Horizontal bands and somewhat lurid colors

  • Thread starter Thread starter Opinicus
  • Start date Start date
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Opinicus

This morning when I turned my computer on I noticed I was suddenly getting
horizontal bands across the screen where there are lines of text (kind of
like those green-and-white computer printout pages). The color of the bands
seem to be a darker shade of the background color. The bands become darker
when the text is defined or selected (as in Word for example). The heights
of the bands coincide with the "bodies" of the letters but not with their
descenders or ascenders. In the word "thing" for example, the "n" is
completely within the band. The upper parts of the "t" and "h" and the dot
on the "i" are above the band and the tail of the "g" is just below it.

Colors also seem slightly more lurid or intense. Playing around with the
monitor’s settings and with the Control Panel video settings doesn’t seem to
correct the problem.

I removed my monitor and attached the one from my wife's machine. The
problem is the same. My wife's monitor works fine on her machine.

What could cause this? Is this a signal that my video card is in trouble?
 
Try removing the video card with device manager and reboot.
It should reload the drivers. If that doesn't help you have
probably burned out something on the card. Does it have a
fan on your graphics card and is it working? It could just
be heat.

But I'd bet you will need to replace the card since the
problem is not in the monitor.


| This morning when I turned my computer on I noticed I was
suddenly getting
| horizontal bands across the screen where there are lines
of text (kind of
| like those green-and-white computer printout pages). The
color of the bands
| seem to be a darker shade of the background color. The
bands become darker
| when the text is defined or selected (as in Word for
example). The heights
| of the bands coincide with the "bodies" of the letters but
not with their
| descenders or ascenders. In the word "thing" for example,
the "n" is
| completely within the band. The upper parts of the "t" and
"h" and the dot
| on the "i" are above the band and the tail of the "g" is
just below it.
|
| Colors also seem slightly more lurid or intense. Playing
around with the
| monitor’s settings and with the Control Panel video
settings doesn’t seem to
| correct the problem.
|
| I removed my monitor and attached the one from my wife's
machine. The
| problem is the same. My wife's monitor works fine on her
machine.
|
| What could cause this? Is this a signal that my video card
is in trouble?
|
| --
| Bob
| Kanyak's Doghouse
| http://kanyak.com
|
 
Jim Macklin said:
Try removing the video card with device manager and reboot.
It should reload the drivers. If that doesn't help you have
Click to expand...

Didn't help and also royally fscked things up. Thank Bill for restore
points!
probably burned out something on the card. Does it have a
fan on your graphics card and is it working? It could just
be heat.
But I'd bet you will need to replace the card since the
problem is not in the monitor.
Click to expand...

Yes, it looks like time for a video card change. That's one of the few
elements remaining from the original system. The others are the monitor, the
modem, the CD drive, the 3.5" floppy drive, and the power cord.
 
I had exactly the same symptoms last year with my GeForce card. Short answer, your video card is bad

blocksigna


----- Opinicus wrote: ----

This morning when I turned my computer on I noticed I was suddenly gettin
horizontal bands across the screen where there are lines of text (kind o
like those green-and-white computer printout pages). The color of the band
seem to be a darker shade of the background color. The bands become darke
when the text is defined or selected (as in Word for example). The height
of the bands coincide with the "bodies" of the letters but not with thei
descenders or ascenders. In the word "thing" for example, the "n" i
completely within the band. The upper parts of the "t" and "h" and the do
on the "i" are above the band and the tail of the "g" is just below it

Colors also seem slightly more lurid or intense. Playing around with th
monitor’s settings and with the Control Panel video settings doesn’t seem t
correct the problem

I removed my monitor and attached the one from my wife's machine. Th
problem is the same. My wife's monitor works fine on her machine

What could cause this? Is this a signal that my video card is in trouble
 
Opinicus said:
This morning when I turned my computer on I noticed I was suddenly
getting horizontal bands across the screen where there are lines of
text (kind of like those green-and-white computer printout pages).
The color of the bands seem to be a darker shade of the background
color. The bands become darker when the text is defined or selected
(as in Word for example). The heights of the bands coincide with the
"bodies" of the letters but not with their descenders or ascenders.
In the word "thing" for example, the "n" is completely within the
band. The upper parts of the "t" and "h" and the dot on the "i" are
above the band and the tail of the "g" is just below it.

Colors also seem slightly more lurid or intense. Playing around with
the monitor’s settings and with the Control Panel video settings
doesn’t seem to correct the problem.

I removed my monitor and attached the one from my wife's machine. The
problem is the same. My wife's monitor works fine on her machine.

What could cause this? Is this a signal that my video card is in
trouble?
Click to expand...

Have you tried degaussing the monitor? It would be much cheaper than buying
a new video card.


--
Donald L McDaniel
Post all replies to the Newsgroup,
so that all may be informed.
Remove the obvious to reply by email.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 
He switched monitors and still had the problem.


message | Opinicus wrote:
| > This morning when I turned my computer on I noticed I
was suddenly
| > getting horizontal bands across the screen where there
are lines of
| > text (kind of like those green-and-white computer
printout pages).
| > The color of the bands seem to be a darker shade of the
background
| > color. The bands become darker when the text is defined
or selected
| > (as in Word for example). The heights of the bands
coincide with the
| > "bodies" of the letters but not with their descenders or
ascenders.
| > In the word "thing" for example, the "n" is completely
within the
| > band. The upper parts of the "t" and "h" and the dot on
the "i" are
| > above the band and the tail of the "g" is just below it.
| >
| > Colors also seem slightly more lurid or intense. Playing
around with
| > the monitor's settings and with the Control Panel video
settings
| > doesn't seem to correct the problem.
| >
| > I removed my monitor and attached the one from my wife's
machine. The
| > problem is the same. My wife's monitor works fine on her
machine.
| >
| > What could cause this? Is this a signal that my video
card is in
| > trouble?
|
| Have you tried degaussing the monitor? It would be much
cheaper than buying
| a new video card.
|
|
| --
| Donald L McDaniel
| Post all replies to the Newsgroup,
| so that all may be informed.
| Remove the obvious to reply by email.
| +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
|
|
|
|
 
Run a virus scan, or try a restore to the day it worked. As you have seen
the problem is not in the monitor. Also bring it up in safe mode and post if
it does the same thing in this mode.
 
Nick Burns said:
Run a virus scan, or try a restore to the day it worked. As you have seen
the problem is not in the monitor. Also bring it up in safe mode and post if
it does the same thing in this mode.
Click to expand...

No viruses. Going back to an earlier restore point was the first thing I
tired. I just booted into safe mode and the problem was still there.

I'm pretty sure that this is related to a bad screen card and am shopping
around for a new one. I recently heard of cards that are specially designed
to handle 3D graphics but have forgotten the name of the card or the
technology. Could someone remind me please?
 
Yes I believe you are right, as safe mode would have used a different video
driver, eliminating it as the cause. Might try reseating your video card.
 
ATI and NVIDIA make AGP and PCI graphics cards. Look for a
card that will do what you need. The newer games require a
high end graphics card that can cost several hundred
dollars. You can get cards with several output modes and
even TV tuners.

Google and www.pricewatch.com can be your friend.


|
| | > Run a virus scan, or try a restore to the day it worked.
As you have seen
| > the problem is not in the monitor. Also bring it up in
safe mode and post
| if
| > it does the same thing in this mode.
|
| No viruses. Going back to an earlier restore point was the
first thing I
| tired. I just booted into safe mode and the problem was
still there.
|
| I'm pretty sure that this is related to a bad screen card
and am shopping
| around for a new one. I recently heard of cards that are
specially designed
| to handle 3D graphics but have forgotten the name of the
card or the
| technology. Could someone remind me please?
|
| --
| Bob
| Kanyak's Doghouse
| http://kanyak.com
|
 
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