# Weird 3 split screen won't go away. (Asus K53SV)



## affrod (Jan 23, 2013)

This time it was after I turned on my computer (after hibernation), the screen appears like this from boot, including during the repair options.











I'm on an Asus K53SV with Windows 7 64-bit, Intel HD Graphics 3000 and a Nvidia GeForce GT 540m
I have already tried system repair, startup repair, and reinstalling the Intel HD Graphics driver. It has happened once before but went away with a reboot.

Is the screen just broken? The laptop hasn't fell or anything. Should I have any hope?


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## Learn2day (Feb 16, 2012)

Does it look like that on BIOS splash screen (at power on)?
Have you tried manually change GPU in nVIDIA control panel?
Have you tried an external screen via VGA or HDMI?
Post back results.

L2D.


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## affrod (Jan 23, 2013)

It still looks like this on BIOS screen (and the ASUS power on image). I have tried to change the GPU and it didn't help. 
I found out that by turning it off, removing battery and adapter and waiting at least 5 minutes returns the screen to normal ~30% of the time, but even when it does, after while (if it goes into sleep mode or hibernation for example) it returns to this 'mosaic' state.

I'm sending it to repair because the warranty hasn't expired yet (see you in a month, laptop), but thanks anyway, and sorry for any eventual English errors, I'm not a native speaker.


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## Learn2day (Feb 16, 2012)

No worries. Please post back repair results as it could help others with similar issues in the future. 

Cheers, L2D.


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## felipe.am (May 3, 2013)

Hello affrod and Learn2day,
I'm having the same problem with my Asus K53V laptop. Did they fix your computer? Was it a software or hardware problem?
I would really appreciate any help because I'm right now using my computer a lot so 1 month in tech repair would be too much time. Also my warranty just expired.
Thank you very much and I really hope you can help me.
Cheers


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## Learn2day (Feb 16, 2012)

Hi felipe,

He didn't report back, probably because Asus didn't provided any detailed info on the repair..
If you're experiencing EXACTLY the same issue, with stuff like:


> It still looks like this on BIOS screen (and the ASUS power on image). I have tried to change the GPU and it didn't help.
> I found out that by turning it off, removing battery and adapter and waiting at least 5 minutes returns the screen to normal ~30% of the time, but even when it does, after while (if it goes into sleep mode or hibernation for example) it returns to this 'mosaic' state.


You don't have much choice, sorry. If possible test it in a external screen, and with a different internal screen, if it persists, the board is probably damaged..


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## felipe.am (May 3, 2013)

Thank you L2D! It seems that I'm sending the laptop for repair. I think it is a wiring problem in the connections to the screen, so is hardware.
Let me know if you find out something about it.
Thanks and cheers


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## Learn2day (Feb 16, 2012)

It could be the screen cable, but you need to check this yourself. I repair laptops, but i never had a K53 with a similar problem. I can only help you diagnose and repair. The rest you need to do yourself, either that, or taking it for repair.

Cheers.


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## techjojo (Jun 28, 2013)

I am having the same issue with K53SV. If the print screen works fine, does it means it is processing right but display is some how malfunctioning !


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## Learn2day (Feb 16, 2012)

Do same steps provided above and post back results.


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## Guest (Oct 2, 2013)

Hello, 
I have the same problem on an Asus X53SV. I've already tried everything that has been described above. Anyone have an idea on how to fix it?


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## Guest (Oct 2, 2013)

Hello, 
I have the same problem on an Asus X53SV. I've already tried everything that has been described above. Anyone have an idea on how to fix it?


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## magnusjolnaes (Oct 4, 2013)

I just had the exact same thing happen on a K53SV, which I why I created this user 

I closed the lid and put it in standby at work, and when I got home 15 minutes later it was split in the same way as OP.

Tried to shut down the computer as well as changing screen orientation and whatnot. Nothing helped.

Then tried it out on my girlfriends external monitor. Everything looked fine including print screen, which leads me to believe it's a loose cable or something in that range.

Anyway, I don't know how the OP came up with unplugging the battery. But I did the same, and it worked. The screen is now normal, even after I tried to put it in standby and reopening it. So I'm crossing my fingers here. Might be luck, but at least it's working now. I'll keep you posted if it gets broken again or not 

Cheers!


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## BIGBEARJEDI (Aug 8, 2012)

Looks like there are several other people out there in cyberspace with various display problems on this model of Asus laptop. Not too good for an $900+ laptop I'd say! 

I personally have not run into display problems on any Asus laptops, but I don't get that many. With the number of people on this thread mentioning difficulties with this specific model, I have to wonder if Asus just had a bad display supplier for this particular model. 

I recommend to all my Customers the purchase of 3 yr. extended warranties on laptops anyway--especially a $900 laptop; as it's not a question of if the laptop will break, but rather WHEN it will break! 

BIGBEARJEDI


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## magnusjolnaes (Oct 4, 2013)

Promised to return on here and further elaborate on my experiences with this problem.

Since it happened to me a couple of days ago, I've had the laptop in hibernation or turned of several times. Maybe ten times or so. I have not experienced the problem again.

Maybe I'm just lucky. Who knows.


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## visseroth (Oct 25, 2010)

Just wanted to Q in and say I love the background.


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## BIGBEARJEDI (Aug 8, 2012)

Ditto for me on the background as well! Awesome photo! :spinning:

BBJ


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## griffyboy0 (Nov 17, 2013)

Hey guys,

I've got the same problem, and I've had my fill of it. I'm running Fedora 19, so (naturally) I initially assumed this was a Fedora/Linux issue. Turns out this also happens in my BIOS. Pretty sure it's hardware related, and I'm pretty sad about it. I'm out of warranty, so there's no recourse 

Anyone have any brilliant ideas?

*edit* I've also got the K53SV. No idea what the deal with this laptop is -- I think it's some special build for specific retailers? ASUS doesn't really mention it anywhere explicitly on its site...

-Griff


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## BIGBEARJEDI (Aug 8, 2012)

Hi Griff:

Welcome to TSF Forums! Well, no one including the OP has come back with the final solution was, so we're depending on you now! :wink:

Did you follow L2D's suggestion of trying to hook up to an External Monitor? You didn't say whether you tried that or not. If it fails to work with the External Monitor, chances are it's in the display subsystem or the GPU chip on the Motherboard. 

Have you tried replacing the Inverter? The LCD display screen? Have you checked all the internal cables between the LCD display and the Motherboard? 

My Brilliant Idea would be to apply some Methodical Troubleshooting such as in the excellent Night_Shift TSF troubleshooting document posted in the "Sticky" section of this Laptop forum here: http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f108/black-screen-issues-and-troubleshooting-498132.html

You really just complained about the same problem the OP had and that you were running Linux but you didn't really do any real troubleshooting as yet. :uhoh:

Did you read what I posted in the thread about Extended Warranties?? Once you go through the Night_Shift troubleshooting document you will narrow down the problem; and most likely it will be hardware as this type of problem would be if you even see it in your BIOS screen. So, you live and learn--you're repair costs are going to be out of pocket for you, unless you just wish to chuck it and buy a new replacement! Every so often I fish one of those out of the trash and get them going again... :thumb:

A couple of final thoughts for you: 
*#1:* If you've never taken a laptop apart before,_* I don't suggest you try unless you are ready to throw it in the trash*_--laptops are tricky even for people like us Moderators who have been doing it 20-30 yrs. or more AND have all the right tools and skill needed to repair a laptop. Friends may tell you they've done it, but I would be very suspicious of what they tell you. People often like to brag they took their laptops apart and fix them; and more often than not, they had to pay someone else to do it in order to get it to work. don't believe them unless you were an eyewitness to them performing the work!

*#2:* Feel free to post the results of your troubleshooting tests back here, and we will advise you as to the most likely cause or failure causing your problem. Like I said, after you go through the Document, you will narrow it down to 1 or 2 components most likely causing the problem.. The only question will remain whether you can afford to buy the replacement part and whether you are going to attempt to do it yourself (see #1 above) or not.

Best, :rofl:
BIGBEARJEDI


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## brisu75 (Nov 20, 2013)

It's 3 days that I have the SAME ISSUE.
If I restart my notebook, 9 times over 10 I have the screen splitted in 3 slices. 

I noticed that if I plug an external monitor and then I unplug it (the whole operation with notebook switched on), sometimes the screen go right again.
So, I think that there should be a workaround via software to reset screen "on demand": the problem is to understand which software directive is triggered when I plug and and unplug the external monitor... and then recalling this directive...


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## BIGBEARJEDI (Aug 8, 2012)

Hi Brisu75:

Welcome to TSF Forums! Very sorry to hear you are having the same problem. What parts of my recommendations in Post #19 have you tried?? Besides the External Monitor that is. I might suggest that you spend a little more time doing some Methodical Troubleshooting. 

As far as a software repair goes; since the OP (Original Poster) has not yet resolved the issue, is has not (this Thread) been marked as [SOLVED]. And yes there are other people reporting the problem. I have seen this problem on both desktops and laptops, and it is not always a sure thing that it's a software problem as you think. Sometimes, it's a failed Video chip or some other problem on the Motherboard. 

Post back precisely what else you've tried and follow the link to the Night_Shift troubleshooting document I posted in Post #19. We can then advise you further. 

BIGBEARJEDI


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## brisu75 (Nov 20, 2013)

Hi, I didn't say that there is a software problem, but that there shoud be a software workaround... (to a hardware -I think- problem)...


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## griffyboy0 (Nov 17, 2013)

Hey BIGBEARJEDI,

Right you are, I haven't done much troubleshooting yet. I probably will in the near future, but I've got some important deadlines coming up, so things are hectic at the moment. I'm not above taking my laptop apart -- in fact, the first thing I did when I got this machine was to disassemble this entire thing to get at the mobo. I wanted to see if I could upgrade this awful screen (See bottom of thread Can the ASUS X53SV-RH71 15.6' 1366 x 768 display be upgraded to 1080p?).

Here's what I know so far though:


Problem did not occur until about two years of sporadic use. My last laptop bit the big one about 6 months ago and this laptop became my primary. The first time it did this was about 3 months ago.
The problem is getting worse. It used to happen once every 100 or so reboots. Now it occurs about once every 3 reboots.
Connecting an external display does not fix the problem for the laptop screen for me. The screen flickers, but still comes up with the 3-banded problem.
The external display has never shown this problem, and works just fine.
Closing the laptop and re-opening the display does not fix the problem. My laptop does not hibernate when I close the lid, so all this does is turn off the backlight. This indicates to me that the inverter/backlight isn't at fault here.
Many times, rebooting doesn't even fix the problem
I'm willing to spend some money fixing this issue, but I'm not keen on replacing the mobo (which is what would be necessary to fix the issue if it's GPU related...) Overall, this laptop has great hardware specs (nice processor/GPU for its time), but they cut corners wherever they could to get the price down. This includes soldering the touchpad buttons directly on to the mobo as SMD SPDT momentary switches (any force on the mouse buttons could damage the motherboard directly) As I mentioned in the thread I linked to earlier, it's not even possible to upgrade the screen in the laptop due to the corners they cut there...


I'm willing to try a new inverter/screen, but my gut feeling (knowing what I know so far) is that it's GPU related or its the screen cable. The screen is beautiful works when it isn't banding, and external displays don't display the issue, so I'm going to try to replace the screen cable first. Unfortunately if it *is* a GPU/mobo problem -- it means a death sentence for my laptop (at least, it'll become a set-top steambox for my TV because the hdmi port works just fine). 



-Griff


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## joeten (Dec 4, 2008)

The only thing you could try for what your suggesting is reinstall the video driver


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## xxxchardxxx (Jul 24, 2014)

I have also a same brand Asus K53sv and same problem.
and i found out that the cable from screen to motherboard have a problem. because when i put a externat monitor then the display there is ok.

thanks,
Richard


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## joeten (Dec 4, 2008)

Hi You really should make a thread of your own in order to get help for your particular issue. Replace the cable if damaged or stretched or if merely loose reseat it.


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## Himanshuj (Aug 23, 2014)

Hello Guys, 

This weird screen split problem in ASUS-K53SV occurred with me also , 

For me screen splitting problem got away when i tried to stretch the the chord through the opening (where wire is slightly visible) at the left junction of screen and keyboard unit.
Although its a temporary solution , but it made me kind of sure that the issue is with video chord only.

lets see if the same thing works for others also.


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## rainysurly (Jan 9, 2015)

Same issue here. External monitor, and print screen give a normal screen. In device manager, uninstalling the intel video driver returns the screen to normal (resolution goes to 800x600 as it falls back on the basic video, set it back to the resolution you want..). Downloading the Intel video driver for my Asus (Intel HD Graphics 3000) to desktop, and install the .exe file. Restart machine when the install is done, and when things start up all appears well.. 

But.. if the laptop falls asleep or hibernates, when I wake it back up the 3 screen split has returned, and won't go away with restart. I've set power settings to just not fall asleep or hibernate, and gone through the process again of re-installing the intel video drivers. I can work at least now, but not particularly solved feeling...


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## rainysurly (Jan 9, 2015)

Solved for me!!! Device manager, uninstalled the Intel Video Driver, and this time talked to Asus and got driver from them, instead of downloading the replacement driver (Intel HD Graphics 3000) from Intel's website. 

The driver downloaded from Intel would solve the problem but not permanently. The wonky split into 3 screen would return when the laptop went into hibernate or sleep; I'd wake it up and be back where I started. 

As of now all is well and laptop is back to normal. 

*I did also finally get rid of the Power2gear power management ware that came with the laptop.. it kept resetting my power settings with each reload of the machine.. which got ridiculous pretty quickly with trying to troubleshoot.


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

Hi rainysurly
Thanks for your update .. could you please place the link for your ASUS driver in this thread ?? Also keep us updated about the display panel in case the problem should return.


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## rainysurly (Jan 9, 2015)

Sorry for the delayed response, the ASUS supplied driver only kept me out of trouble for a week or so. I spun wheels around for a while, using fall back video drivers, then fall-back to fall back video drivers, completely blanked the laptop to it's out-of-box settings. I eventually took it in for service, was informed that the video card was going, and was integrated into the motherboard so no replacing it.


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## rainysurly (Jan 9, 2015)

My other note is that the ASUS folks were familiar with the problem, but it also seems to be a problem with some Toshiba laptops and others built around the same time. I think it is a video card slow death sort of thing with hardware that was used by a number of laptop brands/models but largely by ASUS. My laptop was a few years old when I had this happen.


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

Thanks for letting us know the outcome of your plight. Unfortunate for you that it was an onboard chip causing your problems. There are companies that specialize in repairing laptop board seven down to replacing the BGA chips, it is also possible to find replacemnt boards should you wish to go that way .. it might be cheaper should you check it out rather than replacing the laptop ..


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## rainysurly (Jan 9, 2015)

That's a good note about motherboard thank you, I just moved onto another laptop. The trouble one is still around and will keep that project in mind for future when I have some time for it.


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

Good Luck !!!


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