My Display Is Becoming Messed Up!

[pusher]

Ever since last night my computer display has started to mess up. I'm not sure what the problem is but whenever I come onto the computer the screen becomes fuzzy sort of like a TV screen; there're a lot of diagonal lines and the screen flickers. After a few minutes of this the screen becomes totally messed up with what looks like static.

I have no idea as to what to do.

Anyone have any insight as to what maybe happening? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Uhh... specs (if you need them):

WinXP
192mb of Ram
20 gigs of Memory (2.something left)
600 MHZ
Intel Pentium 3

[3rd gen noob]

updated video card drivers?

[pusher]

I haven't updated them in a while but I'll try that now.

[pusher]

I just updated my display drivers and the screen is still flickering.

:(

Any more suggestions?

[3rd gen noob]

have you moved your pc speakers closer to the monitor?
or have you placed any magnetic objects close to the monitor?

[pusher]

Nope. There hasn't been anything metalic next to the monitor. The speakers have always been next to the monitor and I haven't had any problems with it.
:(
I recently (about a month or two ago) installed a new RAM chip could the computers hardware have something to do with it?


:Edit: I forgot a word or two.

[3rd gen noob]

Originally posted by pusher@1 January 2004 - 11:04
I recently (about a month or two ago) installed a new RAM chip could the computers hardware have something to do with it?
nah, doesn't sound too likely...

have you tried degaussing the monitor?

[pusher]

Uhh.... at the risk of sounding dumb... What's degaussing?

[3rd gen noob]

Originally posted by pusher@1 January 2004 - 11:07
Uhh.... at the risk of sounding dumb... What's degaussing?
i'm not sure what the technical explanation is, but it makes the monitor go "ping" and gets rid of some of the crap...

take a look under your monitor options (where you change the width and height of display and such...)

[pusher]

I don't see anything that says "degaussing". :(

[3rd gen noob]

Originally posted by pusher@1 January 2004 - 11:14
I don't see anything that says "degaussing". :(
it may look like a little magnet?

i'm assuming you have a crt monitor and not an lcd...?

[pusher]

Nope I don't see anything like that. :( and yes I do have a CRT monitor. :(

[3rd gen noob]

Originally posted by pusher@1 January 2004 - 11:36
Nope I don't see anything like that. :( and yes I do have a CRT monitor. :(
dare i ask how old the monitor is?

[pusher]

It's 2 years old :o :(

[3rd gen noob]

Originally posted by pusher@1 January 2004 - 11:41
It's 2 years old :o :(
that's not too bad, my current monitor is about that age...

have you access to another monitor to see if the problem is with your monitor or with your other hardware/software...?

[cwctv]

Whats the refrash rate and whats the monitors make ?

[pusher]

Nope I don't. :(

[pusher]

Originally posted by cwctv@1 January 2004 - 12:45
Whats the refrash rate and whats the monitors make ?
60 Hertz and Nvidia Vanta (I believe)

[cwctv]

Nvidia Vanta (I believe)

Thats the card monitor would be something like ctx sony etc 60 htz at what size 800x600.

[pusher]

It just says Plug and Play Monitor

[cwctv]

It just says Plug and Play Monitor :D

Yeah it would but whats on the front down the bottom is it just an unknown name ie blank.

[pusher]

Yes it's an unknown blank. But the stickers on it say various things. :) but uhh....

:(

[cwctv]

Ok I agree with 3rd gen noob if you can't get access to another mon' if will be hard to help out does it have on screen menu's or buttons tring to find the deguass now, now if it needed it the screen would normally be full of nice rainbow colours like a magnet too close and not zig zaggy.

[sparsely]

you never found the Degauss?
don't your monitor have some buttons on the front? maybe one and a little menu comes on the screen?
anyway, it may look like a magnet, it may look like an upside down "U" with a breaky line through it.
anyway, if you press it, your monitor will go all weird for a couple seconds...

it just clears alot of the charges built up around the screen.

if that doesn't work, borrow someone else's montior....if it does the same thing on your comp, it's prolly time to replace your monitor.

[pusher]

Okay I finally found the deguass, when i pressed it the screen began to look like when a magnet gets too close to the monitor but the display is still a distorted. I guess I have to try it on another monitor or replace my monitor. :frusty:

Thank you everyone! You've been a great help. Happy New Years! :)

[cwctv]

Can we back up abit here you said
I recently (about a month or two ago) installed a new RAM chip could the computers hardware have something to do with it? so is this video card ONBOARD ?

[sparsely]

I really doubt it's the video...be it a board or chip.
he hasn't done any driver update, and it doesn't seem likely that the graphics whatever would just begin to crap out all
of a sudden.
If there was a problem with RAM it certainly would've showed up before now, more likely in the form of system beeps, blue
screens, and other obvious instability.
However he does appear to have a generic, now-somewhat-aging monitor.

let him try it on another one, then we'll know for sure.

[pusher]

What do you mean?

[cwctv]

I just updated my display drivers and the screen is still flickering.

Do you have a video card or one that is bulit in the motherbord,do you have a dell or compaq what's the name if any of the machine.

[pusher]

I have no idea whether or not it's built into the motherboard (I'm sorry I'm not computer saavy) but it's an ...uhhh....(prepares for uncontrolable laughter) Emachine 600. :o

Detailed Specs:

Microsoft® Windows® 98 Second Edition
Intel® Pentium® III 600MHz Slot 1 CPU
64MB SyncDRAM (up to 256 MB)
2 USB Ports (1 is on Front)
1 Serial / 1 Parallel / 3 Expansion Slot
Audio In & Out / Game Port on Front
Internet Ready
Sun® StarOffice™ 5.1
AOL 3 month membership included, click here for details
eMachines Network Internet Service
nVidia RIVA TNT2 Vanta 2x AGP with 8MB SDRAM
Crystal CS4281 3D PCI Audio
8x Max. DVD-ROM Drive with Software Decoder
20GB HDD (Ultra DMA EIDE)
3.5" 1.44MB FDD
56K* ITU V.90 PCI Fax/Modem
PS/2 Internet Keyboard/Mouse
Stereo Speakers

:(

[sparsely]

nope, you have a card:

nVidia RIVA TNT2 Vanta 2x AGP with 8MB SDRAM

[cwctv]

Nothing wrong with the spec as long as you are happy with it and it does as you want,if as Sparsely as said it is a card I would NOT rule out the memory on the card I had nearly the same problem with 2x3dfx's some time back removed one same thing removed the other and all was well ,my brothers Matrox was the same removed the add on memory card and things went back to normal.
So if the mon' you try as the same fault as the one you have try and put another video card in,have fun now.

[Evil Gemini]

have a look at the power connectors and see if they are in the power points properly and not hanging out or something.

Check all the cables and everything because it could be a cable arking or something causing the static.

BTW does it do it while its booting up like memory check or even in the BIOS ??

[pusher]

Okay I'll try taking out the add-on out. Thanks again everyone! :)