Problem with 8600m GT

Hi,

this problem started when I connected my notebook to a LCD television. As soon as I install a driver for my 8600m GT graphics card. My screen gets messed up. Its very hard to explain so I took some pictures.

-- This is the windows vista welcoming screen.
-- This is the start menu of windows vista

It is weird that when I install the driver my notebook recognises an external screen even though there isn't one connected... The problem dissapears when I have no video drivers installed. Ofcourse this is very annoying because I can't play any game or do graphical stuff with my laptop.

Any ideas on solving this?



Thanks in advance!


p.s.: sorry for my bad english

 

did u try pressing fn+F8, which driver are you installing ?. did u try to install the latest drivers??. did u again try connecting to an external monitor to see if display is corrupted on that too ??

 

I tried installing several drivers from laptopvideo2go and also one official from nvidia. I have connected an external monitor but the LCD says "no signal". (I have already succesfuly connected my notebook to my screen before with an s-video to s-video cable). The problem started when I connected my notebook with this s-video to HDTV thing (pic below). FN+F8 doesnt work either . Thanks for the fast reply.

 

Try different drivers that should likely fix it.

 

I've tried 4/5 different drivers. Should I keep trying?

 

why cant you just reinstall windows ??

 

when installing new drivers are you following the method ie unistall, safe mode, sweep and then install the new ones? its possible if your not following this method that vista will auto reinstall the older driver. try that and if that dosnt work try the stock drivers from dell.

 

I do not folow that method. But when I installed the driver and I check the version that is installed it matches the executable that I used... So I dont think vista reinstalls the older driver. Thanks for the help though!

I have already done that. Didnt help...



I have considerd buying a new 8600m GT graphics card but I'm not able to find a place where I can buy the card seperatly.


Any ideas?

 

I think the adapter fried your card somehow... Contact Dell to get a new card.

 

My waranty has expired. And because of that I cant seem to contact Dell...
Does anyone have an email-address or something so I can contact them?

 

Hm, what drivers have you tried specifically?

 

1.) Does this only happen when you plug it in? or does Windows also "boot" into this checkerboard display

2.) Agree w/Above, which drivers have you tested?

3.) Be sure to try with the uninstall->safemode->sweep->install drivers method.


If this is not working then your GPU might be dying.
Oh, and to contact Dell, you can go to their online chat.
Much easier.
Then they transfer you to someone near you ( If you're not in the US).

 

1) It also happens when there is no external monitor plugged in.
2) I really have no idea. I have tested serveral and I'm sure that the driver I installed normaly works. (I saved the drivers on my external HD when I reinstallled vista before)
3) I will try that, but what do you mean with the "sweep"?


Dell chat doesnt work anymore because my waranty has expired . (what kind of service is that) :s

 

1.) If it happens when no external monitor is plugged in, there definately is a problem with your videocard/motherboard, etc.. you HAVE to get it replaced.

2.) Drivers are a source of the problem sometimes, sometimes it is a fix, normally the most "stable" drivers are the ones offered from the manufacturers' website, or any other driver which you find stable (temperatures, performance, etc.)

3.) by sweep I menan, download Driver Sweeper, it completely cleans any trace of any installed video card(in this case), leading to a clean new driver install

4.) what kind of service is that when your warranty expires? purchase a year more, maybe?

 

if you have a dying gpu (which I think its the case), youll need a whole new motherboard because the gpu is prob soldered on it

8600GT's are nothing but trouble

 

-thats why i have one-

 

Hehe. I'll try sweeping. Thanks for the info every1.

 

Looks to me like you have a bad GPU, but take my opinion on it with a grain of salt!

 

thats why i have one too...
my mobo has been replaced 3 times now.

1st time: video card
2nd time: sloppy delltech forgot thermal paste = overheating at 99C all the time
3rd time: cpu throttles down/change heat dissipator/fan

lol

gpu technically failed only 1 time...

guess my pc was from the "lucky" batch...

 

why cant you do a final test using the dell 32 bit diagnostics. when i had a gpu failure it showed me the exact problem.

1.) Put your Dell driver DVD in and boot into it.
2.) Choose 32 bit diagnostics
3.) Choose again to run the diagnostic
4.) Now choose test system
5.) Now go for custom Test
6.) Here select option of video and press run tests

let us konw wbout the results

 

I have ran the diagnostic utility and according to that program my notebook has no problem at all. All the test were succesfuly completed. Also the safe mode uninstall/driver sweep did not work.
I have taken a prt scr from the dots and saved the file to a usb stick. I looked to the pic on an other computer and there there are no dots visible...

 

that cuz the other computer uses another (good) gpu . Thezre is nothing wrong with your screen, nor the rest of your hardware

 

Where can I buy another 8600m GT seperatly? I could install it myself. I have a degree in electronics.

 

If your GPU can be replaced, you could try one of the accredited Dell resellers. I only know of one I'm affraid, Millgate Computers in the UK. They sourced me an X1400 for my old Dell 6400 (e1505). Or you could try one of the shops on ebay. They do have some every now and then, like here http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VOSTRO-INSPIR...39:1|66:2|65:12|240:1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

 

Interesting since video card memory corruption should show up same if you take a screenshoots ....

LOL ...

 

You cant.
Mobile 8600 GT card (8600m GT) is soldered into the motherboard, ALL the motherboard must be replaced.
(The initial Dell tech guy told me... um... I'm gonna change your video card... then he said... Its gonna be the whole motherboard since its soldered into it...)
I *sighed* and said, Ok

I don't have a degree on electronics, but my years of fixing hardware and software got me experience...

(thats why Dell manager here changed my mobo like 190912120 times, cuz I knew what the heck i was talking about xD)

 

Well this sucks. It just seems that there is no solution for this without losing my notebook for a while and the need to buy extended waranty which will cost alot. This isnt an option because I'm a ICT student and I need my laptop every day and my parents won't be helping to fund this.
Guess I'll have to do 2 years without PC gaming and connecting external videomonitors. Thank god I have a PS3 .


Thanks for the help everyone. If somehow you get an idea to solve this, dont mind posting it here .

 

By the way..., you COULD try to replace the 8600m GT from the link someone posted above...

I DO NOT KNOW, if this works, you'll have to do that research on your own?

 

By the looks of it you have a dying GPU. The same thing happend to my old INSPIRON 9300 with a Geforce Go 6800. Of crouse it happend in stages until one day it couldn't pass into Windows 24bit color.