Monitor spazzing out. Help please!

Hello. The top section of my monitor (probably 4 inches) is freaking out all of a sudden. I was playing WoW then all of a sudden it froze up and some of the colors seperated into RBG and got pixelated. After that I restarted the PC (hard shut off. Not the correct way.) I cant get it come back on for more then 5 minutes. Most of the time I cant even get past the windows start up. It tweaks out and I get this kind of horizontal pizelated texture sometimes it colored depending on how far I got into the start up. I dont know what to do at all. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

 

I managed to get a screen shot of it although now its even worse. its more of a solid bar. but this is what it looks like. its the strangest thing. Im running in safe mode now because thats the only way i can get it to run at all.

SS: http://s826.photobucket.com/albums/zz190/bumpitup11/?action=view&current=untitled.jpg

 

Hey Bump' welcome to geeks

Have you tried booting into safemode to see if it happens then? [tap F8 as you boot up]

You could also try booting into the BIOS [usually tap F2 or DEL as you boot up]

......or even boot a LIVE CD like ubuntu or UBCD.

This will tell us if it hardware or corrupt software causing it.


afterthought: hav you made sure all plugs and connections are nice and tight?

Q

 

Hi Q. :wave
I have tried all these things except for the ubuntu thing because honestly im not sure i could do that and i dont think it would help. The last time i restarted i was in safe mode and now it is REALLY bad. Even before windows starts at the screen where it tells you which hardware is runnin it is messed up. (Sorry i dont know to much of the lingo for what is what. hehe) After the hardware part my screen turns into a bunch of different colored boxes with symbols that look like Ascii. for about 15 seconds. Now when i get to windows my screen is in 800x600 and there are diagonal lines practically covering the screen. I can see what im doing but some things are hard to read. (im on the forum on my laptop so its all good there.)

Also ive had problems with my graphics card overheating and im wondering if it finally just got too hot. Ive had to download a program for it before where i had to turn the fan up and underclock it (if underclocking is a term :confused) I have an Nvidia 8800 GT OC. I have to redo the underclocking everytime the PC restarts and im thinking i may have forgotten last time i restarted before all this mess. Its been at temps around 70-73 degrees Celsius.