Please help. My 17'' stopped working. Pictures included

I was surfing the web when my 3 year old HP 17'' laptop froze. Repeated reboot didn't work. Safe mode worked though. I did a complete restore. That didn't work either. The machine turns on, but it won't open windows. Repairs from the Window disc didn't fix anything. I don't know what to do. Anything help is appreciated. Thanks.

The display shows these weird lines. I nuked the hard drive before a restore here.

 

what if you do fresh install with reformatt of HD

 

I haven't tried, but how is a fresh install different from a restore? A reformat is done during restore, btw.

I should note that even though it worked in safe mode those funny lines in background were always there.

Could some part inside the computer have been changed/infected with a virus and caused this?

 

It's no virus, it's the classic nVidia GPU failure mode. If you feel like you can take it apart yourself, follow what i posted in this thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-compaq-voodoo-pc/500867-hp-screen-white-black-skid-marks.html and there's a good chance that you'll get it fully working again.

 

Thanks! Wow! That's some amazing fix. Unfortunately, it's too complicated for me. I have some questions:

Why does the laptop still work in safe mode with internet access?

What exactly is wrong with the GPU?

Thanks a lot. I wish we were neighbors.

 

The laptop still works in safe mode because the nVidia driver doesn't kick in, therefore only a minimal part of the GPU is used.

As for what's wrong with it, the answer is simple. nV skimped on the quality of the solder used to tin the GPU when it leaves the factory. As a result, over time, because of repeated hot/cold cycling, the solder cracks and proper electrical connection is no longer assured. It's partly the laptop manufacturers' fault too, because they use the absolute worst thermal interface material possible, which is unable to respond to extremely fast temperature changes, such as when the laptop is powered up in a cold place. Thus the temperature spike is taken by the solder entirely, and it can't stand that forever.

This is why, unless additional steps are taken in improving thermal transfer, just reflowing the board will make the issue appear again after a few months. I want to make this clear - the GPU doesn't fail because it overheats with extended use, it's sudden transitions from cold to hot which damage it.

I use my DV9000 daily and i game on it at least once a week (although i have a gaming desktop, it's sometimes more convenient). The GPU is overclocked to the max and i'm not the first owner of the laptop (i've had it for just over an year now). Mine hasn't been reflowed yet, yet it just keeps working. I believe that the reason why is that i kept it on all the time in the winter.

 

wow very detailed info unique.. i will read it more..

 

Thanks for the informative response. I googled this further. This appears to be a big problem for Nvidia. They put away something like $200M for repairs. As for me, I guess I am out of luck because my laptop is about 3.5 year old. Since I don't play games, I think I am sticking with integrated graphics this time.