Hey there ya'll,

I have a HP Pavilion zd8000 notebook and took it in for a display issue. I have these "lines" going horizontally through my display blocking out about 50% of the display. Then when I scroll down the lines follow the words and immediately wipe out about another 25 % of viewing. I can get back to about 50% if I highlight everything . I took it to a shop here and they said it was a motherboard problem but I don't believe them. I have run all my anti virus programs and nothing came up. I have run diagnostics and no problems there. I have run lots of programs and everything works perfectly. EXCEPT, the dvd player. It went at the same time this problem started.

The lines are assembled in about 23 columns. they look about 1 inch long by 1/16 tall. As I look very closely at them they look like a rolling speedometer, but fast.

Any ideas computer guys??

thanx in advance!!

Ian Harrington
678-458-0770

Dead display (LCD)

Dying Video Card/Adapter.*

Fun $$$ Fun $$$ Fun $$$ !

* If your motherboard has all the devices integrated, you may, in fact, need a new motherboard.

no really, its a cheap fix, right?

Ok, how can I run a test to verify it. And, should I just buy a new computer versus repairing this one?

it may be the connection to the lcd.... -JON

It could be over heating. Laptop heatsincs, fans, and vents plug up quite easily. A good cleaning might be all it needs. Good luck!

Have cleaned out what I could, fans working well, nothing is ver the temp or low warm. How cold the motherboard go bad like this? And is it a HP problem where if I get something else like a Dell will it happen?

under warranty?

You can check the video maybe motherboard by plugging in a regular monitor to the rectangular 15 pin Blue external monitor connection....if you can make a regular display work....that might answer your questions....


Steve

OK Army Dude here's the real deal.

I have an HP DV6000 series notebook. I bought it on 9/11/06. Manufacturer gives a one year warranty on everything. I have had to send it back to HP TWICE over the last year becasue the display totally went out. So my symptoms were slightly different than yours. It seems like yours is working a little bit.

The problem the first time was what they called the system board (it's what we call the mother board). They replaced it. I don't know what they problem will be this time because they still have it (I should get it back today in fact) but since the symptoms are exactly the same I bet they will have to replace the system board again. I am pissed. It's only a year old and I don't really travel with it so it doesn't even get jostled around like laptops should be able to handle. Most of the time it sits on our dining room table. If it was the system board again, I am going to ask (tell) them to extend my warranty for another year.

When I called HP and they went through troubleshooting with me they had me re-seat the RAM both times just to see if that was the problem so you might want to try that. (It didn't help me at all).

This is HPs customer support number - 800-474-6836

They will at least help you troubleshoot and tell you the status of your warranty. They will probably have incorrect expiration date of your warranty. HP only knows when they sold your notebook to the re-seller you bought it from but if you can fax them the receipt they can update it and then they'll be more apt to assist you (that is if your notebook is less than a year old). Some resellers (I know Costco does this) extend the warranty an additional year for free. So since I bought mine from Costco I could start going to them for support. I hope my experience helps you save time. Just start with their support number, have your model and serial number available when you call. They will at the very least give you an estimate to fix it.

I have bought alot of HP stuff both at home and at work but right now I think HP laptops=

My experience with HP is that they make good printers, but thier computers should be avoided like the plague. I have never seen an HP computer that did not have issues. Pretty far from a scientific survey, but I always suggest people steer clear of them.

It sounds to me like the same stuff everyone esle was saying, either the monitor is crapping out, or the videocard is, and the VC is most likely integrated with the motherboard.

IMHO, IBM/Lenovo still make the best laptops.

Are you using said laptop somewhere in the desert? Or are you back home (hopefully)? If still in the desert, that is a very hard environment for computers in general. Silica can really mess up electronics.

Zach

Hi there:

Plug a monitor to the laptop, if work, the wire from the LCD display could be damaged or the display almost dead.

If you still have the same lines in the external monitor..... your video card is damaged and will have to change the mother board since these cards are integrated.

Nuke

As I mentioned earlier. My friends HP is a ze4000 and it has a heat pipe that sits on the cpu and ati video chip then over to a copper finned sinc with a fan in the middle that blows out two seperate vents. These fins were completly blocked with hair and dust. Her display was cracked and she was using a external lcd that I had loaned her. Vertical lines started to show up on the display and I thought the display was going bad then the laptop started to shut off on its own. All of this was caused by overheating. Now that the fan and heat sinc are clean there are no problems and I have ordered a replacement lcd for her. The laptop had to be opened up to clean it though. Not an easy job, but cheaper than buying a new laptop.

could be that, or..... I had a Compaq laptop where the ribbon cable from the motherboard to the lcd would fatigue and conductors would break. Eventually the cable broke completely. The symptoms of partial ribbon cable breaks were part of the diplay wouldnt work, lines, etc.

I had it repaired by compaq one time...cost about $120 (out of warranty) eventually found out the ribbon cable was a $5 part... the next time the cable fatigued. I replaced it myself.

Though do hook up an external monitor to rule out a dipslay adapter/motherboard problem

I also have a HP Pavilion zd8000 notebook and mine is working fine. I would first try the recommendation to plug an external monitor into it to see if the video system is working. Attempting to re-seat any cables and ram is also a good idea. I have not opened mine up so I don't know what you might find in there. Mine has 128 MB of video memory in it, so that could also be going out.
These things have three fans on the bottom and mine run almost all the time when the computer is on. i would make sure the computer is always on a firm surface so there is an air gap under it so the fans can do their job, otherwise I would guess this puppy would overheat in a hurry.