Hi, and thanks for being here. I'm in big trouble, and I've just spent the last 30 hours of my life desperately trying to dig myself out of the pit I'm in.

My ancient toshiba satellite p25-s507 went into a mess of problems 2 days ago due to device/display driver errors. In fact, I can barely see what I'm typing right now thanks to the blinking, odd colors and pinstripes all over my screen.

I think I'm at the point of total desperation, which I guess would have to mean reinstalling windows xp, right? Here's the problem: the cd that came with my computer is 6 and a half years old! 3 years ago, I reinstalled my PC with it, and it was a complete and utter nightmare. My anti-virus program is from a download, so by the time I could get to the internet to get my PC protection, I was already packed with dozens of viruses.

How can I get an updated version of what I'll need that's right for my computer for the reinstallation? I'm in italy now, and I don't know any computer people at all. I was hoping I could use my external memory to reinstall windows. What are my options? And am I getting this all wrong?

Please, please help asap! I'm totally desperate. :(

PLEASE NOTE: I have tried to move this question into "windows" instead, but I haven't figured out how to delete it from here. Please accept my apologies for any issues this may have caused, and many thanks for your help.

Hi, and thanks for being here. I'm in big trouble, and I've just spent the last 30 hours of my life desperately trying to dig myself out of the pit I'm in.

My ancient toshiba satellite p25-s507 went into a mess of problems 2 days ago due to device/display driver errors. In fact, I can barely see what I'm typing right now thanks to the blinking, odd colors and pinstripes all over my screen.

I think I'm at the point of total desperation, which I guess would have to mean reinstalling windows xp, right? Here's the problem: the cd that came with my computer is 6 and a half years old! 3 years ago, I reinstalled my PC with it, and it was a complete and utter nightmare. My anti-virus program is from a download, so by the time I could get to the internet to get my PC protection, I was already packed with dozens of viruses.

How can I get an updated version of what I'll need that's right for my computer for the reinstallation? I'm in italy now, and I don't know any computer people at all. I was hoping I could use my external memory to reinstall windows. What are my options? And am I getting this all wrong?

Please, please help asap! I'm totally desperate.

(p.s. I'm moving this from "laptops" into the windows category for relevancy)

Just download the Firewall and AV program you're going to use AHEAD of time and load them onto a CD so you have them handy. Install windows, then install the Firewall, install the AV, connect to the internet and update everything. No problem.

Download ZoneAlarm Free Firewall

Download AVG Free Anitvirus

Good luck.

Any changes that either happened or that you perhaps made to your computer around the time that the problem started; particularly any software or hardware that you installed or setup.

From your first statement, it would seem you display may be "going"

Do you have access to an external monitor that you could hook up to see what image would like on another monitor?

Are you getting any 'error' messages of any kind?

Did it just start happening out of nowhere?

Since the age of your PC, you should stick what came with

Try and see if it is a display issue first by trying another monitor if possible, if it turns out it is your display in the laptop, you would just have to use an external monitor as opposed to getting that one fixed which would cost more than the laptop is worth

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Originally Posted by seahwk83

Any changes that either happened or that you perhaps made to your computer around the time that the problem started; particularly any software or hardware that you installed or setup.

from your first statement, it would seem you display may be "going"

Do you have access to an external monitor that you could hook up to see what image would like on another monitor?

Are you getting any 'error' messages of any kind?

Did it just start happening out of nowhere?

since the age of your PC, you should stick what came with

try and see if it is a display issue first by trying another monitor if possible, if it turns out it is your display in the laptop, you would just have to use an external monitor as opposed to getting that one fixed which would cost more than the laptop is worth

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Thank you!

I've tried wracking my brain to figure out if something downloaded onto my PC to access a website or something. There might have been an active x type thing, but I was afraid to remove it and run into even more problems.

when you said display, do you mean the monitor screen? I wish I had another monitor to test it on, but I definitely don't have one here.

the problem did appear to start of nowhere while I was in the middle of watching a downloaded version of iron chef. I have gotten the following messages (in the beginning, the screen would freeze for a little bit, and then all of the icons and windows became huge and weird looking. The colors also turned to cruddy teal, white, blue, and green. OK, here are the messages:

the nv4_disp display driver has stopped working normally... (weird screen change; also, the mouse would have a garbled square formed around it, and it wouldn't let clicking work anymore.

problem with file nv4_disp "the driver itself got stuck in an infinite loop" (shutting down my PC, like a blue screen)

after a lot of searching on the internet, I read that I should remove nvidia from add/remove progr. so that's what I did.

then I wrote to nvidia customer support, and they said it sounds like I need to get the right drivers or something from the manufacturer.

the best way to describe the visual situation is this: the windows, icons and font is huge, and none of it fits in the screen (kind of like in safe mode), and the colors and graohics are really crappy. There are symmetrical, vertical pinstripes in various windows. Sometimes they flash up a bit, and sometimes they become greatly reduced in number. Also, a letters are missing little pieces of themselves. Typing looks like it has a light flashy effect on the screen.

by the way, despite being checked to set system restore points, there weren't any.

for a little while, it looked like the problem was mostly fixed, except that videos ran like photo animation. I created a system restore point. Wlel, eventually my computer became snailish (it always does when it's been on for awhile, so I restarted it. The problem returned! It was there a little more, and then a lot more.

I tried lowering everything in display properties. Then I went to windows update and got all the express and custom stuff I could. Reboot, and the problems were still there.

then I went to install a new driver manually according to my PC and model no. on reboot, after the windows page, all I would get was black. After trying a dozen things in some form of safe mode, I got back in. when I tried to restore back, it said it couldn't do it.

by the way, it's now impossible to bring the colors, etc. back up from the total minimum you can use.

so then I tried downloading the nvidia driver from the reinstallation cd that came with my PC. Upon restart, I was back to that old black screen. Again, no good system restore.

now sometimes Firefox will close for no reason too.

I honestly don't know a dying screen from adam, but I was thinking the screen appears to be working okay

does this sound like it's about the video drivers, the screen, or something else?

if it is about the drivers, would you recommend I buy and download "drivercleaner" or something similar? The free download found various stuff, but use of the program costs money that's only worth paying if it will fix everything (and simply!)

I think my PC is 5 1/2 years old, not 6 1/2 as I wrote earlier, but it's still a dinosaur.

I can't believe it's still alive, but I'm waiting on a check that's supposed to be coming in next week. Then I get a new one! (I'll be back for recommendations!) this one is sitting on two boxes to get air circulating underneath, and my external memory is held together with blue tape. The only thing is that I really, really need to use it until I get my new one (which I might have to get shipped from the US to Europe), and I don't want to lose my files if I can help it.

also, if I can't save this myself, I could pay someone to come and do it (if there's any hope or if it's worth the money)... but I need it! AGAIN, THANK YOU!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JBeaucaire

Just download the Firewall and AV program you're going to use AHEAD of time and load them onto a CD so you have them handy. Install windows, then install the Firewall, install the AV, connect to the internet and update everything. No problem.

Download ZoneAlarm Free Firewall

Download AVG Free Anitvirus

Good luck.

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Thank you for your post! After I posted the question in laptops, I tried moving it here. Somehow it's still there. I am really hoping that I don't have to reinstall everything (I'm not good at it, I always lose stuff, and I imagine it's going to take days to get the updates, etc. to get my system going again.)... actually, how long do you think everything might take between reinstallation and updates, recopying programs, etc.

I have posted the detailed information regarding my problem in the former post, which you can find here:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/laptop...ml#post1328429

Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!

Unfortunately with no access to another monitor


First thing I would do is to run CCleaner and let it "fix" what it finds
ccleaner (Freeware)
Download CCleaner 2.12.660 - FileHippo.com
On the right hand side, click download latest version

Restart


To check for malware, download free version of Malwarebytes and let it run and 'fix' what it finds - can use free version

Malwarebytes.org

See if any of this helps at all

Quote:

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Originally Posted by seahwk83

Unfortunately with no access to another monitor


first thing I would do is to run CCleaner and let it "fix" what it finds
ccleaner (Freeware)
Download CCleaner 2.12.660 - FileHippo.com
on the right hand side, click download latest version

restart


to check for malware, download free version of Malwarebytes and let it run and 'fix' what it finds - can use free version

Malwarebytes.org

see if any of this helps at all

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There were no visible changes after running ccleaner and a restart. Downloaded and ran malwarebytes, but the free version is extremely limited. I have a version of registry mechanic on my PC, which I think is similar, and I ran that, but the problem is still here. Ad-aware won't run. I even tried repairing it, and then wound up reinstalling it when it still wouldn't work. Still, it gives an error. I have avast as my anti-virus, including the on-access scanner.

It's like my PC is locked into the lowest resolution possible. Going into properties to change the display settings makes it seem like it will change, but it doesn't. It's at 4-bit or whatever it's called. The lowest possible. I still have the stripes on all colored screens. Icons and windows are enormous. Letters have a tiny piece missing.

Do you have any idea what this might be or how to fix it? How would I know if it's a hardware problem? I would be devastated if I had to erase everything only to find that the problem was coming from something else...

It's going to be a driver issue if only able to get 4bit in display properties

Have you tried in device mgr to right click on the adapter and choose Update Driver

Hope you get this worked out

Quote:

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Originally Posted by seahwk83

it's going to be a driver issue if only able to get 4bit in display properties

have you tried in device mgr to right click on the adapter and choose Update Driver

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I really hope it"s just been a driver issue_ I tried wiggling my screen and that was helping and or making it worse> the good news is that my problem appears fixed for now!! i don"t know what did it< but I"m sooooooo happy> at least i can buy myself the week or two i need before getting a new one>

just one problem left: i don"t know what I did< but it"s like my shift key is permanently pushed> the period button is a ">" etc>> if you know what i need to do to fix this< please let me know asap!

again< thanks for your help> it meant so much> now let"s hope it will stay this way :) >>>and that I can get my shift key to calm down>>> help!

All you can do here is to give a 'good' tap on the keys hopefully to release it if is stuck - not too hard but a good tap

Where might I find the device manager?

I was getting very worried that it might have been a monitor or card problem after all because when I wiggled my screen, it would make the stripes better or worse.

Well, I still have no idea what happened, but I was just able to set the changes back to normal!! Between the thousand things I tried, something must have struck it. I really, really really hope everything stays this way long enough to get a new computer before this one dies. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP!

Oops... I thought my last post didn't go through, but I wanted you to make sure you got the message. :) p.s. I did a restart and the shift problem was fixed.

Right click on My Computer on desktop and click on properties

Then click on the hardware tab and then click device manager

I have a nice easy solution

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here's the problem: the cd that came with my computer is 6 and a half years old! 3 years ago

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There's a nice program called Nlite. It leys you integrate service packs and burn a new CD. IMPORTANT - if your disk doesn't include SP2, integrate SP2, close nlite, then go back into it again, and integrate SP3. If it already includes SP2, just integrate SP3 and you are good to go. SP3 does not include IE7 but you can integrate that too.