Win XP Display Issue

My 6-year old Gateway 700x desktopwith Win XP Proi has always been very stable.
Lately, I have an intermittent problem. The desktop looks fine, but when I open
any program, the display changes to what looks like a lower resolution. I can no
longer see the bottom of the screen, and the whole display is fuzzy and moves
around. There are lots of horizontal lines moving up and down.

When I shut the computer down and reboot, everything works fine.

Does this sound like a video card or other hardware issue?

Where should I start?

Thanks!
Scott

If the video card has an nVidia chip, it has probably reached the end of its
useful life after 6 years. nVidia chips have always run fast and hot, and
either the speed kills them or the heat. Otherwise, it's a tossup.

IF you can get your hands on another monitor, try it first. People are giving
away CRT monitors, so you should be able to get one cheap or free. Free is
good. If the replacement monitor acts the same, then it's the graphics card. If
the replacement monitor works, you have replaced a defective monitor.

Really, six years is a lot of life for a monitor, too, unless it is a
high-quality name brand.

.... Ben Myers

On Sun, 14 Sep 2008 21:16:45 -0500, Scott wrote:

My 6-year old Gateway 700x desktopwith Win XP Proi has always been very stable.
Lately, I have an intermittent problem. The desktop looks fine, but when I open
any program, the display changes to what looks like a lower resolution. I can no
longer see the bottom of the screen, and the whole display is fuzzy and moves
around. There are lots of horizontal lines moving up and down.

When I shut the computer down and reboot, everything works fine.

Does this sound like a video card or other hardware issue?

Where should I start?

Thanks!
Scott

On Sep 15, 12:27*am, Ben Myers
wrote:
If the video card has an nVidia chip, it has probably reached the end of its
useful life after 6 years. *nVidia chips have always run fast and hot, and
either the speed kills them or the heat. *Otherwise, it's a tossup.

IF you can get your hands on another monitor, try it first. *People are giving
away CRT monitors, so you should be able to get one cheap or free. *Free is
good. *If the replacement monitor acts the same, then it's the graphics card. If
the replacement monitor works, you have replaced a defective monitor.

Really, six years is a lot of life for a monitor, too, unless it is a
high-quality name brand.

... Ben Myers

I guess I've been really lucky so far, my replacement 19" Gateway
VX900 monitor is going on ten years old. The first one lasted only 9
months. For the last 3 years I've been hoping in the back of my mind
that it would fail so I have an excuse to buy a LCD monitor. I
originally dreamed of a 19" wide screen and with each passing year I'm
thinking larger as prices fall and technology improves. Now I'm
looking at 24" and 26" wide screen monitors. Are there any specific
brands and models in the $300 to about $450 price range that I should
be considering?

Thanks in advance,
Ron






On Sun, 14 Sep 2008 21:16:45 -0500, Scott wrote:
My 6-year old Gateway 700x desktopwith Win XP Proi has always been very stable.
Lately, I have an intermittent problem. The desktop looks fine, but when I open
any program, the display changes to what looks like a lower resolution. I can no
longer see the bottom of the screen, and the whole display is fuzzy and moves
around. There are lots of horizontal lines moving up and down.

When I shut the computer down and reboot, everything works fine.

Does this sound like a video card or other hardware issue?

Where should I start?

Thanks!
Scott

On Sun, 14 Sep 2008 23:26:43 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

I guess I've been really lucky so far, my replacement 19" Gateway
VX900 monitor is going on ten years old. The first one lasted only 9
months. For the last 3 years I've been hoping in the back of my mind
that it would fail so I have an excuse to buy a LCD monitor. I
originally dreamed of a 19" wide screen and with each passing year I'm
thinking larger as prices fall and technology improves. Now I'm
looking at 24" and 26" wide screen monitors. Are there any specific
brands and models in the $300 to about $450 price range that I should
be considering?

Thanks in advance,
Ron

The Gateway FPD2185W LCD is a definite no-no. Mine just died on me one
month out of warranty. Info on the internet indicates that this is
most probably due to a well established problem with some cheapo brand
of capacitors on the monitor's power supply board. Hundreds of people
with this monitor are having this problem.

To fix it, I guess I have to crack open the monitor case and solder
some new capacitors in there. People report pretty good success doing
this.

The LG brand monitors have a pretty good reputation as far as I know.
Dave

Ben Myers wrote:

If the video card has an nVidia chip, it has probably reached the end of its
useful life after 6 years. nVidia chips have always run fast and hot, and
either the speed kills them or the heat. Otherwise, it's a tossup.

IF you can get your hands on another monitor, try it first. People are giving
away CRT monitors, so you should be able to get one cheap or free. Free is
good. If the replacement monitor acts the same, then it's the graphics card. If
the replacement monitor works, you have replaced a defective monitor.

Really, six years is a lot of life for a monitor, too, unless it is a
high-quality name brand.

... Ben Myers

On Sun, 14 Sep 2008 21:16:45 -0500, Scott wrote:

My 6-year old Gateway 700x desktopwith Win XP Proi has always been very stable.
Lately, I have an intermittent problem. The desktop looks fine, but when I open
any program, the display changes to what looks like a lower resolution. I can no
longer see the bottom of the screen, and the whole display is fuzzy and moves
around. There are lots of horizontal lines moving up and down.

When I shut the computer down and reboot, everything works fine.

Does this sound like a video card or other hardware issue?

Where should I start?

Thanks!
Scott


Ben,

As it turns out, the next time it acted up, I hit the OSD (brightness, contrast, etc.)
button on the bottom left of my Gateway FPD1810 LCD monitor controls, and the fuzziness
and wiggling immediately stopped. It's only acted up a few times since, and pushing the
OSD button fixes it. So, it looks like a monitor issue. I guess 6 years is a pretty
good life, even for and LCD. I'm now looking at the LG monitors at Best Buy. Any
suggestions?

Thanks!
Scott