Sofistek, Presumably Dell replaced your system within the 30 day period.
No, I've never had a replacement. Unfortunately, my machine arrived just before I went on vacation, so it never got used for two weeks. I then had a business trip shortly after, when I needed the laptop, so had to put up with the occasional freeze. By the time I got back, it was well over the 30 day period and then I started the slow process of upgrading drivers and BIOSes, to see what might work.
Last night after about the fourth freeze I finally got a blue screen informing of a BIOS problem. Along with a string of characters meaningless to me was a notice to disable BIOS memory options (caching and shadowing). One more call to Dell Tech Support on top of the email for which there has been no reply.
Others have had no luck with a BIOS solution but I can hope.
So, the Dell guy had me flash the BIOS to AO5 and call back if the machine still freezes in three days. Not if it freezes on days one or two but on the third. Sound rather biblical to me. Five minutes into this first day it froze up. Definitely not a BIOS problem.
His solution after this period is to replace the motherboard, memory and/or processor. So what's left? At this point I will just wait and struggle through.
Until a couple of days ago, I had no idea that this freezing problem was pervasive. I'm one of those that just doesn't get along with joy sticks or touchpads. My i8500 replaced a Gateway. Unless the Gateway touchpad was disabled, anything I was typing just periodically moved so that the touchpad pointer became the new insertion point - could really mess up a big document.
So, when the Dell started freezing whenever I used the touchpad, I went into the BIOS to disable it. In version A03, you have to pick 'Serial Mouse' in order to disable - the option to switch doesn't work because there is no PS2 mouse. So, I plug in a Microsoft optical USB mouse and my machine does not freeze. However, when I have to operate it without the mouse connected (think road presentation), it will freeze about every five minutes even with the touchpad disabled.
Summary: Mouse = no freeze. No mouse = freeze.
I do not get the BSOD. The machine is just 100% unresponsive. No caps lock, no function keys, no Fn keys, no num lock. The display is frozen - happens even with no keyboard activity - the 'My Pictures' screensaver just stops in mid-display. The only operable component is the power switch.
My setup -
i8500, Bios A03, 2.6Ghz Nvidia GeForce4 4200 with 64MB 512MB RAM (2 x 256) 15.4 WSXGA 80GB HDD DVD+RW no Bluetooth, no wireless Microsoft XP Pro
What happens if you DON'T diable the touchpad, plugin the usb mouse and then use the touch pad? Something to test.
Also, for those of you that have the feeze issue... I am curious to know if ya'll have the WSXGA or the USXGA. I am just trying to eliminate reasons why ya'll have the freeze and I don't and I have NEVER had it .... (quickly run over to knock on wood)
I can't remember what the display was called but mine's the lowest resolution screen (1280x800).
I don't think everyone experiences the freeze problem, otherwise I'm sure Dell would have recalled them, and this thread would be 10 times as large. As you can see by the thread, the freeze is unpredictable. You say you've never had one but you should still keep your fingers crossed. For some, it happens frequently and regularly, for others, it can be weeks between freezes.
I sent off an e-mail to Dell tech support yesterday. Only the automated response so far.
RDJ- If I don't disable the touchpad, it doesn't matter whether the USB mouse is plugged in or not and it doesn't matter what other Bios setting I use. The only combination that avoids regular freezes is setting the Bios pointer device to 'Serial Mouse' and plugging in the USB mouse.
I trust you have sent this information to the Dell tech support? ...
I have been watching this thread since August and I know it is really frustrating for you guys. Obviously there has been a quality issue either in the software or in the pieces parts that Dell buys. Unfortunately we will most likely not ever find out the entire story regardless if they find a solution or not.
Follow the steps as per the link.
The above LINK should resolve the issue.
In order to view the contents of the above link please copy and
paste it in your browser and press enter.
Some email programs will wrap this address to a second line so
you will have to copy each of the lines directly into the address
bar of your browser with no spaces between the two sections.
Some times this link may be diverted to a page, where in you
will be asked to choose a segment. In that case please select
“ Home and Home Office “ in the first page you get,
then enter the service tag if required in the next page, and
click on “ Go”.
Thank you for your co-operation.
It was a pleasure assisting you.
NOTE: If you have any further queries or issues related to Dell
system hardware then please do feel free to write to us at support@dell.com
That link is a joke. It's Dell's attempt to blame this on Microsoft. I run XP Pro on my Optiplex GX260 desktop at work and I have never seen it freeze once since I've had it, so I don't believe this is caused purely from XP.
My 8500 froze 5 seconds out of the box. I assumed it had something to do with the touchpad since it seemed to freeze anytime I was using it. I reinstalled the XP Pro that came with it and left off all other applications completely but I still got freezes. That's when I finally found this forum thread. Not wanting to get inside the laptop and reseat the memory, I tried the USB mouse and have not had freezes since then.
Dell needs to realize that their hardware is having problems and get to the bottom of it rather than blaming Microsoft. Several users on here got freezes with Windows 2000, so how is Dell going to explain that one? Or are they???
Gee, I tried that link, it displayed my service tag, I clicked on Go, and got the following message: "An error occurred on the server when processing the URL. Please contact the system administrator." That doesn't seem to be a lot of help.
Hmmmm... I've seen this before somewhere... why, it looks like the steps that Dell tech support has me follow every time that I call up complaining about the computer freezing!
sofistek
1 Rookie
•
71 Posts
0
November 2nd, 2003 20:00
No, I've never had a replacement. Unfortunately, my machine arrived just before I went on vacation, so it never got used for two weeks. I then had a business trip shortly after, when I needed the laptop, so had to put up with the occasional freeze. By the time I got back, it was well over the 30 day period and then I started the slow process of upgrading drivers and BIOSes, to see what might work.
dfloeter
15 Posts
0
November 3rd, 2003 11:00
Last night after about the fourth freeze I finally got a blue screen informing of a BIOS problem. Along with a string of characters meaningless to me was a notice to disable BIOS memory options (caching and shadowing). One more call to Dell Tech Support on top of the email for which there has been no reply.
Others have had no luck with a BIOS solution but I can hope.
dfloeter
15 Posts
0
November 3rd, 2003 12:00
So, the Dell guy had me flash the BIOS to AO5 and call back if the machine still freezes in three days. Not if it freezes on days one or two but on the third. Sound rather biblical to me. Five minutes into this first day it froze up. Definitely not a BIOS problem.
His solution after this period is to replace the motherboard, memory and/or processor. So what's left? At this point I will just wait and struggle through.
Mr.Mom
10 Posts
0
November 3rd, 2003 19:00
Until a couple of days ago, I had no idea that this freezing problem was pervasive. I'm one of those that just doesn't get along with joy sticks or touchpads. My i8500 replaced a Gateway. Unless the Gateway touchpad was disabled, anything I was typing just periodically moved so that the touchpad pointer became the new insertion point - could really mess up a big document.
So, when the Dell started freezing whenever I used the touchpad, I went into the BIOS to disable it. In version A03, you have to pick 'Serial Mouse' in order to disable - the option to switch doesn't work because there is no PS2 mouse. So, I plug in a Microsoft optical USB mouse and my machine does not freeze. However, when I have to operate it without the mouse connected (think road presentation), it will freeze about every five minutes even with the touchpad disabled.
Summary: Mouse = no freeze. No mouse = freeze.
I do not get the BSOD. The machine is just 100% unresponsive. No caps lock, no function keys, no Fn keys, no num lock. The display is frozen - happens even with no keyboard activity - the 'My Pictures' screensaver just stops in mid-display. The only operable component is the power switch.
My setup -
i8500, Bios A03, 2.6Ghz
Nvidia GeForce4 4200 with 64MB
512MB RAM (2 x 256)
15.4 WSXGA
80GB HDD
DVD+RW
no Bluetooth, no wireless
Microsoft XP Pro
RDJ
45 Posts
0
November 3rd, 2003 20:00
Mr Mom -
What happens if you DON'T diable the touchpad, plugin the usb mouse and then use the touch pad? Something to test.
Also, for those of you that have the feeze issue... I am curious to know if ya'll have the WSXGA or the USXGA. I am just trying to eliminate reasons why ya'll have the freeze and I don't and I have NEVER had it .... (quickly run over to knock on wood)
Cheers, RDJ
sofistek
1 Rookie
•
71 Posts
0
November 3rd, 2003 20:00
I can't remember what the display was called but mine's the lowest resolution screen (1280x800).
I don't think everyone experiences the freeze problem, otherwise I'm sure Dell would have recalled them, and this thread would be 10 times as large. As you can see by the thread, the freeze is unpredictable. You say you've never had one but you should still keep your fingers crossed. For some, it happens frequently and regularly, for others, it can be weeks between freezes.
I sent off an e-mail to Dell tech support yesterday. Only the automated response so far.
grc15r
28 Posts
0
November 3rd, 2003 21:00
Mr.Mom
10 Posts
0
November 3rd, 2003 22:00
RDJ-
If I don't disable the touchpad, it doesn't matter whether the USB mouse is plugged in or not and it doesn't matter what other Bios setting I use. The only combination that avoids regular freezes is setting the Bios pointer device to 'Serial Mouse' and plugging in the USB mouse.
RDJ
45 Posts
0
November 4th, 2003 00:00
Mr.Mom -
I trust you have sent this information to the Dell tech support? ...
I have been watching this thread since August and I know it is really frustrating for you guys. Obviously there has been a quality issue either in the software or in the pieces parts that Dell buys. Unfortunately we will most likely not ever find out the entire story regardless if they find a solution or not.
Cheers, RDJ
sofistek
1 Rookie
•
71 Posts
0
November 4th, 2003 19:00
Thank you for contacting Dell Hardware E-Support & Services.
We appreciate this opportunity to assist you.
I have gone through the issue & I can understand the difficulties
that you are facing with random system freeze.
Could you please visit the following link, which has complete
information about why Does Windows® XP Lock Up, Have Slow Performance,
or Errors?
http://support.euro.dell.com/uk/en/kb/document.asp?DN=1068833
Follow the steps as per the link.
The above LINK should resolve the issue.
In order to view the contents of the above link please copy and
paste it in your browser and press enter.
Some email programs will wrap this address to a second line so
you will have to copy each of the lines directly into the address
bar of your browser with no spaces between the two sections.
Some times this link may be diverted to a page, where in you
will be asked to choose a segment. In that case please select
“ Home and Home Office “ in the first page you get,
then enter the service tag if required in the next page, and
click on “ Go”.
Thank you for your co-operation.
It was a pleasure assisting you.
NOTE: If you have any further queries or issues related to Dell
system hardware then please do feel free to write to us at support@dell.com
deeland
7 Posts
0
November 4th, 2003 20:00
Wyliebo
6 Posts
0
November 4th, 2003 20:00
That link is a joke. It's Dell's attempt to blame this on Microsoft. I run XP Pro on my Optiplex GX260 desktop at work and I have never seen it freeze once since I've had it, so I don't believe this is caused purely from XP.
My 8500 froze 5 seconds out of the box. I assumed it had something to do with the touchpad since it seemed to freeze anytime I was using it. I reinstalled the XP Pro that came with it and left off all other applications completely but I still got freezes. That's when I finally found this forum thread. Not wanting to get inside the laptop and reseat the memory, I tried the USB mouse and have not had freezes since then.
Dell needs to realize that their hardware is having problems and get to the bottom of it rather than blaming Microsoft. Several users on here got freezes with Windows 2000, so how is Dell going to explain that one? Or are they???
grc15r
28 Posts
0
November 4th, 2003 20:00
Mr.Mom
10 Posts
0
November 4th, 2003 20:00
DrFaust
21 Posts
0
November 4th, 2003 20:00
Hmmmm... I've seen this before somewhere... why, it looks like the steps that Dell tech support has me follow every time that I call up complaining about the computer freezing!