SmartPC250N automatic shutdowns SOLUTION !!!

Question

for french people, go to http://delltalk.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=SS-portGH&message.id=1185&view=by_date_ascending&page=4

for english :

So I'm also owner of a Dell SmartPC 250 N for 9 months and I've encountered such shutdowns problems for about one month

RoyChris explains in the French Forum how to do to solve this big issue ! I gonna to explain to you !

1. Shut downs your laptop and remove the battery. Now put the TFT screen a flat and remove carefully the plastic part (with the ON/OFF button) just above the keyboard and the ON/OFF button plug.
2. Remove the 3 screws of the keyboard and the screw of the metallic part at the right side. (be carefull of the keyboard).
3. The heat sink is in the over right side. Now remove the 4 spring screws of the heat sink system.
4. Pull the plastic part above the heat sink in order to remove the heat sink system of the mother card. Be very careful because the microprocessor PenthiumIV can stay stuck to the heat sink
5.Then remove the heat sink plug.
6. Now you can observe and understand why there is automatic shutdowns because of overheating. A really dust carpet has appeared on the copper radiators grates. This dust barrier avoid the air flux from the ventilator to the radiator, and there is no more heat exchange and cooling. So overheating appears rapidly and causes shutdowns.
7. Remove all the dust and then blows air to remove the dust inside the copper grid radiators.
Now the operation of cleaning is finished and you can put back together the laptop. Begin to put the PenthiumIV in the socket (with the lever), plug the heat sink, put the heat sink, the 4 spring screws, the keyboard, the metal part with the screw, the 3 last screws and the plastic part.

So here is the solution of all our problems This intervention can be done by everybody, but you have to make attention when you put back the microprocesseur and the heat sink system. When I do again this intervention (in 9 months I guess ) I will take pictures and do a wab page explanations to the non initiated persons.

Now I want to say Dell support that it 's a shame not to admit that there is a serious design problem in the SmartPC 250N and it's a big error also to put a PenthiumIV, which is a desktop microprocessor. And I really think Dell technical support is not equal to the task when they explain they have to change the motherboard or the microprocessor, or whent they ask to reinstall the Windows XP system !!!

Hope that explanations will help a lot of persons. Thank you to Roychris who don't hesitate to take the little risk to open his laptop first.

See Ya. RaphFromTheSOUTH, Sanary/mer, FRANCE (raph_eggskull@yahoo.fr)

dansmith9 · Answer

Hi and I am one of the very few that have got my 250N replaced. My laptop went away 3 times all to do with the overheating issue and each time came back with the same problem. You are right that there is alot of dust around the fan and that the processor should never of been attended for notebook use, but even after my laptop came back from repair the problems still continued. The dust doesnt really matter as because the processor is too big for the notebook, it cant get enough air to cool it down, then shuts down to prevent any damage. Obviously the dust doesnt help the problem, but even after all the dust being cleaned out you will find that the same problems still exist.

RaphFromTheSout · Answer

As for me, all is OK  ! the difference is obvious since the cleaning   and I'm sure that will continue for 9 monts again !!!! Bye   RaPh

stuntman5 · Answer

I cleaned the heatsink yesterday. It was full of dust and stuff. Now my laptop seems to work fine, no more shutdown. It even runs silently most of the time (no fan noises). I really advice you to clean that heatsink, it 's not so hard and complicated. It took me 20 minutes.

SteveHill UK · Answer

That is great advice there, finally someone who actually seems to know what the problem is. I've had to live with that problem of it randomly restarting and crashing for 15 months as regular sometimes as 3 times in an hour.

However I found a new problem today, which is really worrying me, I'm from the UK and i'm 18 so I got some huge exams coming up in a week, and all my work is locked in that machine. The problem is it won't start up, it'll boot up, move to the Windows XP screen, the little bar scans twice and returns to the reboot screen and it goes round and round all day. Ive tried repairing then reinstalling windows, changing boot up settings, nothing works. And just top it off its just out of the guarantee.

If you or anyone has any idea out there on how to fix it, i'd be very grateful.

Steve

Vogie · Answer

RalphfromtheSouth & Stuntman5:   What processor do you have?

MrShuf · Answer

I've read this post on how to clean the head sink. I've done them all. But the problem now is that my computer wont boot up. The fan is ok, but the LED (on the bottom of the screen lid wont lit up) means, no operation. please help me =(

DrezRepelin · Answer

i wanted to reply to Ralph ... Thanks for this up date.. fortuneatly in being a major investigator of problems myself , i realized the input in your response... and in taking apart the heat sink i realized the same thing a huge dust ball ... major problems..

but my concern is that the silver compound used between the CPU and the heatsink is all dissolved .. like the actual sticker like pouch that contained it had popped and with the heat dried it all up .. when i pulled my heat sink off yesterday it was reall sticky and the top of the cpu was really sticky also i did not want to clean it since i do not know what kind of compound to buy or use...

Maybe you guys on here can help me . out .. SMARTSTEP 250 P4 2.4 which i also agree is a little agressive for being a laptop..

DREZREPELIN

bouboul · Answer

J'ai également un problème de shutdown intempestif du à une surchauffe et en plus des pbs graphiques avec le Mobility 6. Le système plante en utilisant le couper/coller sous Powerpoint. Quelqu'un aurait il une solution ou un driver M6 qui fonctionne ? merci

bouboul · Answer

let's say it in English.

As others I have got the shutdowns on Smart Step due to the CPU heating but moreover I have also a problem with the graphic driver (Mobility 6) that crash my computer when I am using Powerpoint. Somebody has an idea to find a better driver for this bloody board or ? thanks a lot.

hiram1960 · Answer

I have the same problem like yours Mr. Shuf, after cleaning fan is working but black screen. did you fix yours. Please help

Message Edited by hiram1960 on 02-11-2004 02:25 PM

Message Edited by hiram1960 on 02-11-2004 02:27 PM

Ams121 · Answer

i also have tried cleaning the computer and seem to have a similar problem to you the drive make noise and the fan even works and i can even hear the hard drive but the computer doesn't boot and the screen remains blank, have checked and rechecked that everything was put back properly but no joy if any one has any idea's please help

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SmartPC250N automatic shutdowns SOLUTION !!!

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