Vista - Display Problems

Hello, Got a problem cant seem to figure it out.

Upon boot up, I see little colored dots on the bios boot up screen. On the
next screen where it checks DMI and whether or not it should boot from a
cdroom, some of the words have changed letters such as instead of master
disk, it says, Master Dick or have symbols in the letters. Instead of
controller it says cntrolr. Stuff like that.

When vista boots up, i have Lines that go through the screen, looks like the
old snow lines on old televisions except they are colored. They also move
when i move windows over them. Its very weird.

It was working for a while. I then installed a 2nd dimm of Ram, same brand
same model. It worked for a couple weeks and then it started.

Heres my specs:
Operating: Vista Ultimate X64
Mobo: GA-K8NE
Processor: AMD Atholon 64 Processor 3000+
Video Card: Powercolor Radeon X1950 Pro
memory: 2 X CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200)

any help would be appreciated!

Thanks

Rich

Did you go back to the old RAM configuration to see if the problem stops?

Also, try reseating the video card.


--

Steve Easton



"Richard Wolff" <RichardWolff@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:42E436D3-4E50-40DD-B689-332C67B741D9@microsoft.com...
> Hello, Got a problem cant seem to figure it out.
>
> Upon boot up, I see little colored dots on the bios boot up screen. On the
> next screen where it checks DMI and whether or not it should boot from a
> cdroom, some of the words have changed letters such as instead of master
> disk, it says, Master Dick or have symbols in the letters. Instead of
> controller it says cntrolr. Stuff like that.
>
> When vista boots up, i have Lines that go through the screen, looks like the
> old snow lines on old televisions except they are colored. They also move
> when i move windows over them. Its very weird.
>
> It was working for a while. I then installed a 2nd dimm of Ram, same brand
> same model. It worked for a couple weeks and then it started.
>
> Heres my specs:
> Operating: Vista Ultimate X64
> Mobo: GA-K8NE
> Processor: AMD Atholon 64 Processor 3000+
> Video Card: Powercolor Radeon X1950 Pro
> memory: 2 X CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200)
>
> any help would be appreciated!
>
> Thanks
>
> Rich

Hi Richard--

Try replacing your video driver or updating it if there is a newer one for
your card.

Then:

1) Run an AV program and a spyware program like Adaware and Defender.
2) Run SFC.
3) If needed, and you have a Vista DVD run Startup Repair.

SFC or System File Checker is a bit like the spare tire in your car or a
backup battery I suppose. In Vista of course, they have changed it somewhat
and come up with a new name--Redmond stands for name it something different
twice a year and now it's part of WRP or Windows Resource Protection. It
scans protected resources including thousands of files, libraries, critical
folders, and essential registry keys, and it replaces those that are
corrupted with intact ones. It fixes a lot of problems in Windows XP, OE,
Windows Vista, Win Mail, IE6, and on Vista or if it is installed on XP, IE7.
It protects these things from changes by any source including
administrators, by keeping a spare of most of them.


How to Run SFC:

Type "cmd" into the Search box above the Start Button>and when cmd comes up
at the top of the Start menu>right click cmd and click "run as Admin" and
when the cmd prompt comes up at the cmd prompt type "sfc /scannow" no quotes
and let it run. This may fix things quite a bit. It replaces corrupt files
with intact ones, if you're not familiar with it.

You can try a restore point to before this happened or you try the steps
below if you have a Vista DVD:

Pressing F8 repeatedly when you seem the firmware screen may be is a generic
way to launch Windows RE on some OEM Vista computers.

Startup Repair will look like this when you put in the Vista DVD:

http://www.vistaclues.com/wp-content...r-computer.png

You run the startup repair tool this way (and system restore from here is
also sometimes effective):

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925810/en-us

How To Run Startup Repair In Vista Ultimate (Multiple Screenshots)
http://www.windowsvista.windowsreins...rtup/index.htm


I'm going to give you a bunch of links and most of them you won't have to
use, but they are alternative ways to fix Vista.

Right now I want you to put in the DVD and restart. It will automatically
take you to this on your screen:

http://www.vistaclues.com/wp-content...r-computer.png

That will allow you to go to the Vista setup that has a Repair link on the
lower left corner>click it and then you'll see a gray backgrounded list and
I want you to click Startup Repair from it and follow the directions.

The gray screen after you click the first link in the above pic will look
like this:

http://www.windowsreinstall.com/winv...ir/Image17.gif

Click Startup Repair, the link at the top and after it scans>click OK and
let it try to repair Vista. It will tell you if it does, and if not

This should work, but if not,then you can follow the alternative ways to fix
this including booting into Safe Mode by tapping the F8 key and using System
Restore.

Directions and links for alternative ways to fix this are below, but I hope
you won't need them:

If you have any questions on getting the Startup Repair done, just post
them.

If you have a Vista DVD try Startup Repair. If that doesn't work, try
SafeMode>System Restore from the Recovery Environment, and you always have
the F8 advanced options ( five of them including Last Known Good
Configuration) and a repair install (with the DVD) as well.

In addition you can use the Bootsect tool to manually repair the boot sector
by accessing the command prompt from the DVD or from F8 and typing at the
prompt:

****Ten Methods to Repair BSOD No Boots or Serious Problems in Windows
Vista****

***Startup Repair and System Restore from the Win Recovery Environment on
the DVD***

Although MSFT's Official Party Line as expressed by the Win RE team is that
Startup Repair is only to fix startups, like a lot of features rtm'd that
have broader application, so does Startup Repair. I have used it many times
to fix major systemic problems in Vista when it would still boot
successfully, and am talking with them to try to find out why they seem to
bill it as only fixing startup problems.

You can run Startup Repair by putting your Vista DVD in after theanguage
screen in setup. You can also run System Restore from the same
location.

You run the startup repair tool this way (and system restore from here is
also sometimes effective):

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925810/en-us

How To Run Startup Repair In Vista Ultimate (Multiple Screenshots)
http://www.windowsvista.windowsreins...rtup/index.htm

Note The computer must be configured to start from a CD or from a DVD. For
information about how to configure the computer to start from a CD or from a
DVD, see the information that came with the computer.
2. Restart the computer. To do this, click Start, click the arrow next to
the Lock button, and then click Restart.

This usually means that you enter bios setup by whatever key or keys
(sometimes there is more than one key that will do it for your model--go to
pc manufacturer site) and configure CD to be first in the boot order (this
will allow you to boot from the Vista DVD as well):

See for ref:
Access/Enter Motherboard BIOS (applies to Vista as well)
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

Boot Order in Bios (Set Boot from HD 1st)
http://www.short-media.com/images/mm...ios/bios03.jpg

Good luck,

CH

"Richard Wolff" <RichardWolff@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:42E436D3-4E50-40DD-B689-332C67B741D9@microsoft.com...
> Hello, Got a problem cant seem to figure it out.
>
> Upon boot up, I see little colored dots on the bios boot up screen. On the
> next screen where it checks DMI and whether or not it should boot from a
> cdroom, some of the words have changed letters such as instead of master
> disk, it says, Master Dick or have symbols in the letters. Instead of
> controller it says cntrolr. Stuff like that.
>
> When vista boots up, i have Lines that go through the screen, looks like
> the
> old snow lines on old televisions except they are colored. They also move
> when i move windows over them. Its very weird.
>
> It was working for a while. I then installed a 2nd dimm of Ram, same brand
> same model. It worked for a couple weeks and then it started.
>
> Heres my specs:
> Operating: Vista Ultimate X64
> Mobo: GA-K8NE
> Processor: AMD Atholon 64 Processor 3000+
> Video Card: Powercolor Radeon X1950 Pro
> memory: 2 X CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200)
>
> any help would be appreciated!
>
> Thanks
>
> Rich

Sounds like a display controller problem. Pull it out and clean the contacts
and reinstall. Make sure it is fully seated in the connector.

Post back and let us know if that fixes the problem.


"Richard Wolff" <RichardWolff@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:42E436D3-4E50-40DD-B689-332C67B741D9@microsoft.com...
> Hello, Got a problem cant seem to figure it out.
>
> Upon boot up, I see little colored dots on the bios boot up screen. On the
> next screen where it checks DMI and whether or not it should boot from a
> cdroom, some of the words have changed letters such as instead of master
> disk, it says, Master Dick or have symbols in the letters. Instead of
> controller it says cntrolr. Stuff like that.
>
> When vista boots up, i have Lines that go through the screen, looks like
> the
> old snow lines on old televisions except they are colored. They also move
> when i move windows over them. Its very weird.
>
> It was working for a while. I then installed a 2nd dimm of Ram, same brand
> same model. It worked for a couple weeks and then it started.
>
> Heres my specs:
> Operating: Vista Ultimate X64
> Mobo: GA-K8NE
> Processor: AMD Atholon 64 Processor 3000+
> Video Card: Powercolor Radeon X1950 Pro
> memory: 2 X CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200)
>
> any help would be appreciated!
>
> Thanks
>
> Rich