Since last autumn I've had ghostly lines that have appeared on my computer-screen that have gotten worse over the months. When they first appeared, they were little lines usually around the icons and in some locations of the background boarders of whatever program that was in use at the time. Then, over a period of time, they have gotten more intense showing up everywhere on the screen. At time occupying almost the entire screen. To make matters worse, since last week a blue-screen appears every now and then making me have to shut-down my computer.
I finally called DELL tech-support about it last week after getting really fed-up. The Dell-guy walked me through a diagnostic-procedure via the telephone where the outcome was him saying that he thinks I may need a new video-card. The thing is, on my current budget, I cannot afford to get a new video-card until in a few weeks at the earliest. Still, I'm wondering is it really a video-card issue or something else. Would I resolve the problem if I just re-install everything? I must point-out that whenever I go into the “computer setup†mode, distorted images appear in that mode too (which kinda reaffirm to me that may just be the video-card). Or I could have a defective program on my computer or maybe a virus, I dunno.
My computer is a DELL XPS Gen. 2 that I bought almost 7 years ago. The operating-system is a XP-Pro. The video-card is an ATI 256. Please, any advice, suggestions, criticisms or helpful comments?
I finally called DELL tech-support about it last week after getting really fed-up. The Dell-guy walked me through a diagnostic-procedure via the telephone where the outcome was him saying that he thinks I may need a new video-card. The thing is, on my current budget, I cannot afford to get a new video-card until in a few weeks at the earliest. Still, I'm wondering is it really a video-card issue or something else. Would I resolve the problem if I just re-install everything? I must point-out that whenever I go into the “computer setup†mode, distorted images appear in that mode too (which kinda reaffirm to me that may just be the video-card). Or I could have a defective program on my computer or maybe a virus, I dunno.
My computer is a DELL XPS Gen. 2 that I bought almost 7 years ago. The operating-system is a XP-Pro. The video-card is an ATI 256. Please, any advice, suggestions, criticisms or helpful comments?