Computer screen issue: vertical lines. Solved

Question

Good evening everyone

I have a problem that has been worrying me more and more for a few days now. Here it is. Little vertical pink lines are appearing on the screen; at first, it was on Word documents, and now it's even on web pages. The lines are getting longer and sometimes they are green and horizontal. I have an antivirus (AVG) and I don't understand where this could be coming from.
Thank you to anyone who can help me.Configuration: Windows XP
Internet Explorer 7.0

cagalou · Accepted Answer

Hello everyone. I have a Packard Bell EasyNote R3420 laptop and I've encountered a display problem with vertical lines in green, pink, blue, and yellow that start from the boot-up. Then, upon opening a window, it worsens with multicolored streaks. I resolved my issue by going into the BIOS, pressing F2 at startup, going to the “advanced” column, below choosing “GFX mode setting”, pressing enter, a window appears, by default it says - internal video mode: side port - change this option by selecting: - internal video mode: UMA - - UMA Frame Buffer Size: 192 - this is the default size, the size should be adjusted according to your graphics needs 32, 64, 128, 192, 256. press ok then exit, save changes and exit. It worked for me instantly at startup with no more multicolored lines. However, the downside is that it now uses some RAM, so you need to optimize your computer as much as possible and test the different sizes of the buffer. I should mention that previously I uninstalled the drivers and then reinstalled several times with registry cleaning, antivirus tests, device updates, I connected the laptop's video to my home PC monitor but it had the same lines, I checked the hard drive with checkdisk and other benchmarks like memtest which didn't report any problem. The graphics card is a Radeon Xpress 200M. Try changing these settings and let me know if it works.

Ariakas · Answer

Hello there!   I'm sorry to inform you that your screen is dying.   A temporary solution is to give the back of the screen a good whack.  A proper smack, really.  It’s a method that works for a considerable amount of time.  But it is indeed your screen that's on its way out.   I know, I've had a similar problem...   So, anyway, a good slap on the back of the screen, and it’ll work again....  Sometimes, computing is just that simple...

lionsage · Answer

Lionsage....  Hello everyone...  It seems that I also have the same problem with easynote R3420  and the defect after diagnosis is the graphics card or the controller, hoping that I can recover the motherboard if we can repair the graphics card controller...  Well, that said, I'm waiting for an appointment to see a technician; if anyone comes up with an idea, please keep us informed  Thank you all

toto · Answer

Hello,  I have the same problem but it doesn’t come from the screen: I switched the display to my TV and I have the same pink vertical lines. So don't throw your screen away too quickly, check it first!

sparxin · Answer

Hello, I have a Samsung 226bw screen with an S panel, running at 1680*1050 at 60Hz managed by an MSI 7600gt 512mb graphics card. For the past three days, certain applications (video games, media center) have been giving me vertical lines everywhere. For example, when I play a game, the lighting is very poorly managed and looks terrible (white and gray lines). When I don't put too much load on the graphics card, the image is perfect (videos, internet, etc.). I reinstalled the graphics card drivers (without uninstalling them first), and I'm still facing the same issue. Perhaps it is overheating, but if that were the case, I think it would be lagging like crazy. Can someone help me resolve this issue, please? Thanks in advance

ANGELE888 · Answer

LCD screens (liquid crystal display) take up less space on your desk than a tube screen, but there are many aspects to consider before a potential purchase.  The biggest disadvantage is that LCD screens can have dead pixels, meaning pixels that remain white (on), black (off), or even colored, depending on the type of defect. Some manufacturers will not tolerate defective pixels and will replace screens free of charge at the first dead pixel, while others only replace the screen if at least eight pixels are dead. A screen can have defective pixels as soon as it leaves the factory, but pixels can also be damaged if, for example, you press on the surface of the screen with your finger. Flat screens offer excellent image sharpness and sufficient color quality for office applications such as word processing, but they are not suitable for designers who need photorealistic displays. Another concern is their response times, which limit their graphical qualities for applications where the image changes frequently and rapidly, such as games and movies. However, most LCD screens no longer suffer from this problem. From an ergonomic point of view, flat screens have a lot to offer: they take up less desk space, consume less power, and emit less radiation.  Technical One or more neon tubes form the backlighting, which illuminates the LCD panel. If the screen is equipped with multiple tubes, the "extra" tubes serve as a reserve in case the first one breaks, thus extending the screen's lifespan.  The light emitted by the tube(s) is redirected by a system of reflectors before it reaches the panel. Each pixel is made up of three sub-pixels, each controlled by a transistor that produces a voltage that moves the liquid crystals of each sub-pixel at a particular angle. The angle determines the amount of light passing through that sub-pixel, which in turn determines the image on the screen.  Screen Size With prices dropping on large screens, there is no reason to choose a tube screen smaller than 17 inches or a flat LCD screen smaller than 15 inches. Both screen sizes have the same effective dimensions (visible area): tube screens display a black frame around the image and thus do not use the entire available surface. Dot Pitch Dot pitch is the distance between two points of the same color. It is generally measured diagonally, but for some open grid screens, it can be measured horizontally. Resolution The most common resolution is 1024x768 for a 17-inch screen or 1280x1024 for 19-inch screens. The higher the resolution, the smaller the text, icons, etc.   If you try to use a resolution for which your screen is not suited, you will get, on the one hand, a lower quality image, and on the other, you risk reducing your screen's lifespan. Additionally, if you purchase a screen that supports much higher resolutions than those you intend to use (leading to a lower resolution than the screen's capabilities), you risk experiencing moiré effects and using the screen under non-optimal conditions (in other words, wasting money). Refresh Rate The refresh rate corresponds to the number of image refreshes per second. It is expressed in Hertz (Hz). A screen with a refresh rate of 75 Hertz re-displays the same image 75 times per second. Note that this refresh rate of 75 hertz is not arbitrary, it is the minimum required to achieve a good image without flicker. Generally, it is better to use a refresh rate of at least 85Hz for a tube screen, to reduce eye strain caused by flickering (even if the effect is not directly visible). This only applies to tube screens and is as important as response time for LCDs. Horizontal Refresh Rate The speed required by a screen to trace a simple scan line, called the "horizontal refresh rate," is measured in kilohertz (kHz). This process is repeated line by line until the screen is filled. Vertical Refresh Rate The speed required by a screen to draw an entire screen, called the "vertical refresh rate" or the "frequency," is measured in hertz (Hz). Bandwidth Bandwidth is the amount of data that a screen can process per second. To calculate an estimate of the bandwidth required for a given resolution and a given refresh rate, you can use the following formula: Bandwidth = 1.05Y*1.3X*R Where Y is vertical resolution, X is horizontal resolution, and R is the refresh rate. This gives an approximate bandwidth of 87MHz for a 1024x768 screen at 85Hz and 145MHz for a 1280x1024 screen at 85Hz Pixel Response Time The pixel response time is as important for a flat screen as the refresh rate is for a tube screen. The response time of a pixel is the time it takes for an LCD cell to turn on or off. For standard office applications, a response time of 70 ms (milliseconds) is sufficient, but for multimedia applications, it is recommended to have a flat screen with a response time of less than 30 ms. Many TFT screens still have issues with (animated) images in motion, mainly due to the long response time of the liquid crystals. For this reason, fast-moving image sequences (for example, the view of a fighter jet passing through a valley) cause a ghosting effect (light trail). However, there are now flat LCD screens with a response time of 8 ms. Contrast Contrast is measured as the ratio of light intensity between the brightest and the darkest points of an image. High contrast improves readability and ergonomics. The contrast for tube monitors can reach 700:1. This corresponds to the best of LCD screens, but most of them offer a significantly lower contrast, some as low as 300:1. Screens with a low contrast ratio often make dark colors appear as black. For tube screens, dark colors are achieved by not illuminating the phosphor, while LCD screens must instead block light to reproduce dark hues. It is physically impossible to block light at 100% because a small amount of light always passes through. Brightness Brightness is the light output power per unit area. Brightness is a characteristic for which LCD screens outperform their tube counterparts. The latter have a brightness of approximately 80 to 100 cd/m² (candela per square meter). For LCD screens, a minimum of 200 cd/m² is to be expected. Viewing Angle The viewing angle is the maximum angle from which you can still see the image. The ergonomic conditions are at least 120 degrees horizontally and at least 90 degrees vertically, but larger angles are preferable. If you look at the screen from the side, it may appear dim or have color distortions. Connectors The standard analog connector is called D-SUB. There are also different digital connectors, DVI-I and DVI-D. DVI-I can be used for both digital and analog signals, while DVI-D is purely digital with a higher bandwidth. USB Hub With a USB hub on your screen, you can easily connect new devices like scanners and memory card readers without having to crawl under your desk to reach the USB ports on your computer. Color A white or gray screen will strain your eyes less than a black screen. This is also why only black screens are rated "TCO -95," while their white counterparts can be rated "TCO '99." Integrated Speakers Typically, the built-in speakers of a screen are very "basic" speakers, which are not recommended for listening to high-quality CDs or DVDs, but are sufficient for listening to internet radio if you do not have other speakers on your computer. TCO 95/99/03 Standards The TCO rating indicates that the device offers a minimum of visual comfort, is recyclable, and is manufactured with a minimum of harmful chemicals. The TCO99 standard also attests to a refresh rate of at least 85 Hz.

niagara02 · Answer

Hi everyone, my screen has 3 lines that suddenly appeared like this, I don't know why. Can you explain to me how I can remove them?

henri35 · Answer

Hello everyone,  I'm experiencing the same issue with pink and green vertical stripes taking over the screen of my Packard Bell Easynote 3420. So, I took it to a repair shop where the technician played MacGyver with a matchstick and some pieces of paper. Indeed, it turned out to be a manufacturing defect with a component that was pressing on the graphics card, which suddenly stopped applying pressure. My repairman filled the gap with paper and a matchstick, and now it works again. So there's no need to worry about the screen or the motherboard.  The issue originates from Packard Bell, but since it's no longer under warranty, I couldn't do anything about it.

Jérôme · Answer

Hello everyone,  My contact at Packard Bell has decided to ignore me, I've followed up by email and phone. Nice of the brother-in-law............ I tried Cagalou's option (previous post) and wonderful, it works........ The only problem: I now regularly have a machine crash with a white screen. I do have 1GB of Kingston RAM running XP. I just can't seem to solve this failure. So I disassembled my entire machine, removed the heatsink from the graphics card, cleaned everything with isopropyl alcohol, applied thermal paste, and reassembled it. Result: no change.........  Regarding Henry35's post: WARNING: the component that presses against the heatsink of the graphics card is the heat pipe. Originally, rubber isolates the heat pipe from the graphics card but with the heat, it eventually melted, so I put a piece of circuit board instead. Do NOT use paper or matches, otherwise, a fire is guaranteed: the temperature of the heatsink and the heat pipe can be very high.  Personally, I think our failures are due to a design flaw. The heat pipe should never have gone over the graphics card. The rubber melting put the heat pipe in contact with the graphics card, which then overheated. The RAM on the card eventually fails. Hence the option in the BIOS allowing the system RAM to be partly used as graphics RAM.  Cagalou, if you have a solution regarding the crashes with the white screen, please keep me updated.  Don’t press too hard on your machine, I burned out my hard drive that way.......  Jérôme

marcello · Answer

Hello everyone and good news: a big thank you to Cagalou (message n°27) because I applied his fix and everything is back to normal: the lines that were numerous and taking over the screen have disappeared!!! The computer is working perfectly again!!! I can finally use my computer again: no more line issues! I also took the opportunity to increase the RAM to give it a little boost, and to replace Norton Internet Security with another one, because it was slowing down the machine. Thanks again to Cagalou for his solution. I hope it will be the same for you.

patmnc · Answer

Hello;  I am also experiencing the same issue with an Easynote R9400. Apparently, it does not come from the screen as I did the test with my living room PC, nor from the power supply since it’s the same when running just on the battery. I will check if my Easynote is set up like yours, to see if something is touching my motherboard, as well as perform the procedure in the BIOS. Thank you.

orlia · Answer

NO NO! The screen is not necessarily dead... lol! I just had the same problem, or even worse (the screen completely covered with a blue grid!) and it was an overheating issue. I went to gather information (as much as I could see) on this site and others, and every time I read "dead graphics card, dead screen, etc..." ... boohoo ... but no! I have a pctools that repairs my damaged programs, it starts up every time I turn on my computer. I noticed that after the first repair it got better, but I had all sorts of colors everywhere! So I checked all my connections (I had read that it could also come from a surge issue) and found out that my fan plate was unplugged ... my laptop is my work tool, it runs 15 hours a day, so I invested in a table with 2 fans to avoid overheating. Since then, I've sent my repair pctools at least 50 times, and I restart it 4 to 5 times in a row several times a day. All the lines have disappeared and haven't come back ... So, before giving dramatic opinions, start with the simplest, you never know! Okay? hugs to everyone!

Mille mercis · Answer

thank you to the author of message number 27.  I followed your explanations, and everything is working fine for me. Packard bell R3420  many thanks

DrShiva · Answer

Vertical artifacts = Video card issue = video card fan not spinning = video card overheating = burnt electronic component = need to buy a new video card.  video card = graphics card  The longer the computer stays on, the more pronounced the symptoms become.

kamdelyon · Answer

Hi and a big thank you to CAGALOU. Your solution is the right one, I followed your explanations which are very simple for a beginner and HO miracle everything is working normally. Thank you a thousand times for your help.

charlotte · Answer

Hello; I have a problem and I don't know where it could be coming from; I have a red line that just appeared on my screen vertically. I tried everything, turning it off; unplugging everything! It's in a very specific place; right in the middle of the screen. Anyway, if someone can help me... Later!

gouessax · Answer

resolved......!!! I had the same problem with my Toshiba Satellite A300 Centrino T8400 2x2.1 GHz, which was supposedly stable... blue or pink lines, nicely matched with squares of the same color, and beautiful artifacts triggered by the movement of the mouse, which eventually led to the typical boot bug. impossible to start... a firework display of crappy and twitchy bugs, especially since the warranty just expired... of course. ""equipped with an ATI Radeon 3400"". I seemingly solved this problem. and of course I don't quite know how. but...... here's what I did. before the final bug I: -1/ uninstalled everything related to the video card, drivers, catalyst.... -2/ installed the drivers for a 3470 instead of a 3400. then I wanted to restart to install Catalyst... and.... too bad....! no more boot.... black screen... still glitchy, but, startup blocked even in safe mode. at the crcdisk level... I don't know what to do... after the final bug..... press F2 at startup... activate the internal + external screen. disable the second core. disable the backlight. exit... bug... restart and press F12 at startup. choose the third boot sector (neither the hard drive nor the DVD drive... I can't remember the name of the sector... :( ... ) once at the error message about Windows startup.. request a startup with repair.... accept the repair until total startup.. - install Catalyst Control Center. restart.... let the PC work for about 10 min. and it works... maybe a stroke of luck... we'll see if it's stable....

layane97 · Answer

Hello, I've had this problem three times already (-_-). I have a Sony Vaio VGN-AR laptop. -The first time, multicolored lines appeared on the screen, vertically. One by one. I had my screen replaced. At first, it was fine, no problem. -But after a few months, a similar problem occurred, there were lines about 1 to 2 cm wide appearing... It was very bothersome, so I had the screen replaced again, suspecting that the issue was coming from elsewhere. -Until then everything was fine, but about a week ago, my screen became all streaked with white or green lines, and it returned to normal a few hours later. But yesterday, a fine yellow line crashed the party... Back to square one. Should I buy a new laptop (the graphics card indeed heats up a lot), or should I cool the graphics card as Azerus says? Or should I just wait for the line to disappear miraculously? Thanks for your help, I'm really fed up with this.

oceane · Answer

Hello, same problem, I bought a new Fujitsu Siemens laptop from Cdiscount and it wasn't even delivered with a manual or installation CD. Anyway, after not even 5 months, lines started to appear on the screen and it has never had any shocks. It's getting worse, plus it overheats a lot even with regular dusting sometimes the screen is completely black or gray. Basically, 399 euros down the drain, to be polite. If a laptop is not supposed to last even 6 months, I think it's a lost cause. A repair must be quite expensive. I'm going to try a cooling pad with a fan, but for now, I can only find them for 10-inch screens, while I've got a 15" one.

ced · Answer

Hello everyone.

So, last night I found myself with the same problem as you (screen going live with a bunch of vertical lines), I quickly turned it off. I waited a bit, restarted (same issue), and noted that the PC was very hot, so I let it cool down, then restarted. And bam, it worked, I thought phew (I got lucky), so given the fright, I shut everything down.
This morning I restarted and here it goes again (I can't see anything on the screen because there are so many lines and squares), so I started to tinker and gather information online. After that, I tried connecting to another screen (nothing, not even sharing), so I tried with my HDMI cable (nothing, no signal). But since I'm persistent (I grabbed my tools and took apart the PC - I remind you it's a piece of junk! Packard Bell Easy Note) – definitely not to be bought.
So, I disassembled it, checked points of overheating, etc. The problem persists, even without connecting the hard drive.
Note: after multiple restarts (every now and then I manage to see certain options, and at times the display is almost normal - only a few vertical lines), so I conclude that the graphics card isn't to blame (rather a viral problem).
So I won’t give up. I start, restart, etc. (I occasionally cut it off using the power switch) to allow me to access the restart options (you know the Windows option that says it shut down improperly, do you want to start Windows normally or in safe mode), so I chose safe mode, then system tools / recovery from a restore point. This I've done three times (and even in safe mode, the display is really not pretty). But after these three restorations, the PC restarted with normal display (in normal mode).
Now I’m in the middle of analyzing (already found one spyware) I still have some little points on a line (unusual) in my antivirus.
But the rest of the screen is fine.
All this to say that the problem isn't the graphics card (but rather a nasty well-placed virus).
I’ll keep you updated on the next events.

Best, Ced

donna · Answer

You need to replace the graphics card!!!

Computer screen issue: vertical lines.

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