Dim. 3000 - shut down and stop errors, bus stress failure

Question

We have had this computer (Dimension 3000) for just over 5 weeks; worked good the first week, occasional problem the second, fought it thru the third and has been non-working the last 2 going on 3. I bought this based on the good ratings given in Consumer Reports, but right now I do not see me giving a very good review in their poll this year. My wife depends on her computer for her job (she works over the Internet for a company in Austin) and I thought I was getting something reliable for her when I chose this system for her. Boy... looks like I made a mistake!

System started shutting down "to protect my computer" because something "mysterious" happened. Gave different files that were the cause, or sometimes nothing at all listed. Has now pretty much settled into a pattern of either "Page_Fault_In_Nonpaged_Area" or "IRQL_Not_Less_Or_Equal" error messages, and occasionally a few others.
Tech support agreed with me when I thought it was the HD failing because it always seemed to happen when the hard drive would be accessed. Before they sent the replacement drive, I ran the Utility - Hardware tests and in the Express and symptom Tree tests I always got "Error: 2F00:0B1C or 2F2F:0B1C - same Msg: memory data data bus stress test failure". I informed tech support about this and they still wanted to try the HD replacement.

The "service tech" (a.k.a. Parts-Swapper Joe) did replace the HD, but did not even stay to see if it would re-start, which it did not. We had to have the XP re-install disk and a couple others sent to us (we didn't receive them, and didn't know they were missing until we needed them) so we could try to get it running ourselves. Still won't, would shut down with errors during the XP recover/repair thing and reports corrupted data on the new HD in different areas and still has all the same old problems (had a couple new ones for a while, but I reseated the memory sticks the "tech" knocked loose and they went away).

Will somebody please tell me this is a fluke and we just happened to get a bad PC and Dell will eventually make this right? I don't have much confidence in the tech support to actually diagnose a real system problem, or the service tech to fix it.

Walter in Waco

Message Edited by Walter_in_Waco on 08-01-2005 12:11 PM

scottatah · Answer

That error sounds rather uncommon.  Likewise it brings up nothing in a google search.  So chances are, i'd say that it's more bad luck than anything.  To me, it sounds like a motherboard issue.  I'd call back and inform them of that error, see what they say.  Can't imagine much else then replacing the mobo.   As for other points in your post, electronics can be flaky...computers are complex objects and strange things happen.  I wouldn't lose all faith because of one issue.  I agree maybe the tech should have listened a lil closer when you were getting the second error.  But I can see how replacing the harddrive seemed like a good idea none the less.   As for the cd's, granted dell made the mistake of forgetting to send them, it's still up to you to verify you received all of a shipment.   That being said, dell generally doesn't ship the OS cd or drivers cd depending on the PC you buy, so yeah, the tech should have caught that and sent the cd's out with the harddrive.    As for the tech that replaced the harddrive.  Technically speaking his job only involves replacing the harddrive.  Whether it solves the issue or not is going a little bit beyong him  Thats supposedly what the phone tech's are for.  None the less his job is to replace the harddrive - and should be to make sure the harddrive is recognized by the pc aka connected properly.  Not his job to install any software what so ever, or necessarily even connect the pc cables back up more so than is needed to verify it's detected in the BIOS.  (I agree maybe they should do a little more)   But thats that...i wouldn't give up just on one problem though.  You really can't as you've already started paying for your pc, unless you wanna try and sell it, you don't have a whole lot of a choice heh.  Fight your way thru and good luck.

wtcnbrwndo4u · Answer

The D3600 is not a computer.

ejn63 · Answer

The error is pointing to RAM failure, not the hard drive. Call and arrange for replacment memory.

atkron95 · Answer

if you have two sticks of memory  remove one and see if it is stable then replace it with the other.  it would quite unusual to have both fail.

Walter_in_Waco · Answer

Well... tech support is kinda catching up with you guys. They sent the tech out again with a new HD (just in case the other was corrupt) and new memory, but they only sent him 1 new stick of RAM (we have 2) Now even the Q-tech thinks it is the motherboard. He replaced one stick with the new one.. got memory beeps. Put the old one back in and swapped the other one... got beeps again. Put only one stick in, either of the originals or the new one, in either slot (no difference) and it would boot up ok. So he tried leaving only one stick in and setup XP to re-install. Got almost finished setting up when it went to the Stop-Error blue screen. Tried to install XP again and it went thru and so far has been holding on for a few hours, but this was not uncommon, to go from blue screen every few minutes to working for a few hours. He got on the phone with Dell and they are going to send a new motherboard and 2 sticks of memory (the one they sent was a different brand (and maybe speed?) from what was in it originally. So we should know in a couple of days what the problem was/is and hopefully get this all fixed soon.

Carl Winslow Jr · Answer

if only people listened to me more often!!!   glad you're gonna get it solved it finally!

Walter_in_Waco · Answer

IT LIVES! Going on 27 hrs and counting!
Turns out the motherboard was the culrpit... stayed working overnight with only one memory stick in, so we were able to load the hard drive up with work essentials again and make sure it didn't crash when they were run. Tech swapped out the motherboard and put the original memory back in and all seems to be working OK now. Of course, it wasn't a perfect fix... after all the board work the tech did, the IDE cable connecting the 2nd HD and the CD failed, would only recognize whichever unit was hooked to the Master connector and not the Slave position. But fortunately I had a spare cable here, swapped it out and now all seems to be going ok. Still have not been able to load up all the Dell software (CD burner,etc.) that was on the HD when it was shipped but have loaded back in everything Dell had us take out before that they thought was causing the problems and it ran well all day today.
Am satisfied so far with this one, but seriously doubt I will buy another Dell when I go to replace mine later this year or early next. Do not like having to have their "special stuff" in there just to turn it on, want to be able to put in my own harddrives and not have to take up space with their stuff.

Thanks All!

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Dim. 3000 - shut down and stop errors, bus stress failure

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