HELP : Zepto not booting other than in safe mode

I have a very BIG problem. Two days ago I rebooted my 6214W after a win vista update. But it never rebooted correctly. Let me explain.

When I boot I get a weird screen with thick horizontal grey and white lines and the color seems to be moving vertically towards the top. I've never seen that before... And it happens after the progress bar at win vista boot before you get the nice blue and green vista login screen.
The only way I could get back to vista is in safe mode or safe mode+network.

(I don't know why but after I came back from work the next day it booted correctly but after a couple of minutes in vista it screwed up again)
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Here's what I tried :

-Loading last working parameters at boot : same problem

- Repairing Vista by booting from Vista cd : same problem

- Re-installing a new Vista : it worked.
== So I reinstalled latest nvidia forceware drivers (156.XX) and made important vista updates...
reboot : screwed up again

- Formatted my HDD, and installed Vista from scratch : it worked.
== Installed only old forceware drivers (95.XX) ...
reboot : screwed up again
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Same white screen everysingle time.

I don't understand, is my Go7600 dead ?
It's the only logical explanation I can come up with.

Last thing : I formatted and re-installed vista one more time, but I haven't installed anything yet... so its working but really annoying to be in 800*600 and being able to do nothing....

 

I looks like a graphics driver problem. Start by installing the Vista patches mentioned here. They cover a multitude of problems including some which are graphics related.

If that doesn't work, get whatever driver is provided by Zepto, then in safe mode uninstall the existing graphics driver (also check Nvidia site for any cleanup utilities) then reboot (you shouldn't need to be in safe mode but you may get low resolution display) and install the Zepto graphics driver.

John

 

Thanks for your answer John.

I don't think I need to do any cleanup since I formatted the drive before reinstalling vista (for the 3rd time in 2 days.. grrrr).
I'll go check the Zepto FTP for valid Nvidia drivers as well.

 

Mmkay so I installed both windows vista updates, still working after reboot, but I don't have any CG drivers installed.

Crap...I can't access zepto ftp with my internet @ work... How can I go around that ? can anyone send them to me by mail ?

 

What do you mean by a CG driver?

John

 

i meant GC ... graphic card. The Go7600

Still no access to ftp. I think they restricted access to all ftp's.

 

Try installing XP on your Zepto and d/l the drivers that way. I very much doubt that your issue could indeed be between Nvidia and Vista. I've seen a couple of such cases in work, though all those laptops have been made by Fujitsu Siemens.

 

I've just looked on the Zepto d/l site. They have two graphics drivers for the 6214W:

Nvidia_97.54_7600go_Vista_32bit.zip dated 03 March 07
and
Nvidia_97.59_7600go_Vista_32bit.zip dated 29 April 07

They are 48MB and 53MB respectively so there's no chance of emailing.

Do you have your driver CD? I keep a copy of both the driver CD and the files on the d/l site in one of the other partitions on my HDD so they are easily available if I need to reinstall Windows.

John

 

Thanks for trying john. I'll try to get it some other way.
If those don't work I have the Zepto recovery CD at home somewhere.
I'll try installing XP & drivers like you suggested Thorne and then updating to Vista like I did the first time.

I just don't understand what made everything go wrong in the first place !
-I didn't install new nVidia drivers (so logically it shouldn't be the problem, unless vista update does that for u which i doubt..). Last forceware update dates from like 2 months back !
-I wasn't playing a video game or doing anything that could have overheated, and burnt my 7600. (plus when it overheats and the z just shuts down)
-It wasn't a vista update because the problem came up again after i formatted and installed only forceware drivers

.... I don't get it !

 

I believe it's just some communication error between your GPU and Vista. Installing drivers on it make the problem appear again.

Why the thing started now, i can't tell. Try all the possible drivers you can find for 7600 Go and Vista, maybe one, just one will work. Not a nice way of experimenting since i've understood you have to reinstall Vista each time when you try different drivers.

But what can we do when the component manufacturer and software developer don't want to co-operate. :S

 

OK ... bad news.

I tried installing the older of the 2 drivers on the Zepto FTP... no luck. After reboot.. same problem !

I formatted PC again and tried the Zepto Recovery CD.
It didn't work. It booted on the CD correctly and started the windows installation (blue screen when window loads all the stuff for hours). When it got to what I think is the last phase : Starting Windows Installation in the blue screen .. It showed me a blank black screen with a white blinking _ top left corner.

I tried a couple of times. Always does the same thing.

I'm lost here. Is my recovery cd bad ? Or is it my PC ?

Right now I'm back with a 5th Vista reinstallation. 800*600 screen.

Oh yeah I took a couple of pics with my phone of the weird white screen i'm uploading them right now.

 

Did you reset the BIOS? There could be something there which has changed by itself and which is causing a problem with Vista. It's worth a try.

John

 

Here's one...


Another


and a last one


As u can see a little the pattern changes really slowly

 

Can I reset it in boot bios or do I have to open the thing up ?

 

Do you know how to enter the BIOS setup? You need to press some key when the initial Zepto splash screen is showing. On the 6x24W series it is F2. Once in the BIOS setup, there will be a command to reset to defaults. On the 6x24W series this is F9, then F10 to save and exit. Resetting the BIOS will make sure the computer hardware is behaving as intended.

Looking at your photos my impression is that the video hardware is output the signal at the wrong frequency / refresh rate for the panel to handle. One possible test is try connecting to an external monitor. Are you able to access the display properties when you are running in safe mode? The LCD panels should be 60Hz.

John

 

OK I reset the Bios.

As for the external monitor, I have a Samsung 226BW thats hooked up to my zepto.
In safe mode you can access the display properties but you can't change anything since I think the videocard drivers aren't started. (Basically you can do the same thing as in Vista first boot).

As for frequency : doesn't give you any choices in monitor frequency it just says "Use default hardware configuration"

note : I'm not in safe mode here I'm in regular vista w/o any drivers

 

Have you tried drivers from laptopvideo2go? For Vista of course.

 

Yeah. That's where I've been getting my drivers ever since I got my Zepto.

I really dread trying to install the drivers again. (after resetting bios) I don't want to have to install Vista again

 

You shouldn't need to reinstall the operating system just because you have changed a driver. First, create a restore point that you can roll back to. Second, you should be able to uninstall a driver. See here.

You've got a Samsung monitor plugged in. Is the display on the monitor OK when the display on the internal screen is garbled?

John

 

I'm going to create a restore point right now.

As for the 226BW ... it shuts down when the screen on the notebook is grabbled (gets no signal probably).

 

Ok so resetting bios didn't work.

A good thing...well,not so bad is that by uninstalling the Nvidia drivers. Vista works again.

So clearly there is a driver problem or videocard... what can I do??

 

What next?

I think we've excluded the BIOS settings, your Vista should be fairly bug-free since it is a fresh installation, we've excluded the display itself, so it's pointing to either the driver or the GPU. If you still get a problem with the Zepto supplied driver (and I think we've already got there) then suspicion is falling on the the GPU itself.

One further possible test is to download and run a Linux live CD. I would expect this also includes fairly good support for your GPU since it's not the latest generation.

Can Zepto support suggest anything else?

John

 

Yes can someone from Zepto help us out here ?

I think I've run a fair number of tests here that, I hope, can help figure out what the problem is.

John I've already tried both Zepto drivers for 32Bit Vista provided on the ftp.zepto.dk , both have failed. (also tried 2 other versions of forceware drivers)

 

damn this is some bad ass problems. Im lucky not to have any problems other than i want a new hdd, processor and its too heavy (got mine from reseller not zepto)

 

U got that right...bad ass weird problem.

Do you guys know where the laptop serial number is written ?

I need it for the Z crew

edit : ok I think I got it. Maybe you can confirm: took out the battery, theres a sticker on the computer w/ nothing except 9numbers+1letter. Is that it ?

 

I've got a serial number on my invoice (which reminds me I should take a copy).

I remember seeing a sticker underneath one of the RAM modules. This might have the same number - I didn't check.

John

 

The serial number on the 6x14W/6x24 is found by removing the 6/12-cell battery from the machine and reading the white label on the machine itself.

Simon, yes you found the right onw

 

Now we know whre th number is I can check mine.

Interesting, but my invoice and the label on the box say Serienr 875006388D and the label says 875006385M. I've got someone else's notebook!

John

 

John, not neccesarily At one point the labels and invoces didn't match but it was the correct notebooks being shipped to the customers. Don't know why though.

 

Ok then don't mind the 3rd mail I sent you Rene-S
I gave you the right ones the first time.
I sent you the SN from the motherboard the second time.

 

Rene-S , why do you need my Zepto S/N btw ?
Do you want me to send it back ?

 

Simon, I needed to be able to find where you boght the laptop and if it was actually yours that's all.
I'll make the arrangements for the pickup tomorrow first thing and email you back about the pickup and any other information you might need.

 

Ok so that means that you didn't notice that the Zepto was stolen.

But more seriously. That's very professional of you. As I said I can bring it to work to have it picked up any day. The sooner the better !

I'll wait for your mail then. Again, thank you.

 

Little update in case someone else ever has the same problem :

The laptop was sent back to Zepto. It took a couple of weeks to fix.
I got it back this morning.
Apparently they replaced the motherboard...but considering the fact that the GPU in integrated in the motherboard, I there's no way to tell what went wrong.
It's fixed now though so that's the good news.
Cheers.