[solved]Is my video card failing?

[ishtar]

I think my computer is slowly exploding.

These are the latest symptoms my monitor is exhibiting:

• Black flickers
• Sometimes turns blue tinged
• Freezes suddenly
• Freezes a lot with Firefox/ Limewire
• Buttons and icons often have funny colours around the edges

I thought it was the video driver but installing a new one just make it worse and scrolling on Firefox/IE was jerky and sloppy and the 'stand by' option disappeared when I updated the driver.

Would changing the video card help?

[dm.su]

Yeah it does sound like your video card is having problems. Are you experienced in replacing a video card?

[Munemasa Katagiri]

First of all format your computer, if it is Windows' fault it'll be better.
Tell me your video card, I can try to find the best driver for you, install it from scratch after formating. If the problem persists, you'll need to test your video card, do a benchmark or put it on other computer or put other on your computer. If it's the video card's fault, you can manage to buy other.
How old is your computer?

[ishtar]

I'm using NVidia GeForce FX 5200

I think my driver might be corrupted, not sure. The NVidia control panel application won't even open (I keep getting an error message) and it's not in the Add/Remove program thing even though it shows up in Control Panel.

Also my computer keeps freezing- especially if I'm using Firefox or I'm watching a file. Or it goes black and I can't see anything untill I restart. Sometimes the computer will work for hours without a problem, some times it freezes 3 seconds after logging it. It's a hit or miss thing really.

I can't reformat as my CD drive is completely busted (this computer is 7 years old I think).

I'm trying to just stop it freezing so that I can copy everything onto an external hard drive and then just buy a new computer. But I don't have financial resources to buy a new computer yet so I'm trying to put that off for as long as I can.

Can I completely uninstall the currently driver somehow and reinstall?

[ishtar]

Sorry to double post but any thoughts?

[Lent]

Might be a silly question, but have you really installed the newest driver for your video card over the existing one? And have you had any other system upgrades on your PC recently that might add to the fact? The freezing is most likely a video card hickup, I have that too at times but usually only when I have a lot of other programs running at the same time.

[ishtar]

Yup, it's not the driver- that's all fine and it's started out of the blue :S

[Munemasa Katagiri]

Try to download the newest driver and install it, you don't need to bother uninstalling the older one.
FX 5200 is kindda buggy... all FX series are bugged... 8^/

[ishtar]

It did well for 6 years :P

Installing the new driver just made it worse :S

[Munemasa Katagiri]

Try to use an older driver, sometimes new drivers don't work with old graphic cards. Do you remember the best driver version you used? I have a bunch of old drivers, I can upload for you the best one.