Dell Inspiron M5010 Laptop

Hi KBSkywalker,

I’d be glad to assist you regarding the same, please follow the below mentioned steps to fix the issue.

1. Please remove the AC Adapter from the computer and remove any cables or devices connected to the computer and press and hold the power button for a minute which will release the flea power present inside.
2. Please press Fn + Power button which will initiate the Diagnostics on the computer and let the diagnostics run completely.
3. Make a note of any error message if any displayed on the screen.
4. Once the diagnostics are completed, restart the computer and install the latest BIOS and Video drivers from the Dell’s support website y clicking on the below link.
http://dell.to/1dFtXxL

5. Type in the Service tag, under Drivers and downloads select the Operating system and install the BIOS and Video drivers on the computer.
6. Once installed and updated please restart the computer once and check.

Please complete these steps and let us know your findings.

Hi, I tried the above steps, got as far as 8% on the power test, and the screen shuts off. I took the battery out and reseated the memory and tried on AC, same result. The power stays on, but the screen goes totally black, like it's off. In all my years of working on a computer, I have never seen one act like this...Any suggestions?

Thank

Hi KBSkywalker,

Thank you for the response, please try connecting an external monitor to your computer and check as the computer stays on, please check if the display is fine and stay on for longer on your external monitor.

Let us know if this helps.

I have the unfortunate situation of owning a Dell Inspiron M5010 Laptop. Only 2 and a half years old. $1000 computer.

It will not boot up and gives the 7 Beep error. I had it checked by Best Buy where I bought it
and they changed the coin memory Battery , Ram and ports check out OK. Cost $60
Best Buy advise the Mother board is defective. I spent the better part of 2 hours on the
phone directly with Dell Customer Service and their out of Warranty Tech Support departments.
They were unwilling to give any Support or any sort of discount on having the Mother Board replaced. They wanted $300 to replace the Mother Board and $50 shipping each way.
What idiot would pay $400 to replace a mother board on a 2 year old computer.
I can buy a new one for that. I believe a new mother board is about $150 to $200 + shipping.
Customer Service would not even give a discount on shipping me a new mother board, when Dell fully knows that their Mother Boards are DEFECTIVE.
Look up Dell 7 Beep error on Google and on the Dell website for all the other people out there that have the same problem with this exact computer and other Dell models.
Everyone is complaining about the same problem.
This is the second Dell laptop in 6 years to quit working.
I'll NEVER BUY ANOTHER DELL COMPUTER and you should do the same.

Hi ONTOO,

We see that your post is answered by  DELL-Senthil S on this link
http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/f/3518/p/19531091/20472158.aspx#20472158
Please do continue the conversation with him in order to have this issue fixed.

Let us know if this helps.

Yeah it's pretty sad that a machine that is 20 months old is pretty much useless at this point. I have a 4 year old Toshiba and have only had to replace a hard drive once, still works great and it takes a beating. The Dell never leaves the house, is dust free, only on a cpl hrs a day and is toast at this point. Gonna try pluggin a monitor in later this afternoon, but pretty sure screen or video card is not the problem....

Hi KBSkywalker,

Please try the above mentioned and let us know if the video works fine on the external monitor and let us know the status.

The external monitor worked....now it seems to be fine for now....again, in all the machines I've ever worked on, I've never seen one act quite like this one. For now, I'm keeping an eye on it to see if it acts up again...didn't work for 2 weeks, now it's working....

Hi KBSkywalker,

Thank you for the update, it’s great to know that your computer’s working fine now and please keep the system under observation for the next couple of days to check its functionality. I appreciate for your prompt response.

Let us know if this helps.

Computer is back to original problem of going to a black screen within 5 min of being on. This only happens on 1st load of the day. I leave it off for 15-20 min and it seems fine after. I've re-imaged hard drive..re-installed everything, software-wise..it doesn't appear to be a software issue. I've done hardware tests and everything passes. I've connected an external monitor and is fine. This is getting pretty frustrating for a laptop less than 2yrs old...

Hi KBSkywalker,

We’re sorry to know the issue has re-occurred again and I appreciate your troubleshooting steps performed and as the Hardware and software both seems to be working fine. The issue might be with the LCD cable which might be lose so you might try reseating the LCD cable on the computer, please click on the below link which has Manuals for your system
http://dell.to/1dFtXxL

Please type in the Service tag and click on Manuals and download the same, using the Manuals please check and reseat the LCD cable on the system. If incase this does not fix the issue the you might consider changing the LCD screen for your system.

Please complete these and let us know your findings.

Still having issues with this...now it turns on, and goes black before Windows loads. External monitor does not work either. I'm guessing the LCD cable is bad. Are these available to purchase, and how much?