[franklin]

I have a fairly new computer - Asus P5LD2 Core2 Duo..... I recently installed a GeForce9800 and it worked fine for the two weeks that passed until I installed a second SATA HDD. I think (I don't know for sure) I may have bumped the hard drive into a yellow capacitor (a round, yellow electronic part sticking up from the motherboard).

Since then the video card wouldn't work. I first thought it was a driver issue and uninstalled and reinstalled the drivers (properly, removing all of the old drivers first, then using driver sweeper. However, the display works only when I boot into safe mode or when I delete all of the drivers and vista installs the basic VGA driver.

Next, since I had never reinstalled windows vista, I formatted the partition and reinstalled windows. The same problem occurred first when vista automatically installed the drivers then when I cleaned them out and installed the latest. Same again when I tried a friend's new GeForce 8800. As long as I am either in safe mode or running vista's vga driver, I have a display.

I finally tried reinstalling my ASUS (ATI) EAX1550. Same problem again except it is a little worse because it is almost impossible to prevent vista installing the ATI drivers and as long as I am running anything other then the basic VGA drivers or in safe mode, I have no display. The computer starts fine, the Microsoft thing with the moving bar comes up, but when the desktop should display, the screen goes black and "no signal".

It really seems like a hardware problem to me and I wonder if the round yellow thing I hit could be the cause of all of my problems. I am debating whether I just bite the bullet and try a new MB. My biggest concern is my wife and kids seeing me crying like a baby if I go to all of that work and there is no improvement.....

I know that when I have done something stupid like this, it is difficult to give an opinion but I would be interested in anyone's input.

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You do know that the capacitor is a user serviceable part right? Just a little bit of soldering experience and you should be OK.

If you are uncomfortable soldering, check your local TV repair shops. Ask them how much it would cost to replace one capcitor on a computer board. Most should do it for less than the cost of a new board.

I have done several video cards and motherboards. It just takes some patience and a good wattage soldering iron.

Edited by PedroDaGR8, 21 February 2009 - 12:30 AM.

[PedroDaGR8]

You do know that the capacitor is a user serviceable part right? Just a little bit of soldering experience and you should be OK.

If you are uncomfortable soldering, check your local TV repair shops. Ask them how much it would cost to replace one capcitor on a computer board. Most should do it for less than the cost of a new board.

I have done several video cards and motherboards. It just takes some patience and a good wattage soldering iron.

Edited by PedroDaGR8, 21 February 2009 - 12:30 AM.

[franklin]

Thanks very much, DaGR8, perhaps I should try that before replace the board.

[123Runner]

Replacing capacitors on boards is only for the most experianced.
If you have never done it, take it to a repair shop (as already stated).

Do you see any damage? All components are soldered fairly well on the board. A minor bump may not damage it.
Do you see ant broken components?

[franklin]

Thanks Runner,

No, I can't see any damage. The capacitor (I believe it is a capacitor but I can't get close enough without removing my MB to tell for sure) was bent over slightly. I initially left it in the same position but more recently straightened it and it moved really easy. I don't know that it is a capacitor failure. I am assuming that because I have tried everything to rule out software or driver issues and the video problem started when I installed the new hard drive (and bumped the capacitor).

I think I will take it in. If the shop can't fix it, then I will "bite the bullet" and get a new MB. From a practical standpoint, as much as I "enjoy" working on a computer, I have likely spent about 50 or 60 hours on this problem already and, although I certainly learn new stuff every time I do this, I am pretty much guessing now and, although I am maybe a half-geek, I may be getting over my head. I have thought about installing a new MB myself, but I am worried that I go to all of that fuss only to find that I guessed wrong!

Edited by franklin, 21 February 2009 - 04:38 PM.

[123Runner]

My gut tells me the problem is not the mother board.
If you can, remove the drive and see if you can boot up.

[franklin]

The new drive is working fine, but, you have a point, one of the few things I haven't done is to remove the drive. I did that and then loaded the latest NVIDIA drivers (I had been running Vista's basic VGA) and exactly the same thing happened again - max resolution 1024 X 768 and low quality.

Frankly my gut has been telling me the same thing as yours, but each time I try something the problem continues.

[franklin]

A final update - took the computer in to the shop today - they plugged in a monitor and started it up - it worked perfectly !

I made an amateur blunder and never disconnected everything from the back of my computer and then starting it. However, I did that when I got home and exactly the same problem occurred. That left the monitor as the only thing connected. There are no reset buttons on my Acer monitor, so I decided to unplug it (it never gets unplugged). I did so for about 30 seconds and restarted the computer. Everything works fine, full resolution, etc......... now to load back everything that was lost when I reloaded Windows !

[123Runner]

That is very odd that in order to restart you have to physically disconnect the monitor from the computer for 30 secs.

Unfortunately, I can't give you an answer why.

Glad that you identified it though.

[franklin]

Sorry, I was away for a few days....

Odd is right! I only had to disconnect the monitor power once. Everything has been fine since then.

One of our "geeks" at work said he had heard of conflicts with Acer (wide) monitors and computers running Vista.

[123Runner]

Welcome to the world of "weird".

Don't you just love the odd balls?

[franklin]

Love them!

Although I am not a hardcore Vista basher, this weird type of thing seems to be a MS trademark. At the beginning I had a similar type of "weird" issue with XP