I don't think it's your vdu since you have tried another and still get the same fault, (the best way for problem solving for hardware)so this just leaves the main system i would If the video acts up more frequently while on the Internet and using the scroll function, it would usually indicate a problem with the video device/drivers.

Sometimes this will help, or least it will indicate where the problem is. Right click
'My Computer' and then select 'Properties'. Click the 'Performance' tab and then
the 'Graphics' button. Now back down (to the left) the 'Hardware Acceleration' one
or two settings. Then click 'OK' and 'OK' again. If this doesn't help, just reset
them to where they were.

You can also try this Select Start/Run, type DXDIAG in the 'Open' box and press enter. Run through
all of the video related tests. If there's any indication of a DirectX issue. get Direct x 9c here

Surely your video requires DirectX 8.0 at a minimum, DirectX 9.0 is the latest version.

Let us know how you get on

i didn`t want to confuse things so i kept out i agree with leo check which version of directx you have installed and install the new version a lot of programes will not run on the old version.

Thats why i didn't join in

Sorry. just got on the pc now, so will try out your solutions which are GREATLY appreciated

Fingers crossed..........

Ok, first prob was with the performance tab. there isn't one in my version of XP. So I clicked on the Advanced tab and then the performance settings and clicked the
"let windows choose whats best for my computer" on the Visual Effects Tab. (I had changed this last week when I first had probs with it and had turned off a load of stuff that I didn't really need. - still flashed though).

I do have the latest DirectX version as I had a prob with my emoticons a few weeks back and Fred n RoyV advised me to do that them

Well it seems to have clamed down now, but OH said that he tried to watch a DVD on it last night and it was happening then too, so it's not just when I'm on the net.

And yesterday when I tried the refresh rate, it didn't flash for a whole hour and half and then started again... (gonna try that one now, sorry Roy...)

woah.... 60Hz really hurt my eyes, so set it to 70Hz now and that seems to be OK - nope, just flashd again, so thats not it either and typng is going all wonky weird......

thats a big one Roy. How long did it take?

Is the problem better when the PC is first switched on ?
Or is it worse when it's been on for a while ?

About 45 mins.

thats not too long...It took me over an hour to do the 60G, and it takes over 2 hrs to do a 3G, but it only has a 200Mhz processor....


from the start, then it will be intermitant.

Edited after changes and another restart.....


Roy, when I changed the refresh rate to 72Hz, it was virtually impossible to type or get the mouse to work. So have had to change it to 75Hz. So far, so good.

One other thing I remember doing when I had the emoticons prob was I uploaded an updated driver for the graphics card, so basically, I've just 'rolled back' to the original. So far, so good as it hasn't flashed once since I restarted the pc.

So again, keeping fingers crossed.....

was going to say its your graphics card but you should have sorted it out now.
good luck