Hi @GARYY2K2000 welcome to this user to user discussion forum. This is not Dell Support.
Laptops with no battery are designed to function as Desktop on ac adapter power. System POST is working, but very low battery power prevents windows boot. The ac adapter has a diagnostic light which should be on when plugged into the mains socket, and continue to be on when power cord is plugged into the laptop. It seems that during normal wear, the dc-in socket is not working, and the laptop battery is not being charged. Resolve No Boot Issue.
Using a bright light check that power cord plug (and its internal central pin) is not damaged, and that dc-in power socket is not damaged or has debris preventing its function. Troubleshoot AC Adapter Issues.
New Dell OEM Alienware 18 R1 Laptop DC Power Jack is Dell P/N 18R1JACK, and is soldered onto the motherboard. If you or a colleague have soldering skills, you might decide to undertake DC Power Jack replacement. Look on YouTube for video to see what is involved. A good PC repair facility can undertake replacement, and you may decide to remove motherboard to reduce the cost. Motherboard How-To Video Tutorial.
Please click on Kudos to say thank you for response from user that is not employed by Dell. Please share an update on progress, so that other users derive benefit from your experience. Thank you.
Hi @GARYY2K2000 New OEM Alienware 18 R1 / 17 R1 Original 8-cell Laptop Battery 86Wh is Dell P/N 2F8K3. A One Year Warranty should be Included. Beneath the white label's square matrix is year/month date, and this should be less that 6 months.
Hi @GARYY2K2000 thank you for sharing update complete with image.
The blue Alienware label says Type 2F8K3, but the white label is 'missing' in your image. In the current climate when replacement batteries are in short supply this is not good. Share your image with the vendor and ask why the white label is missing. Request confirmation that this is a new replacement battery that has not previously been used. It could be a dead battery, the only way for you to determine if it is new, is to create Battery Report.
Thank you so much for your reply. Yes, the laptop battery is not being charged. The last warning message I got was "battery critically low". I had plugged in the external power supply but battery was not charging. In BIOS the battery status showed as so I am guessing as you have rightly stated its either the power supply or the dc power socket. I will go across to the DELL service center for this, I have no experience in soldering stuff.
Yes, the diagnostic light of the AC adapter continues to remain "ON" (green color) when connected to the mains socket as well as when connected to the laptop however the laptop still does not stay on. It powers up, lights come on, on the keyboard, it reboots like 2-3 times and finally shuts down
I will share with you an update on this issue once I go across to the service center
Hi @GARYY2K2000 if not in Dell warranty, please consider a Dell 'Out of Warranty' repair, complete with Dell Repair warranty. The Alienware 18 is an excellent laptop and worth keeping in working order.
Most manufacturers (Dell included) don't support hardware repairs on systems more than five years old - which this one clearly is.
If you search you'll find the cost of replacement boards for this model (which was never a big seller, one reason there weren't multiple subsequent generations) quite high.
You may be better off if you have a local shop that does true repairs and can diagnose the faulty component and replace it. That will turn a very expensive mainboard replacement into something that might just be a few hundred dollars in repair.
Hi @GARYY2K2000 Dell is a commercial company and offer a limited first year basic warranty. Before being absorbed into Dell, Alienware gaming for enthusiasts offered a three year warranty.
Advocate you find a good local repair facility. The comment about considering Dell out of warranty repair, is to provide a baseline comparison, and to encourage you to reduce the cost of repair.
My Dell warranty expires 08 NOV 2026, and my out of box fault is still not fixed. From my experience, I do not expect Dell Product Support to provide any assistance, even when within warranty.
They managed to start my laptop by holding down the power key and draining static charge I think
They ran a preboot diagnostic as well. Battery needed replacement.
I could run the laptop without battery using the AC Adapter
After like around an hour, the laptop again shut down and it was like super hot. It was really hot so I guess it shut down to prevent damage
And now once again I am stuck as before. It won't power on with AC Adapter and on battery only lights will glow and it will shut down.
What should I do? Any suggestions. I don't think the AC power adapter was the problem nor the power jack on my laptop since the laptop was on for an hour. I was running an antivirus scan and it shut down.
I am thinking maybe I need to redo the thermal paste on cpu and gpu. What do you think could be the problem? Any help and suggestion would be most welcome
We do not have walk-in Dell Service Centres, that they exist, is good to know. Evidently, they got lucky and the system booted. They are obliged to tell you what they did, so you can boot your system. They then presumably ran the Dell ePSA Diagnostics and somehow concluded a new battery is required. Did this Dell Service Centre install a new battery for you?
Afterwards the system worked as a desktop on ac adapter power. Then I lost what was happening, does the system kick into maximum performance for an hour, is the fan boost on, why is it getting very hot during a simple antivirus scan? Yes, the system will automatically shut down if CPU temperature is more than 100ºC.
Now the system fails to work as a desktop on ac adapter power. It will POST, but not boot into Windows.
Lets get back to basics, the system vents, fans and motherboard should be clean, free from accumulated dust, debris, foreign objects, etc. When system is being used, it should be on a flat surface (table or tray) with no nearby objects impeding air flow. Raising the laptop's bottom rear surface will improve air flow and reduce system temperature.
The power cord's plug should be a snug fit within the dc-in socket. If plug is a very lose fit and not fully captivated, it will disconnect and system will fail to function as desktop.
Ok, now for the CPU & GPU repaste, use a high conductivity paste, not a liquid metal that requires repasting every six months. Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut Extreme Thermal Paste is probably the best thermal compound. Its thermal conductivity is 14.2 W/mK. Its competitor is the Thermalright TF8 Thermal Paste. Its thermal conductivity is 13.8 W/mK. These are long-lasting thermal pastes, with no curing time. If the earlier repaste subsequently gives high system temperatures, the mating CPU & GPU to cooling system has gap, and will not perform as intended.
Pease take time to think about these discussion topics and any other concerns you may have.
Please focus on getting the Alienware 18 to power on.
The Dell service center did not have a battery since my laptop model is 2014 that's the reason I decided to run it direct on AC power
The technicians at the first service center were not confident of working on my laptop so they did not charge me anything as they did not create a job sheet. It was as you have rightly put it "got lucky"
So, the decision on the battery was taken based on the preboot diagnostic tests.
The test results mentioned that "your battery has reached its end of life usage and you should consider replacing the battery" so that was my decision to change the battery since the battery now in BIOS no longer shows as but rather reads as
So, I noticed the system was getting hot especially under the keyboard but the fans did not come on
Not sure why the fans did not come on. I have given my laptop today to another DELL service center. They will inspect and let me know what is wrong with my laptop by Friday or Saturday. Will keep you and the other readers updated.
I am not sure if system vents and motherboard is clean. I can only confirm the fans are clean because that is easily accessible by unscrewing the back bottom plate of the laptop. I have never really opened up the laptop till today to inspect the motherboard and the heat sink and other cooling components that are located beneath the palm rest (on the front side) of the laptop since its not very easily accessible and requires careful disassembly. So never tried it out
Will keep you updated on the diagnostic report that the dell service center will share with me in the next few days.
I just received an update from the Dell Service center
The following problems have been detected with my laptop-
1. No Power issue- I/O Failure-Replacement of I/O Chipset suggested or replacement of motherboard but Dell no longer manufactures the Alienware 18 motherboard so I have been told by the service center that they are going to be replacing the I/O chipset which is available
2. HDMI port failure
3. Battery Failure
4. mSATA SSD has failed. Not getting detected (This is a Samsung 840 evo 500GB SSD)
(4) The mSATA SSD is used as cache to improve response of SATA HDD. Advocate the SATA HDD is replaced with Dual-Slot M.2 Drive to SATA Adapter for 2.5inch Drive Bay. M.2 2280 SATA cards do not require additional cache and have a better system response. Can get similar within an enclosure, but an open tray allows for a cooling air flow. These SATA adapters are being sold on Amazon, eBay, etc.
(3) Battery is not being charged, now we know that battery has failed. Dell appears to have ceased their supply of OEM batteries, and Amazon, eBay, etc. have OEM batteries. If Dell is not going to install new replacement battery, Laptop can be used as Desktop on ac power.
(2) & (1) are parts on motherboard. It is very good news that service center are offering to repair existing motherboard. Guess that dc-in socket does not require replacement. Getting the Alienware 18 motherboard working again would be ideal, if repair cost is not prohibitive. Your call.
I already ordered a battery from Amazon a few days back.
I have time till 5th June 2021 to return it for a full refund
Seller has offered me a 6 months warranty on the battery
I could not get the white label square matrix thing that you were saying, where do I find it? I have attached a photograph of my battery. Is it printed on my battery?
Also, I have not tested this battery out yet because my laptop is still with the service center
I got an update from the service center an hour back and the laptop has started, they are now installing the OS on one of the hard drives
The mSATA SSD that failed is under Samsung 5 year warranty so I have contacted Samsung for a replacement
Lets see what happens will keep you and the readers updated
A used or dead battery will not damage your system, these are normal end of life conditions.
The purchase was made from Amazon which provides additional protection, but you must use your Amazon account to inform vendor that white label is missing. Attach your image so that Amazon and vendor can see this problem. Ask vendor for confirmation that they have supplied a new battery. This gives vendor opportunity to send a new battery. If there is a problem, Amazon has this evidence and you will get full refund.
crimsom
7 Technologist
•
6.1K Posts
1
May 23rd, 2021 04:00
Hi @GARYY2K2000 welcome to this user to user discussion forum. This is not Dell Support.
Laptops with no battery are designed to function as Desktop on ac adapter power. System POST is working, but very low battery power prevents windows boot. The ac adapter has a diagnostic light which should be on when plugged into the mains socket, and continue to be on when power cord is plugged into the laptop. It seems that during normal wear, the dc-in socket is not working, and the laptop battery is not being charged. Resolve No Boot Issue.
Using a bright light check that power cord plug (and its internal central pin) is not damaged, and that dc-in power socket is not damaged or has debris preventing its function. Troubleshoot AC Adapter Issues.
New Dell OEM Alienware 18 R1 Laptop DC Power Jack is Dell P/N 18R1JACK, and is soldered onto the motherboard. If you or a colleague have soldering skills, you might decide to undertake DC Power Jack replacement. Look on YouTube for video to see what is involved. A good PC repair facility can undertake replacement, and you may decide to remove motherboard to reduce the cost. Motherboard How-To Video Tutorial.
Please click on Kudos to say thank you for response from user that is not employed by Dell. Please share an update on progress, so that other users derive benefit from your experience. Thank you.
crimsom
7 Technologist
•
6.1K Posts
1
May 28th, 2021 23:00
Hi @GARYY2K2000 New OEM Alienware 18 R1 / 17 R1 Original 8-cell Laptop Battery 86Wh is Dell P/N 2F8K3. A One Year Warranty should be Included. Beneath the white label's square matrix is year/month date, and this should be less that 6 months.
crimsom
7 Technologist
•
6.1K Posts
1
May 29th, 2021 04:00
Hi @GARYY2K2000 thank you for sharing update complete with image.
The blue Alienware label says Type 2F8K3, but the white label is 'missing' in your image. In the current climate when replacement batteries are in short supply this is not good. Share your image with the vendor and ask why the white label is missing. Request confirmation that this is a new replacement battery that has not previously been used. It could be a dead battery, the only way for you to determine if it is new, is to create Battery Report.
GARYY2K2000
1 Rookie
•
18 Posts
1
May 23rd, 2021 05:00
Hi crimson,
Thank you so much for your reply. Yes, the laptop battery is not being charged. The last warning message I got was "battery critically low". I had plugged in the external power supply but battery was not charging. In BIOS the battery status showed as so I am guessing as you have rightly stated its either the power supply or the dc power socket. I will go across to the DELL service center for this, I have no experience in soldering stuff.
Yes, the diagnostic light of the AC adapter continues to remain "ON" (green color) when connected to the mains socket as well as when connected to the laptop however the laptop still does not stay on. It powers up, lights come on, on the keyboard, it reboots like 2-3 times and finally shuts down
I will share with you an update on this issue once I go across to the service center
Thank you
crimsom
7 Technologist
•
6.1K Posts
0
May 23rd, 2021 05:00
Hi @GARYY2K2000 if not in Dell warranty, please consider a Dell 'Out of Warranty' repair, complete with Dell Repair warranty. The Alienware 18 is an excellent laptop and worth keeping in working order.
GARYY2K2000
1 Rookie
•
18 Posts
0
May 23rd, 2021 11:00
Hi crimsom,
My laptop is not under warranty. First time in all these years I am experiencing a serious problem with my laptop
Hope Dell is able to sort it out
ejn63
10 Elder
•
30.7K Posts
0
May 23rd, 2021 12:00
Most manufacturers (Dell included) don't support hardware repairs on systems more than five years old - which this one clearly is.
If you search you'll find the cost of replacement boards for this model (which was never a big seller, one reason there weren't multiple subsequent generations) quite high.
You may be better off if you have a local shop that does true repairs and can diagnose the faulty component and replace it. That will turn a very expensive mainboard replacement into something that might just be a few hundred dollars in repair.
crimsom
7 Technologist
•
6.1K Posts
0
May 23rd, 2021 14:00
Hi @GARYY2K2000 Dell is a commercial company and offer a limited first year basic warranty. Before being absorbed into Dell, Alienware gaming for enthusiasts offered a three year warranty.
Advocate you find a good local repair facility. The comment about considering Dell out of warranty repair, is to provide a baseline comparison, and to encourage you to reduce the cost of repair.
My Dell warranty expires 08 NOV 2026, and my out of box fault is still not fixed. From my experience, I do not expect Dell Product Support to provide any assistance, even when within warranty.
GARYY2K2000
1 Rookie
•
18 Posts
0
May 24th, 2021 11:00
Hi @crimsom
I went to the Dell service center today.
They managed to start my laptop by holding down the power key and draining static charge I think
They ran a preboot diagnostic as well. Battery needed replacement.
I could run the laptop without battery using the AC Adapter
After like around an hour, the laptop again shut down and it was like super hot. It was really hot so I guess it shut down to prevent damage
And now once again I am stuck as before. It won't power on with AC Adapter and on battery only lights will glow and it will shut down.
What should I do? Any suggestions. I don't think the AC power adapter was the problem nor the power jack on my laptop since the laptop was on for an hour. I was running an antivirus scan and it shut down.
I am thinking maybe I need to redo the thermal paste on cpu and gpu. What do you think could be the problem? Any help and suggestion would be most welcome
crimsom
7 Technologist
•
6.1K Posts
0
May 24th, 2021 13:00
Hi @GARYY2K2000 thank you for sharing update.
We do not have walk-in Dell Service Centres, that they exist, is good to know. Evidently, they got lucky and the system booted. They are obliged to tell you what they did, so you can boot your system. They then presumably ran the Dell ePSA Diagnostics and somehow concluded a new battery is required. Did this Dell Service Centre install a new battery for you?
Afterwards the system worked as a desktop on ac adapter power. Then I lost what was happening, does the system kick into maximum performance for an hour, is the fan boost on, why is it getting very hot during a simple antivirus scan? Yes, the system will automatically shut down if CPU temperature is more than 100ºC.
Now the system fails to work as a desktop on ac adapter power. It will POST, but not boot into Windows.
Lets get back to basics, the system vents, fans and motherboard should be clean, free from accumulated dust, debris, foreign objects, etc. When system is being used, it should be on a flat surface (table or tray) with no nearby objects impeding air flow. Raising the laptop's bottom rear surface will improve air flow and reduce system temperature.
The power cord's plug should be a snug fit within the dc-in socket. If plug is a very lose fit and not fully captivated, it will disconnect and system will fail to function as desktop.
Ok, now for the CPU & GPU repaste, use a high conductivity paste, not a liquid metal that requires repasting every six months. Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut Extreme Thermal Paste is probably the best thermal compound. Its thermal conductivity is 14.2 W/mK. Its competitor is the Thermalright TF8 Thermal Paste. Its thermal conductivity is 13.8 W/mK. These are long-lasting thermal pastes, with no curing time. If the earlier repaste subsequently gives high system temperatures, the mating CPU & GPU to cooling system has gap, and will not perform as intended.
Pease take time to think about these discussion topics and any other concerns you may have.
Please focus on getting the Alienware 18 to power on.
GARYY2K2000
1 Rookie
•
18 Posts
1
May 25th, 2021 03:00
Hi @crimsom
The Dell service center did not have a battery since my laptop model is 2014 that's the reason I decided to run it direct on AC power
The technicians at the first service center were not confident of working on my laptop so they did not charge me anything as they did not create a job sheet. It was as you have rightly put it "got lucky"
So, the decision on the battery was taken based on the preboot diagnostic tests.
The test results mentioned that "your battery has reached its end of life usage and you should consider replacing the battery" so that was my decision to change the battery since the battery now in BIOS no longer shows as but rather reads as
So, I noticed the system was getting hot especially under the keyboard but the fans did not come on
Not sure why the fans did not come on. I have given my laptop today to another DELL service center. They will inspect and let me know what is wrong with my laptop by Friday or Saturday. Will keep you and the other readers updated.
I am not sure if system vents and motherboard is clean. I can only confirm the fans are clean because that is easily accessible by unscrewing the back bottom plate of the laptop. I have never really opened up the laptop till today to inspect the motherboard and the heat sink and other cooling components that are located beneath the palm rest (on the front side) of the laptop since its not very easily accessible and requires careful disassembly. So never tried it out
Will keep you updated on the diagnostic report that the dell service center will share with me in the next few days.
GARYY2K2000
1 Rookie
•
18 Posts
1
May 28th, 2021 22:00
Hi @crimsom
I just received an update from the Dell Service center
The following problems have been detected with my laptop-
1. No Power issue- I/O Failure-Replacement of I/O Chipset suggested or replacement of motherboard but Dell no longer manufactures the Alienware 18 motherboard so I have been told by the service center that they are going to be replacing the I/O chipset which is available
2. HDMI port failure
3. Battery Failure
4. mSATA SSD has failed. Not getting detected (This is a Samsung 840 evo 500GB SSD)
crimsom
7 Technologist
•
6.1K Posts
1
May 28th, 2021 22:00
Hi @GARYY2K2000 thank you for sharing update.
(4) The mSATA SSD is used as cache to improve response of SATA HDD. Advocate the SATA HDD is replaced with Dual-Slot M.2 Drive to SATA Adapter for 2.5inch Drive Bay. M.2 2280 SATA cards do not require additional cache and have a better system response. Can get similar within an enclosure, but an open tray allows for a cooling air flow. These SATA adapters are being sold on Amazon, eBay, etc.
(3) Battery is not being charged, now we know that battery has failed. Dell appears to have ceased their supply of OEM batteries, and Amazon, eBay, etc. have OEM batteries. If Dell is not going to install new replacement battery, Laptop can be used as Desktop on ac power.
(2) & (1) are parts on motherboard. It is very good news that service center are offering to repair existing motherboard. Guess that dc-in socket does not require replacement. Getting the Alienware 18 motherboard working again would be ideal, if repair cost is not prohibitive. Your call.
GARYY2K2000
1 Rookie
•
18 Posts
0
May 29th, 2021 03:00
Hi @crimsom thanks for your help
I already ordered a battery from Amazon a few days back.
I have time till 5th June 2021 to return it for a full refund
Seller has offered me a 6 months warranty on the battery
I could not get the white label square matrix thing that you were saying, where do I find it? I have attached a photograph of my battery. Is it printed on my battery?
Also, I have not tested this battery out yet because my laptop is still with the service center
I got an update from the service center an hour back and the laptop has started, they are now installing the OS on one of the hard drives
The mSATA SSD that failed is under Samsung 5 year warranty so I have contacted Samsung for a replacement
Lets see what happens will keep you and the readers updated
Thank you once again for your support and help
crimsom
7 Technologist
•
6.1K Posts
1
May 29th, 2021 04:00
Hi @GARYY2K2000 thank you for sharing update.
A used or dead battery will not damage your system, these are normal end of life conditions.
The purchase was made from Amazon which provides additional protection, but you must use your Amazon account to inform vendor that white label is missing. Attach your image so that Amazon and vendor can see this problem. Ask vendor for confirmation that they have supplied a new battery. This gives vendor opportunity to send a new battery. If there is a problem, Amazon has this evidence and you will get full refund.