Horrible graphical glitch

[RAZZA!]

On some of my games, a graphical glitch occurs where little rectangular bits show what is through an object (Or an overlaying screen). For some reason, if I try to take a screenshot, with the Steam Screenshot feature or with Fraps, the glitch doesn't show up in it, so I can't show anyone without having to take a picture of my screen. It's like little holes in reality that show through everything, such as being able to see a zombie through your pistol because the pistol is full of square holes. I know it is a problem with steam because I added a shortcut to a non-steam game and the glitch happened, then I deleted the shortcut and the game was fine again. But for a game like Left 4 Dead 2, I can not fix this problem. It has happened since I updated the drivers of my NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GS graphics card.

*EDIT* I have replaced my graphics card with a newer one, and I don't get this problem anymore. I'll leave this discussion up just in case anybody else has this problem and wishes to inquire.

[_I_]

what driver did you install?

on a gpu that old, gonig to the latest driver is not a good idea

295.73 is probably the latest driver with any improvements for a 7000 series card
http://www.geforce.com/drivers/results/41694

[rotNdude]

When you take a screenshot, it is capturing the same information that is being sent to the monitor. If the glitches don't show up on the screenshot, but only on the monitor, then it's the connections, cable or monitor.

[RAZZA!]

Originally posted by _I_:

what driver did you install?

on a gpu that old, gonig to the latest driver is not a good idea

295.73 is probably the latest driver with any improvements for a 7000 series card
http://www.geforce.com/drivers/results/41694

Well, I tried that, and it messed up my video card, and I had to get my father (Who is a computer technician) to fix it, and he had to remove the video card, so I have to use the built-in video card I have now, and I won't be able to play many of my games because it's a very basic one. Thanks for trying to help anyway. Freaking NVIDIA. Seriously. Giving bad drivers, screwing things up.

[Azza ☠]

If your talking about graphical artifacts appearing on the screen, then it's not a driver issue, but rather hardware. Most likely your graphic card memory is fried or overheating. This appears little, but increases more and more over time if physically damaged.

You might get little rectangles and/or lines spiking out of other objects. This multiplies as the game continues to play, over time the entire screen might appear corrupted.

For example:
http://i.stack.imgur.com/zIUpf.jpg

GPU is either damaged, majorly overclocked to the point of damage, or not cooled properly. Most likely a memory area edge not touching the heatsink would be extremely hot and causing it's corruption. Let it cool, set to factory or lower clock speed, and ensure good airflow. Replacement will be required if it doesn't correct itself once cooled.

It's an extremely old card, perhaps time to be replaced anyways?

Check the monitor cable as well for damage, incase it's just that.

[RAZZA!]

Originally posted by Azza ☠:

If your talking about graphical artifacts appearing on the screen, then it's not a driver issue, but rather hardware. Most likely your graphic card memory is fried or overheating. This appears little, but increases more and more over time if physically damaged.

You might get little rectangles and/or lines spiking out of other objects. This multiplies as the game continues to play, over time the entire screen might appear corrupted.

For example:
http://i.stack.imgur.com/zIUpf.jpg

GPU is either damaged, majorly overclocked to the point of damage, or not cooled properly. Most likely a memory area edge not touching the heatsink would be extremely hot and causing it's corruption. Let it cool, set to factory or lower clock speed, and ensure good airflow. Replacement will be required if it doesn't correct itself once cooled.

It's an extremely old card, perhaps time to be replaced anyways?

The problem in that screenshot is not the problem I'm encountering. I was going to take a photo of my screen with a camera, but I tried to install new drivers on my card and it messed it up horribly. Now I'm using an internal video card, which is much simpler, and probably won't be good enough for many of my games. Thanks for the help, though.

[Azza ☠]

A screenshot program (for example, the one automatically built into Windows that activates when a user presses the PrtSc key) often does not capture the content appearing in the hardware overlay window. Therefore it won't get the same image data from your graphics card, becausing it's not going through it's frame buffer / memory.

However, you are still looking at that static image later on via your graphics card / cable / monitor as perfect right...

I'm pretty sure this means it would be a small area of damaged edge of video memory, caused by overheating or physical heat. Which is why it's only showing up then?

[RAZZA!]

Originally posted by Azza ☠:

A screenshot program (for example, the one automatically built into Windows that activates when a user presses the PrtSc key) often does not capture the content appearing in the hardware overlay window. Therefore it won't get the same image data from your graphics card, becausing it's not going through it's frame buffer / memory.

However, you are still looking at that static image later on via your graphics card / cable / monitor as perfect right...

I'm pretty sure this means it would be a small area of damaged edge of video memory, caused by overheating or physical heat. Which is why it's only showing up then?

But the problem only happens with Steam games, and games I have shortcuts to on Steam. I put a shortcut to a game, and the glitch occured on that game. It didn't before I put the shortcut. Also, when I removed said shortcut, the glitch disappeared.

[Azza ☠]

A standard shortcut won't affect the Steam game / client in any way, except if additional parameters added. That was most likely change of occuring at the same time.

It's just your graphic card overheating, then cooling down again. Did you turn off your PC inbetween glitch / not glitched ?

[RAZZA!]

Originally posted by Azza ☠:

A standard shortcut won't affect the Steam game / client in any way, except if additional parameters added. That was most likely change of occuring at the same time.

It's just your graphic card overheating, then cooling down again. Did you turn off your PC inbetween glitch / not glitched ?

I did not turn my PC off at all. It was all in the same session.