Dell latitude e4300 randomly shuts down

Hi ajrinny,

Follow below steps to isolate the issue:

I recommend BIOS update on the computer.

I have provided a link below for   BIOS update:

http://dell.to/Z7gHrV

• During BIOS update ensure to connect the AC Adapter to the computer, run the BIOS file.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to update the BIOS.
• Restart the computer when prompted.

Clean Air vents:

1. Check the vents on the computer to see if they are covered with dust and not allowing heat and air to pass through.
2. Turn off the System
3. Remove all power sources: Unplug the AC Adapter and Remove the Battery, or Unplug the Desktop Power Cord.
4. Use a compressed air can to blow the dust out of the vents. Be sure to hold the can at an upright (near 90 degree angle) and hold it 15-20 centimeters (6-8 inches) away from the target.

Hardware Diagnostics Check:

Run diagnostics on the computer (Restart the computer by holding down the FN + Power button simultaneously).

Let me know the status.

Awaiting your response!

I also am experiencing the problem of the e4300 notebook shutting down completely without any warning.  After doing this, I am able to start it back up, seemingly with no errors noted and without damage (so far) to the filesystem.  This random shutdown seems to happen only when it is on batter power, after about 10 minutes, when the battery power meter still shows it is more than 95% charged.  Does not seem to be a battery problem, or it is it?  I followed the advice you gave above, flashed the BIOS with the latest A26 and ran the startup diagnostics completely.  The BIOS upgrade was successful and the diagnostics noted no errors.  I did replace the HDD recently, and now I have WD 500GB, which seems to be running okay.  My OS is XP, and if I can figure out this shutdown issue I want to upgrade to Windows 7.  Thank you for any help with this odd problem.

I'm have the same issues. However this issue only occurs while the laptop is on a dock. I ran speedfan with logging enabled and tracking all temps. It looks like the laptop heats up to about 105 celsius and then initiates a reboot. The max temp of a P9400 CPU is 105 celsius, this makes sense that the machine is actually overheating.

It's strange to me that it's overheating while on a docking station, where I would suspect it would have better airflow. I'll have to confirm that though. I feel as though this is a design flaw, or some sort of issue on Dells part. This laptop is clean on the inside. I opened it up to confirm there were no clogs in the ventilation path.

I ran dell diagnostics while on and off the docking station and nothing came up, but randomly as the user was using this device it would start clocking up really high and the temprature of the CPU would climb over 2.46 minutes and then finally it reaches 105C and the computer initiates a restart.

My machine is still under warranty, so I will be asking dell for replacement parts. We'll see how it goes.