Screen freqs out & hangs computer

I know, I know ... it's just a joke! (freqs out vs. freaks out)

I have an 8 year old Inspiron 8200 with a screen that freaks out. And yes, I JUST bought a new computer (XPS 1530), but I want to keep my old one for a 2nd computer.

Several times a day, the screen gets snow in blotches & then the computer hangs. Sometimes the screen goes blank for 2 seconds, then comes back for 2 seconds, then repeats, with the computer hanging. Or maybe it's just the touch pad & keyboard that hangs. But I can't do anything & have to use the power on/off switch. It's a pain to do this several times a day.

When I push the power on button, sometimes the screen just has vertical, multi colored bars. Then I have to power off & then on again. Sometimes I have to do this 20 times before it comes up.

Back in the day, Dell had life time support so I called them. They diagnosed it as a bad graphics card, which is soldered to the motherboard so the whole thing would have to be replaced. Not wise on an old computer.

But a friend said maybe it's just the connector to the screen (or some other connector in the guts of the computer). It does seem strange that overnight, when I let it run to do my daily backup, & I'm not actually typing anything, it has never had a problem. Only during the day when I'm typing and moving the laptop around.

So here's the question. What do you think is causing the problem? Can I fix it myself? How?

 

Well, why don't you try re-seating the display connector yourself? If that doesn't solve the problem, then you're pretty much assured that it's a video problem (and you're lucky because the video board on the 8200 can be replaced). Dell has a service manual for the 8200 here:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins8200/en/sm_en/remove.htm#1084976

 

Dell said the video board was soldered on, but according to the link you gave me, I can replace it. I'll have to check cost to see if it's worth it. But 1st, I'll reseat the display cable, both ends, I assume.