, if you can locate a reliable local tech, they can run some diagnostics and verify the problem. Parts here like the MB are not always available and tend to be cost prohibitive, IMO.

Good luck.

i had a desktop with a loose/dirty graphics card that gave me similar problems. I just opened the back and used a small air pressure nozzle on it, then used a pencil eraser to renew the contacts and slipped it back in. The indications were a series of 3 beeps. Of course, the laptop is more complicated. Take it to a tech and check it out. It could be, like above said, many things. You might reinstall/update the graphics driver...thats free and easy. Also, cool it with a fan...thats free and easy. A tech could disconnet your screen and test that pretty cheap.

[maloyd1]

Your symptoms mean it could be a number of issues but most likely either video card or motherboard. Of the two, the motherboard tends to most often just die while the video card can generate the symptoms you indicate. As previously, if you can locate a reliable local tech, they can run some diagnostics and verify the problem. Parts here like the MB are not always available and tend to be cost prohibitive, IMO.

Good luck.

As you say it is overheating and freezing so it is most likely the Video chip that is causing the issue. When they get hot they corrupt the info being sent to the display and in worst case cinario they loose their connections to the mother board which is a very expensive problem to fix. If you go to You Tube and search for the issue on your particular Laptop I feel sure you will get some good advice from people who have fixed these issues. In the short term have a look arround your machine and find the fan inlet and exhaust ports (little grill openings). Get a high power hoover and a narrow suction tube and give first the inlet and then the exhaust a good suck. If you are a bit of a techy open up the machine (normally by removing the top cover/key pad and use same hoover to clean the inside out around the fan if you can see it. Once again You Tube is a good place to look for how to access the inside of your machine. Plugging the machine to an external display may resolve the issue but this depends on which part of the Video chip set is causing the issue. The external display option will not address the main issue which is overheating. Even if the cleaning fixes the problem I would still invest in a cool pad for extra cooling. I use one all the time on my Dell Latitude as they are very prone to this video issue. My other half has one that is waiting for a fix as the screen is blank and an external display does not work either. Cost to fix in UK is from £60 up so contemplating just buying a new machine. Good Luck.

[sirchai]

Maybe the Rainbow warrior crew did something to your display. Get in touch with Greenpeace as soon as possible.-

[thatguy]

What kind of machine is it?

[sunshine51]

Around 6 years ago I had the same problem on a Dell Latitude...it was the

video card/chipset in it.

[atyclb]

Many good points and possibilities already.

You can try to boot live linux dvd or usb 32 or 64 bit version depending on your laptop. If the screen is OK with linux it suggests your operating system and/or hard drive is corrupted. If you still have the screen color issues then suggests mb, gpu, loose connector, screen issue. Does the pre OS bios boot screen appear OK ? Should check and clean fan.

Edited September 29, 2013 by atyclb

[Nickiboy03]

It's overheating. The fan has probably failed or is bunged up with crap.

Fans can be cleaned or replaced and this can be easy or hard depending on the make and model.

If it keeps overheating at some point permanent damage will be done to other parts.

Some sort of stand like this may help:

[Nickiboy03]

It's overheating. The fan has probably failed or is bunged up with crap.

Fans can be cleaned or replaced and this can be easy or hard depending on the make and model.

If it keeps overheating at some point permanent damage will be done to other parts.

Some sort of stand like this may help:

This happened to me on a Acer 64 bit Ferrari turns out it was overheating some of the blades on the cooling fan broke off.

[lblake32]

1. Find someone that's got an air-line.

2. Remove all unscewable covers from the underside of the laptop.

3. Using the air-line, thoroughly blow out all the fluff, dust and debris.

4. Replace all covers.

That should do the trick but while you're at it check that the cooling fan is functioning.

[Andre0720]

Remove the RAM.

Clean the connectors with a white eraser.

Change slots if you have two slots. Should be 2 slots.

Might well be the problem.

You can check using a separate monitor, see if the same problem occurs.

[Phil Water]

Quite clearly your graphics card is hooched. Simple fix on many, but on others, the graphics card is bonded to mother board or other components with a sticky glue like substance. A heat gun set on low along with some nasty sticky fingers will separate on many models in this case.

I always keep the original build data sheets for the laptops I buy. Then if money is tight, I can keep them going for fractions of replacement by knowing what fits and what doesn't myself.. I was once stuck a few months without a computer and learned my lesson.