The laptop was delivered with Vista HP 32Bit SP1 pre-installed. Video drivers
were updated according to Dell's instructions. I am now pretty sure it's a
hardware problem. I think Dell are too because they are going to replace the
laptop. So I don't need to troubleshoot any more. Thanks for your help.

"Martin" wrote:

> Graphics drivers have already been updated. I thought it must be a hardware
> problem. And Dell have agreed to replace the laptop, so problem solved,
> hopefully...
>
> For anyone else who comes to read this with a similar problem...
>
> It's Vista SP1, with McAfee. Since I posted, I did a screen grab of the IE7
> "cannot display the webpage" page on my desktop computer, where the
> background gradient is barely visible. When I look at this bitmap in Paint on
> the laptop I see the same banding. This plus various other tests lead me to
> believe that the problem is in the connection between the graphic card and
> the LCD.
>
>
> "PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:
>
> > Dunno then, but on the surface it sounds like a Display (e.g., graphics
> > driver) issue to me.
> >
> > What's your Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; Vista SP1)?
> >
> > What anti-virus application or security suite is installed? What
> > anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)? What third-party firewall
> > (if any)?
> > --
> > ~PA Bear
> >
> >
> > Martin wrote:
> > > Thanks for the pointer, but this is not a related problem. I am not using
> > > that firewall. The gradient/banding is part of the background of the IE7
> > > "cannot display the webpage" and stretches right across the bottom
> > > two-thirds of the screen when IE is maximised.
> > >
> > > "PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:
> > >> Assuming you're running Online Armor firewall, see this related
> > >> discussion
> > >> http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=33918
> > >> --
> > >> ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
> > >> MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
> > >> AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
> > >> DTS-L http://dts-l.net/
> > >>
> > >> Martin wrote:
> > >>> I am asking if anyone else has noticed colour banding on the IE7
> > >>> "cannot
> > >>> display the webpage" page to figure out if this means something is wrong
> > >>> with my new laptop.
> > >>>
> > >>> The page IE7 shows for "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage"
> > >>> has
> > >>> a
> > >>> very faint colour gradient - so faint I have never noticed it before!
> > >>>
> > >>> But on my new laptop, I noticed it straight away. When looking straight
> > >>> at
> > >>> the screen I can see irregular light and dark bands. When viewed from
> > >>> slightly below centre, the bands become shaded blue and purple with
> > >>> lighter
> > >>> and darker bands and lines plus one 5 pixel yellowish line just below
> > >>> the
> > >>> "More information" link.
> > >>>
> > >>> On my desktop machine, I can just about see faint colour variations if I
> > >>> look at the screen from below at a steep angle. With the same screen
> > >>> attached to the laptop the bands are maybe a bit more noticeable than on
> > >>> the desktop, but nothing like the laptop's own screen.
> > >>>
> > >>> If you move the IE window up and down, the bands move with it, so it's
> > >>> not
> > >>> bad lines on the LCD. Somehow the tiny variations in RGB are causing
> > >>> sharp
> > >>> changes in the LCD. eg. From a screen grab RGB(247,248,250) is grey but
> > >>> RGB(247,249,248) is noticeably lighter and yellowish.
> >
> >