Weird scrambling of screen

[Guest]

More and more my XP machine, non-OEM, crashes thus:

The whole screen kind splits up into loads of vertical lines and then is
unreadable.

I thought it was the OS, but I'm not sure, as when I restart the pc the BIOS
information looks all frazzled and mixed up to - like someone has jumbled up
the letters!

This morning all I was getting was a black screen, no BIOS at all, and took
about ten attempts to get started.

I leave the machine running 24 hours a day.

Please help, as I only have one restore point, and that yesterday!

 

[Ted Zieglar]

Probably your video card, but here's the drill:

Does a second monitor work fine? The first monitor is gone.
If same thing with a second monitor...

Does Safe Mode look OK? Your video driver needs re-installing/updating.
If same thing in Safe Mode...

You need a new video card. Likely culprit is burnout due to heat.

Ted Zieglar

 

[Guest]

Ted, thank you.

Is it possible for the monitor to scramble words up? Likewise with the vid
card?

I have to find a second monitor somewhere before I check that line of enquiry.

 

[Ted Zieglar]

"Is it possible for the monitor to scramble words up?"

No.

Ted Zieglar