Thanks for the quick replys. I have had the system for several weeks now and it seems to be getting slower instead of faster. I have already removed all the startup programs in msconfig and in the services.msc that I can. I attempted to install another hard drive in the second drive bay and found the base distorted and would not accept the drive. I was on the phone for 4 hours and talked to 6 different Dell support people to try and get the tower replaced and they advised that since it was over the 21 day return period I was out of luck. They offered, at one point, to give me a $50.00 coupon for all my trouble. I did not accept. They offered to send a technician to my house to verify the chassis was warped. I took that offer as an insult, all but accusing me I was lying about the chassis. Many of the Adobe programs that came with the system want open. I did a factory restore and that did not help. Not happy with my XPS 420 but even more unhappy with Dell XPS support. Sorry for the rant, but I need to tell it like it is. Thanks

I an guessing that is the fan? Which is pretty standard on startup.

 

I don't know about processes etc. You may need to spend a little time configuring your system. If it really is that slow then there may be a problem which means system replacement. If you have a good CPU and 4gb RAM then you shouldn't be noticing any performance issues on immediate startup, with no apps running.

THe noise you are hearing is probably the fans or whatever kicking on when it first gets power.  I have that when I wake it up from sleep.  It whirs for a couple seconds and it's quit.

 

For the first few days it might be slow as it's indexing.  You can stop this feature, but it sure comes in handy when searching.  But after indexing and prefetching etc, things should speed up.

 

As far as processes you can stop a lot of services and processes from starting.  Go to start, type msconfig on the search button and enter that.  Stop services and startups and you won't have as much stuff running.  But beware of what you stop, you might need some of it.  

 

 

Is it a screech?

 

Also post your full spec. 

Yeah, if they offered me $50 for all the trouble, I would have told them...well I can't say exactly what I would tell them as my post would get deleted.

 

Sounds like you have more issues than what I originally thought.  Adobe should function properly but if it does not than there is definitely issues.

 

I would think with software not working, chassis warped, slow speed, that they could replace even outside the 21 day period.  The computer is under warranty so you would think that would cover it.

 

I hope things get settled for you.  I own two and have been extremely lucky as far as speed, reliability, video quality, games, media stuff.  Very few, if any, issues.

 

 

Thanks for your reply. It seems to be more of a very loud grind/roar, almost like a dog growling. Last about 5 seconds and then stops. Although Dell XPS support says this is normal, I cannot believe Dell would design and build a system with this amount of noise. And I am not talking a little noise like when a motor starts and winds up to the rated rpm. I know this noise and the one I am experiencing is not that. System specs. are Dell XPS 420

Windows Vista Home Premium

Q6600 cpu

4x1 gb module Hyundai memory

Nvidia 8800gt video card

500 gb Western Digital hard drive 7200 rpm with NCQ Primary

500 gb Maxtor 16 mb cache hard drive 7200 rpm Secondary (not raid)

425 watt power supply

TSSTcorp DVD+-RW

HL-DT-ST DVD-RW-BD

4 gb Sandisk Superboost

Memory Card Reader

Bluetooth Device

10/100/1000 On Board NIC

Dell Premium Speakers with Sub woofer

Dell Multimedia keyboard

Hope I didn't forget anything. Thanks

Sorry, I read your last post after my last post. I know for a fact that Dell can replace defective products after their official 21 day return/replace policy. Two weeks ago I had a 2407WFP monitor to fail. I called support and they said they would replace it with a refurbished model which was unacceptable since this defective monitor was just a few months old. I had to talk to 9 (yes 9) different Dell support people before they would offer to replace it with a new, unopened, monitor. They dispatched the new monitor and I received it in a couple days, sent the old one back and I was very satisfied except that it took me all day long to achieve this. If the monitor had been at least a year or more older, I could have understood. I have a 3 year warranty on the monitor. But, Dell seems to have dropped the ball on support. I have purchased and recommended Dell products since Dell has been in business, but for whatever reason, Dell has seemed to drop the ball on their products and support. No need to threaten or conjole Dell, just choose to by your computer products elsewhere. You probably want get any better equipment or service but at least you gave Dell an opportunity to make their products and support right and they failed miserably.

Hi

 

I was wondering. Do you have problem recording sound you hear on your XPS 420 system?

 

Regards

 

Jerry

Hello Jerry, I can hear sound from the sound system and it is actually reasonable. It is not, however, as good as my older sound system that my wife got at a yard sell for 5 dollars. It was a Gateway with large dual speakers and a very large sub woofer with rich base. The Dell has very little base. I have not recorded any sound as of yet since I have been trying to resolve all the other issues with the system.

My 420 is fairly quiet, one of the quietest computers I've owned. It turns out that this is the thing I actually like about the computer. I can hardly hear it, even in a quiet room. It is not a performance machine. Actually, the 420 is just a regular computer. Dell shouldn't call it XPS as this is misleading.