Help Touchscreen or hardware/software problem?

[Logank]

I've been searching some for the past couple weeks, and haven't found my specific problem.

I've been having a problem for the past couple weeks, sometimes intermittent. The screen first started to kinda go fuzzy, like an old vhs tape with lines that would go across the screen and move down the screen, then freeze. Also it seems to flicker (like a light quick dim) and sometimes just fades to black, although the bottom buttons (home, back, menu, search) stay lit. I noticed today that every action on the screen makes it "flicker", every time another bar comes or goes, or with the battery charging (every movement in the battery in notification bar). If it flickers enough, it will perform one of the previous frustrating freezes. If I don't press anything and nothing on the screen changes no flickering happens. Sometimes after it's frozen and I can still see the screen it will perform the action I'm trying, for example clicking on a link or typing a text. I know this after I press the power button a few times to "un-freeze". However it quickly freezes again.

This happens regardless of charge or if I'm charging. I've pulled the battery and sometimes it freezes when restarting. I've performed factory reset's, and the reset while holding x etc. The problem persists, although sometimes it seems fine, but mostly it keeps messing up.

First I thought it might have been an app, hence the resets. Then I thought touchscreen or hardware, but after noticing the flicker only when an action happens on the screen, maybe its something to do with a process. Phone isn't rooted or anything, and honestly I don't quite know what that is, though I have read some hoping that might be a fix.

Any help is appreciated and thanks in advance! Local verizon couldn't help me out. Lame. If it comes to it I"ll just buy a used phone.

Logan

 

[Logank]

I have a theory...

When I turn my phone on, the motorola bat signal shows fine, and it only starts to mess up at the red droid light. The screen doesn't mess up when I'm at the bootloader screen either, which now leads me to believe that once the software starts to load that's where the problem comes from.

So my theory is new software *should* fix the problem, right? I don't really have anything to lose, I can barely type a few letters or touch the screen a couple times before it freezes.

Should I follow the steps in "all things root" to re-flash stock 2.2? And then backup and go for root? Of course I'll read more about it, but if it will make my phone faster, allow more customization, and get rid of the bs apps pre-loaded on my phone then why not?

 

[Logank]

Nevermind that last post, yesterday I had problems during the bootloader. I'm going to try and flash stock android on and see if that helps, although I doubt it. Looks to me like I'll be needing another phone soon. Sigh.

 

[Logank]

So now I've managed to root using superoneclick, and downloaded rom manager. Still going through the process but we will see if a new rom might help. If not oh well. Got some other stuff to do so I'll have to try later.

 

[Logank]

Well I managed to flash Liquid gingerbread 3.0. Geez this has taken forever, because it has kept freezing. Well guess what? Yup, still freezing. Only thing is now when it freezes its a definite battery pull and not just hitting the power button a few times. Damn.

Different rom didn't work so I guess it's pretty clear to be a hardware problem. Maybe it's about time I can upgrade, and try to talk verizon into helping me out, which rarely happens. Or I'll look for a used phone, maybe another og droid so I can check out this rooting/roms more in depth.

 

[VZW_CS]

Well I managed to flash Liquid gingerbread 3.0. Geez this has taken forever, because it has kept freezing. Well guess what? Yup, still freezing. Only thing is now when it freezes its a definite battery pull and not just hitting the power button a few times. Damn.

Different rom didn't work so I guess it's pretty clear to be a hardware problem. Maybe it's about time I can upgrade, and try to talk verizon into helping me out, which rarely happens. Or I'll look for a used phone, maybe another og droid so I can check out this rooting/roms more in depth.

Hi Logank,

While we are unable to troubleshoot rooted devices, we'll be happy to explore upgrade options with you. Please contact us at 800-922-0204 between 6am and 11pm CST. You can also reach out to us on Twitter @VZWSupport Monday to Friday 7am-10pm CST and Saturday 7am-4pm.

VZW_CS

 

[Logank]

The problems were before I rooted the phone. I only rooted the phone to see if it was a software problem, after I went to the local Verizon store to see if they could at least help diagnose the problem. The guy then disappeared with my phone for about 5 minutes then came back and said he had no clue.

Anyway, update. The phone doesn't require a battery pull every time it freezes, it only did that for the first couple hours. It still messes up often, but when it works it works great!

 

[Logank]

So an update, since my gf's friend came over last night, and she had a problem like mine. The "fuzzy screen", is really just a bunch of dots like I guess the pixels or whatever. They sometimes engulf the whole screen, sometimes just a line of them across the screen. Anyway, she said she had a problem just like that before, due to humidity because she had it in a sauna or near it or something to do with the sauna. She had insurance and had it replaced.

I've never dropped my phone in water or anything, but sometimes it's been in the bathroom while showering so I could listen to music. Never had a problem after a shower though. I stuck it in a container of rice overnight just hoping that any moisture (if any) would get sucked out, but it still has problems. What could have been damaged permanently? Anything I can get cheap and replace?