Hi to everyone here and thanks in advance for any suggestions. Let me preface this by saying my computer skills are very limited, so speak slowly, lol.

I have an Emachines T6534. About 2 weeks ago, out of nowhere, I got a blue screen error message. Something about nv4.dll file being the problem and saying that the device driver thread was stuck in an infinite loop. Also at this point when I could get going normally my video was acting weird. I would get little static marks on my screen and a little flashing. I went to Nvidia site and downloaded the updated driver for my card, GeForce 6100. This really didn't help anything much. Finally, last Wednesday they put up a newer driver version which I installed and that one works great.

I'm left with this problem though....Windows will not load on the first attempt anymore. Right after the black Windows screen comes up, it goes completely grey and then black. I have to hold in the power button to turn it off and try again. Some days it's twice, other days I've tried for 30 minutes before it works. If I manage to get to it I have to use the Last Good Configuration option to get in, but even that doesn't always work.

Tried System Restore but it didn't help. I don't get it because I changed nothing, downloaded nothing, installed nothing and from one day to the next it was there.
Once it starts it works perfectly but I can't let it hibernate or it will shut down, so I just leave it running all day. Also it won't re-start when I ask it to, it shuts down.

Any suggestions?

Thanks again.

Sounds like your gaphics card is overheating and screwing with your system. If it overheated bad enough for artifacts to appear on the screen, your card could be permanently damaged

The video problems have stopped since the latest driver update. Video and graphics are perfect now. Problem is getting my computer started so I can enjoy them.
An overheating problem makes sense though because on every OTHER attempt to start I don't get the usual series of beeps but instead what sounds like one of the fans getting louder and louder until I turn it off. ???
Should I buy a new video card? Is that something I can install? I have added a memory stick to an old computer I had. Is it as easy as that?

if the graphics card isnt built in (is indeed a card), theb a graphics card install is about as easy as installing more memory is. Hardest thing (like with memory) is finding out what type of slot you have and getting the right one to fit it. Consult your motherboard maual, but its usually PCI Express or AGP (pci express is newer and faster but older machines will have AGP)

Thank you so much. At least I have someplace to begin now. Will start looking into what I have and will need to replace it after the holiday. Thanks again for your time.

OK, I've replaced my onboard Nvidia 6100 graphics card with a XFX GeForce 7300 card. Graphics are working perfectly but still having startup problems. Now at least it only takes 2 times to start. I push the button, monitor remains black and computer gets louder and louder. Turn it off and back on again and all works perfectly and everything starts.
Any suggestions? Oh and I still can't let it sleep or hibernate because it will shut down. Also will not restart if I choose that option, it will shut down.
Thanks again.

This may be to simple to be the cause but 'loud fan?' Could it simply be the bearings in you power supply cooling fan are shot? Stuck cooling fan means the power supply heat isn't being blown out... heat and computers don't mix well and can show all sorts of problems.

sounds like you dont have enough power to power the geforce.

New power supply?

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I was having these problems even before the graphic card replacement. Are you saying the problem may have been the power supply all along? Would my computer work perfectly in every way all day long even if I had a power supply problem? Any way to test the power supply or am I destined to learn how to rebuild my computer piece by piece until it works, lol??
Thanks for your replies.