Cascade Crew

Kage87Z · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 8:09 pm Post subject: Strange computer problem...

OK, I'm running a precision m4300 dell laptop.

Vista

4 gig of ram.

Video is an Quaddro FX360M nvidia.

I've been using a dock for it, and running 2 monitors.

Its been a good little unit, but something happened this morning that makes me think the video card is going out.

I lost my two monitor capability, I've got vertical stripes and in the device manager it tells me:

Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)

As a result, it's running on the safe driver, as if the computer was in the safe mode.

I've upgraded the bios, deleted and re-installed the drivers, and none of it seems to make any difference.

I've spent most of the day trying to track this down, so far with no success. Microsoft fix it sees there's a problem when I run it, but it's unable to fix it.

I hadn't added any new programs or hardware. Restore is also off, so I can't try that.

Any ideas?

Alphius · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 6:41 am Post subject:

Great laptop, bad video chipset. Nearly all of them (m4300, m6300, d630, d830) had severe problems with the Quadro graphics chipset de-soldering from the board and causing problems like what you're seeing.

Tell me this: Does one monitor still work and the other doesn't? Or both are effed up? How about if you undock it and boot it with just the laptop screen displaying. Any difference?

When you are booting, before Windows loads, is it still messed up, or does the crappiness occur after Windows is loaded?

Kage87Z · Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2011 4:15 pm Post subject:

Tell me this: Does one monitor still work and the other doesn't?

Yup.

Or both are effed up?

Nope... one comes on but at the lowest resolution and it won't adjust.

How about if you undock it and boot it with just the laptop screen displaying. Any difference?

Different weird characters as part of the boot screen.

When you are booting, before Windows loads, is it still messed up, or does the crappiness occur after Windows is loaded?

Nope. Before the boot up.

I kind of came to the conclusion its the M Board... fortunately, I was able to do a WET transfer to another computer and have saved all my data. (That I hadn't yet backed up, anyway.)

Any ideas?

BigDaddyVu · Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2011 4:23 pm Post subject:

sounds like a mem chip failed on your video card.

Alphius · Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2011 4:41 pm Post subject:

Yeah, your video chip is almost certainly de-soldering itself from the mainboard. No easy fix for that, good thing you got everything transferred. Smile