It could be a software problem, you may need to get ahold of a new instalation disc (such as a copy of WIN7. Let's wait for the technical gurus to answer on here first though. That's what happened to my last lap top, I got the windows reinstalled and sold it for $300. :D

Thanks - that's what I was afraid I'd have to do, although I really wanted to save some of the files on the computer. Fortunately, the really important ones are backed up and safely available elsewhere for me. Just a lot of music I don't want to have to download again.

I'm probably going to go for Windows 7 as the OS. I hate Vista.

Keyboard + Trackball > Any other controller

tab tab space

If Dell made a recovery partition on your PC, you might be able to run startup repair from that. Have you tried using that option?

Also, you can try using the advanced boot options. Usually this key is F8 (although it could be different on your machine) and you repeatedly hit it after you turn on the computer, until you get to a boot screen that displays Safe mode, etc.. On that list there's an option to use "last known good configuration". Choose that and see if there's any difference.

If all fails, you may still be able to get in and retrieve your files. There's a program called ERD Commander (you'll have to find the one for Vista) that should come as a .iso file, and you burn it onto a CD/DVD as a bootable disk (nero can do this) then simply boot up to the disk and select your OS, and it will give you access to your file system, among other things, where you can then do any backups necessary.

I've been getting flickering green lights sometimes on my laptop screen. They'll go away if i bend the screen a little bit, but eventually come back, sometimes ****ing my whole screen up.

It's a compaq presario amd anthlon with ubuntu/vista split partition. Please no, go bring it to a computer shop type answers please :)

Well you can take it to your nearest computer shop and have them look at it.

lol I couldn't help myself

It seems like your screen might be going. How old is it?

Either your screen is going or their might be a problem with the connection to your motherboard.

have you tried testing just the screen?

Idk if you have an old monitor for a PC laying around or if you have the cables to connect it to your tv but you could try that and see if those same green lights show up and if they do then it's more of a motherboard problem and if they don't then it's the screen itself.

Good idea bro:beer:

Yeah,it's like the connection to the motherboard is lose or something. It's like ****ing around with a tv antenna kinnda to get the picture back.

it ****ing sucks to repair that and expensive to get that fixed. I'm not sure how to go about doing it on your own though

Maybe someone else like Freebase or s_k could help you with that.

I'm not sure if you're saying you verified that it was the screen.

I didn't, that was me describing the problem, in a more evocative way, a 2nd time.