PC Pals Forum
Technical Help & Discussion => Self Building, Upgrading & General Hardware Help => Topic started by: Dogsbody on March 02, 2004, 18:18
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Hope someone can help I have just downloaded a Direct X update from Microsoft update (6.0b) after restarting the computer it appears to boot correctly and goes through the XP start screen then the screen on my NEC 1760nx just appears with alternating dark blue and light blue stripes. I also downloaded a Nvidia update from the same site for my graphics card a MMX 440 128mb
so I am not sure which has caused the problem. I have tried to start in Safe Mode but for some strange reason I cannot do this. Tried loading whilst pressing Ctrl key, F8, Del & Winkey (not all at the same time of course) Luckily the wireless connection for the laptop is still up and running i don't think 've lost everything as on pressing Ctrl Alt Del the screen just goes to a deep blue blank background. Any help gratefully accepted.
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Last time I saw a screen display like that it was the refresh rate that was wrong on the graphics card setting.
It may be hard to see it but if you can right click on the screen when its booted up and go to properties/settings/advanced then monitor theres a box in there to select the refresh rate.
Set it to 60hz to start with and see if that cures it :)
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Cheers Sandra I will try but as you say i will need the eyes of a hawk or something similar just for interest I hooked the laptop up to it and the screen is working perfectly.
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Cannot see anything at all to enable me to go to properties etc any other thoughts please
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Can you see enought to get into Control Panel and select Display Properties from there ???
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Nothing at all visible I'm afraid (that is I'm very afraid) :'(
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...just for interest I hooked the laptop up to it and the screen is working perfectly.
Can you not hook it up to your laptop to enable you to see what you are doing, then try adjusting the refresh rate, as Sandra suggested? The laptop LCD may accept a higher refresh rate than your monitor.
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Cheers Simon i will try that and get back to you
DB
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Oh Hummm thought it was too easy I presumed I just connected my cable from the main computer to the laptop but that seems not to be the case. Can you tell me what I've done wrong please :-[
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Nah that won't work Dogsbody.
Simon - all I can say is KEYBOARD mate :pmsl: (Sorry Dogsbody - in-joke, you had to be there ;) )
DB did you imply that your laptop is on a network with your other PC? If you have XP on both machines, it may be possible to access the errant PC via Remote Desktop Connection - as long as you know the IP address of the PC.
You can find Remote Desktop Connection in Start|All Programs|Accessories|Communications
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Well I get my internet connection to the laptop via a wireless router attached to an ntl set top box but it isn't connected to the other computer in anyway at the moment as I have not set up the network fully and I am not to bothered about connecting them.
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I just re-read your original post DB. I wonder whether it may be a timing thing with the F8 key to get into Safe Mode. You have to hit it just after the BIOS summary screen appears and just before the Windows boot sequence starts. I usually just hit hell out of the F8 key just as the BIOS summary screen appears and keep doing it until either the Boot-Mode selection menu appears or Windows starts normally ::)
It mostly works ;)
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Ok I'll try again it could be my timing had that problem b4 lol
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I just re-read your original post DB. I wonder whether it may be a timing thing with the F8 key to get into Safe Mode. You have to hit it just after the BIOS summary screen appears and just before the Windows boot sequence starts. I usually just hit hell out of the F8 key just as the BIOS summary screen appears and keep doing it until either the Boot-Mode selection menu appears or Windows starts normally ::)
It mostly works ;)
Beaten hell out of the keyboard with no joy, does anybody know if I hook it up to a CRT whether I would have more joy than with an LCD if so I'll steal (borrow) my boys tomorrow. Although I cannot see any reason it should (straws clutching at springs to mind) :)
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...just for interest I hooked the laptop up to it and the screen is working perfectly.
Can you not hook it up to your laptop to enable you to see what you are doing, then try adjusting the refresh rate, as Sandra suggested? The laptop LCD may accept a higher refresh rate than your monitor.
Nah that won't work Dogsbody.
Simon - all I can say is KEYBOARD mate :pmsl: (Sorry Dogsbody - in-joke, you had to be there ;) )
Sorry, I must have misunderstood, but I thought that's what DB had already just done. ???
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Sorry, I must have misunderstood, but I thought that's what DB had already just done. ???
I must have misunderstood you too Simon :-[ I thought you meant to hook the PC up to the laptop ??? What did you mean then?
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Dont confuse Simon just for fun Adept :P
Simon I think he hooked up the PC monitor to the laptop and that the monitor then works fine.
Its the display settings on the PC that are wrong for some reason, probably the update for the nvidia he downloaded that has altered the refresh rate.
I dont think a different monitor would help Dogsbody, unless maybe if it was a very old one that worked at a lower refresh rate, or a newer one that worked at a higher refresh rate, as it isnt a monitor problem but the display settings that are wrong :(
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I must have misunderstood you too Simon :-[ I thought you meant to hook the PC up to the laptop ??? What did you mean then?
That's what I did mean! When DB said "...just for interest I hooked the laptop up to it and the screen is working perfectly", that's what I thought he meant, which is why I then thought he might be able to use the laptop as a monitor for his PC. Obviously not! :-[
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Tis I who confused you all (and myself I might add) I connected the laptop to the monitor to see if the monitor was still working, it was/is and displayed the laptops desktop.
I obviously still cannot see anything and the CRT was just a thought. I cannot remember how old it is but i may give it a try, as Safe Mode is still out of my reach.
DB
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Right, let me see if I have this right.
When the laptop uses a monitor rather than the built-in LCD the desktop appears OK. If the LCD is used dark and light blue stripes appear. Is that right?
If so all we need to do is a System Restore back to just before the driver update. Or am I being thick again?
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No, I don't think that's it, Sean. :wahh: ;D
The laptop hasn't got a problem. It's DBs main PC which has the problem, but now I understand, he connected the laptop to the monitor on his main PC, to establish that the main PC monitor was working.
Now, I thought it might work the other way round, and that he could have connected the main PC to the laptop, to view the desktop of the main PC on the laptop screen (with me?), thus enabling him to make the necessary adjustments, then connect the PC back into the PC Monitor. This, I assume from what has been said, is not possible.
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Ah thought I had read your answer correctly Simon! ::) :bald: :wahh:
SOOOO, to recap on the recap. The PC not the laptop has screen problems after loading DirectX and Nvdia Detonator drivers and won't allow DB to boot into Safe Mode.
Is that right so far? :-\
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I think so, yes. But can someone explain why it's not possible to view his PC desktop on his laptop screen? A simple answer would suffice! ::) ;D
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Thats how I understand it Adept but there again I try and read the posts properly instead of making assumptions :P
I think that the download somehow altered the refresh rate and that is why he cant see anything on the monitor, but I would have thought it should be visible, with difficulty, but enough to be able to set it up correctly ???
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Laptops often have an option for attaching a monitor to them but not for connecting a pc through it to display on the laptops screen Simon :)
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Yeah you've all got it right now can,t connect the PC to laptop and still cannot see anything on the PC monitor except the lines. Thanks to all for the help you are giving me.
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One way of forcing the PC into Safe Mode should be to switch it off half way through the boot process i.e. when it is on the Windows XP startup screen.
Once in Safe Mode, System Restore can be used to roll the PC back to before the driver update :)
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Adept so I presume you mean a full blown switch off and not just a soft re-boot???
DB
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Either should do it DB :)
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Hi all it looks like it is working its running through a restore at the moment, I'll just get on with the hoovering and get back to you if it works ok.
DB ::)
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Good luck with it DB :-*
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:D
Many thanks everybody now got an up an running PC and I think you may have saved my life as the better half had just gone back 400 years in her family history and we had just put it on the hard disc. (Yeah Yeah I know I should have backup, but I was going to do it today)That's why I was doing the hoovering ;D
Once again thanks all. DB
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Glad it was sorted at last DB :)
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Cheers Sandra just a thought though why would Nvidia drivers do the screen in so much any ideas ???
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Were they definately the correct ones for your card ?
If they were for a different one they could do that possibly.
Double check next time before downloading any that they are the correct ones :)
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Yes they were certified ones from Microsoft could have been a glitch in the download I suppose
DB
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Thats how I understand it Adept but there again I try and read the posts properly instead of making assumptions :P
I don't think anyone was making assumptions, Sandra, but next time a laptop query comes up, obviously I'll leave it to the experts, if there's any about.
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Yes they were certified ones from Microsoft could have been a glitch in the download I suppose
That could have been the problem DB. Nvidia drivers are always best downloaded from Nvidia. The Microsoft ones are pale imitations of the brilliant Detonator drivers.
I don't think anyone was making assumptions, Sandra, but next time a laptop query comes up, obviously I'll leave it to the experts, if there's any about.
I'll let you know if I ever see one Si ;) :lol: