xp Virus? help please

[Magic Sam]

I have always managed to avoid anything serious happening to my computer, (more by luck than judgement) but I think XP has picked up a virus somehow .
It is a laptop which is about 4 years old, firewall protected but using an old version of Norton so certainly not able to block newer viruses. (stupid I know)

We leave it on most of the time, usually because we are hooked up to soulseek, so this morning I saw that the computer was on but with a black screen (frozen not hibernating tho).
Did a quick hard reboot and seemed to start up normally, got to the desktop screen for a couple of seconds, first the icons started to break up and then the whole screen turned into multicoloured vertical lines.
I tried rebooting again but now it won't even get to the desktop screen.
Aint massively techy so any help/advice would be appreciated please

 

[kevvv]

have you checked your monitor connections?

or a different monitor?

 

[Magic Sam]

have you checked your monitor connections?

or a different monitor?

Nah, its a laptop. I am pretty sure it is XP that is the problem as it wouldn't boot up properly this morning, when I get home I will try to start it in safe mode and have a look. Thanks tho.

 

[editor]

Did a quick hard reboot and seemed to start up normally, got to the desktop screen for a couple of seconds, first the icons started to break up and then the whole screen turned into multicoloured vertical lines.

Sounds more like a hardware malfunction than a virus, to be honest.

Have you tried using the laptop through an external monitor?

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Yeah, that's the first thing they'll try if you take it to a computer shop. If it's four years old, it's likely to be a loose connection to the screen unless you've just left it on a desk for four years (my three-year-old iBook has had things like that happen three times, though admittedly I do treat it a bit roughly. It loves it, you know.)

 

[Magic Sam]

Sounds more like a hardware malfunction than a virus, to be honest.

Have you tried using the laptop through an external monitor?

Not yet, could take it to a mates I suppose. The only reason I didn't think it was hardware was I could still see all of the scripts and XP logo etc when I rebooted, only I couldn't get to the desktop screen the second time I tried it and it was fine the first time until it turned stripey.

Could be an interesting evening of IT tinkering for me then.

Sparklefish (good lady wife) is off work sick this week so is desperate to get back on Urban (no pressure then)

Thanks

 

[editor]

The only reason I didn't think it was hardware was I could still see all of the scripts and XP logo etc when I rebooted, only I couldn't get to the desktop screen the second time I tried it and it was fine the first time until it turned stripey.

My money's still on a hardware fault, either a loose conection/broken solder or failing graphics card.

 

[boskysquelch]

lappy?..sounds like a connection thing betwixt main body and screen...as mentioned already...try lightly tapping along bottom horizontal of frame of screen every centimetre/inch or so...<<had a similar event...problem solved with tapping gently..nevr repeated...yet...touches bounce.

gluck.

 

[gentlegreen]

I have always managed to avoid anything serious happening to my computer, (more by luck than judgement) but I think XP has picked up a virus somehow .
It is a laptop which is about 4 years old, firewall protected but using an old version of Norton so certainly not able to block newer viruses. (stupid I know)

You don't get viruses by not running hyped-up security products.
(If you did, my PC would be over-running with the things - WindowsXP SP2/IE6/OE6)

You get them by clicking on dodgy email attachments, installing cracked software or by not keeping windoze updated.

.

 

[Magic Sam]

Well the loose connection diagnosis is looking pretty good at the moment,
I had managed to boot up yesterday with the stripy effect again and this changed as I moved the screen to and fro.
Dropped it off to the little computer repair shop at the top of our road (he said he would do a free consultation) he's going to let me know what the problem is plus the damage later today.

Cheers guys

 

[Magic Sam]

Ah bugger apparantly the videochip on the motherboard is knackered so I will need a new motherboard, about £140 apparantly.