Totally lost after a sequel of events

I have a 5 yr old Pavilion dv7 with Vista Home Premium 64 bits impeccably performing from the start until three weeks ago...when it just collapsed after a series of events. This is what happened in chronological order(and I am not sure if these events have cause-effect relevance):

First, I replaced my badly damaged keyboard. Shortly after, I opened an e-mail attachment that turned out to be trojan infected. I acquired two viruses from it which I thought I was able to remove. But the laptop started acting up...crushings and BSOD's and probs with cold boot , then probs with re-starting and finally no boot. I was forced to System Recovery installation...several times, using both recovery set(2 DVD's) from HP and my own created 3-DVD's set. I was able to install factory image each time only to crush and BSOD's within minutes. The last dump message mentioned something about damaged graphic card... which was confirmed by a repairman(who did not know about what I thought I saw in the last BSOD's reference to damaged Graphic card).

So the last time I factory image installed, I quickly went to Device Manager before anything else and activated the Standard VGA adapter. This stopped the crushing and BSOD's and improved somewhat the booting process (although not quite fully. I still have to boot several times before stumbling on a successful try).

Now, except for inability to play Media Center, QuickPlay and 3-D games and not-so-automatic successful boots, my laptop looks and behaves like always, "impeccably".

I am not sure, at this point what actually is wrong. Is it all because of "damaged" GeForce NVidia 9600m GT graphic card?... and the Standard VGA card I am stuck with which is inadequate to support MCE/QP and 3D games? If the NVidia card is really damaged, how come I could use it perfectly but only for a few seconds, two minutes tops before the crushings and BSOD's.

I hate to buy another PC since I am almost normal. But I would hate it more if I could be fixable to original "impeccable" performance and did not because I was not advised correctly and therefore "settled" for less than "impeccable" performing Standard VGA.

Any advice?

I'm not sure why you started a new thread. I responded to your boot problems in your other thread earlier today.

I cannot explain my booting prob. thus, I am now entertaiining possibilities I have more probs other than just damaged graphic card. I am not sure if the two trojans had anything to do with the suddden "collapse" of my hitherto perferctly performing laptop...because factory image system recovery should result in virus-free set up and problem-free new beginning..

@wither 3, I appreciate your replies, but you have not been helpful. Your replies suggest you missed the points. .

That's fine. We were just probing to find out if the graphics card is really crapped out. Apparently it is. I don't think it has anything to do with your boot problems.

Hopefully RichC46 or someone else will weigh in on this one.

Well, that's why I posted another thread with the sequel of events that may or may not be relevant to the sudden laptop collapse.

I thought I might have damaged something inside when I replaced the keyboard. But then watching online videos of how to replace graphic card in HP Pavilion dv series, I am sure I did not damage the graphic card being it's too deep to even touch. What could I have damaged that causes boot problem?

I wonder what happened to the other helpers?

I don't have any idea. Perhaps it goes back to the viruses.

At what point in the boot process do you get failures? Since you reinstalled the OS and it's behaving, it could be that you need to reset the CMOS or flash the BIOS.

You could also look in the BIOS to see if there are any hardware Interrupt problems. You could also look in Device Manager to see if there are any device problems shown (other than your graphics card). If none are shown, you probably didn't damage anything or pull any plugs when you replaced the keyboard.

Hmm, I thought it had dropped resulting in the gpu breaking.

I recommend pulling your keyboard anbd trying a usb in it just to seee if you puit in a bad screw or put something in improperly.

Gonna go see how the keyboard replacement is done to see what you had to do.

It was uneventful for more than a few days(not a week) after keyboard replacement. And then I acquired two Trojan viruses which I was able to track down and delete. Shortly thereafter I started crushings. Then I started having cold boot prob (I thought because my apartment was cold, literally) with re-starts remaining intact and reliable. And then even re-start booting became unstable accompanied by screen streakings and mottlings just before crushing and the dreaded BSOD's that turned off the system.

So I did Factory image system recovery several times. Several times.... because of continued crushings and BSOD's and unstable boots until on the final re-installation(fourth)I instinctively went straight to Device Manager right after software installations were all done before I did anything else just to inactivate the NVidia graphic adapter(I had only seconds to do it before the predictable crushing) leaving me by default with just the Standard VGA...which solved all the cruchings/BSOD's and somewhat, improve booting(somewhat...like I still have to try a few times before "stumbling" on a successful boot).

Actually I already had a second look underneath the keyboard just to see if I had unloosened some wire or cable attachments or any evident scratches or signs of damages. None.

I cannot go deeper to reach the MoBo and NVidia card. Too complicated. I am a thoracic surgeon and I think repairing/replacing MoBo/graphic card is more complicated and difficult to do than any surgery I have done. Seriously.

Can you post a screen shot of the device manager?

Oh did you reseat the ram?

I have no clue what you want to know from Device Manager screen shot(I also have no clue how to do screen shot).

What do you mean by "reseat the RAM"

Reseating the RAM is just pop them out and put them back in.


The device manager is uin the control panel -> System, then click the device manager link

Best way to get a screen shot is with the snipping tool.

Type snipping into the start menu it will find it.
Make a box around the device manager window, then save it and add it as an attachment to your post in the "Go advance" button below .

Click the Paperclip do the stuff, and post.

OK, I found it in my Picture folder and I can copy it but cannot paste. Paste option is grayed out on the forum format and not an option in right clicking.

You need to attach the picture to your post.. the option is in the "go advanced" button, there is a paper clip icon.

Where is the paper clip icon? Clicking Advanced button does not show it.

OK...I found the icon. Clicked it and a small box poppped out. Per instruction, I dragged the screen shot file into the box which changed to a different and bigger box where the file stays, beautifully...but I still cannot paste it on this reply space.

I have to know how to do this. Please be patient.

Yha you need to click the "add inline " tab or something.. it is a pain so dont worry.

Try reading this
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/289032-screenshots-files-upload-post-vista-forums.html

Is this it? Too small, eh?

OK...I think this is what you want to see.