Display/Graphics problem - Any help please

[hamlet35]

Hi

After having a HDD problem and buying a new one with help from Rich and Blencogo, I now am having problems with the display.  The laptop starts up, I get the VAIO screen then there appears vertical lines all over the screen and Windows doesn't start up.  It had started to distort before this and even before the HDD failure there were blips in the display - I got messages saying "the display driver has stopped working but has now recovered".  I have read somewhere on this forum that there have been problems with Nvidia graphics cards and  my laptop - model VGN-NR32S has one but not sure which as I cannot load it up.

Any help and advice would be much appreciated.

Message was edited by: hamlet35

[rich912]

Hi Bea,

I'm afraid that this sounds serious.

Your model has a NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GT GPU and although this is the same chip (but possibly from a different batch) as that fitted to some of the models that Sony has acknowledged is faulty your model is not included in the free repair scheme.

Try tapping F2 at boot to enter the BIOS. Is the problem still evident? If it is then it would seem to be a hardware problem, if not it could be driver related.

Rich

[hamlet35]

Hi Rich

Yep, tapped F2 and the Bios screen does display but the vertical lines are also there and the picture is fuzzy.  Is it time to chuck the laptop out and buy new, or can anything be done?  I had already downloaded the latest driver just before it went off completely so looks like hardware.  Can this be replaced?

Thanks

[rich912 · Accepted solution]

Hi Bea,

In that case there is a hardware problem and the most probable cause is the graphics chip.

The chip is soldered to the motherboard so the repair can involve replacing the motherboard entirely at a cost of several hundred pounds. Or the fault could be with the solder connections and a reflow (melting and resetting of the solder) can solve the problem. I’m not sure of the current cost of this repair but would imagine it to be in the region of £100 – Google Reflow Repairs.

Sorry that it isn’t better news...

Rich

[hamlet35]

Hi Rich

I thought that would be the case.  I will look into the options and decide.  I am resistant to buying a new laptop because my expensive Creative MP3 player won't work properly with Windows 7, so I need to stick with Vista.  It is a pity I cannot buy a new laptop with Vista on it.

Thanks for your help.

Bea

[rich912]

Hi Bea,

Good luck with that... hopefully a reflow will fix the problem.

With regard to the MP3 player have you investigated updated drivers/software/firmware on the manufactures support site?

Rich

[hamlet35]

Hi

Yes, tried all that.  Creative just about supports Vista with firmwares and updates but it says that it no longer supports my player -Vision M 30 Gb, hundreds of songs and many albums and is only about 4 years old and cost nearly £200.  It plays videos and photos as well as music, so why wouldn't I want to continue using it?  But they say on the web site that all featues will not work with Windows 7.   They just want us to keep buying new ones.

Cheers

Bea

[hamlet35]

Hi Rich

You might be interested to know that I have had a reflow repair re the graphics chip on my Sony Vaio, it cost £80.  It seems to be working okay although it has "frozen" a couple of times, so will only use it occasionally.

I have also bought a new laptop and have decided to keep the old one just for use with my MP3 player and camcorder (the new laptops do not have any facility for taking video from the camcorder either.  It needs a buscard slot with a firewire socket which the Vaio has.)    When searching for a new laptop with a firewire or bus-card slot they are non existent and I have seen other forums where people are complaining that they cannot use their camcorders with the new laptops.  The computer manufacturers have a lot to answer for, making good equipment, ie my MP3 player and Cannon Camcorder obsolete!  As I have said before, they are not interested and just want us to keep buying new things and making them mega $$$$$ rich.

My new laptop is a HP so hope I have better luck with it and do not have to go on the HP forums for advice.

Thanks again for all your for all your past help :smileyhappy:.

Best wishes

Bea

[rich912]

Hi Bea,

Good to hear that the graphics issue has been fixed.

Re the lack of firewire, have you investigated an Express card with Firewire?

http://www.batteries-mall.co.uk/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&sid=1&keyword=SONY+VGP-BP...

Rich

[hamlet35]

Hi Rich

Yes, I have one for the Sony Vaio but the problem is that  NO new laptops have an express card slot. Hence the problem with buying a new one.  I will just have to keep the Sony going as long as possible.

Cheers

Bea