Maximum PC

this just started happening recently, whenever i turn on my laptop the screen remains blank but everything continues to run. i am able to type in my password only because i hear the indication to do so, once i do that i close the laptop and let it go into hibernation/sleep, i then open it back up and i finally have an image but only 2/3 of my desktop is visible. i did upgrade my ram a couple of months ago, could that be the culprit?

thanks all

Take the stick out and install the old one if that is the route you went, if not just remove the stick you added and see if it boots to windows.

Nasty

well i added two 2GB sticks so i tried just one, that didnt work so i tried the other with the same result. after trying each new stick individually i threw in the ones which also did not work. as before i am able to log in once i hear the windows notification then i just shut the laptop and open it back open only to be able to use 2/3 of the screen. any other thoughts?

thanks

This may sound dumb, but do it and tell me what you see. Take a flashlight and point it at the black part of the screen, if you see the desktop faintly, the back-light in that part of the screen is dead.

Nasty

that doesnt sound dumb at all, i service lcd panels at work and see that problem all the time. however, i am typing from my laptop right now. like i said once i blindly log in i close the laptop and re-open it and then my desktop shows up like normal. the only thing is is that it does not cover the whole lcd. here is what my screen looks like.

Have you tried to change the desktop from portrait to landscape in the video driver software?

Nasty

nvidia control panel has it in landscape already

When the system posts does it do the same thing with the screen, show only one third or does it go full screen?

Have you tried to use an external monitor and see if the same issue shows up there?

Nasty

no when i start it up it is blank, the only time i see anything is after i close the lid/re-open the lid. gonna try an external monitor shortly.

ok so i plugged in an external monitor which works fine. maybe i should just do a system restore and maybe that will fix it? any other thoughts on what it could be with the laptop?

Since the monitor works fine, I would say there is a fault with the laptop screen. Call the manufacture of the laptop and make sure my guess is correct, then have the screen replaced or in most cases it is cheaper to get a new laptop....our great throwaway society at work....

Did you shine a flashlight at the black portions of the screen and see the windows environment?

Nasty

here it is from the beginning:

Hi. Something I noticed towards the end of that thing. When you clicked on Personalize, did you not slide the bar to the left away from the "Highest" which would be 32 bit? It should be at 32 bit as that is the graphics standard these days. Some older stuff may need to be run at 16 bit or even less, but for most stuff it shoiuld be at 32 bit.

When I tried moving it to the left the desktop is too big, keeping it at low res allows my menu bar to show up

Try a restore point to a day that it worked properly.

Nasty

Did anyone else catch that he is running a 8400m GS? This could be an issue with the graphics chip, weren't those the ones that had some major issues?

It is an 8400m gs wasnt aware that there was a known issue

I don't know how old your laptop is, so this may or may not apply in your case, but yes there were (are) some major issues with the 8400M chips.

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1028703/all-nvidia-g84-g86s-bad

'08 I think

I googled a bit and found out there was a Class Action Law Suit against Dell for not fixing the problem video card in the laptops and not informing the users that bought the machine or extending the warranty.

Nasty