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M18 R2 LCD problem
My Alienware M18 R2 laptop is about 2 years old, but the LCD went out some time ago. I got around it by using an external monitor. However, I started to get 8 beeps on start-up that prevented booting to Windows; I just get a black screen. I phoned tech support for a repair estimate and they had me try starting by holding down the function key, and when that didn't work, the D key.
The tech concluded that the LCD is bad, said that they have no spare parts to repair it, but I might find an LCD kit on EBay and have it repaired locally. I asked why Dell can't buy them from EBay and he said Dell sold all their LCD kits, and that's how they ended up on EBay. This leads me to believe that the kits are as faulty as the screen I already have, so I'm not looking to replace it.
At this point, I'll settle for a work-around for the 8 beeps, so that I can continue to use the external monitor. If I try several dozen times I might be able to get it running, but then what?
AndrewSi
901 Posts
0
August 4th, 2015 06:00
8 beeps is officially listed as a LCD issue.
And it sometimes is - But it can also be the GPU, when the laptop tried to initialise the GPU at startup and the GPU fails to start, it will not send a signal to the LCD, the laptop "sees" the LCD is not working and presents 8 beeps
As a general rule the 18 inch panels did not have a high failure rate.
If your confident enough a complete power drain would be a good first start.
If that does not work, and if you have not upgraded to windows 10 (BEWARE - Win 10 blows M18x LCD panels) then try swapping the GPU's and see if that works
DPallas
8 Posts
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August 4th, 2015 12:00
FYI I have Windows 7 and made no attempt to upgrade to 10. Power drain (remove CMOS battery, etc...) didn't help. I switched the cable to the external monitor to an HDMI type in an effort to connect to integrated graphics instead of the video card and that didn't help. I don't have a spare GPU and don't plan to buy one.
Thanks anyway, still looking for a work-around on the POST error.
BJFox
763 Posts
1
August 4th, 2015 23:00
I do not believe you will find a workaround for the failure to POST with 8 beeps as long as a bad LCD is connected to your system. The only way you are going to be able to fix this is to replace the LCD panel if it is bad.
As Andrew mention, it can be a couple of other things. The GPU(s) could be bad. Not likely that both are, but one could be. It can also be a bad LVDS cable. It could also have a bad motherboard. The most likely cause is the LCD panel or a bad GPU.
The easiest way to rule out GPU failure is to remove both of them, connect the display and see if the machine boots up fine using the Intel HD Graphics. If it does, then one of the GPUs (likely the primary GPU is a multi-GPU system) is bad. If it still fails to POST with 8 beeps, either the LVDS cable or the LCD is bad.
If you discover a way to get the machine to POST with a bad LCD panel (or no LCD) connected, please share the discovery with us. This could be extremely useful.
I have 3 dead Samsung LCD panels that cause 8 beeps like you are experiencing. All three panels were destroyed by Windows 10 and/or NVIDIA's latest driver for Windows 10.
Windows 10 Upgrade Warning | Alienware Club
Windows 10 Upgrade Warning for Alienware Owners | NotebookReview
Windows 10 + Official 353.62 Drivers Has Killed Three Samsung LCD Displays | GeForce Forums
DPallas
8 Posts
0
August 5th, 2015 22:00
I'll try to find something on YouTube to show me where the GPUs are.
It's not possible to replace the LCD because they're not in stock anywhere, I've tried every website I can find. I'm stunned that Dell took $2,000 for a laptop and will do nothing about getting some LCDs in stock.
AndrewSi
901 Posts
1
August 5th, 2015 23:00
@DPallas - You must be in the US. We can still get refurbished M18xR2 items from Dell here in AU.
It may have something to do with our government regs concerning spare parts availability.
Try ebay, I've found at least 6 on there ranging from new to used
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DP-N-8075V-Dell-18-4-Alienware-m18x-WUXGA-LCD-with-bezel-brand-new-/252021799927