PC Desktop boot

[GT110]

Having tried and failed miserably to connect with HP support my independent IT supplier says;" It could be a mainboard fault, but graphics card is hot favourite – is it a separate card or on-board graphics, do you know? When does this appear – only as Windows loads? I presume the BIOS etc. displays OK as you said you have done the tests. If it does it ONLY as Windows loads, it could be a very odd software fault – incorrect driver - but I doubt it. The diagnostics won’t check the actual GPU or the graphics RAM usually -it just checks to see if the GPU responds, and maybe does a simple colour-bar test (low-res).

All HP smart text checks show all is OK but this on boot cannot be correct?

Fill in a form to get a case [Personal Information Removed] enter a mobile number to get a text to connect to a virtual assistant? **bleep**

[itsmyname]

@GT110 -- is this your computer: HP ProDesk 400 G7 Microtower PC Specifications | HP® Customer Support

That web-page states:

Integrated	Intel UHD Graphics 630 (for 10th gen Core i7/i5/i3 processors and Pentium Gold G6600, G6500, and G-6500T) Intel UHD Graphics 610 (for Pentium Gold G6400 and G6400T)
Discrete graphics (optional)	AMD Radeon 520 1 GB VGA and DP AMD Radeon RX 550X 4 GB DP HDMI Graphics card AMD Radeon R7 430 2 GB GDDR5 64-bit DP and VGA AMD Radeon R7 430 2 GB GDDR5 64-bit 2 DP

So, look where the video-cable connects to your computer.

If it connects to a socket in the midst of other sockets (USB, Ethernet, audio) then it is connected to the "integrated" adapter. 

If it connects to a socket at a distance away from that "cluster" of sockets, you have a "discrete" adapter.

If you have a "discrete" adapter, consider physically removing it, and then connect the video-cable to the integrated adapter, to see if that makes any difference.

[GT110]

According to my system analysis via HP support I have an Intel (R) UHD Graphics 630 and according to listing that is integrated:

The connection is NOT in the midst of other sockets which should make it discrete - are you saying remove the cable from that connection ( where it has been since the day of installation last December 2021 and put it in the HDMI socket above in the picture?

[itsmyname]

@GT110 --  The connection is NOT in the midst of other sockets which should make it discrete

Yes, from your image, from the top to the bottom, I see: 

• sound
• HDMI
• DisplayPort
• black-Power?
• Yellow-Ethernet
• several USB

So, that HDMI port has been disabled by the motherboard, because, as you indicated, your HDMI cable is connected to the "add-on" PCIe graphics adapter -- not shown in your picture.

Are you saying remove the cable from that connection ( where it has been since the day of installation last December 2021 and put it in the HDMI socket above in the picture?

Yes, do that AND physically remove that "add-in" graphics adapter card, to force your motherboard to activate that "on-board" HDMI port, to see if NOT using that "add-in" card makes any difference to what is displayed on your monitor.  If the image on the monitor is better, then it is that "add-in" graphics adapter card that is causing the effects that you observe on your monitor.

[GT110]

Pre boot I took the cable and placed it in the top connection

The PC booted without the  screen distortion that started all this.

BUT... I am a graphic designer and work extensively with Adobe Creative Cloud applications - when I went to add the red circle to indicate where I plugged in the video cable photoshop behaved very unusually and as I nudged the circle in to position it mirrored it leaving a ghost image behind:

 

Also I do not understand the bit about "Yes, do that AND physically remove that "add-in" graphics adapter card, to force your motherboard to activate that "on-board" HDMI port," this PC is exactly as shipped from HP - the only extra I added was to double the RAM to 32MB - no graphics card has been added.

What is the suggestion to resolve this?

[itsmyname]

@GT110 --   I do not understand the bit about "Yes, do that AND physically remove that "add-in" graphics adapter card, to force your motherboard to activate that "on-board" HDMI port,"

For most computers, when an "add-in" graphics adapter card (such as the one inside your computer) is connected, then the "onboard" graphics adapter is disabled by your monitor.  But, your computer seems to be an exception -- you could attach one monitor to the "on-board" HDMI port, and attach another monitor to the "add-in" adapter's HDMI port, and simultaneously use both monitors.

this PC is exactly as shipped from HP -  no graphics card has been added.

HP added-in that extra graphics adapter card, before you purchased the computer.

What is the suggestion to resolve this?

It seems that the "onboard" graphics adapter is unable to properly work, producing artifacts such as the "ghost" and "shadow" effects.  So, definitely, connect your ONLY monitor to the HDMI-port on the add-in card.   But, that will only return you to the video-display problem that you had when you opened this thread.

So, first, try a different HDMI cable, and be sure that it is tightly inserted into both the add-in card and to your monitor.

Second, try a different monitor, to see if what you see on the screen is the same, or whether the different monitor displays what should be displayed.