Alienware M11x shuts down randomly

I don't know the terms of your warranty but have never heard of a warranty  becoming void because you tried a different operating system and then reverted to the Dell pre-installed one. I think you should contact Dell about getting the computer serviced.

First, though, I would restore the hard drive to the original factory configuration by running Factory Image Restore in your Data Safe as explained on page 86 of the M11x MoBile Manual. If doing that does not fix the problem then it is definitely a hardware issue.

After trying to install Linux alongside Windows 7 on the laptop, I lost the ability to perform a factory image restore.  I had to reformat the drive and then install Windows 7 and no Linux.

That is unfortunate. I could be wrong of course but I don't see why you cannot get warranty service if 7 was the OS pre-installed on your system and it is the OS on it now. Dell might not support some other OS but lack of support is not the same as voiding the warranty.

I am having similar problems with my computer shutting down randomly whenever disconnected from a power source also.

However, my OS is still the same, the only thing that has changed is the BIOS which i downloaded the recommended one from the dell site.

Please let us know Dell if there's a source of problem.

I am having similar problems with my computer shutting down randomly whenever disconnected from a power source also.

If I understand correctly, GreenTadpole who began this thread had the opposite problem. The laptop shut down randomly when connected to power and had to be disconnected just to get it to boot up again.

Please let us know Dell if there's a source of problem.

This is a user-to-user discussion board. You have to contact Dell directly if you want a response from them. If you want more advice from other forum members try posting on the Laptop General Hardware Board. (This is the Laptop Audio Board.)

Have you tried changing your power settings? The laptop might be set to hibernate after being on the battery for awhile. Try setting it to "Always On" or something like that.

Good points on both Jim. I'm kind of new to the dell forums so still learning the ropes around here.

The power settings are always set to on. It's not a matter of hibernation, its more of as if being at a starbucks, library, or another miscellaneous place, and the laptop itself simply shuts off. Multiple times within a general thirty minute range. It's spontaneous at best, and I've had no luck figuring out what the issue possibly could be.

Here's the general order of the process.

Random shut down. Turn on computer, choose boot normally then splits into 1 of 3 ways.

1. Computer immediately shuts down after pressing the power button.

2. Gets to start of desktop and shuts down.

3. Nothing happens for few minutes, and another random shutdown occurs.

I could add a script of what I would say if I were lacking self control but all I will say is that its potentially hilarious.

O and its not a malware problem of any sort, I check multiple times personally and with an antivirus program every week.

JIMCO is correct that my problem occurred while the power supply was plugged in and I was able to restart the laptop by removing power (removing the external power from the laptop) and reinserting it once the laptop booted.  I upgraded to the newer BIOS but this did not solve the problem.

I have not had the problem for approx 6 days but Windows has crashed a few times, the most recent time yesterday.  The past two Windows lockups have occurred within two minutes of powering up the laptop.  Windows 7 just froze and I had to restart the laptop with the power switch.  This lockup did not roll back the system date as did the original problem about which I posted.  The original problem was that the laptop just shuts down.

I have another laptop which is not a Dell but a HP Mini Note running Linux and it too was behaving oddly for a day or two, the battery refusing to charge all of a sudden.  That problem seems to have resolved.  The reason I mention it is that it's possible the problems I am having with the laptops are caused by the AC lines here.

A few minutes after I posted, the original problem reappeared.  I started the Alienware laptop and within a few minutes, the video started going bonkers, then the laptop shut down and restarted but before it can boot, it just emits a series of beeps again and again.  I had to power it down after first pulling out the external power plug, then selected "Boot Windows Normally".  The laptop restarted with the system date rolled back to January 6.  It usually is rolled back to January 5 when this happens.

When the laptop shuts down like this, sometimes the video goes bonkers at first, but other times there is no warning and it just shuts down.  The video is going bonkers again right now.  I am using the newest Nvidia drivers available on the Dell website for this laptop, the one labelled as "BETA".  Perhaps I should try the other driver, the one under "optional"?  I am using the "Recommended" one.

I was wrong about one detail.  I have been using the "Recommended" driver but that is not the BETA.  I am going to install the beta driver now, which is the "Optional" one.

The beta driver (the "optional" driver for this laptop) left me with a lower screen resolution than the driver I was using and I cannot run the video at "performance" level.

I don't like that but if that is the only way I can have stability I will have to accept it.  I am not sure yet that this will fix the problems I have had with the laptop randomly shutting down.

Just dust out your laptop. And I would download the recommended nvidia driver instead of the beta.

This laptop has not had enough use (bought 4 weeks ago) to accumulate much dust.  The beta driver was not very good anyway so I will try the recommended one and set the video to higher performance only when playing Star Trek Online.

I was wondering if you ever solved this?

I'm not in the EXACT situation as you were (sorry, i'm dusting out and old thread), but I got the beeps and the date being rolled back to Jan 6 as well.

The only thing different about mine is that I didn't previously mess with the software. I was in the middle of dl'ing Left for Dead 2/

The problem only appeared on warm days and so appeared to be related to overheating.  I phoned tech support which was extremely frustrating, to say the least.  I was bounced around and put on hold (like the guy named Peggy does in the commercials for a bank) and after about two hours of this, someone told me I would be receiving a box from Fedex on the next business day.  The box came and I packed the laptop in the box and I took the box to Fedex Office (formerly Kinko's) and did not need to pay to ship it.  Just use the label that comes in the box.  I had my laptop back in less than a week.  Just make sure to remove proprietary and personal info before shipping the computer for repair.

I have not had any problems with the laptop and it appears from the paperwork I received that the motherboard was the cause of the problem and it was replaced.

It is a big pain to deal with the tech support people if you live in the US, but it is probably worth it if your computer is still under warranty.