Hi

My sister has a Dell computer that is like a pentium 800 mhz I think.
She is using Win98 SE Their computer started having problems where
while it was booting up you could see everything clearly but once it was
to the main screen everything was way blurry and it was impossible to use

First I though maybe their monitor went bad. I borrowed an old one from
a friend and took that over there and it was still blurry. I took the
computer and monitor home and booted to safe mode and reloaded Win 98
over the top of the old one but it was still blurry. I then ran Adaware
and spybot in safe mode and then everything was working fine.

Took it back to their house and it worked for a few weeks and then the
same problems. I took it home and it ran fine here. I ran an AVG virus
scan which found 17 viruses so I decided to format the hard drive and
start clean. I formatted and reloaded everything and loaded AVG anti
virus, adaware and spybot and everything checked out fine.

After I reloaded it my sister took the computer home and she had exactly
the same blurry problems with any monitor she tried. My only guess at
this point was maybe she had electrical problems or something in that
room at her house because it works fine here so she moved it to another
room and still the screen is all messed up I even had her buy a new
power strip in case that was bad

Do you have any clue at all what could possibly be going on? I am
totally stumped on this one. I never expected it not to work after I
wiped it clean. I plan on giving her my computer when I buy a new one
but that is going to be a while since I just had surgery.

Thanks for any help

Steve


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The fact that Spybot and Adaware fixed the problem suggests a recurrent
malware infection. If you get the display problem corrected, start the
computer in question, go to
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp , click on "Scan
for updates" and let Windows Update download and install all the critical
updates for the system.

Ben

"Steve84" <steve84@flash.net> wrote in message news:mAjCh.64253$wc5.43714@newssvr25.news.prodigy. net...

I downloaded all the win98 updates right after I reloaded windows.
Spybot and adaware did not fix the problem the second time around



Ben Myers wrote:

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Steve's page of Fun links http://www.stevesfunlinks.com/
See Steve with famous people like the Bradys http://www.flash.net/~steve84/index1.htm
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On Mon, 19 Feb 2007 15:43:14 GMT, Steve84 <steve84@flash.net> wrote:

wonder if a neighbor or something nearby is creating interference.
Perhaps a magnetic field or a powerful radio transmitter. Another
possibility could be bad wiring somewhere in the house that affects
the various circuits regardless of the room. If anyone has a
voltmeter, it may be worthwhile to take a reading. It seems like the
same problem would bother the TV, so maybe that's not a possibility.

Has she ran AVG again by taking the PC elsewhere? Maybe the original
viruses weren't activated instantly and got triggered by running
something she reinstalled.

If it's not too difficult, I would have her bring the monitor to your
house or any friend nearby and test that piece alone on a known good
PC. If the monitor works fine, I would think its a power or video card
issue. If she has another working PC in the house, try connecting the
monitor to that one. If she can get a working PC anywhere, try
bringing that to her place and see what happens.

This really is a strange problem, so I hope others can offer better
ideas to help you solve the dilemma.

Good Guy98 wrote:

Thanks for the suggestions. To make things stranger their computer
started working again yesterday whithout anything being done to it to
try to fix it. I am hoping it will keep working for awhile





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Steve's page of Fun links http://www.stevesfunlinks.com/
See Steve with famous people like the Bradys http://www.flash.net/~steve84/index1.htm
Steve's page of over 200 Disney links! http://www.flash.net/~steve84/Disney.htm

On Feb 20, 7:16 pm, Steve84 <stev...@flash.net> wrote:
No way that software or viruses have created a blurry monitor. No
way because of how hardware works.

Meanwhile, it is a Dell. It has comprehensive system diagnostics on
hard drive and provided free on their web site. Diagnostics that test
hardware without Operating System complications. It is one of the
first tests performed - to detail how those diagnostic patterns appear
on a monitor.

Magnetic field to adversely affect a monitor are so strong and so
nearby that ... well remember all that hype about magnetic fields
causing childhood leukemia? These - not high tension utility wires -
are what they were hyping over. Somewhere in floor or wall would
probably be a large current wire - maybe to electric heat, electric
dryer, heat pump, or stove. Volts exist but no current; obviously no
magnetic fields. When significant current flows, then a strong
magnetic field exists. That is the theory. Clearly not yet
sufficient to have a fact.

Put the system on a long extension cord and more it around the
room. First monitor must be located where it does not cause
problems. Leave monitor off for many minutes. Then when long enough
and when turned on, the degaussing circuit demagnetizes monitor. Once
the monitor is clear (degaussed) somewhere, then move the system to
find where magnetic fields distort the picture. Which picture?
Obviously a picture from the comprehensive hardware diagnostic; a
picture designed to make problems obvious. Now we have experimental
evidence

To have a fact, notice theory and experimental evidence are both
required. Anything less is only speculation. Now report back.