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djkronik57
8 Posts
0
1868
May 27th, 2006 20:00
New Computer Unusable After Prolonged Operation
I just got a brand new Dell E510 two weeks ago and it's developed a strange behavior after being on for more than a few hours. Eventually, it will get to a state where the screen gets all messed up and the start menu is on the top of the screen and random buttons show up everywhere and the entire screen is blank. Basically it looks like someone just scrambled up everything on my screen. Fonts disappear and are replaced with generic fonts and it becomes totally unusable. I cannot see anything, yet it responds to key strokes. Task manager does not initialize. Once I got it to initialize and 2GB of memory was being used (about 300MB is normal). I figured it might be a memory leak, but there were no programs using that much memory. I almost always have to just hit the power button to fix it. What is going on?
- Assuming you're at the borderline stage on the return option, you might want to see your User Guide (always a good place to start when you're having hardware problems) under "Solving Problems" for instructions on running the Dell Diagnostics, and then run them from a cold start (i.e., system off and unplugged for at least an hour) state. Keep running them (I think it's called "loop" in the testing options) until it tilts from the probably thermal related failure, and set the tests to log the results, since Dell is most likely going to require you to do that and report same before they'll even talk to you about a replacement anyway.
djkronik57
8 Posts
191
0
Posted May 29th, 2006 05:00
Wow, does it really warrant returning the computer? Is not likely to be something I can fix myself? I just would rather not have to go through the hassle of returning it and transferring all of my data. Would it be something so serious? Now I'm worried!
@djkronik57 wrote:
Wow, does it really warrant returning the computer?
A matter of opinion, I guess, but if it's unusable, I would certainly consider that sufficient grounds for returning it.
Is not likely to be something I can fix myself?
If you have to ask that question here, my guess would be "probably not."
I just would rather not have to go through the hassle of returning it and transferring all of my data.
As would all of us, under similar circumstances, but it happens all the time. Welcome to the wonderful world of personal computing.
Would it be something so serious?
It certainly sounds that way to me. Then again, you haven't indicated whether you've tried the previous suggestion about running the Diags, so I guess it's anyone's guess, but it sounds like a hardware failure.
Now I'm worried!
Consider yourself lucky - these things usually happen the day after the warranty expires.
djkronik57
8 Posts
191
0
Posted May 30th, 2006 14:00
I contacted Dell support and the assured me it was not a hardware related issue but instead related to software that I have installed and that I should do a system restore. This left me feeling somewhat unsettled considering what you guys have been saying. I ran the hardware diagnostics and it found no problems. I guess I'll just try to work through this instead of returning it. It's not totally unusable, it only happens if I leave it on overnight or when I go to work during the day. Then I just have to restart it and it is fine. Thank you for your input and help!
djkronik57 wrote:
I contacted Dell support and the assured me it was not a hardware related issueHee hee...I've heard that one before.
but instead related to software that I have installed and that I should do a system restore. This left me feeling somewhat unsettled considering what you guys have been saying. I ran the hardware diagnostics and it found no problems. I guess I'll just try to work through this instead of returning it. It's not totally unusable, it only happens if I leave it on overnight or when I go to work during the day.
I leave some of my systems on for weeks at a time, and have never experienced such a problem under Windows XP. I have experienced such a problem when hardware fails, though. Must just be a coincidence.
Being as how this only occurs after extended up time, have you run the Diags in loop mode to simulate that condition, or did you just make one pass?
djkronik57
8 Posts
191
0
Posted June 1st, 2006 04:00
Well I'm glad I didn't listen to tech support, because the problem was actually very simple, although they did hint at it when suggesting it was software related. I decided to download a free registry cleaner to see if maybe installing new programs and removing all the free-trial stuff that comes loaded on a new Dell left a mess that was causing this.
Sure enough, 450 bad entries in the registry. I cleaned it out and my computer has been running fine for 2 days straight now. Yes!! :)
Thanks for your help guys.
"Bad" is something of a subjective term when it comes to registry entries, and I'm loathe to suggest any sort of registry cleaner under any circumstances, but here's a good example of the fact that those of us here have no way of knowing what kind of garbage a person has allowed to become resident on a system. Troubleshooting these things successfully is contingent upon being able to reasonably conclude that the operator has maintained sufficient awareness of and control over the local environment, and if those conditions aren't met, then it's certainly going to be anybody's guess as to what went wrong.
@djkronik57 wrote:
Sure enough, 450 bad entries in the registry.
beneteau
463 Posts
191
0
Posted May 27th, 2006 20:00
Message Edited by beneteau on 05-29-200606:49 AM