Desktop doesn't appear, only small strip of color

[lepazoga]

I have a Toshiba Satellite M505-S4940 with Windows Vista. I have had it for over a year now and just recently the desktop won't appear. I'll restart, then the windows splash screen appears as usual, but the Login phase doesn't appear, only a small thin strip of color appears from one end of the monitor to the other end. If I restart it, the computer will enter the login phase and the desktop appears (sometimes).

Is this my graphics card? Or what might it be?...


Thanks!

 

[nforce4max]

This is a rare issue and only have seen it twice. Try hooking up an external monitor and see if you get the same problem. If you do then it is the gpu or a corrupted windows installation. However if entirely normal even after multiple restarts then it is the display it's self.

 

[lepazoga]

Thank you very much. I'll test it and share my results.

 

[lepazoga]

How much do you think that might cost?

 

[nforce4max]

If your laptop is using an integrated gpu and it is failing then you will have no choice but to either buy a new board for your laptop or replace the whole thing all together.

 

[nforce4max]

^
yes. even if you're skilled with a soldering gun I wouldn't even attempt to try it.
as "n4cmx" stated, replace board or buy new unit..

Back in the old days it was possible to swap out chipsets if you had the skill and tools but every thing since the late 90s is BGA making that to be extremely and out right almost impossible to do a swap.

 

[nforce4max]

I still got one machine right now that is running win 95 good old P55c aka Pentium MMX @233mhz

 

[nforce4max]

wow...
i couldn't stand to even look at it anymore.

Now you know what I started out on.
/old

 

[nforce4max]

you got to start somewhere.
mine was a HP Pavilion PIII 667MHz win 95 then upgrade to 98.....

Some ancient Compaq that had a 100mhz Pentium 1 , 32mb ram, 1GB hard drive :lol: , Cirrus logic integrated gpu, Wint NT 4.0 My first Mac was a LCII I think, 33mhz 68030 Moterolla cpu. Quickly climbed up to a 266mhz p2 with 198mb ram and a 4gb drive with Voodoo 3 2k pci. Next rig in line had a 500mhz p3 and 512mb ram and two 10gb drives which I still have. Then it was a HP Pavilian with 1.1ghz slugeron and only 384mb ram and a 40gb hard drive. Two rigs later I built the one I am using now.