Sudden Loss Of Picture Quality

[libya 115]

Large black bands around the screen, all colours blurred and fuzzy, totally hopeless picture quality, happened suddenly.

Changed monitors: same on both so not a monitor problem.

Any ideas? Further investigative tests? Repair possibilities?

Everything else O.K.

[geoffphuket]

Large black bands around the screen, all colours blurred and fuzzy, totally hopeless picture quality, happened suddenly.

Changed monitors: same on both so not a monitor problem.

Any ideas? Further investigative tests? Repair possibilities?

Everything else O.K.

I had this problem. Changing from Chang to Carlsberg cured it

[Tywais]

Large black bands around the screen, all colours blurred and fuzzy, totally hopeless picture quality, happened suddenly.

Changed monitors: same on both so not a monitor problem.

Any ideas? Further investigative tests? Repair possibilities?

Everything else O.K.

I had this problem. Changing from Chang to Carlsberg cured it

Might try reseating the video card (pull it out and put it back in to the slot). Or borrow another video card and try it.

[libya 115]

Large black bands around the screen, all colours blurred and fuzzy, totally hopeless picture quality, happened suddenly.

Changed monitors: same on both so not a monitor problem.

Any ideas? Further investigative tests? Repair possibilities?

Everything else O.K.

I had this problem. Changing from Chang to Carlsberg cured it

Might try reseating the video card (pull it out and put it back in to the slot). Or borrow another video card and try it.

Thanks, I was thinking that. But what could have 'unseated' it.

Plus if I need a brand new video card: cost approximately?

Do video cards regularly go wonky?

Thanks for help with this.

[Tywais]

Thanks, I was thinking that. But what could have 'unseated' it.

Plus if I need a brand new video card: cost approximately?

Do video cards regularly go wonky?

Thanks for help with this.

Sometimes the contacts become contaminated depending on humidty/dust in your room and reseating will 'wipe' the connectors (also a light rubbing with a pencil eraser then paper to be sure). Video cards are pretty reliable and don't 'regularly go wonky'. Have a few hundred in use at the laboratory here and can't remember the last time I had to replace one.

Can get a reasonable replacement in the 2-3k baht region.

[eugengeri]

More possible that the video cable is broken in the practice.

[h5n1]

More possible that the video cable is broken in the practice.

the video cable cannot be broken. each monitor has its own cable and as he stated - he has swapped monitors out. hah.

reseat the board. if not you can buy a cheap board at panthip as a test and then if that resolves you can buy a new board.

IF you have all in one board and the video is on board, that may complicate issue a bit -perhaps. not in putting in new board, but maybe issue is w/ mainboard

reseat

swap out w/ cheap one

buy the card you want if that solves.

you can spend what you want - depends on your needs. about b1000. trouble is now even if you need low end card you have to buy 64mb card regardless at a minimum. try panthip high floors for used.

you are correct, electronics do seem to last forever - but they do go bad.

[Crossy]

Large black bands around the screen, all colours blurred and fuzzy, totally hopeless picture quality, happened suddenly.

Changed monitors: same on both so not a monitor problem.

Any ideas? Further investigative tests? Repair possibilities?

Everything else O.K.

Could be the drivers for the video gone west (happens sometimes all by itself)

Right-click on the desktop, choose 'properties' then the 'settings' tab. If you are seeing 256 colours or less you need to re-install the driver that came with your mainboard/graphics card.

[Gary A]

I recently had about the same thing except that I had all kind of different color bands. I bought a new video card. My new card is an Asus V9520 128MB DDR. I bought it at a small shop so probably paid too much. It cost 1,990 baht. Works fine now. You don't need a 128 MB card unless you play games but that's all this shop had. My old HP desktop had a 32MB and it worked fine for what I used it for.

Edit - As Crossy said, before you buy a new board, delete the drivers, shut down, pull out the board, reinsert it and restart your computer. XP will install the proper drivers for the card and if XP doesn't have the proper drivers you will have to have the board's installation disk.

Edited July 25, 2006 by Gary A

[h5n1]

yes - you COULD have corrupt driver - but if you dont know how to get into devices and reload driver you may want to leave to 'experts'. often, 3rd pty hw have drivers loaded at the root.

-i think its the card

as garya said 128 is standard (nearly) now. try a used low end card at panthip. gary, price may not be so bad and asus is great choice for hw.

[libya 115]

Colour is back to normal, after messing with poster 'crossy' comments, so now just a B/W one inch band around monitor.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.....