# Vertical "lines" during startup... Windows not loading.



## Kduff (Dec 18, 2008)

http://forums.techguy.org/hardware/764320-solved-geforce-8800-problems.html

I link that first because he basically had the same problem as I do. Except I only have one graphics card, and not two. I woke up this morning and I had a black screen on my computer, even though it wasn't in sleep mode and wouldn't respond to anything I did. So I turned it off manually, and turned it back on, and when I did, there were vertical lines on each of the BIOS pages, and vertical lines on the Windows startup screen, but when Windows didn't load after about 30 seconds, I did another manual reboot.

I ended up getting into safe mode with the lines, and tried a system restore, but to no avail. Even the bios post information was basically gibberish. So I tried several times to clear the CMOS (because I had recently flashed my motherboard) and that didn't work either. I was considering the flashing to be the problem, and it may have caused a failure, but it seems like the video card is now dead and the computer won't boot at all.

Any ideas?

Specs:
Geforce 8800 GTS 312MB
Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
Asus P5N32-E SLI Motherboard
2 Gigs of 800Mhz G.skill ram
Thermaltake 700 Watt PSU
320 and 500 GB Seagate Barracuda HDDs
Windows Vista Ultimate X32


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## Chandrose (Dec 21, 2008)

I am having the exact same problem with almost the exact same setup, I'm going to pick up a new card (unfortunately I can't find any of my old ones to swap out and test). I'm pretty sure that's the problem, I'll post if it fixes things.


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## aasimenator (Dec 21, 2008)

Remove the monitor's blue colored cable connected to your computer.
& turn on your monitor. If it shows Check Cable/ ??? Then your monitor is working fine & your Display Card is faulty.
If nothing comes up on the screen when you remove the cable then your monitor is faulty.

If you have onboard Display then connect your monitor to that port & check.


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## Chandrose (Dec 21, 2008)

It was the GPU, switched it out with the new one and sure enough the problem disappeared.


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## Kduff (Dec 18, 2008)

Still working on mine, the monitor is fine, tested it on other computers, but I think it may be the bios. I'm going to buy another graphics card if I can't revert the bios to an older version (I flashed the bios perfectly about 4 days before this all started) and when I AM able to boot up (sometimes it won't even boot at all) when I get to the Setup screen everything is fine. But if I enter other modes, like the EZ Flash mode, all the letters and numbers are more or less gibberish. Not sure what to make of it all.

Sometimes it boots, sometimes it doesn't, doesn't matter what slot I put the graphics card in, the RAM has been swapped and does fine, I've taken the whole thing apart and rebuilt it piece by piece and step by step and I know it's either the BIOS being faulty or the GPU.


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## DavisMcCarn (Aug 17, 2005)

The problem is memory failure on the graphics card and, unless you know somebody extremely good with a soldering iron, you'll have to replace the card.


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## Kduff (Dec 18, 2008)

One of the tech guys I spoke with at eVGA said the same thing, faulty memory on the card, so I believe you're right. I'm buying a new card as soon as I can (everything's closed since it's Christmas) and I guess we'll see what happens.


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