I am pretty confident that what the computer tech I brought it to was accurate - that it is the mother board, unfortunately.
I have run every diagnostic test possible.
I still say SHAME ON DELL.
I really appreciate your time, patience and help in confirming that information.
I have placed my order with Toshiba, have the 4 year warranty and have no doubt that I won't regret my decision to abandon Dell - considering they didn't blink at the thought of abandoning me when the chips were down (especially considering how many Dell's I have purchased over the years, for myself and gifts for friends, etc).
in that case, part it out and sell it on ebay. you'd make the most off the lcd ... and you may make a little off the keyboard, video card, ram, and the broken mainboard.
I had one more question for you --- I have a friend who might want my notebook.
As I understand it, the hard drive can be purchased anywhere.
Is the mother board something that would need to be purchased through Dell or can that also be purchased elsewhere?
And, is the mother board something the average user can replace (like the hard drive) or is that something someone with advanced hardware experience should deal with?
I own an Inspirion 8600 and Have had my mother board replaced twice after calling dell about 100 times and jumping through hoops for untold hours on the phone. Now that the mother board is changed for the second time, I have had my windows program reloaded for the second time and cannot make my instant messengers work at all and have only recently resolved problems with my CD player by reinstalling my windows program yet a third time.
I can also say this, If i had known that dell would drop the ball and leave me high and dry when I experienced problems with my windows software,, (after it was bundled with their product which would make one think they would help you resolve any problems), I would have never made my 3000.00 purchase!
I have had my inspirion for 2 years now and would return it in a second if I could. It wouldhave gone back in 1 year if I had been thinking or would have known how this would all turn out.
Initially, my problems began with my computer not comming on when I pushed the power up button. This went on from time to time for over a year while i called dell support over and over and they had me do the usual... battery out battery in,, un plug,, plug in.. OMG!! They had me taking things out of the bottom of the computer that I had never worked with before! This is support??????? I had to scream and get angry before they would finally send someone out the first time. The second time, I absolutly refused to do anything to my computer, and demanded a tech at my house before they would send someone out.. now, remember, I paid for this service! As a customer, I am so extremly disapointed with dell and the service I have received. I will never never never purchase another dell computer. I gurantee my next lap top will be an HP.
If a dell tech views this or anyone who cares to help a dissatisified customer..
The motherboard can be purchased from anywhere that sells it -- it is, however a proprietary part. Dell spare parts would be the typical source. Places like
www.parts-people.com would be another. Ebay will work -- but make sure you pay with paypal and ensure that the board is ensured to be working and not password protected.
Hello, Thanks for the advise, I am going to head to the microsoft web site and attempt to find some sort of solution. Its just a shame that dell does not include software support in their warrenty that is so expensive to begin with and then they ship you to some place over seas to talk to people who cannot understand you and you cannot understand them! Plus, they only read off some screen and know virtually nothing about your computer! I want dell to know this, I am going to purchase a HP next time,, and I will purchase it locally and make sure that I can talk to some one who can help me right away and not wait weeks and make 100 calls to get the job done.
I have been having the EXACT same problems. My Inspiron 8500 started doing all of this in April 2005.
I'm no longer under warrenty and figured there is no point in contacting Dell...but since I have seen quite a few people on these forums having the same problems...and I don't mean just one thing, it's MANY things in the SAME computer, that it is a DELL Problem and not just a random case.
I am disgusted with Dell and have been ever since I found out I'm not the only one to experience this.
Right now my laptop is not usable whatsoever because I cannot afford to even have it looked at.
I have been trying to save unreplaceable things from my laptop (like pictures and such) but have been unsuccessful as of yet due to my laptop freezing, or telling my D BAY is uncompatible or some sort.
I would also try to do some of the diagnostics, but my computer will only stay on for minutes at a time...sometimes not even long enough to completely boot up.
You would think that a $2500 computer would last a lot longer than under 2 years.
Dell SHOULD be ASHAMED that this has happened to many people. I can only imagine HOW MANY!
if you need to save data, your best bet is to mount the HD in another machine... the easiest way is probably to buy a 2.5" USB2 enclosure, put the drive in it, and connect it to a computer with USB2
My laptop must have been listening to me rant today, because not 10 minutes after writing that last post I was able to burn 5 discs of pictures and data, and it was working pretty well...until I touched it. Then all heck broke loose again.
BUT! I got the important stuff...and now I can throw my troubles out the window....ok, so I won't, but I'd like to!
FrancineSF
17 Posts
0
November 16th, 2005 17:00
NemesisDB
2 Intern
•
7.9K Posts
0
November 16th, 2005 22:00
FrancineSF
17 Posts
0
November 17th, 2005 14:00
annellis35
2 Posts
0
November 17th, 2005 15:00
I own an Inspirion 8600 and Have had my mother board replaced twice after calling dell about 100 times and jumping through hoops for untold hours on the phone. Now that the mother board is changed for the second time, I have had my windows program reloaded for the second time and cannot make my instant messengers work at all and have only recently resolved problems with my CD player by reinstalling my windows program yet a third time.
I can also say this, If i had known that dell would drop the ball and leave me high and dry when I experienced problems with my windows software,, (after it was bundled with their product which would make one think they would help you resolve any problems), I would have never made my 3000.00 purchase!
I have had my inspirion for 2 years now and would return it in a second if I could. It wouldhave gone back in 1 year if I had been thinking or would have known how this would all turn out.
Initially, my problems began with my computer not comming on when I pushed the power up button. This went on from time to time for over a year while i called dell support over and over and they had me do the usual... battery out battery in,, un plug,, plug in.. OMG!! They had me taking things out of the bottom of the computer that I had never worked with before! This is support??????? I had to scream and get angry before they would finally send someone out the first time. The second time, I absolutly refused to do anything to my computer, and demanded a tech at my house before they would send someone out.. now, remember, I paid for this service! As a customer, I am so extremly disapointed with dell and the service I have received. I will never never never purchase another dell computer. I gurantee my next lap top will be an HP.
If a dell tech views this or anyone who cares to help a dissatisified customer..
my case # was: 107396886
NemesisDB
2 Intern
•
7.9K Posts
0
November 17th, 2005 22:00
As an alternative, a place like www.aqstech.com might be able to repair your current board.
annellis35
2 Posts
0
November 18th, 2005 13:00
Hello, Thanks for the advise, I am going to head to the microsoft web site and attempt to find some sort of solution. Its just a shame that dell does not include software support in their warrenty that is so expensive to begin with and then they ship you to some place over seas to talk to people who cannot understand you and you cannot understand them! Plus, they only read off some screen and know virtually nothing about your computer! I want dell to know this, I am going to purchase a HP next time,, and I will purchase it locally and make sure that I can talk to some one who can help me right away and not wait weeks and make 100 calls to get the job done.
Annette
airborne435
3 Posts
0
January 17th, 2006 17:00
I have been having the EXACT same problems. My Inspiron 8500 started doing all of this in April 2005.
I'm no longer under warrenty and figured there is no point in contacting Dell...but since I have seen quite a few people on these forums having the same problems...and I don't mean just one thing, it's MANY things in the SAME computer, that it is a DELL Problem and not just a random case.
I am disgusted with Dell and have been ever since I found out I'm not the only one to experience this.
Right now my laptop is not usable whatsoever because I cannot afford to even have it looked at.
I have been trying to save unreplaceable things from my laptop (like pictures and such) but have been unsuccessful as of yet due to my laptop freezing, or telling my D BAY is uncompatible or some sort.
I would also try to do some of the diagnostics, but my computer will only stay on for minutes at a time...sometimes not even long enough to completely boot up.
You would think that a $2500 computer would last a lot longer than under 2 years.
Dell SHOULD be ASHAMED that this has happened to many people. I can only imagine HOW MANY!
NemesisDB
2 Intern
•
7.9K Posts
0
January 17th, 2006 22:00
airborne435
3 Posts
0
January 17th, 2006 23:00
My laptop must have been listening to me rant today, because not 10 minutes after writing that last post I was able to burn 5 discs of pictures and data, and it was working pretty well...until I touched it. Then all heck broke loose again.
BUT! I got the important stuff...and now I can throw my troubles out the window....ok, so I won't, but I'd like to!