#M1004 related problems

Here's another forum concerning this issue

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=latit_general&message.id=31484

Error message # M1004 indicates that the Hardware Thermal Circuit has shut down the system to avoid damage. This usually happens when the system gets too hot due to a broken fan or low airflow instake caused by something blocking the fan and to fix this, the BIOS would just be needed to be updated. In your case, since you mentioned that the fan stutters a little, it might have caused the problem. Though you no longer get the error message, the problem with your fan may still be in there. I suggest that you have your fan replaced.

Hello rgullett,

Just to make sure it's just the fan that's causing the noise, try to remove the hard drive from the system.

I suggest that you can do the ff. steps:

1) Shutdown your sys and remove any power source from the system. Then try removing the Hard drive. When you remove the hard drive and there's no noise present then it's the hard drive. 

2) Try running the  Diagnostic software -- run a specific test on the fun. Check if it fails the diags or even if it does pass the test, check if the noise is present during the diagnostic. If the sound is abnormal while running the test then you need to replace the fan.

If your unsure with the steps I have mentioned, I suggest that you call tech support so that someone can walk you through.

Cheers

Thanks for the helpful responses!  I'm going to try to look into both.  However, I think I need to better explain what the problem is now since I don't think my original post described it very well.  The fan does not currently seem to be running loudly or doing anything out of the ordinary so far as I can tell.  However, the computer itself seems to basically pause about once every 3 seconds.  This pause lasts for maybe a half-second.  Prior to updating the BIOS, however, it was much worse.  Then, the system paused for a slightly longer period each time, and it paused more often.  Also, when watching the task manager, the CPU Usage would jump to 100% for each pause before I did the BIOS update.  Now it only jumps to about 38% every time that it pauses.  Watching the processes, they definitely don't ever add up to 38%, so there's definitely something going on that shouldn't be there.

Thanks for your help,

Randy

The reason why your CPU is acting up is because it is getting too hot. You mentioned that your fan is not working properly, therefore, it is unable to cool off the CPU properly causing it to overheat. I suggest that you don't turn on your computer for the meantime since it might cause further damage to your CPU and have your fan replaced. Better run the diags as well on the fan just to be sure that fan is bad because tech support would ask you to do that.

I ran the diagnostics, and the fan is fine.  I'm pretty sure it's not the issue at this point, as the machine doesn't seem to be running too hot, and the fan turns on and off without difficulty.

-Randy

Problem solved!  It looks like it was my network connection trying to check for a connection about once every 3 seconds or so.  So, once I went into the device manager and changed the advanced property "Software Cable Detect" to off, then there are no longer any pauses.  This seems like a bad solution since now I don't know if it will able to detect when I plug it in, but at least the computer's useable now!

Thanks for your help,

Randy

So, I just disabled my wireless network connection and the system no longer pauses.  I'm not sure why this would be, but I'm going to try updating the drivers and see what happens.  I just figure I'll continue the thread in case it helps solve it for somebody else, or if somebody has solved it before.

-Randy