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Fishead1
Premium Member
join:2001-05-08
Bronx, NY

Fishead1

Premium Member

Video card Problem

Click for full size
Move this post if not in the right forum.
About 2 weeks ago after playing Path of Exile and locking up in the game but couldn't bring up Windows Task Manager to shut it down I had to cold boot and when I got back to log on screen and got Windows to boot up again a started getting these lines(see picture).
It also got to the point that I couldn't boot into Windows.I would get "NTLDR is missing" which could be a corrupt boot sector,Lose cable,many things.I checked the cables they seemed ok. So I thought I'd try a repair install.That didn't work so I did a fresh install and finally got the PC back up and running but the lines persist.
It is not the LCD display causing it, as I ran an old PC with its own card and it ran clean on that old PC.
What can cause this to happen?Video card memory?Drivers?
Fishead1

Fishead1

Premium Member

I'm on the old PC posting this post and I am now able to see what I said were lines in the above photo aren't visible here.I'm using the same LCD monitor,just different PCs and video cards.
When I got the new PC back up and running it was working with the standard VGA drivers that the Windows XP installs.The video card in the new PC is a Geforce 8800 GTS.When I went to install Drivers meant for the card I grabbed the latest working ones not beta ones.
I installed them and was prompted to reboot for them to take effect.
When I rebooted it got part way thru the boot up process and came up to a screen of garbage were I couldn't make out anything.
I t seems like its a combination of bad video card drivers and also something wrong with video card that its only stable with basic VGA drivers from WIN XP install disc.
I'll have to see if I can do a repair without trashing the programs I have loaded and try some older drivers for the Geforce card because it was working fine with older drivers.I upgraded the drivers a few weeks back because I kept on getting freeze ups in Path Of Exile game but no other games.I think that was my mistake.

norwegian
Premium Member
join:2005-02-15
Outback

norwegian

Premium Member


When doing a fresh install, select a clean install so it takes away the old profile and possible conflicts. Uninstall it too in device manager as well before reboot.

Also Nvidia can give you older drivers if you want to try an older version as you suggested.

If it is freezing a lot and that made you update, try a memory test of the video card:
mikelab.kiev.ua/index_en.php

Also worst case scenario, baking the card without fan, heatsink and plastic components might help rejuvinate the card, but if that fixes it, you are definitely looking for a new card long term.

Fishead1
Premium Member
join:2001-05-08
Bronx, NY

Fishead1

Premium Member

Yes I'm looking into older drivers .The trouble started about 2 weeks ago after I upgraded the drivers thinking it would help the freezing I was getting in Path Of Exile.Everything went down hill from there.
I'd like to do a new install but I'd like to keep the few programs I had running if I can.I know theres a way to repair and keep the installed programs.I had tried it when I first had the problems.I had done a search and it had a walk thru and talked about ignoring the first choice to repair and there would be a second time you could select to repair but keep programs you had installed.I'll have to Google it again.I\ll try a memory test of video card to.

norwegian
Premium Member
join:2005-02-15
Outback

norwegian

Premium Member

The clean install was in reference to the Nvidia drives.
Uninstall the drivers, reboot, then try this:

»www.guru3d.com/content_p ··· per.html

It should make sure when you do install the drivers, which ever version you pick, it will be a clean install.

Fishead1
Premium Member
join:2001-05-08
Bronx, NY

Fishead1

Premium Member

Thanks for the info and the page for Drive Sweeper.So far was able to reinstall Windows doing a repair without losing programs I installed.Will look into Video card memory tester in a bit.I really need a new video card and have been looking to buy a half way decent one but money is very short.I'm on disability and I'm just making my rent ,Gas and electric,TV,Phone,internet connection with nothing to spare.
I'm on Cablevision here in New York,but Verizon has been wiring the building(6 floor apartment building)for Fiber and they have a great deal for about $90 for internet,phone,TV.I'd be able to save about $50 a month.
Fishead1

Fishead1 to norwegian

Premium Member

to norwegian
Used drivers from about mid 2012 .Booted up to a scambled screen again.But card will run with basic drivers from Windows install CD.
Video memory tester wants to run in 640x 480 mode but will not run if I say yes to that mode.

Krisnatharok
PC Builder, Gamer
Premium Member
join:2009-02-11
Earth Orbit

Krisnatharok

Premium Member

How old is the GPU? Can you post your complete system specs?

Fishead1
Premium Member
join:2001-05-08
Bronx, NY

Fishead1

Premium Member

Its a Geforce 8800 GTS ,320MB DDR3 Memory on board.Its probably a 5 or 6 year old card.Runs Diablo 3 ,Path of Exile and games like that on 1024x786 and some times 1280x1024 on 32 bit color setting no to badly.Altho on higher setting it would tend to bog down with a lot going on in game.
The motherboard is ASUS M4A79T DELUXE ,AMD Phenom II x4 955 CPU.
6G RAM Micron DDR3
Fishead1

Fishead1

Premium Member

Click for full size
Click for full size
Not sure if anyone is checking this post but here are pictures of what I'm getting using standard VGA driver that Windows XP installs when you install the Operating System.
If I try to install the video cards(Geforce 8800GTS) drivers and reboot I get complete garbage at log in screen and can't make out anything but blocks of color.
Why would it work with basic drivers but not with Video cards drivers?

norwegian
Premium Member
join:2005-02-15
Outback

norwegian

Premium Member


1. Does both slots on the board produce the same results?
2. Power cables swapped comes back the same?
3. Video memory tests all cleared?
4. Hardware acceleration on/off produce the same results?
5. a)What version of drivers; have you tried old 195 or similar or just the latest?
Have you deleted all nVidia folders before re-install and run a registry clean?

Sorry if I missed some of this, I'm just trying to run through the list of what I'd check.

Fishead1
Premium Member
join:2001-05-08
Bronx, NY

Fishead1

Premium Member

Tried both slots.Tried just about every driver on Nvidia's site for my video card that go back quiet a ways.Same thing happens when I reboot ,a screen full of garbage where I can't see anything but blotches of different colored squares.I really don't want to try any more drivers because I can't get back in to roll them back and then I have to do a repair install and go thru hours and hours of Windows updates.
I tried the video memory tester but if refuses to run.I 'll have to look into that again.Just getting frustrated.Looks like a video card gone bad.
Mister_E
join:2004-04-02
Etobicoke, ON

Mister_E to Fishead1

Member

to Fishead1
If it's happening at boot/post (i.e. even before the OS and drivers load) then it's not at all related to the drivers.

The repetitive pattern suggests a problem with memory on the graphic card.

Another diagnostic program that can stress test video memory (as well as the rest of your system) is OCCT.

This can be a defective card - cold solder, bad memory ic, etc.

It could also be a problem related to overclocking the gpu/memory on the card or insufficient voltage, etc. If you've overclocked the cards gpu/memory (or tinkered with its voltages), try returning it to stock speeds and voltages.

A failing power supply can also be the cause the problems you're experiencing - especially since you also reported issues with the computer hanging, hard drive corruption, etc. If you've got a spare (and sufficiently rated) power supply, try that.

Also, try the card in another PC if you can and see if the problem persists. If so, it looks like you'll have to replace the card.

Fishead1
Premium Member
join:2001-05-08
Bronx, NY

Fishead1

Premium Member

I don't have another PC that would take a PCI video card.I have an old PC that has an AGP video card.I might be getting a spare PC from a friend in a week or so,Not sure if it has built in video or separate card.
I tend to think its video memory like you said.
I will try that OCCT program in a bit.
I don't over clock at all.
The PC was hanging in one particular game and was running fine in my other games.It hung in Path of Exile.It would lock up and I couldn't bring up Task Manager to shut it down so I had to cold boot.I would then try to do a check disk but it would start to freeze up as I logged on.I tried a bunch of times but it would lock up every time.Thats when I started with a repair install and then finally with a complete reformat of partition and clean install.
I hope its just the video card.
Fishead1

Fishead1

Premium Member

I had a friend who gave me an Nvidia Quadro FX4300 that he had no need for so I plugged it in and the screen is back to normal and I was able to install the cards drivers and reboot with no problems.
Its more a workstation graphics card and not really meant for gaming but for being able to test if my problem was the video card its ok till I get a card I have on order.