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We just installed Windows 7 on a good, up-to-date computer that was previously running on Vista.
Windows 7 was initially a great improvement – Vista was prone to crashing. But after a few days a graphics problem has occurred, where there are bands of flickering chequered squares across the screen – either red or blue depending on the colour of the background.
I have tried ‘system restore’ and various other suggested repairs and turned off the transparency effect but to no avail. The checquered bands only appear on windows opened, not on the main desktop.
We think it’s the graphics card playing up – any ideas? Thanks!
Sorry Bas but my knowledge of Windows 7 is as limited as is everybody else’s I guess. The current thinking is that, in spite of Microsoft’s so-called extensive Beta testing, it will still be “buggy” for some time to come (roll on SPI). They trumpeted Vista in the same way and that turned out to be a total heap of ****!
Two observations: Did you ‘upgrade’ you computer from Vista to 7? If so it might be something to do with that process. Is it worth trying to completely wipe / format your hard disk and try re-instaling Windows 7 again – on a ‘clean’ (i.e. re-formatted) disk?
Agreed your video card could be playing up BUT if so then surely this would affect all displays on screen, not just some of them?
If the re-install option isn’t a runner, is it worth downloading and installing updated drivers for the vidoe card? Bit of a long shot – but any port in a storm (as Mrs PB says to me occasionally).
Thanks for the tips. It’s actually my son’s computer and he says he’s installed the latest drivers. He did uninstall Vista before installing 7 and it worked perfectly for a few days, then it went odd, with all these squares. It just happened when he turned the computer on one time and he hadn’t altered anything from his previous session.
OK so we can assume that your son’s installation of Windows 7 was “clean” and re-installing it probably won’t help things.
Two other areas for consideration.
1. Does he use it for ‘gaming’ and if so – is it possible that there may be some sort of ‘virus’ or similar that has been (inadvertently) downloaded? A full virus scan might be a good idea – just in case.
2. It is possible that your LCD screen has become defective – coincidentally shortly after Windows 7 was installed. Best way to verify this is to beg or borrow a working screen from somebody and see if the effect occurs on that screen. (Same thing applies if you use a CRT monitor).
If the effect still occurs on the replacement screen, then the issue probably emenates from the onboard video card.
Er ….. you are using an onboard card aren’t you? (i.e. one that is a fixed part of the motherboard). Thinking about it, some users, particularly those that need enhanced or high speed graphics (for ‘gaming or high def. videos etc) use a separate video card installed in one of the extension slots on the motherboard and don’t use the onboard card.
If so, you could connect your screen to the ‘onboard’ card (i.e. use a different vidoe source) and see if the issue resolves itself.
Feedback on how you are progressing with these elimination suggestions and I’ll have another think on your answers.
Thanks. My son took out the graphics card (which came with the computer) and tried in in a friend’s computer and it produced the same graphics problem. He suspects it’s driver problem, but since the friend has the same graphics driver on his comp, he couldn’t tell. But I’ve been looking up Windows 7 problems on the net and it seems other people have had similar problems.
Well at least you’ve whittled it down to the graphics card. I’ve heard that Windows 7 focuses particularly on graphical presentation, which means that it is probably quite unforgiving of under-specified graphics cards.
The solution would be to purchase an upgraded (i.e. ‘faster’) graphics card and get one with the Max memory, within your budget. Instal it onto the motherboard in a ‘spare’ slot and your issue ought to be fixed.
Thanks – I’ll let my son read this as knows more about computers than I do and it’s his computer anyway! Mine is still on Windows XP – promised myself a new one but maybe I’ll wait and see how 7 pans out!
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