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John684500
9 Posts
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September 7th, 2005 17:00
Random automatic shutdown problem, very strange, need help!
Hey guys,
I'm having some strange automatic shutdown problems on my Dell 8400 I bought last October.
My computer pretty much just turns itself off as if someone pulled the plug on it. I don't get an error message nor a shutdown sequence box. When it automatically shuts off, my on/off button blinks ORANGE and does not turn on my computer when I push it. It continues to blink orange indefinitely until you hold it down for ~4 seconds. Once you do this, it stops blinking and it lets you turn on the computer. Sometimes I don't even fully load up windows before it turns itself off again.
Once or twice, I have received an error message when loading up windows (this is after it had auto shut itself off) that said in short: Your computer did not shut itself off properly. If your computer automatically shut off, it was trying to protect program files from corruption.
I only got that far before it, once again, shut itself off.
The one strange thing about this automatic shutting off is - it only happens before about 1 or 2 o'clock. If I don't turn it on all day, and turn it on in the evening. I NEVER get an automatic shutdown. But when I turn it on at 6 AM, it almost always happens. I'm not sure if the time of day has anything to do with my shut down problems, but I though I'd let you know that it does seem to affect it.
This is very frustrating since I cannot seem to find any answers from all the help sites I've been too.
If this is in the wrong forum I'm terribly sorry, please move it.
I appreciate any help. Thank you!!
- John Esmet
I'm having some strange automatic shutdown problems on my Dell 8400 I bought last October.
My computer pretty much just turns itself off as if someone pulled the plug on it. I don't get an error message nor a shutdown sequence box. When it automatically shuts off, my on/off button blinks ORANGE and does not turn on my computer when I push it. It continues to blink orange indefinitely until you hold it down for ~4 seconds. Once you do this, it stops blinking and it lets you turn on the computer. Sometimes I don't even fully load up windows before it turns itself off again.
Once or twice, I have received an error message when loading up windows (this is after it had auto shut itself off) that said in short: Your computer did not shut itself off properly. If your computer automatically shut off, it was trying to protect program files from corruption.
I only got that far before it, once again, shut itself off.
The one strange thing about this automatic shutting off is - it only happens before about 1 or 2 o'clock. If I don't turn it on all day, and turn it on in the evening. I NEVER get an automatic shutdown. But when I turn it on at 6 AM, it almost always happens. I'm not sure if the time of day has anything to do with my shut down problems, but I though I'd let you know that it does seem to affect it.
This is very frustrating since I cannot seem to find any answers from all the help sites I've been too.
If this is in the wrong forum I'm terribly sorry, please move it.
I appreciate any help. Thank you!!
- John Esmet
Not as strange as it sounds.
I have a Dimension 4700 that is only about 5 months old and it has been doing the same thing. After numerous calls to technical support (over 30) and 4 in house visits by a technican where they replaced the motherboard 3 times, the processor twice, the power supply once, the cooling fan twice, the modem card???, the video card and the hard drive twice, still having the same problem. The last in house visit the technican is about 99% sure that it is some type of overheating issue as we used a fan too cool the board and it stayed on until the fan was turned off.
Dell tech support told me that they have never had this issue before which I find very hard to believe.
Right now I'm going thru the very trying "system exchange" where no one can seem to tell you when you will receive the new one and from the voice mail I had yesterday they want the old one back first(not going to happen).
Hope you have better luck with Dell tech support than I had, if you don't call them you can be assured they won't call you back. Same goes for the "customer support" people who also never respond, no sorry 1 in 10 will respond back.
John684500
9 Posts
332
0
Posted September 11th, 2005 18:00
Man, the last thing I need is bad Dell CS. My warrenty expires in 3 weeks.
I said this problem of mine only happens in the morning. I was wrong. It happened again last night at about 8 pm, and the day before that at around 4 pm. I guess it happening in the morning was just coincidence.
I'll give dell a call and see what they say.Hope you have lots of time for that call, I've been on the phone for hours at a time "troubleshooting" and don't wait for someone to call back, it will never happen until you get a good a mount of calls already logged. Be sure to get names and badge numbers and track when you call and how long the calls are.
Good Luck.
I had the exact same issue with the Dell Dimension 8400 that I bought in January. Replaced the power supply, motherboard, heat sink, and cpu, but nothing fixed the problem. Dell sent me a replacement computer system about 3-4 weeks after I initially reported the problem.
I received my replacement system Friday and just set it up. The replacement system is "refurbished" and won't turn off. The first time I plugged it up, it automatically booted. Everytime I choose shut down, it turns off and then starts up again within a few seconds. Another issue to chase down with technical support. :(
Majestic
2 Intern
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9371 Posts
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Posted September 7th, 2005 20:00
Message Edited by Majestic on 09-07-2005 04:37 PM