[Itachirumon]

I've had this issue for about...a year now intermittently and I haven't been sure what's causing it. But recently it's hitting every 30 minutes to the point that I can't even back up files. I know I'm likely going to have to buy a new computer (mine 'is' 6 years old after all) but I'd like to figure out what might be wrong with this one so if the fix is cheap enough I can at least attempt it.

This started with netflix - periodically my computer would crash with weird color-patterns across the screen. Now it just does it whenever. I'm not sure if it's the RAM, the graphics card, or a virus. It's done it in both safe mode and regular functioning. It's been mostly okay until just the last few days.

I'm including an image of what the screen looks like. Hopefully you guys have seen this before.

Computer is a dv9208nr running Vista Home Premium 32 bit

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Try hooking it to an external monitor if you can to determine if it's the integrated graphics chip or a bad screen inverter and run it for a few hours.

[Wolfeymole]

Try hooking it to an external monitor if you can to determine if it's the integrated graphics chip or a bad screen inverter and run it for a few hours.

[Itachirumon]

Forgive me for my ignorance but how would I go about doing that? I know my suitemate has a set of cables he uses to connect his laptop to the television... would that work? Or connecting it somehow to another laptop? I ask because I'm at a university and while I know several places where desktop monitors are available, I dunno if they'd appreciate me boggarting them to plug into my laptop.

...I'm not very tech savvy on the hardware side of things.

[Wolfeymole]

Have a read of this article mate.

http://whatlaptop.te..._laptop_monito/