M170 - Read/write video memory errors @ Dell Diagnostics.

I must ask you one question before I get on the phone with Dell.

Do you guys have an strange noise when you adjust the mastervolume with the volumecontrol in the bottom right corner? My laptop has a very enoying/LOUD sound that is played at 100% volume even if the volumecontrol is set for minimum. When using a headset my ears hurt.

 

Since there are many of us that has the same problem why can't DELL take things seriously?

Last time I called it in, I sat for one hour and the guy said to me "someone will call you in a day or two" Guess what nobody called me. To sit and talk jibberish with some lasy guy and do the diagnostics is nothing I prefer to do. 

 

Easy as Dell.... my ***

 

Here I have some pics of the same issues as the first poster has, notice that the screens are almost identical.

 

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d97/Gilbert21/nullerpskjerm.jpg

my screen:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d97/Gilbert21/IMG_1777.jpg

huijbrec's screen:

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/414/bootscreenlg1.jpg

 

 

 

I am really sorry to hear that Gilbert.  It seems the problems are re-occurring in almost every case.  I am going to buy a cooling pad for my M170 when it comes back from repair by Dell, but I never used my M170 for gaming, just graphics and rendering.   Sounds like Dell put out a bad design or something.  It has been a real hardship for me to not have my notebook, since I used it to administer my church's website, and unfornately for me it took 4 days and 4 techs before I got one that didn't treat me like an idiot, before I could even get them to confirm the problem.  It is a strange glitch in that I have noticed many of us haven't had the problem until well into the second year, but the new cards only seem to be lasting a short time after replacement. 

 

Your new card should have its own short warranty, I would try having it replaced again, or getting your money back.  Personally I am thinking the graphics cards overheat, and then damage/weaken the motherboard putting it all into a vicious cycle.

 

Toila

Yep, my screen also looked exactly like that!  I have had no problems with the volume control at all.  I wish Dell would be more helpful as well.  I have encouraged numerous friends to buy Dell...sighs.

 

Toila

Gilbert,

 

I have had no problems either with the volume control.

 

Hey Oliver,

 

I wish we could blame it just on the 6800 card, but 7800's have had problems too in the M170's notebooks.  I guess it could be the power source, but your talking desktop vs. laptop. 

 

I just can't believe that Dell doesn't just replace whatever needs to be replaced in this lot of bad video/ motherboard/ power source, whether its in warranty or not.  There is obviously a problem and since we have all had similiar patterns of problems, it is obviously with the computers and not the users.

 

Interesting note, my noteback is due back to me tomorrow.  It had a five day turn around by Dell and DHL.  I am impressed with that.  Just hope its fixed for a good long time. 

 

Toila

Now I feel like I am talking to myself, lol.  I just noticed that Dell apparently outsources their repairs.  I looked up the tracking info from DHL.  My notebook was repaired by Solectron Global out of Memphis, TN.  I am wondering if they track problems for Dell and report them, or if Dell gives a hoot?  I know I tried and tried to get the techs I spoke too to read this thread and they said they couldn't find it.  One tech did finally find it, but then they transferred to the supervisor who told me to use canned air on my notebook vents to clean out the dust.  I think not.  Here's you sign buddy. 

 

I know Dell's main office is in Texas (or it use to be) and when I called there a few years back to complain about the language barrier with their outsourced Tech support I got a personal phone call back from them. 

 

Ok I am rambling and tired.  If anyone else has any ideas, let me know.  I know I am not willing to buy a new computer when I spent close to 3k on my M170 and its not even 2 years old.  I have a Dimension 4100 that is still just trucking along, and has never had a hardware failure.

 

Toila

I haven't called Dell tech-support yet. Since I really hate to call them. I think it is difficult to call them and try to explain, what my problems are. And what I demand Dell to do with my pc. Why do I have a problem with that? Because my motherlanguage is Norwegian and tech-support for XPS-computers are in English/british. Difficult to explain them exactly what I mean.

 

So they said they coldn't find it? they probably didn't try to find it i guess.

How hard can it be?"...dell's forum, search for m170..."

 

I hope that you get your laptop fixed and that no problems will haunt you Toila and all the others here that experience the same issues.

 

  

 

Got my laptop back today.  It seems to be working fine.  They put another 6800 video card in it along with a new motherboard...they didn' see fit to install the drivers and, unfornaturely the outsourced repair company did not see fit to do as I asked them to do, in writing, which was to take care not to mar the lid of my machine.  It came back with several scratches and a cloudy looking scrape that runs the entire length of the cover.  Now you all know how cool the lid of an XPS looks, right?  I sent it to them in perfect condition.  I am just sick about it, and so disgusted I can't even begin to tell you.   I take care of my property, especially when it cost almost $3000!

 

I would highly recommend not sending your machines anywhere, but request Dell send someone to  your home to fix your computer so you can watch them and protect your property.

 

I am going to the corporate office about this. 

 

Toila

I spoke too soon...my laptop does not recognize the nvidia drivers on reboot or start up.  Spent two hours on the phone with Dell.  I got a really nice guy named David from XPS specialist group and he confirmed the problem, was then sent back to out of warranty parts who then sent me to a non XPS Tech who had me uninstall the driver(s) and the card hardware, and reinstall, which David had already done thru DellDirectConnect. Same problem.   Now I have been told to reformat the harddrive and reinstall the OS.  Will let you know later today how that works out.   (Waves bye bye at $528 and cries in frustration!)

 

Toila

I feel sorry for your behalf. I like to take care of things to :D hasn't removed the plastic that covers the backpanel .... and I have had my laptop for two years. 

 

I just had a phone call woth a tech-dude.And guess what?!!

My screen turned black, so I had to get another monitor. Rebooted the system and hold the fn-button. But still no signal. Then I had to press fn and f8 to switch to the external monitor. This monitor had signal and the diagnostics revealed a error message. 1000-0333 (I think)

He told me to reboot to see if I could get in to my OS. Yes, I gpt into my OS. But the picture was corrupt and had gone down to 4bit colours :P

From that point he  couldn't  help me :(

he told me that on Monday I will have a guy come home to me to check my pc.

Lets hope this will not cost me any money and that the person who comes, knows what he is doing.

 

 

 

Hmmm that was weird, after rebooting my pc(with a external monitor) The external mon. didn't got any signal/signal error. So I switched back to the laptop monitor, and it functioned..."scratching my head wondering what the he.. is going on"

 

Restarted again to see if it was a one-timer, but it wasn't. :D

So it seems that I don't have to use another monitor \o/ just to check on this community and to do my e-mails.

 

A little drop of sunshine in this dark times.

The reformat worked, but as you all know it will take hours and hours to restore all the updates, programs and files.  Seems like Dell should be paying me to do all this stuff!  lol  I took pictures of the cosmetic damage and sent them to Customer Service.  If that doesn't work, then I will go to the main office in Texas. 

 

You are smart not to remove the plastic protective covering.  Mine had started to peel up so I removed it.  I babied that machine.  It was as perfect as the day I got it. 

 

I know I sound like a whiner, and I do appreciate everyone listening.  Hope your tech visit goes well Gilbert.

 

Toila

Well they replaced my motherboard as well, but I am definitely leary of spending all the time required to put everything back on the notebook just to have it go down again. 

 

I am going to say this really appears to be a systemic defect with this series of notebooks and Dell should replace the whole unit.

 

Toila