Weird computer problems...

[iago]

I was asked to fix my sister's computer.  It would crash while booting.  So I figured the first thing I'd do is pull out the harddrive and put it in another computer.  So I did that, and it BSOD'd with a useless message.  Great, the harddrive is bad! 

So just to make sure, I put a Linux drive in her computer.  When it starts booting, the text is all... well, the letters are wrong.  Here's a couple pictures (the second one sucks):
http://www.javaop.com/~iago/weirddisplay1.jpg
http://www.javaop.com/~iago/weirddisplay2.jpg

It has all the right words, but the letters are wrong. 

Anybody know what could possibly cause that? 

[deadly7]

Holy shit.  Have you tried re-partitioning the hard drive?  Though I think something is physically wrong with the hard drive itself after that picture.  This is the first time I've ever seen anything like this.

[iago]

Holy shit.  Have you tried re-partitioning the hard drive?  Though I think something is physically wrong with the hard drive itself after that picture.  This is the first time I've ever seen anything like this.

That's a GOOD hard drive that works in other computers.  I put the good harddrive in her computer. 

[rabbit]

As far as the weird text goes, I got that same problem when I installed Slack (maybe..the fourth time?).  A reinstall fixed it, though I doubt you want to do that.

From the way you described it, the problem definitely sounds like it's the mobo itself (maybe bad RAM?) as opposed to anything else.

[Armin]

Actually, I remember getting a similar problem from my old video card. When it was dieing, a lot of the text would just be really random. I also had that same problem when I overclocked one of my video cards. I'd recommend trying a different video card, and if that doesn't fix the problem, try some different RAM. Once everything other than the motherboard is ruled out, reset the BIOS. If that doesn't fix it, you need a new motherboard and/or CPU.

[AntiVirus]

I suggest getting a new computer.

[mynameistmp]

Pull the RAM out. Put new RAM in.

[Chavo]

When it starts booting

Please elaborate.  Is this the first thing you see?  Is this after successful post messages? When?

If this is the first thing you see, its almost certainly the memory or bios.  You can completely detach the hard drive just to be sure.  Ensuring there is no dust on a contact would the the first, obvious thing to check for.  Replacing the memory just to determine which of the 2 is the problem is a good idea as well.  If you do determine that bios is the problem you can try clearing cmos (usually by shorting 2 pins on the motherboard at a certain jumper).  If that does not fix the problem, you would have to flash bios in order to restore the proper settings (IF you can! A corrupt sector in the bios flash memory is often unfixable), something that normally voids your warranty and at which point I would suggest sending the motherboard in for warranty repair or replace it.

[iago]

Sorry for not being specific enough. 

a) it posts fine.  The text I photographed is the OS loading. 

b) The text isn't random, though.  It's the text that should be there, but it's in cryptoquote style.  Each letter is replaced with a different letter.  The spaces and punctuation is right, though! :-/

[Armin]

What I meant is each letter is replaced with another random letter. I had problems exactly like this with video cards, so that'd be the first thing I think you should check out. It doens't really matter which order you go in though, just do what unTactical and I said.

[Feanor]

did she show you her bong for this?

[Blaze]

ROT13!   

[iago]

What I meant is each letter is replaced with another random letter. I had problems exactly like this with video cards, so that'd be the first thing I think you should check out. It doens't really matter which order you go in though, just do what unTactical and I said.

Well, the video card is on-board, so that would probably be a problem with the mobo.  Damn :/

[Armin]

You can always try pluging in another video card and seeing if that works.

[iago]

I don't have one of those laying around.. :-/