my screen begins fogging over with weird colors and vertical lines--help!

[brittanyelaine]

I have a dv2000 series HP notebook, and this afternoon the screen began slowly "fogging over" with black, white, and purple colors. Then multicolored vertical lines began emerging and if I nudge the screen it sometimes will stop, but other times it just won't move. I have not dropped it or anything, but it seems after reading about some of the problems on here that it may be a nVidia video card problem? I got this computer in January of 2008, so it is no longer under warranty, so they wouldn't help me, but I got onto the chat support where they told me to uninstall the driver and get another one online. Please help! I dont wont to uninstall the driver unless I absolutely have to!

Thanks

[Huffer]

Uninstalling the driver is not likely to have much effect on a massive failure like that but what else can you do at this point? All the signs point to the dreaded nVidia problem you have read about. My serious condolences. Being out of warranty you have three choices: 1. You can become a militant anti-HP activist and try to shame and cajole HP into providing some assistance. People at this Forum have reported varying degrees of success with this and I sense the corporate attitude to this problem is hardening, not softening. 2. You can just buy a new laptop or do without one; or, 3. You can get yours repaired with a new motherboard or a video chip repair. Motherboards are about $150 on ebay and you can find a local shop to do the replacement for maybe $100 or so. It is a tough laptop to work on so I do not encourage self-help. Video chip repair shops have sprung up on the internet and on ebay which will take the laptop and perform surgery on the existing motherboard for somewhere around $100-150. Post back if you need help with finding one of those. 

[brittanyelaine]

So I reinstalled the driver-that did nothing. I restored the computer to what it was 2 days ago before any of this happened-that did nothing. I tried talking to HP but since my warranty is out-they did nothing. I don't want to spend the $250-350 on fixing the motherboard/video chip, because for that price I might as well get a new laptop. I really don't know what else to do, I don't want to buy a new notebook when this one is only a year and a half old!

[Huffer]

Check these guys out for a possible $125 fix:

Laptop video repair store

[Meijer]

Three possibilities.

1. software issue, related to either drivers or bios.

2. hardware issue, faulty connectors or built up dust affecting the performance of the GPU.

3. hardware issue, the machine has fried because of the known HP Nvidia factory fault issue.

Call HP support, let them walk you through their support tools in safe mode.

Make sure the machine is cleaned as per HP's instructions. 

While in contact with HP support, ask them to walk you through checking for loose connectors (the unit will have to be sent in to repair this if this is the case).

If none of the above gets it anywhere and the unit still will not function properly, there is an extremely high possibility that you have been hit by the HP Nvidia defect and the GPU will need to be replaced, for this HP have issued an extended warranty, but it is still limited for types and series recognised, even so consumer law applies. Unless you bump into outsourced support you will get them to repair the unit for free because of the long known and recognised factory fault issue.

Good luck. HP accepted my dv2000 for repair today, within the extended warranty.It did take quite a while for things to sink in however.

Be advised that it is normal for HP to deny extended warranties on units which make use of third party driver or bios packs, for obvious reasons. A bios may control the fan in a different manner or interval, a driver may push an instruction set which a GPU type is not accomodated to proces. This is the risk of third party drivers & bios updates. Always stick to OEM.

Message Edited by WendyM on 05-18-2009 11:47 AM

[schee77mr]

I had the same problem with my first computer it was a DV series i forget which one thoe, sent it in for repair 3 times nothing happened, eventually they gave me a new laptop everything was good until today my new one which is a DV7 is doing the exact same thing so what do they want me to do, send it in for repair it seems a lot of people are having this problem and that does not seem right

[apet8464]

My dv7t did the same thing today after 18 months of reliable service.  Quick question for anyone else that has had this issue:  did your HDMI output still function normally?  Mine does, so I am leaning toward this being an LCD or inverter issue.  Still, my symptoms were the same as described in this post - screen slowly faded to gray/white and then went totally dead.