AR21S crashed *blue screen error message*

[prednisolon]

Hello,

My laptops screen went disorientedö colors got mixed and had vertical lines so i thought this may be a software program maybe the proper driver for the video card deleted. So i decided to reinstall the whole windows by using the system recovery tool.

I start my laptopö press F10 go into VAIO System Restore to install wimdows but just before is starts to install i get this blue error screen which i have no idea about.

is it a software issue or maybe a burnt chipset on my video card,

any help would be soo appreciated as im soo stucki

[rich912]

Hi prednisolon,

This could possibly be an nvidia driver problem, but more likely hardware related. Can you start the system in safe mode (F8 at boot)?

[prednisolon]

Hi Rich,

first thank you for your respond, i pressed F8 and on the black and white screen where it runs the safe mode files the screen was ok there were no vertical lines. But once entered the safe mode the vertical lines came back and all the colors got disoriented again,the problem occurs even on the BIOS settings.

Once i couldnt complete windows installation, i booted the laptop from CD driver and installed Vista from a CD that happened without no blue screen error, now i have the vista installed without the vaio system recovery tool and all vertical lines plus dioriented screen.

i appreciate your help, laptop broke down at sucj a bad timing when i have so many deadlines and if its a hardware issue then im in trouble cos it will probably cost me a bomb.

Hi prednisolon,

This could possibly be an nvidia driver problem, but more likely hardware related. Can you start the system in safe mode (F8 at boot)?

[rich912]

Hi prednisolon,

These problems always happen at the worst possible time

If a successful re-install is still giving screen problems then it is almost certainly hardware related.

If you can attach an external monitor and report back the results it will help us to narrow down the problem.

[prednisolon]

connected to an external monitor but nothing came up, it was a pitch black screen.

Also, when i go to video card prperties the only thing the computer recognizes is the Chip Type: an nvdia graphics card but only 2 megapixel and all the other info; DAC Type, Memory Size, Adapter String and Bios Info is not recognized.

I moved to hawaii January 08 and bought my laptop form the UK so even if i wanna get it repaired its gonna be difficult. Last thing im going to try my old laptop screen (just an act of desperation) maybe it is the screen, not the graphics card or a driver program.

Thank you again.

Hi prednisolon,

These problems always happen at the worst possible time   

If a successful re-install is still giving screen problems then it is almost certainly hardware related. 

If you can attach an external monitor and report back the results it will help us to narrow down the problem.

[rich912]

Hi prednisolon,

Have you tried uninstalling the video driver for the Display Adapter (NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 GT) and then manually re-installing after a re-boot?

First download the original drivers package for your model from Vaio Link

You will need to cancel the Add New h/w Wizard at startup and run the setup file from the Video folder in the drivers package.

[prednisolon]

Hey Rich,

i did install the driver but still not working.
i bought my laptop from the uk but now i live in hawaii there are no sony service here. so im guessing my best option is to buy a laptop graphics card and install it myself.

do you know where can i but vaio video card.

Hi prednisolon,

Have you tried uninstalling the video driver for the Display Adapter (NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 GT) and then manually re-installing after a re-boot? 

First download the original drivers package for your model from Vaio Link
 
You will need to cancel the Add New h/w Wizard at startup and run the setup file from the Video folder in the drivers package.

[rich912]

Hi prednisolon,

The graphics card is soldered to the motherboard, so replacing it will not be an option

What is Device Manager reporting under Display Adaptors? It should be 'NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 GT' but whatever is reported uninstalling and then scanning for hardware changes will be worth a try.

If that fails to make a difference then the last resort would be a full recovery using your Vaio recovery disks or HD recovery partition (assuming that bit is still on the drive) - F10 at boot.

[prednisolon]

tried but no change it does recognise it as 'NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 GT' still no change.

ive been trying this so many times i dont have the CDs so i press f10 and go to vaio recovery tool, select the full system recovery first it deletes everything on the harddisk then tries to install the windows, but once it starts to install the windowsXP i get that blue screen error message. thats actually why i had to install windows vista from a CD.

you have been so helpful rich i really appreciate it, thanks. but this is not making any sense to me, i know everything has an expiary date but i spent 2000 pounds on a laptop its barely 2 years old. i already had to buy/change the screen once (600 pounds) and now this, when i was buying it i thought you cant go wrong with SONY, well i guess i was wrong.

Hi prednisolon,

The graphics card is soldered to the motherboard, so replacing it will not be an option  

What is Device Manager reporting under Display Adaptors? It should be 'NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 GT' but whatever is reported uninstalling and then scanning for hardware changes will be worth a try.

If that fails to make a difference then the last resort would be a full recovery using your Vaio recovery disks or HD recovery partition (assuming that bit is still on the drive) - F10 at boot.

[rich912]

Hi prednisolon,

I'm really sorry, but I just don't know what to suggest next. I suspect a hardware problem with the video card but am at a loss to explain why a retail version of Vista installs (albeit whithout full video functionality) but not the XP Vaio recovery media.

I can appreciate your disappointment with the product and I too would be extremely p**sed off having spent that amount of cash to have it go belly up in less than 2 years!

i already had to buy/change the screen once (600 pounds)

Grasping at straws here, but when was this? If it was screen only and not graphic card related then probably of no help.However if the problem is related then possibly the repair warranty may cover it?

EDIT Sorry in the previous post I should have pointed you at the Vista drivers for the AR31S