Strange occurences

[~~Tides~~]

Hi, if anyone can help...


Recently, every time I got to put my laptop on 'hibernate', for about 10 seconds before the power goes of, the screen goes slightly insane, flashes a whole lot of different coloured lines, and makes me think that I’m about to have a close encounter of the third kind...

Today it has started doing this while booting up, and now for some reason the back ground picture has disappeared into the clouds, to be replaced with black and white lines. Also, the buttons at the top of windows (minimise, close, etc) have also been 'taken' and in their place is just a mess of colour.


Booting up times have recently become achingly slow.



If anyone can help me get my picture and buttons back... I strangely feel drawn to the mountain of Morven just now... weird.



Tom

[blueivy]

You've potentially got one of two problems - malware (virus, spyware etc.) or a screen on the way out. Without seeing it I don't know which one it is.

What antivirus software are you running?

Have you done a scan lately?

Does the lines and weird colours start BEFORE Windows boots up?

What make and model of laptop is it and how old is it?

Is it possible to take a picture of the laptop screen (obviously without any personal info on it) showing the weird colours and lines and post it?

[~~Tides~~]

Hi there, thanks for your help.

Below is a photo of the screen just after I clicked 'hibernate'. The lines always different, last time it was lots of little coloured lines. Its not doing it at re-boot now, though when it did, it was just before the log on screen came up.

I'm using Norton Internet Security 2009

I have updated and done a scan recently. However, I am suspicious that there is a virus that Norton isn't picking up, as bits of Norton (automatic update) have stopped working, plus the slow startup times.

Its an HP Compaq 6715s, just over a year old.


Thanks,


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3539/3522057019_931d56aa45.jpg?v=0

[blueivy]

Hi there, thanks for your help.

Below is a photo of the screen just after I clicked 'hibernate'. The lines always different, last time it was lots of little coloured lines. Its not doing it at re-boot now, though when it did, it was just before the log on screen came up.


I'm not entirely convinced this is a screen or graphics card problem but I'm not convinced it's not either. I have seen this type of thing before. My old laptop does something similar with the buttons you mentioned with the colours all messed up and I believe it's a screen / graphics card issue as XP has been reloaded with the same results.

Can you go to for Vista Start->Control Panel->Display->Change Display Settings->Advanced or for XP Start->Control Panel->Display->Settings->Advanced->Adapter and find out what adapter you have? To be on the safe side I would then go and download the latest drivers for the card as they may have become corrupt (unlikely but possible).



I'm using Norton Internet Security 2009

I have updated and done a scan recently. However, I am suspicious that there is a virus that Norton isn't picking up, as bits of Norton (automatic update) have stopped working, plus the slow startup times.

Its an HP Compaq 6715s, just over a year old.

Thanks,


Can you go to Start->Run and type notepad c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts and have a look for lines that don't start with # - there should generally only be 1 or 2 - something like:

127.0.0.1 localhost
::1 localhost

If you have many more than that then it is likely to be a virus (that's only likely not definite).

My suggestion would be to go to http://live.sunbeltsoftware.com/ and follow the instructions to download VIPRE Rescue (it's about 120Mb). I would also go to www.malwarebytes.org, download and run that too. These are pretty solid antivirus and antispyware programs that, in my opinion, are miles ahead of Norton's offering. They should pick up almost everything.

I would also think about wiping and reinstalling as that will a) get rid of any potential virus / spyware and b) prove if the graphics problem

What operating system are you using (I assume Vista)?

[lazytown]

another thing to try is plugging the laptop into a monitor and go into hibernate, this will rule out the screen if you get the same thing happening. so it will help narrow down the cause.

[dx100uk]

another thing to try is plugging the laptop into a monitor and go into hibernate, this will rule out the screen if you get the same thing happening. so it will help narrow down the cause.

damn.....beat me too it

dx

[~~Tides~~]

Nope, virus scans didnt pick anything up.

I will try to reinstall the driver tonight, but I've a feeling I did that not too long ago.

Don't have a monitor unforunately!


Thanks.