I need help quick! Serious computer problem! (SMALL UPDATE)

[ZeroMachine]

I'm currently typing this from my family's computer because for the third (count it, third) time, my laptop has been murdered by... something.

I bought my laptop through my college. Right there is my first mistake, but it gets worse. After I had it for a while, it suddenly started slowing to a crawl, and at some point it decided to off itself and whenever I tried to turn it on, all I saw were colored verticle lines and a black background (I will get a picture of it on here when I get the chance). The solution? Three failed attempts at replacing the video card (each time it worked for a total of ten minutes, if that) and then a replacement harddrive, which finally worked. So, it was concluded that it was a virus, somehow. I believed it, because that was back in the day when I downloaded a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT of stuff (no "quit porn" jokes, please).

Then, about five months later, it happened yet again. This time, instead of replacing the harddrive, they just wiped it clean. I didn't remember ever getting any viruses, but I figured "oh well, one must have slipped through. *shrug*".

But, lo and behold, it has happened YET AGAIN. Except this time, I'm actually in school (during the previous two times, I was on a year long break from college) which means I am FUCKED. But I also KNOW that I haven't gotten any viruses or anything. I haven't done anything that would put my laptop at high risk.

So, can anyone here help me out? Seriously, the sooner I get help with this the better. They need to send it into Dell to fix it, and they take at least a month. I can't afford that.

I'll end this with a peice of advice:
NEVER buy a laptop through your college, ESPECIALLY if it's a Dell. No matter how good the deal sounds.

 

[L33tsauce_Marty]

Obviously something internal.

 

[Evil Scotsman]

well, mate, i think you should go with another laptop, stop sendin it back

 

[bad rider]

Check if it's a virus on your motherboard, then blank you hard drive. This is only if you are dead certain its a virus then reset your hard drive. To reset cmos battery thing.

If you think your having it bad with dell at least yours hasn't exploded.

 

[ZeroMachine]

well, mate, I think you should go with another laptop, stop sendin it back

Trust me, I would if I could... unfortunately, I don't have the money.

Sounds like it's the drivers for the video card. Did you try disabling the video card? I had a problem like that once and it was fixed by doing just that.

Problem- How do you disable the video cards if you can't see anything? Quite literally, no matter how long I wait, it never shows video. Plus, first time this happened, they tried to replace the video card.

Check if it's on your motherboard (pull out cmos battery thing)

I don't know enough about computers to take one apart and, like with the video card problem, they tried that. Again, nothing they tried worked until they replaced or wiped the harddrive.

I'm cursed, huh?

 

[Talendra]

Is it still under warranty? It is obviously something internal wrong with the computer, and with this amount of problems I do not think you would be out of line asking them to send you a new machine.

 

[Evil Scotsman]

well, mate, I think you should go with another laptop, stop sendin it back

Trust me, I would if I could... unfortunately, I don't have the money.

Sounds like it's the drivers for the video card. Did you try disabling the video card? I had a problem like that once and it was fixed by doing just that.

Problem- How do you disable the video cards if you can't see anything? Quite literally, no matter how long I wait, it never shows video. Plus, first time this happened, they tried to replace the video card.

Check if it's on your motherboard (pull out cmos battery thing)

I don't know enough about computers to take one apart and, like with the video card problem, they tried that. Again, nothing they tried worked until they replaced or wiped the harddrive.

I'm cursed, huh?

well, i suppose you could get some pre owned, ancient one, that'll prob cost $50 or somethin...

 

[bad rider]

Send it back, you don't want to break warranty by digging through it ignore my previous post.

 

[ZeroMachine]

Problem- How do you disable the video cards if you can't see anything? Quite literally, no matter how long I wait, it never shows video. Plus, first time this happened, they tried to replace the video card.

Can you see anything for like 5 minutes? That's enough time to disable it.

Turn it on, lines. Wait, lines. I don't get anything for five nanoseconds even.

Is it still under warranty? It is obviously something internal wrong with the computer, and with this amount of problems I do not think you would be out of line asking them to send you a new machine.

I think I'll do just that!

As for the rest of you, thanks for the advice. Hopefully I'll be mobile again soon...

 

[social_outcast]

Striped lines do sound like a graphics issue, making sure you have the right drivers is usually the first thing to do, but if its happening randomly, it could be just about anything - cpu failing, ram loose, blah - the list is endless. Would need more details.

As for turning itself off, do you mean shutting its self down, or does the power just die? if its dieing, it could be an issue with the power source on the laptop (usually a motherboard issue unfortunatly).
I would recommend restarting the power transformer (remove AC, battery, hold down power button for 30 seconds then reconnect with only ac to test) but that wouldnt solve the overarching issue

 

[ZeroMachine]

Striped lines do sound like a graphics issue, making sure you have the right drivers is usually the first thing to do, but if its happening randomly, it could be just about anything - cpu failing, ram loose, blah - the list is endless. Would need more details.

As for turning itself off, do you mean shutting its self down, or does the power just die? if its dieing, it could be an issue with the power source on the laptop (usually a motherboard issue unfortunatly).
I would recommend restarting the power transformer (remove AC, battery, hold down power button for 30 seconds then reconnect with only ac to test) but that wouldnt solve the overarching issue

Wait, no, I didn't mean turning itself off. I was trying to be funny in order to calm myself down. I said it "offed itself" or killed itself XD

 

[GeneralCesspool]

It could be a variety of things. It could be your video driver, ram, or bios(do yo know if the bios was flashed recently?. I would try to boot the computer to the startup menu by holding F8 and select enable vga mode. If that does not work , you might have a problem with your hard drive and can use a zero-fill utility to completely wipe the drive, reformat it, and reinstall the OS. Other than those two options, it sounds like more of an internal problem and I am not very experienced in laptops, so i would say to contact Dell even though they are the worst. A word of advice is next time you are purchasing a computer, go custom, they are usually cheaper and you will get what you want. Good Luck

 

[ZeroMachine]

SMALL UPDATE:

I showed it to my friend the other day, and he said he had seen similar things wrong with a laptop. The issue?

A dirty fan.

I'm mad/confused/laughing at it, but we're still not sure, I'm bringing it to get cleaned Monday. I'll keep you guys posted.