13 R3, OLED, black screen, amber alien, fans on

Question

I recently bought this laptop with the above symptoms. After doing some research and seeing that this is likely a BIOS issue and should be fixable using the BIOS recovery via USB. So far I have been unsuccessful in my troubleshooting.

If I put a usb in with a random file on, hold CTRL + ESC and power on the laptop, I get the 3,3 - Recovery image not found error.
If I put a DELL BIOS_IMG.rcv on the usb, hold CTRL + ESC and power on the laptop, I get some flashing light activity on the usb stick (like it's loaded into the BIOS recover) but then the usb light goes out and the black screen, amber alien high fan behavior continues.

Has anyone been successful at recovering the BIOS this way? Do I need the same BIOS version that is currently on the laptop? Also, the seller removed the SSD so it currently has a new blank SSD installed, I'm unsure if this would have a negative effect on my scenario.

I have tried different RAM combinations, removed and replaced the CMOS battery, done power drains all to no effect.

crimsom · Answer

Hi @Azkek welcome to this free user-to-user Alienware laptop discussion forum.

Solid amber power and battery-status light = Computer is running on battery and the battery has less than 10 percent charge. Laptop without battery is designed to function as desktop on ac adapter (charger) power. Please run the LCD built-in self-test (BIST) to see if OLED screen works. How to Run the LCD Built-in Self-Test on a Dell Laptop | Dell US. Please determine if the battery will charge.

POST (Power On Self-Test) runs the fans, then the Alienware splash screen with F2 and F12 options should appear before loading the Windows 10, 64-bit operating system. Please connect HDMI cable to external monitor or TV to determine if the system board (aka motherboard) works. Then hold down the F2 key when alien splash screen appears to determine BIOS version. However, the opening post says SSD is blank, so there is no operating system or recovery image. Please install Windows 10, 64-bit on the blank SSD.

Azkek · Answer

Hey Crimsom, I’ll try and answer all of your questions in order!

if the laptop is on battery power and under 10% the alien head is flashing Amber. If the laptop is plugged into the mains it is solid amber (it’s currently being charged overnight so we will see if the colour is changed in the morning).

holding D on startup to run BIST does nothing, same symptoms of black screen and fans running.

I have tried to hold F2 and F12 independently to trigger any BIOS dialogues, however nothing happens.

I have attached an external monitor but it receives no signal.

I am unable to install windows to the SSD at this time.

Azkek · Answer

Hey @crimsom i have further updates.

I left the laptop charging overnight. While off, the alien head was now also off (assuming it’s sufficiently charged). When switched on, the alien head does turn blue for maybe 1 second before returning to the solid amber I was seeing last night. This behaviour continues if the battery is connected to the motherboard or not.

crimsom · Answer

Hi @Azkek thank you for sharing update.

The Alienware 13 R3 Diagnostics provides a guide to the Power and battery-status light code. The laptop's internal protection system prevents the ac adapter and battery from damaging the laptop.

The ac adapter (charger) has an internal microchip that allows the laptop to decide if the battery will be charged. If the battery is disconnected, the ac adapter (charger) power cord's diagnostic plug should be blue and power on the laptop, and the power on alien head button should also be blue in colour.

Using a bright light please check that the power cord diagnostic plug's internal central wire is not bent or missing. Check the laptop's charging port to see if it has excessive wear due to normal use or has been damaged.

Dell OEM replacement parts have Dell Part Number (DP/N), and parts-people has a DP/N database.

List of OEM Alienware 13 R3 Power Adapters. Dell Alienware 13 R3 Power Adapters | Dell Alienware 13 R3 Laptop Parts (parts-people.com).

OEM Alienware 13 R3 DC Power Input Jack Plug with Cable is DP/N 4175F. Alienware 13 R3 DC Power Input DC Jack 4175F (parts-people.com). Removing the power-adapter port.

OEM Alienware 13 R3 Original 4-cell Laptop Battery 76Wh is DP/N TDW5P. New Alienware 13 R3 Original 4-cell Laptop Battery TDW5P (parts-people.com). Removing the battery.

Azkek · Answer

Hi @crimsom, thanks for the reply!

I think we’ve got our wires crossed.

the laptop battery accepts charge, to test this I allowed it to go completely flat yesterday, then connected the charger and it went from a flashing ‘below 10%’ alien head to a solid ‘above 10%’ alien head.
the charger cable looks fine, the internal central wire is present and the port on the laptop looks to be in good condition.

I have a video showing the issue but I’m unsure how to upload it here.

Azkek · Answer

https://twitter.com/azkeks/status/1595737737788809222?s=46&t=PjbAwdvGTJnV9UxQqSWktg    this is a video to the behaviour. nothing happens on screen, but the webcam and infrared lights are on.

Azkek · Answer

For anyone else who might find themselves in this situation, I abandoned my own troubleshooting and took this to a computer repair shop. I don’t know exactly what they did, but they got the laptop back up and running for £30!

Alienware

13 R3, OLED, black screen, amber alien, fans on

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