Is my LCD dying?

[kasei]

My 17" PowerBook will be three years old next month. While working on a project my screen changed and a bunch of yellow lines appeared out of no where. Is my LCD dying? I've included a screenshot.

I reset the PRAM and had the video card reset. I noticed this a few weeks back while playing UT2004, but it didn't last long. Now it seems to be affecting the entire system.

Has anyone seen this before?

 

[aricher]

Yow! That looks scary. My guess is that it's probably the logic board is slowly frying out. Have you had any kernal panics lately? Do you have AppleCare? Scary thing from my perspective is that my 17" PB is the exact same age.

 

[Maxiseller]

Of course at best it could be a loose video connection.

Do you have AppleCare?

 

[California]

please tell me you have applecare.

I cannot imagine a laptop, especially a 17" behemoth PB, without requisite three year applecare...

Sorry if you don't but do get it checked out. It might be the cables going into the screen, a problem on older 15" pbs as the cables get dry with age and stressed out as they run through the hinges...

 

[Counterfit]

If you have an iPod, do you get a static zap when plugging it in? That happened to me a while ago, the result.

 

[kasei]

Yow! That looks scary. My guess is that it's probably the logic board is slowly frying out. Have you had any kernal panics lately? Do you have AppleCare? Scary thing from my perspective is that my 17" PB is the exact same age.

I took it into the Apple store at the Grove and of course the lines decided to disappear. Luckily I took a screenshot of the problem and showed it to the Genius. He checked the logic board, cleaned up the memory and execute long hardware check sequence via Terminal. And wouldn't you know it. The minute I get home, the lines appear again. They're gone now. Oh and yes I had a kernal panic out of the blue the other day. I haven't loaded any software on my system in a while. I've been too busy with a consulting project to screw with my system. This is the last thing I need while consulting on this project.

To anwser your question I bought an additional years worth of Apple Care since I was traveling to Asia a lot. Now that, that project is over I don't travel as much and let is expire.

 

[mkrishnan]

Mmm, if you can take a screenshot of it and the screenshot shows up with the problem when I view it on my computer, then it pretty much cannot possibly be your LCD or a loose connection, but must be an issue at the logic board / video card level or at the software / driver level....

 

[Sobering]

I don't think its something wrong with your LCD. If you can take a screenshot of the problem and I can see the problem over here, it must be software/hardware issue?

 

[kasei]

Mmm, if you can take a screenshot of it and the screenshot shows up with the problem when I view it on my computer, then it pretty much cannot possibly be your LCD or a loose connection, but must be an issue at the logic board / video card level or at the software / driver level....

Good point. I thought it was strange I was able to take a screenshot of it. I will have to run a check on the video card again.

 

[stagecustom]

simply try booting from another drive, such as an external or network. that will eliminate alot of things.

 

[mkrishnan]

simply try booting from another drive, such as an external or network. that will eliminate alot of things.

Yes, try a hardware test from the install DVD... kills two birds with one stone.

 

[kasei]

My 17" PowerBook will be three years old next month. While working on a project my screen changed and a bunch of yellow lines appeared out of no where. Is my LCD dying? I've included a screenshot.

I reset the PRAM and had the video card reset. I noticed this a few weeks back while playing UT2004, but it didn't last long. Now it seems to be affecting the entire system.

Has anyone seen this before?

I just wanted to give you guys an update on the strange lines appearing on my LCD. Aricher was right. My logic board was dying and I mean pretty quicky. It got to the point where I couldn't see my LCD so I took it into Apple to have it repaired. I am going to pick it up tomorrow so I will let you guys know the results.