Video Card issues

[Hazar]

int Long.Story;

so, yesterday I was cleaning the dust out of my case and trying to get all the wires in a slightly better place so air would flow through the case a bit better. I dust it out somewhat regularly (once a month or so) so I didn't think much of it. So, after I'm done, I turn it back on, seems to work normally. Then I get to the xp login screen, and the display is a bit weird. I log in anyways, and everything seems normal. Then the screen turns black as if it was changing resolution or somthing. Then my whole desktop looks something like this. I think, "uh oh," and shut down quickly. I reboot a bit later and this time the login screen is replaced with this checkerboard/plaid thing.

At this point, I'm thinking that I fried my video card and it's physical damage. A little while later I boot into safe mode and everthing is normal for safe mode. Everything looks fine. I uninstall all the video card ATI stuff and run driver cleaner, following the readme instructions. Reboot, install drivers. After the drivers are installed, it boots normally in 800x600 and seems fine. Then about 5 seconds later, the screen turns black again and does the checkerboard thing.

I do this a couple more times (uninstall and reinstall drivers), including omega drivers which didn't help, until suddenly, on one restart after I install the drivers it doesn't go black. Everything is fine in 800x600. I go to the options and change the resolution to 1280x1024 and it takes it. It looks fine. The only problem is that moving windows and other animations are at like 5fps. I look around a bit in windows help and see that disabling hardware acceleration could help, so I do that. Guess what, it worked. Animations are tons faster (albiet a slight bit slower than normal) and everything seems to work.

I've used that for last night and most of today. However, I still want to solve the problem, because all this has led me to think that it's a software problem, because it can physically display the correct things. I messed around with it more today, uninstalling and reinstalling several versions of catalyst, doing a system restore (which seemed to work for a bit, then right when I got my hopes up, it did the checkerboard thing), and doing other things.

Sometimes instead of doing the totally unreadable checkerboard thing, it'll do like what's in the picture to various extents, but it's not predictible.

I really want to solve this problem, and I hope someone can help. I've not tried any fullscreen 3d games yet, but I played a movie and it worked despite a bit slower fps while playing.

Help plz, kthxbye

specs:

9800pro 128mb (from MSI)
AMD xp 2700+
one 40 gig hd, one 120 gb
1gb kingston ram
Audigy 2 ZS
Shuttle motherboard (I considered that something on the mobo got damaged, but I really don't know)

 

[Hazar]

btw, along the lines, I took the video card out, taking extra special caution against ESD and completely dusted it off, checking it really carefully, and then put it back in. It seated really nicely, no sign of a bad seat.

 

[Hazar]

update:

no 3d apps work 'cause "Direct3d" is not enabled.

when I go to dxdiag on the video tab it says "Direct3D functionality not available. You should verify that the driver is a final version from the hardware manufacturer.
"

 

[sinkoman]

How so did you take "extreme care not to produce ESD"? Did you just pick it up and make sure your clothes didn't shuffle, did you tap the side of your case and then take it out? Because ideally, you want to wear an ESD wristband, or keep one hand on the side of the case or psu as much as possible, taking it off only when you need to use both hands. Or just grabbing the side of your case every few minutes.

I would say fried.

 

[Hazar]

the first time I was dusting it out, I was touching the case at all times with it plugged in.

when I acutally took it out, I was wearing an ESD band thing, and touching the case as well.

 

[skarrob]

Sounds like you may have overheated your card, or have some lame virus.

 

[3ssence]

Sounds like an overheated card to me as well, despite the descriptions involving reducing hardware accelaration etc. I had the same problem with a 6800GT and shortly after it would display that at post and wouldn't even make it into windows.

Although for your sake i hope that it isn't this

 

[Mevoki]

I had the same problem about a year ago with my old computer, which has a 9800, and I just sent it back and they replaced it for me. Just don't tell'em you have done anything with the hardware

 

[Hazar]

I had overclocked it a bit in the past, but only like for a day or so, and it ran fine. The stock heatsink is huge, so I really don't think it overheated while at normal clock speeds. (here is a pic of it).

 

[Hazar]

any more suggestions??

I'm gonna use reformatting as a last resort, then try to rma if it doesn't work

 

[Dumb Dude]

If possible you should try to test it in another computer. If the problem follows the card, then its pretty safe to assume the card died. If it doesn't, then either re-install Direct X, or format.

 

[Hazar]

well, reformatting would see if it's a software or hardware problem..., I don't want to risk more ESD damage.

btw, how do you uninstall directx?

I've tried installing it again but it just finishes without doing anything.

 

[Dumb Dude]

You can't uninstall Direct X, only reinstall (assuming you are running XP). I only recommended the video card in another computer to avoid doing a format, because if its the card, it will be a useless format.

 

[Hazar]

yeah, that's true, but if I'm gonna rma it, I'd format anyways

I am running xp.

 

[Asus]

Are any of the power cables touching/shorting the case? Otherwise something with the card is wrong. It doesn't seem to be working properly. My guess is part of the hardware is messed up since it errors when changing modes. I mean, it could be drivers but why would drivers messed up when you handled the hardware and didn't touch the software?

 

[Hazar]

yeah, that's what I'm beginning to think. The one floppy drive power cable that gives it power is not touching the case, but it's a bit loose on the connection. However, if it doens't connect, the computer just beeps widly when you try to boot.