Alienware 14 Startup/Shutdown Problems

Question

About a week ago, I started having a peculiar problem with my Alienware 14 (which I ordered late January of this year). Upon startup of most games, it would run and then spontaneously shut down in the middle of gameplay. I figured this was a heating issue, so I adjusted some settings and tried to continue.

The issue persisted, but developed a new feature. When attempting to turn on, before even reaching the POST screen, the laptop would spontaneously shut down, try to start back up, and repeat for about four times before remaining off. The lights would come on and the fan would spin, then an audible click would accompany a shutdown.

After a little time, though, the computer would start up as normal, run system repair, and login, but it appeared as if the fans were failing to operate, so I downloaded HWINFO64 to manually set the fans to about 3200rpm constant, placed the laptop near a functioning air-conditioning unit, and tried to see what was going on. I tried to run a game again from Steam, and while loading the main menu, the whole apparatus shut down again.

Again, the laptop would power on and then shut down before reaching the POST screen. I thought maybe there was an issue with the power, so I tried it with just battery and with just AC, but neither seemed to remedy the situation (though when the casing was off to remove the battery, it appeared like there was some heat damage to a chip-like component in the top-left corner [if the battery is in the bottom-right], around the AC input).

Time passed and the computer would turn on and get all the way through the startup procedure, so I tried to run Autopsy's hardware tests, which were all passed within a few hours of waiting. I tried to start another game, which resulted in the same immediate shutdown. This time, upon starting up, after failing several times, I would run system repair and would be given a notification that a problem could not be repaired at this time (I sent the information in after being prompted to do so). Now, when starting up, assuming I can even get past the POST, Windows fails to start up functionally and the whole computer shuts down and has yet to make it to login.

What, if anything, can I do to fix this?

Alienware-Naomi · Answer

Hi! Follow the No Post troubleshooting steps on this article and let me know the results.

rexcactorum · Answer

Alright, so I followed the no-POST troubleshooting instructions. There weren't any flash- or beep-codes or anything else that seemed apparent except to hold Fn and turn on. Except it didn't just turn on, then off, then on again, but instead triggered what appeared to be a series of pre-startup tests for several hours, all of which were indicated as "passed." Despite that, though, my computer goes through the following startup cycle now:

1. Hit power button to turn on.

2. Either run lights and fans briefly and power off immediately, or continue on as normal.

3. Prompt to run Windows normally or launch startup repair (recommended).

4. If Windows is launched normally, the screen will briefly flash and then shut down.

5. If startup repair is launched, it will indicate it cannot repair all problems, restart, and go back to #3.

I have yet to be able to even reach a login screen for the past two days, so these are the only problems I can confirm are persisting at this point.

Alienware-Naomi · Answer

If the computer goes through the Alienware logo screen and reaches the Windows screen (even if it doesn't allow you to log in), it means it's a NO BOOT problem.

If the ePSA diagnostic didn't find any problems, it's most likely a software issue. Try to access Windows on Safe Mode and run a System Restore. If issue persists, you might need to re-install the OS.

rexcactorum · Answer

I ended up reinstalling Windows 7. The computer seems to start up and log on fine. All previous files seem to be stored in a Windows.old folder. From here, though, I can't seem to conmect to the internet (there are no registered connexions, though there are actually several). From there I'll reinstall a game to see if the initial shutdown problem persists, but how to I connect? Diagnostics can't troubleshoot the problem.

Alienware-Naomi · Answer

We normally recommend doing a clean Windows installation instead of keeping the old files. If you have a Windows.old folder, it means you didn't format the partitions before installing and you now have duplicated Windows files, which can cause problems in the future. I recommend doing a clean installation as explained on this video.

Once you've installed the OS, you need to re-install the drivers. Make sure to follow the correct order as explained on this article.

rexcactorum · Answer

Alright, so I reinstalled the OS clean and then replaced all the drivers from the resources disc, as per the instructions provided. The computer starts, boots fine, and I'm working it now.

A couple things seemed odd, though, and some problems persist.

1. The computer is eerily quiet when I run it now. For a device that was notably loud for its fan, it's now so quiet that I fear the fan isn't working right.

2. When I unplugged the AC cord, the computer immediately shut down. It's running now on battery only, but doesn't seem to be able to switch well between sources.

3. Again, after running for a little while or running a game, the device spontaneously and immediately dies and won't power on again for a while.

Alienware-Naomi · Answer

Send me a private message with your Service Tag and contact information so I can review your case further. Please include the link to the thread as well.

Locked Topics – Alienware General

Alienware 14 Startup/Shutdown Problems

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