Update on my situation: After submitting my last post I tore through my event log and eliminated all of the various errors that my 1557 was throwing (aside from two seemingly harmless DHCP errors I haven't quite figured out) . Turns out my boot up freezes were the result of a corrupted homegroup profile file--likely the result of all the video-related freezes I was originally experiencing. So, after fixing all the errors I tried hwam's driver solution again and for the past few days my 1557 has been the most stable it ever has. I've only had one freeze under the current configuration, and it was a complete mystery to me... nothing in the logs to work with other than the unexpected shutdown error.
aviator - let us know what you find out. I suspect overall stability is just a matter of some GPU/chipset drivers (especially seeing the difference the modded driver has made), but there's always that small part of me that worries about a hardware issue.
Where did you download a newer version? On the Dell site I only can find the 8.634.0.0000, A11 version for the Dell Studio 1557 AMD ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 4570.
aviator - let us know what you find out. I suspect overall stability is just a matter of some GPU/chipset drivers (especially seeing the difference the modded driver has made), but there's always that small part of me that worries about a hardware issue.
so I was told by the manager in the hardware support line that I would get a call back within 48hrs (that was to yesterday) and I got nothing! I called them back and spoke to another floor manager. He assured me I would get a call back within another 48 hrs... What a dissappointment in service from Dell! I'll keep you posted when I hear. This time I took the "managers" badge id!
On the Dell site still version 8.634.0.0000, A11 is available (a September 2009 version). The Gateway version is newer: 8.672.3_7a (November 2009). This Gateway version is running great on my Studio 1557. But I installed the OS from scratch and I didn't install the Catalyst stuff. Only the modded 8.672.3_7a driver.
Since updating to package 9.12 of Radoen drivers using the mod tool, I've had only 2 freezes in four days! Much improved - sure beats anything I've done before.
Reproduced from the event logs from the last freeze - it's a little Greek to me. Any signs of overheating of Realtek PCI controller misbehaving?
=========
Log Name: System Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power Date: 16/1/2010 12:24:20 AM Event ID: 41 Task Category: (63) Level: Critical Keywords: (2) User: SYSTEM Computer: marvin-PC Description: The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly. Event Xml:
I was copying a file to my NAS and downloading with newsleecher today (all wireless, i never use a network cable, I even disabled my NIC). So no video and no hardware accelerator things. Just an unexpected reboot. Typical a thermal issue I guess.
Had the same or similar problem,black screens,crashes,freezes,mainly when trying to watch movies in full screen at you tube and any other sites.After 3 weeks of struggle dell replaced the 1557 with a new one, but the same problem persists.
The problem may be caused by flash player 10.
The solution,that is working for me:
When watching a movie,right click on the movie,settings,display,then unchecked:enable hardware accelerator,
I investigated my minidump files from 9 and 15 Jan. The one from 9 Jan. is pointing to the netw5v64.sys (wifi) driver from the Windows 7 clean install. That's the one with the "v" in it. I explained this in an earlier post. And the minidump from 15 Jan. is pointing to the NETw5s64.sys (wifi) driver. This one is the one from the Dell download site. I updated this driver after my 9 Jan. crash. I remember that. Maybe stil a driver problem. Please let me know if you want to investigate your minidump files.
I got exact the same problem. I got it 3 times (8, 9 and 15 Jan.) after the clean install I did two weeks ago. Since the clean install I’m using the Gateway drivers. It's not a freeze anymore but a complete unexpected reboot. So I think we have another problem. The Laptop was running 3 hours when I got the reboot. I don’t know what the events log mean. Maybe we also have a thermal problem in the 1557 i7. I was happy after the Gateway driver update but now I’m not happy anymore. I think the 1557 has more problems. I will call Dell again and also make a call for this unexpected reboot problem. Can you search for the “Atikmdag has stopped responding and has successfully recovered” event on your Laptop? I think it has nothing to do with the problem we have now. When I got the “Atikmdag has stopped responding and has successfully recovered” problem the Laptop was not rebooting at the same time. The screen went black and even a ctrl-alt-del was not working. The problem we have now is completely different. It’s an unexpected reboot with indeed the event you described. Can you acknowledge that? What a bad Dell product is this. I’m getting angrier and angrier. Like I told before, I’m working with Dell for 9 years now for my work. We have Latitude and Optiplex models. I’m an Application Manager for FABORY in the Netherlands. I will contact our Dell inside sales next week and explain what kind of problems we have. If you or other guys have more or exact the same problem please let me know.
My wife's 1557 has been having the same freeze problems. We received the PC on Jan 3, and I turned it on, did the Windows validation, Windows updates, driver updates, etc. About two days later it started freezing, and has done it up to six times in a day.
I contacted Dell about it and had a technician take a look at it (using Dell Connect). He said that he has a similar laptop (16xx I believe), which uses the same components as the 1557. He also focused on the issue being related to a video driver. Since our laptop is already running the latest driver (which I installed on Jan 3) he removed the ATI driver completely, so the laptop is using the Windows 7 generic driver. He said this will not allow us to play games or use other apps which require graphics acceleration (which is not a problem for my wife). Since this change, she has used the laptop for 6-7 hours, without having any freeze.
swack1001
4 Posts
0
January 12th, 2010 19:00
Hi
Just a fyi I upgraded my video driver for the 1557 from dells site. They now have the right driver.
Good Luck
Jeff
La Tortuga
20 Posts
0
January 12th, 2010 21:00
Update on my situation: After submitting my last post I tore through my event log and eliminated all of the various errors that my 1557 was throwing (aside from two seemingly harmless DHCP errors I haven't quite figured out) . Turns out my boot up freezes were the result of a corrupted homegroup profile file--likely the result of all the video-related freezes I was originally experiencing. So, after fixing all the errors I tried hwam's driver solution again and for the past few days my 1557 has been the most stable it ever has. I've only had one freeze under the current configuration, and it was a complete mystery to me... nothing in the logs to work with other than the unexpected shutdown error.
aviator - let us know what you find out. I suspect overall stability is just a matter of some GPU/chipset drivers (especially seeing the difference the modded driver has made), but there's always that small part of me that worries about a hardware issue.
hwam
147 Posts
0
January 12th, 2010 23:00
Jeff:
Where did you download a newer version? On the Dell site I only can find the 8.634.0.0000, A11 version for the Dell Studio 1557 AMD ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 4570.
Can you give me a direct link?
Thanks.
nnavivan
18 Posts
0
January 13th, 2010 01:00
Ok, after I updated my video driver the pc seems more stable, only one freeze in 5 days, while before it freezed twice a day.
But yesterday it frozen 6 times in all the day!!!!!!!!
What a big surprise!
I was thinking: ok maybe it's a software problem, maybe a will resolve it, but now I'm thinking there is a big problem with my pc.
Now i call dell for assistance.
I will inform you about the events.
aviator_cowboy
11 Posts
0
January 13th, 2010 06:00
so I was told by the manager in the hardware support line that I would get a call back within 48hrs (that was to yesterday) and I got nothing! I called them back and spoke to another floor manager. He assured me I would get a call back within another 48 hrs... What a dissappointment in service from Dell! I'll keep you posted when I hear. This time I took the "managers" badge id!
swack1001
4 Posts
0
January 13th, 2010 10:00
It made it much more stable but it did freeze once in the last 3 days. I think its due to the i7 processors heat. but can't prove it.
here's the link
<ADMIN NOTE: Service Tag Removed Per Privacy Policy>
hwam
147 Posts
0
January 13th, 2010 11:00
Jeff,
On the Dell site still version 8.634.0.0000, A11 is available (a September 2009 version). The Gateway version is newer: 8.672.3_7a (November 2009). This Gateway version is running great on my Studio 1557. But I installed the OS from scratch and I didn't install the Catalyst stuff. Only the modded 8.672.3_7a driver.
Grt.
MarvinLee
9 Posts
0
January 15th, 2010 08:00
hwam,
Since updating to package 9.12 of Radoen drivers using the mod tool, I've had only 2 freezes in four days! Much improved - sure beats anything I've done before.
Reproduced from the event logs from the last freeze - it's a little Greek to me. Any signs of overheating of Realtek PCI controller misbehaving?
=========
Log Name: System
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
Date: 16/1/2010 12:24:20 AM
Event ID: 41
Task Category: (63)
Level: Critical
Keywords: (2)
User: SYSTEM
Computer: marvin-PC
Description:
The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.
Event Xml:
41
2
1
63
0
0x8000000000000002
25666
System
marvin-PC
0
0x0
0x0
0x0
0x0
false
0
Log Name: System
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
Date: 16/1/2010 12:24:22 AM
Event ID: 89
Task Category: (86)
Level: Information
Keywords: (32)
User: SYSTEM
Computer: marvin-PC
Description:
ACPI thermal zone ACPI\ThermalZone\TZ01 has been enumerated.
_PSV = 368K
_TC1 = 0
_TC2 = 10
_TSP = 200ms
_AC0 = 344K
_AC1 = 328K
_AC2 = 0K
_AC3 = 0K
_AC4 = 0K
_AC5 = 0K
_AC6 = 0K
_AC7 = 0K
_AC8 = 0K
_AC9 = 0K
_CRT = 358K
_HOT = 0K
_PSL - see event data.
Event Xml:
89
0
4
86
0
0x8000000000000020
25668
System
marvin-PC
21
ACPI\ThermalZone\TZ01
1
368
0
10
200
344
328
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
358
0
0000000000000000
Log Name: System
Source: RTL8167
Date: 16/1/2010 12:24:28 AM
Event ID: 1
Task Category: None
Level: Warning
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: marvin-PC
Description:
Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller is disconnected from network.
Event Xml:
1
3
0
0x80000000000000
25678
System
marvin-PC
\Device\NDMP8
Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller
00000000020030000000000001000080000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
MarvinLee
9 Posts
0
January 15th, 2010 09:00
Similar problem here
http://en.community.dell.com/forums/p/19274999/19486846.aspx#19486846
Do you guys think any of the solutions could solve our problems?
hwam
147 Posts
0
January 15th, 2010 12:00
I was copying a file to my NAS and downloading with newsleecher today (all wireless, i never use a network cable, I even disabled my NIC). So no video and no hardware accelerator things. Just an unexpected reboot. Typical a thermal issue I guess.
Grt.
shlomoob
3 Posts
0
January 15th, 2010 12:00
Had the same or similar problem,black screens,crashes,freezes,mainly when trying to watch movies in full screen at you tube and any other sites.After 3 weeks of struggle dell replaced the 1557 with a new one, but the same problem persists.
The problem may be caused by flash player 10.
The solution,that is working for me:
When watching a movie,right click on the movie,settings,display,then unchecked:enable hardware accelerator,
good luck.
hwam
147 Posts
0
January 15th, 2010 14:00
I investigated my minidump files from 9 and 15 Jan. The one from 9 Jan. is pointing to the netw5v64.sys (wifi) driver from the Windows 7 clean install. That's the one with the "v" in it. I explained this in an earlier post. And the minidump from 15 Jan. is pointing to the NETw5s64.sys (wifi) driver. This one is the one from the Dell download site. I updated this driver after my 9 Jan. crash. I remember that. Maybe stil a driver problem. Please let me know if you want to investigate your minidump files.
Grt.
hwam
147 Posts
0
January 15th, 2010 23:00
MarvinLee,
I got exact the same problem. I got it 3 times (8, 9 and 15 Jan.) after the clean install I did two weeks ago. Since the clean install I’m using the Gateway drivers. It's not a freeze anymore but a complete unexpected reboot. So I think we have another problem. The Laptop was running 3 hours when I got the reboot. I don’t know what the events log mean. Maybe we also have a thermal problem in the 1557 i7. I was happy after the Gateway driver update but now I’m not happy anymore. I think the 1557 has more problems. I will call Dell again and also make a call for this unexpected reboot problem. Can you search for the “Atikmdag has stopped responding and has successfully recovered” event on your Laptop? I think it has nothing to do with the problem we have now. When I got the “Atikmdag has stopped responding and has successfully recovered” problem the Laptop was not rebooting at the same time. The screen went black and even a ctrl-alt-del was not working. The problem we have now is completely different. It’s an unexpected reboot with indeed the event you described. Can you acknowledge that? What a bad Dell product is this. I’m getting angrier and angrier. Like I told before, I’m working with Dell for 9 years now for my work. We have Latitude and Optiplex models. I’m an Application Manager for FABORY in the Netherlands. I will contact our Dell inside sales next week and explain what kind of problems we have. If you or other guys have more or exact the same problem please let me know.
Thanks, hwam
RBNetEngr
19 Posts
0
January 16th, 2010 08:00
My wife's 1557 has been having the same freeze problems. We received the PC on Jan 3, and I turned it on, did the Windows validation, Windows updates, driver updates, etc. About two days later it started freezing, and has done it up to six times in a day.
I contacted Dell about it and had a technician take a look at it (using Dell Connect). He said that he has a similar laptop (16xx I believe), which uses the same components as the 1557. He also focused on the issue being related to a video driver. Since our laptop is already running the latest driver (which I installed on Jan 3) he removed the ATI driver completely, so the laptop is using the Windows 7 generic driver. He said this will not allow us to play games or use other apps which require graphics acceleration (which is not a problem for my wife). Since this change, she has used the laptop for 6-7 hours, without having any freeze.
-rb
hwam
147 Posts
0
January 17th, 2010 12:00
Hi,
Good news: I found another newer ATI 4570 driver. I found a 11 December 2009 version. The driver leaked from MSI. It displays version 8.690.0.0.
I installed it without modding. The driver was standard for our 4570 Studio Video card.
Here you are:
http://downloads.guru3d.com/ATI-Catalyst-10.1-Beta--Windows-7-%7C-Vista-(32%7C64)-download-2455.html
Good Luck.
I will report the result very soon.
Grt.