Bad video problem with my M70Sa.

I have an M70Sa running Windows 7 x64 that I have had for a couple years now. A few months ago I started getting random blue screens along with some wierd graphic glitches. I tried here and there to find a cause and solution to the problem but haven't really had any luck and I try to ignore it as much as I can but it is getting worse and happening more frequently.

What happens is that the screen will start to have recurring images in vertical lines about every 2 inches from side to side before the BSOD happens. Then usually when the computer restarts the vertical lines will still have images from windows even in startup. This usually won't let windows load fully before the BSOD happens again unless I boot into safe mode but the lines remain either way.
If I restart windows a few times either it will go back to normal and let windows load, seemingly with no problem, or the screen will not turn on and I can only hear the computer starting windows but it will keep restarting with no screen until I turn it off.
Eventually if I let it sit (probably cooling down) it will turn on and seem to have no problem until the next time it starts to have the lines.

I can't really say what makes this happen because it seems random. It has happened while playing a game and while browsing with IE.

I did download WhoCrashed and every time this happens it always points to the driver for my ATI Radeon HD 3650 card and to directX. I have updated the drivers for my card but directX has a corrupt file and I can't install newer versions. This doesn't bother me because I am going to clean install Windows soon but I doubt that directX is the problem.

I will try to take a picture of the screen the next time it occurs but I don't want to try to force it to happen because the next time might be the time that I can't get it to come back.

If this has happened to anyone before or if there is something I can do to pinpoint the problem I'd appreciate it.

Thanks.

I am going to take it to a friends house in a day or two and test it on an external monitor but the problem is that the issue has to occur for me to really test it and it is really completely random and sometimes goes days or weeks without doing it.

As for the cleaning and new thermal paste, I can definitely do that. I just happen to have some Arctic Silver 5 lying around that I use on xbox 360s.

I'll post results as soon as I get a chance to do these things, probably in a few days, but keep posting what you guys think because any guidance is appreciated.

Well the laptop is officially DOA. I am posting from my phone because the screen will not come on anymore though I can hear the computer start up.

So I am now trying to find a guide for disassembling an M70 so that I can get to the GPU and try to fix it. If anyone can help me find a walkthrough or guide I'd really appreciate it. I've taken laptops apart before but I know how much help some pictures can be.


I also thought I'd try to fix the video card by using my oven. I fix PS3s and Xbox 360s using an oven and I've read that people do the same thing with graphics cards so I figured I'd give it a shot.

I finally made it to a house with an LCD monitor and was able to test to see what would happen.

So I plugged in the monitor and turned my laptop on. I listened to the startup chime where the ASUS logo is usually displayed, still with a blank screen, and let it go through the usual startup procedure, watching the monitor to see what would happen (nothing so far).
A minute or two later I see a blue screen on the plugged in monitor WITH the graphic glitches just like on the laptop. This only displays for about 10 seconds until the computer restarts and starts the routine all over again.

This means that my LCD should be fine and the problem is most likely my GPU, right? The only other part that I don't know about is the LCD inverter but I would assume that if it were bad then it wouldn't affect an external monitor. Please correct me on that because I've never had an inverter go bad.


Also, I found a guide somewhere on google for disassembling the M70V series but from the looks of things, it is the same exact computer just with some arbitrary hardware changes. I will try to upload it when I can so that someone else who needs it may be able to find it but it is a PDF file on my cell phone right now so it may take some time (at least until I fix my M70).

I had thought about safe mode but that is easier said than done because I have ReadyDriver plus installed and so without being able to see anything it will be near impossible to get to safe mode. And booting from a disc is out too since I couldn't go into the bios menu and direct it toward the drive.

I'll try the RAM when I can but it will be later tonight probably.

I tried swapping the RAM chips and got no change in the situation and I am still working on getting into safe mode using the other monitor but if there were a problem with the drivers wouldn't that only come up in windows? The drivers don't even come into play until windows starts, right?

So what would be the next step in diagnosis if I can't get into safe mode?

I know nothing at all about linux so please explain what the end goal is after booting linux?

And where might I find a disc since I can't access my computer?

Ok, after some effort I have been able to get the timing down and select safe mode in the boot menu but after it tries to boot it goes straight to a blue screen on the secondary monitor still with the graphic glitches, and then reboots.
I have done this several times with the same result.

That is what I suspected from the start. And the card isn't exactly easy to remove either.

I read about baking the card because that is the method I use to fix xbox 360s.

I guess I'll post results afterward.