Computer tech problems.

[pl4yboy]

I have a Sony laptop that has been GREAT for almost a year now. Recently, it has developed a hardware problem. It's getting sent off on Monday (warranty ends in two weeks, so I got lucky on this) anyway but I'd like to hear a few opinions on possible problems.

Problem:

Initially and randomly, everything that is supposed to be black turned bright red. I did a system restore regardless and that didn't fix it. I did a bios reset and that didn't help it either so I was beginning to think hardware. I run ESET NOD32 and am fairly careful with what I do on this computer. I have another computer that I DL music and other illicit things on lol. I know my way around a computer and have built 4-5 desktops, but I hate messing with laptops because I tend to get a little over zealous when things don't fit/come apart correctly. I digress. Anyway, the problem would come and go, usually with a restart, for a month or so before I figured out for sure that it was hardware related. When I pick up/set down the computer, I always hold it in one hand at the bottom left portion of the computer (the area you would set you left wrist while typing). So I pick the computer up and it goes red. I set it down, it goes back to black. At this point I know for a fact it's hardware.

I'm not about to go tearing a 900$ laptop apart while it is still under warranty and from what I've researched, no one else has had this problem. It has progressed to greens turning yellow and blues turning pinks at this point, so it's getting sent off. My assumption is a bad connection on the motherboard or video card, but it would be impossible to tell without tearing it apart and looking at it. I know for a fact that it isn't the LCD because pressure in this area causes the colors to flicker. I guess we'll find out in a couple of months when I get the computer back, but I'd like to hear educated guesses on this.

[ducky]

Did you run the Monitor Color self test or whatever it is called. Booting into BIOS then running that check? That does sound pretty strange, especially because you weren't able to find it on the webz.

[MidwestSS]

its the video card, not the lcd.. it flexed a little too much and the connector isnt fitting right
much like a vga cable. if you move it out slightly, the colours change.. been there. .seen this problem before.. warranty should replace the connector, video board, and possibly the mobo..

[DAmarcus28]

hey midwest i think that would apply if it was a desktop but laptops are quite different internally, luckly u still had it under warrenty!

[ducky]

hey midwest i think that would apply if it was a desktop but laptops are quite different internally, luckly u still had it under warrenty!

I think Midwest actually is correct, a lot of the dell E series laptops had the same issues. The connector to the motherboard would go bad so the monitor and connector had to be replaced.

[DAmarcus28]

but vga? vga is the video ouput port external from the laptop isnt it? the internal video port would be different from the 15pin port im thinkin of

[RedHeartbeat]

If your laptop has an external monitor port, hook up a monitor and see if the issues are still there or not.

[MidwestSS]

ports are irrelevant.. the connector on the inside is probably whats loose\not connecting properly due to flexing. its still a video card, no matter what you want to call it. .VGA is just the adapter on the outside, and what i said was "much like a vga PORT".. its the same concept, one's just internal.
hooking up a monitor MAY show the same symptoms.. but if the board itself has wiggled from the mobo... it may show the same problems, it may not..

[ducky]

ports are irrelevant.. the connector on the inside is probably whats loose\not connecting properly due to flexing. its still a video card, no matter what you want to call it. .VGA is just the adapter on the outside, and what i said was "much like a vga PORT".. its the same concept, one's just internal.
hooking up a monitor MAY show the same symptoms.. but if the board itself has wiggled from the mobo... it may show the same problems, it may not..

What he said ^. Like I mentioned before, that crap comes loose super easy, harder to get into it vs a desktop to fix too.

[DAmarcus28]

being that its under warrenty i wonder if they will even tell you what really happened or they just give it back and tell u its fixed because im really curious as to what it is