BleepingComputer.com: Pixellated Display

Running Windows XP SP3; add-in graphics card with dual digital outputs (nvidia geforce 8600 gt); all processes and applications are affected; can not boot normally. I am a better than novice user.

A few days ago, my display started showing some random pixels that did not match their surroundings (i.e. blue pixels on a black background). I could refresh the screen and they would briefly disappear, then quickly appear a few at a time, sometimes changing location/colour. During reboot at the windows screen, a band of this pixallation occured across the middle third of the screen (top and bottom looked fine). This was an annoyance, but the system was still working fine.

It started as a few dozen pixels, but has increased to many hundreds, and now I can no longer boot up outside of safe mode. While in safe mode, the screen still shows lots of pixellation, but is legible. The screen that allows for different boot modes is goofy, with random letters swapped for others (i.e. 'Windows' read 'tindowv') all over the screen.

When first noticed, I ran malware scans (Malwarebytes & Spybot - no results) and virus scans (AVG free). I did a disc repair, clean up and defrag(s). This was all to no real avail; the pixellation is still there. As I mentioned, I can no longer boot up normally, the system freezes at the windows screen with a thick bar of pixellation through the middle.

Please help! Downtime for me right now is painful. BP has been a godsend to this point, I hope that continues.
Thanks in advance for any help I can get.

istbar

This post has been edited by istbar: 27 July 2009 - 12:35 PM

Edit: I uninstalled the video card, rebooted, and was able to get into normal mode. Plug & play detected the 'new' device and attempted to reinstall. I then unsuccessfully tried to reinstall it (using the original disc, using the windows automatic install and using a downloaded .exe from nVidia) each method resulted in the system rebooting itself before completion. I gave up on this madness last night, and when I booted up today, I could no longer boot normally. I managed to successfully install the card in safe mode, first with the original disc, then 'upgrading' with the downloaded drivers. This worked without crashing, but I can not boot into normal anymore, it just freezes or reboots when it gets to the windows splash screen.

Tearing out my hair and thinking I need a new card. Can anyone help? Please and thanks

istbar