# Dell Studio 1555 shuts down unexpectedly



## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Hello all,

I have a Dell Studio 1555 laptop, about 3 years old. During this time, it suffered many many faults (CMOS battery failure, hard disk failure (had to replace), eventually - motherboard gave out, had to be completely replaced). After all these repairs, now I'm getting a new problem: under high stress (like when gaming) this laptop sometimes shuts down in split second, like electricity was cut. Strangely enough, it doesn't happen always - maybe 1-4 times a week. Sometimes I can play on it for many hours with very high stress, and it doesn't shut down.

Now I know for sure that this ain't a temperature problem, because:

1) Thermal paste was replaced 3 weeks ago;

2) I clean the dust every month or so;

3) Heat sink doesn't get very hot (I know that sometimes it can get so hot that it's impossible to touch, and laptop wouldn't shut down);


I red that this may also be a AC adapter problem. Luckily, my father has similar laptop with EXACTLY same AC adapter, so I swapped them - however, the problem remains, so I guess this is something different than AC adapter.


So, if it ain't temperature nor AC adapter problem, what could it be? I bought Dell because it had a reputation of being very reliable, and yet there have been so many independent hardware failures that is way over the limit. I always utilize laptop in proper way: clean regularly, don't let it overheat (always place on solid surface), and so on.


Please help!


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## makinu1der2 (Jan 1, 2008)

Hello,

If it only does it when the laptop is under stress (although not all the time) then it

seems that you are experiencing a power or heat related problem.

Try running some monitoring software while stressing the laptop to see what the 

temps actually are when the shutdown occurs. *HWMonitor*

There could be a problem with the cooling fan as well.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Sorry for late reply, I did extensive testing. Temperatures never went above 80 degrees Celcius. I remember running this laptop with 95 degrees with no crashes before, but now, with all the cleaning and new thermal pastes, it doesn't go above 80 degrees.
I also flashed BIOS and updated video drivers. Still these shutdowns.

What shall I try next?


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Bump. Please help, problem isn't solved, it still happens, even at low temperatures.


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## SA Spurs1 (May 2, 2009)

Hit F12 at boot and select Dell Diagnostics. Run tests and report back any errors if any.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

As I said, I ran these diagnostics. No errors. What shall I try next

I have an option to replace the battery, since I know someone who has similar Dell (1558, I think). Should I try it?


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## SA Spurs1 (May 2, 2009)

Are you plugged into the a/c adapter when it shuts down or are you only running on battery power. If you are plugged into the a/c adapter when it shuts down I do not see how replacing the battery would make a difference.

The one scenario where it might cause a shutdown is if the battery you have is dead and you are connected to the a/c adapter and the a/c adapter loses contact and shuts down the computer. If you wiggle the a/c adapter at the connection does it lose contact and shut down the laptop.


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## BIGBEARJEDI (Aug 8, 2012)

Hi there--

Interesting thread. Sorry to hear about all your problems. Dell really is a good laptop; I work on many of them. 

One comment I can make is that you say you didn't see temps over 80 deg. C and you often run at 95 deg. C. Laptop electronics *as well as desktop electronics* are NOT designed to run above 72 deg. C (160 Deg. F). 

If your hard drive and Motherboard have been subjected to these types of temps for an length of time, they very likely have been permanently damaged and need to be replaced. :uhoh:

You mentioned you had the hard drive replaced, but you didn't state why. If it was due to overtemping and your Motherboard was damaged but also NOT replaced, the Motherboard could be overtemping your new hard drive and causing it to go bad prematurely. Was the replacement hard drive a BRAND NEW DRIVE or was it used? Used hard drives are not a good idea on an older laptop, especially one approaching the "red zone" of 3-5 yrs. old such as yours when most hard drive failures occur. If you put a 2 yr. old used hard drive in, it only has 1-3 yrs. left on it and if used in conjunction with an overtemped Motherboard, less time than that.

Let us know if it was a NEW or a USED hard drive that was replaced. If you don't know, you should ask your Repair shop tech or utilize software diagnostics to determine or the BIOS if it has access to onboard temp sensor on the Motherboard..you are getting your temp figures from somewhere. 

My recommendation here is that if you had your hard drive replaced with a USED hard drive, you should replace both the Motherboard and the hard drive with new parts from a reliable Dell reseller and properly tested. If you get the laptop back and it still runs above 80 deg. C they didn't do the repair right and I'd find another shop, or return it directly to Dell for repair.

Good luck. :thumb:

BIGBEARJEDI


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Sorry for late reply. I thought I'll just live with this problem, but I can't. It's getting worse and worse.



> One comment I can make is that you say you didn't see temps over 80 deg. C and you often run at 95 deg. C. Laptop electronics *as well as desktop electronics* are NOT designed to run above 72 deg. C (160 Deg. F).


Well, these were the temperatures since the first day I used this laptop (as I bought it brand new, I did extensive testing). I guess it must be normal. It had thermal paste replaced once, I clean it regularly. These temperatures never were lower that that under full stress, and guys who replaced thermal paste inspected everything and found no fault. It may be just bad sensors or inaccurate measurements. Anyway, these shutdowns are definitely not because of the temperature, since even if temperature readings are off, I can feel with my hand at the heat sink that when it shut downs, it isn't hot at all (please note that sometimes it is really, really hot, and doesn't shut down).



> If your hard drive and Motherboard have been subjected to these types of temps for an length of time, they very likely have been permanently damaged and need to be replaced.
> 
> You mentioned you had the hard drive replaced, but you didn't state why. If it was due to overtemping and your Motherboard was damaged but also NOT replaced, the Motherboard could be overtemping your new hard drive and causing it to go bad prematurely. Was the replacement hard drive a BRAND NEW DRIVE or was it used? Used hard drives are not a good idea on an older laptop, especially one approaching the "red zone" of 3-5 yrs. old such as yours when most hard drive failures occur. If you put a 2 yr. old used hard drive in, it only has 1-3 yrs. left on it and if used in conjunction with an overtemped Motherboard, less time than that.


Well, the windows just didn't boot one day. I don't remember the exact scenario, but I worked it out that it was faulty hard drive, and guys at the repair shop confirmed it. They replaced it with brand new hard drive.



What I'm saying is that both motherboard and hard drive were replaced with *brand new and tested* parts at *official Dell repair shop*. Hard drive - with warranty, motherboard - had to pay for that one.

So I'm 99% sure that hard drive and motherboard are OK.

I reinstalled Windows just few days ago, and it still shut downs, so I can rule out software fault.


Please help me out, I'm out of ideas here. I can provide any additional info if needed. I just don't have any replacement parts to test this thing with, so I need to narrow down the search.


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## Beelzebubba (Sep 15, 2008)

I made the mistake of buying a Studio 15 when they were brand new- the Studio 1535. I won't go into all the problems and issues I had with it, starting less than six weeks after I bought it new for $1300! If I start going into all the details, my blood pressure still spikes almost five years later!!!

I finally made Dell replace it with a brand new Studio 1555 and immediately sold it on Ebay! I suppose Dell packed up the 1535 and sent it back to HELL where it came from!!! 

If there's any way possible, cut your losses, toss that POS and move on....


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Beelzebubba said:


> I made the mistake of buying a Studio 15 when they were brand new- the Studio 1535. I won't go into all the problems and issues I had with it, starting less than six weeks after I bought it new for $1300! If I start going into all the details, my blood pressure still spikes almost five years later!!!
> 
> I finally made Dell replace it with a brand new Studio 1555 and immediately sold it on Ebay! I suppose Dell packed up the 1535 and sent it back to HELL where it came from!!!
> 
> If there's any way possible, cut your losses, toss that POS and move on....



And I thought that Dell computers were reliable. That was the reason I bought it. Never was so mistaken in my life.

What then would you recommend? I'm not looking for top-end performance, just something above average, and most important - reliability. I hate when I buy things and they break after 2 years. What are the brands of laptops that would serve at least 5-7 years without failures?


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

P.S.

I'm 100% sure this is *not* heating-related problem. Here's why:

Sometimes when I run very graphics-intense games, heat builds up to a level when heatsink is almost too hot to touch. Fans run at maximum speed. And if computer isn't cleaned for a while (more than a month), it sometimes down-clocks itself to prevent overheating, for 10-15 seconds, noticeable by lag when playing. After it cools down, it returns to normal frequencies. I red that this is normal over-heating prevention so that computer doesn't have to shut down.

And it *never* shuts down with these extreme temperatures. It runs smooth, or with these regular downclocks, but only if it isn't cleaned recently.

It shuts down on lower temperatures, sometimes when I play not graphically intense games. Actually, there is a list of games that computer shuts down as I described (no BSOD, no nothing, just immediate shut down as if power went out), and most of these games are not hardware-stretching, they are actually easy on graphics card and CPU. And there is a list of games (both hardware-intense and not) that heat up laptop to the limit, and there is no shut down.

So I'm absolutely sure heating isn't related here. It's more like that some games actually require some feature or something of CPU or GPU that is not working, and computer shuts down to prevent damage. 

I need to track down exactly what is causing these crashes.

Is there any utility or anything that I could run, which would write logs to hard drive every second, or something? Then I could make computer shut down itself, and then I could submit those logs here for analysis what happened just before shut-down.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Bump.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Please preform a hard drive test using this guide here: 

How to perform a Seagate's Seatools Test | Tech Support Forum


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Done. Performed all the tests. All passed, no error codes.

What shall I try next?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Download Speccy from here: Speccy - Download 











The software should ask to either Run, Save or Cancel, Click *Run*. 

Now follow the onscreen instructions to finish the installation of Speccy. 










Once installed Speccy should open up. Go to *File* > *Publish Snapshot...* 

This should open up a link to your personal snapshot. *Please post that in your next reply!* 

Also include the make and model number of your power supply.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

All right, here it is:

http://speccy.piriform.com/results/CbdfneVP7yAqjXfYEKOfAUr

Power supply:

Dell AC POWER Adapter
Model FA90PE1-00


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Does it do all this on battery alone with power cord out? How long will it run on battery alone?
Sorry I am going to echo what Beelzebubba said. I have 2 clients with this model and it is a nightmare. I think the board is bad unless it is the power cord itself but I have begged these clients to dump this laptop.
The Dell laptop business division are excellent computers. The "Home" division is mostly crap IMHO.
I recommend Asus, Lenovo and Samsung only. Sony are great too but over priced for what you get and there are off an on wireless issues with them.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Download HWMonitor from here: 

http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html 










 

Make sure to download the .zip file to your *desktop*. 










 

Once downloaded to your desktop *unzip* the *hwmonitor.zip* folder to your *desktop*. 

Open up the unzipped folder and run either the 32bit Software or 64bit Software. 
How to tell the difference: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827218 ​Allow HWMonitor to run while the PC is at an idle state. After about five minutes of running at idle take a screenshot and save the image to your desktop. 

Now allow HWMonitor to run while gaming or doing heavy processing for about five minutes. Take another screenshot and save the image to your desktop. 

In your next reply please include both screenshots. 

http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f195/how-to-post-a-screenshot-184291.html


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

I haven't tried it much with battery only, but I think it also crashed once or twice on battery like this.

If idle/reading Word, Adobe Reader files - laptop runs for about 4 hours on battery. With CPU downvolting - up to 5 (haven't undervolted after last Windows reinstall yet).

All right, I ran HWMonitor, as instructed. For heavy processing, I chose COU, RAM and GPU stress utilities, since no game or anything I know stresses these modules that much. Ran it for half an hour, just to check if computer would shut down - it didn't.

Here are the screenshots:


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Temps are a little bit on the high side but nothing where it would make the PC turn off.

Are all of the settings within the BIOS turned off?


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

What settings do you have in mind? Everything is set to default in BIOS, except for Fn key - set to Function First.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

I just wanted to make sure it was stock.


Does this issue only happen when games are being played?

Can you save your Event Viewer logs and upload them in your next reply?


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Yes, and only certain games - what is weird, that not the games that actually stress the system.

Okay, I will attempt it.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

You may want to try to reinstall those games.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Um... I already mentioned reinstalled whole Windows, along with drivers and everything. Come on, no application whatsoever, no matter how badly installed, should cause complete shut-down with no error warnings in a split second... This must be hardware or driver error.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

A reinstall really doesn't prove that it is not software related. Chances are you installed the exact same programs and games on the reinstall.

Those games may have corrupted files on the disk or an issue within the coding.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

But like 4 or 5 games, producing exactly the same type of crash? Hardly a coincidence.

I reinstalled one of them, and tried running. It shut down computer as before.

So, what should I try next? Maybe there is another approach - instead of randomly checking things, work the reason of the crash from the crash point? BSOD always leaves a log with error codes. Laptop should also leave some kind of trace what was happening seconds before shut down and what caused it.

Any ideas?

P.S. If there is some way to disable this shut-down (which probably is safety measure to prevent damage), I could let the faulty module fail, and then replace it, as I then I could identify it easily.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

It would produce a report in the Event Viewer logs.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Okay, I cleaned most of the logs before this experiment, then forced a crash (running a game that always crashes laptop), and got logs after reboot.

Crash occurred about 00:35:10 system time, and Windows restarted at about 00:35:50.

Including Administrative Events, Applications and System logs from Event Viewer. I couldn't find a way to export all logs together, so I chose these three, since they seem to show some errors and warnings.

Please let me know if they give any clue.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Try the resolution here:

Event ID 10 is logged in the Application log after you install Windows Vista Service Pack 1 or Windows Server 2008


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Okay, I did it, but what does it have to do with the shut-down?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Does it still shutdown after running the script?


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Yes, unfortunately, still crashes.

Just wanted to say, I really appreciate that you take time to help me out. Thank you.

What can I try next?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

If you run Prime95 to preform a benchmark does it still crash?


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Downloaded it and ran benchmark. Computer didn't shut down. Should I try Torture Blend Test?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

That would mean its not hardware related.

To be honest I'm out of ideas on why only a few games crash :sad:


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Unfortunately I still think it is hardware and I am leaning towards the hard drive. In my experience there are only 2 components that will create the problem some of the time and not all the time. First a hard drive and second is ram. Ram is the one that throws errors that appear to be software often and at times errors that are different every time though.
I would run metest86 as it is the only thing that is reliable. Download from here and make a bootable cd:
Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool
You have to run at least 4 complete tests and each test has 8 cycles each test so it can take 4 hours. As much as one error and you have the source. If that comes up clean I would replace the hard drive and I don't care what any test says, hard drives spin and as they do and hit bad or corrupted sectors you get the behavior you are experiencing. But the odds of it being in the same place every time you play a game may well be slim, but I have seen it and no tests except changing the parts solved it. And of course we also have a local shop, and "authorized by Dell" means less than nothing incidentally as there probably is no actual Dell employee in this country that can even open a laptop to look at the components, replacing a motherboard. Good luck on that one. The last time a Dell "renta-tech" replaced a motherboard for me was 12 years ago and the desktop never ran again!


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Well, I already ran that Memtest86+, but sure, I can run it again 4 times - maybe something will turn up.

Well, you see, when I had to replace hard drive and motherboard, I had to wait for like 2 weeks for these parts to arrive. So I can't actually replace parts just for testing - I have to buy them and wait long for them to arrive. That also costs a lot.

By the way, as I mentioned earlier, the hard drive was replaced while laptop was still in warranty, with a new, tested hard drive. This was almost 2 years ago. Laptop never fell or anything. Can't imagine why it would shut down my laptop with specific games (they don't even take much of HD space).

I will leave Memtest86 to run overnight, will provide results tomorrow.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

> By the way, as I mentioned earlier, the hard drive was replaced while laptop was still in warranty, with a new, tested hard drive. This was almost 2 years ago. Laptop never fell or anything. Can't imagine why it would shut down my laptop with specific games (they don't even take much of HD space).


First of all they don't test anything and it was not new it was refurbished as that is the policy for replacement parts. By Dell's own admission on more than one occasion, "we make nothing here in this country and therefore cannot fix anything here" so how was the drive then refurbished? You really think they sent the drive to Thailand to be refurbished and then back here to use? Not likely. How much space a drive holds for anything has nothing to do with shutting anything down. That can occur when in normal use it contacts a bad or corrupted sector.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

I see.

Well, I ran the MemTest for 7 hours, 6 passes total, not a single error...

What's next?


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

If when you reinstalled Windows you also installed most current motherboard drivers and all Windows Updates then what I would do next is replace the hard drive. Understand the hard drive tests are mostly irrelevant. If I had a dollar for every drive I replaced that a hard drive utility said passed all tests, I would not have to work. But if you go down this road and the hard drive doesn't fix it, and I think it will, then the next step is the motherboard. If you buy both and still have the problem, you have bought the laptop twice so if I were you I would buy a new laptop now because fixing it will just cost too much money and mental anguish. Oh and if you choose to buy a hard drive, please Western Digital only. Up until now all you have spent is effort not $ but from here on as I said you could wind up rebuying the laptop.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

So basically you are saying that is no way whatsoever to find why laptop shuts down? I mean, how is that possible? If it shuts down, it must go through some routine, probably a safety measure or something (like when computers shut down when overheated to prevent damage), therefore, it must leave some kind of trace as to why it shut down, isn't that right?

I had an idea that if I disabled that safety measure, I could let the faulty part fail (if it would fail at all), and then it would be easier to track which one is damaged, and replace it.
Can this be done?


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Your laptop runs way to hot to begin with if memory serves me, so even if those replacement components were good which I doubt, they probably are not now.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

If you right click My Computer, Properties, Advanced System Settings, Startup and Recovery, Settings and uncheck "automatically restart" you should get an BSOD error message, just be aware sometimes those messages are helpful and sometimes not.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

But why does it run so hot? It is not overclocked, I clean it regularly, it had thermal paste replaced not too long ago, and I always raise it on "legs" when I play games, so that heat doesn't get trapped anywhere.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Probably a system defect is my best guess but as someone said earlier,excessive heat will kill hard drives and motherboards. I have had desktop boards in the past that I had replaced and the heat was no better so rather than continue to waste money on freight with returns I just tossed them away after 2 tries.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

I see. By the way, is there no motherboard testing utility, like MemTest86 for RAM, or hard drive test tools?


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Well that's tough because this would have to be a failure of some board component as the system runs. Si Soft Sandra or Cpu-id or cpu-z can all test various functions.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Okay, thanks.

Since you seem to know much about laptops, could you advice me on the next buy? I chose Dell because I heard that these are one of most reliable laptops. As my experience now suggests, I was either especially unlucky or simple they aren't that reliable.
I would be looking for a laptop in 800-1000$ range, and first and foremost quality is reliability for me. I hate when things break 2 years after being bought. 5 years is the _least_ I need a laptop to run without any repairs. I, of course, never neglect maintenance. I'm not looking for top-end performance, but occasionally, I play games too, so it would be a shame if it couldn't run anything without cooling pad or if it would shorten it's lifespan because of these few games. 
Bottom line - it may not be latest shout of technology, but important thing is that it would run for at least 5 years without repairs just because I play a game or two occasionally apart from the work I do on that laptop.

Maybe you can suggest some reliable brand or even model?


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Not sure about 5 years as we usually say break even point is 3 years but Dell consumer division is the worst place to go as are most consumer division laptops. They sell for color, weight, thinness etc.....now if you bought from the Dell small business division, quality is a lot better because it has to be as businesses have way more "clout" than you do when a problem occurs.

As I said earlier My best experiences are with Lenovo, Asus, Msi and Samsung. I guess one of the reasons is they all make something that goes into the laptop. Dell, HP, Sony make nothing. They are assemblers. Acer is a maker but a maker of crap and they own Gateway and eMachine and have ruined Gateway (eMachine was always ruined). Lenovo is the number one computer maker in the world now. This is the Chinese company that bought IBM lines and they have maintained and perhaps even improved the standards of what always was the best in Laptops.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

All right, I looked up Lenovo IdeaPad G580, for 900$. With i7 3.20 GHz processor, 
GeForce GT 635M 2gb video card and 1 TB hard drive it seems a very good bet for such low price.

But only 2 years warranty - not sure why. Rich-M, did you ever come across this laptop? Is it reliable?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

I personally like Dell TBO. I find the to be better then most.

My recommendation list would be Asus, Dell, Samsung, Acer in that order.

Lenovo makes a good product but their more designed for business use.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Masterchiefxx17 said:


> Lenovo makes a good product but their more designed for business use.


In what way?


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

I don't see that they are more designed for business although they are most commonly bought by businessmen which as I said earlier is a plus. After this experience I would think this user needs some stability.
That seems really high for that model at $900 and Idea Pad is top of the line which also means they don't sell that many. I would prefer you buy more what sells every day and you would have better luck.
I would go here:
Lenovo G500s Notebook PC - 3rd generation Intel Core i7-3632QM, 4GB DDR3, 500GB HDD, DVDRW, 15.6 Display, Windows 8 64-bit (59380377) at TigerDirect.com
or here:
Lenovo Z580 Notebook PC - 3rd generation Intel Core i7-3520M 2.9GHz, 4GB DDR3, 500GB HDD, DVDRW, 15.6 Display, Windows 8 64-bit (59345242) at TigerDirect.com


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

You're suggesting these two because of lower price, or because if something breaks, there will be easier to get replacement parts due to them being more commonly sold?


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Not because they are cheaper, just because there are more of them out there so the bugs if any are likely to have been found. The more of a model produced usually the better they are and that has to do with sales.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Well, I looked up - these laptops you suggested are not for sale in my country. Actually, the G580 I mentioned is the cheapest Lenovo that has i7 processor. I'll keep looking for other options, but right now, can't find anything.

I saw that G580 is available with additional warranty - plus two years (4 total), for additional cost of 90$. Maybe it's worth it? I can still afford this, and even if this laptop isn't extensively tested by many users, I'll be sure I have warranty to back up any problems?

What's your opinion?


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

I meant to say earlier you don't really need the i-7 cpu. As long as you have 3rd gen or newer i-5 there isn't a lot of difference and you can get some savings there. I didn't realize you aren't in US so finding them will be a little more difficult. I would rather see you with a high i-5 and more ram anyway but I was looking up models your way with i-7 in mind. Intel is really putting their eggs in the i-5 basket and that is most of what they do and their research is mostly there as well. I realized that at a seminar at a wholesaler a few years ago just by realizing the extra features built into the i-5 not in the other cpus. I.E. Call home for theft and something else that escapes me right now.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Yeah, I forgot to mention - I'm from Lithuania, in Europe. Not much choice here.

I red that i5 doesn't have hyperthreading, compared to i7. Is it important? What were the features that i5 has and i7 hasn't, as you mentioned?

I looked up - not much choice with i5's. There are no options with more than 4GB RAM. 8GB start from 1200$, and they all have i7's anyway.
There is Lenovo IdeaPad G580AH with i5-3230M processor, 4GB RAM, and GT710M (1GB) video card, costs 722$. Video card is quite weak, and the RAM is the same. Other options are similar in price (no more than 50$ different from that first IdeaPad G580 with i7 I mentioned). I really can't see any other option. Cheaper laptops with i5's have poor video cards and less HD space, and anything with 8GB RAM have i7's, and are sold along with bunch of software that I don't need, which adds to the price.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Well again I am not sure what your availability is you know better on that. It appears the only real difference between i-5 and i-7 is triple channel ram vs dual channel and that is really negligible. Both hyper thread but apparently differently...but the greater cache on the i-7 does make it more desirable.
Give Me the Cache - Comparing Intel Core i5 vs i7 | PCMag.com


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Well, if there were options, I would gladly follow your advice and take cheaper i5 with more RAM. However, as I look now, the reason why that G580 with i7 is so cheap is because it comes only with DOS, no other software. Almost every other laptop has Windows 7 or 8, increasing price greatly - that's why that laptop with i5 has almost the same price.

So, right now I think I'm leaning towards that G580 with i7. It seems a good deal, since I'll be paying for laptop only, and I already have all the software I need.

Thank you for your advice. It's a pity that there aren't these options in Lithuania you suggested, since your logic is sound.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Yeah I wish I had realized that sooner....but looks like you know what you are doing.


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## BIGBEARJEDI (Aug 8, 2012)

I see you're still trying to get to the bottom of this issue. From what I've read and heard in this thread is that this particular Dell model is a "lemon". And consensus is you need to get rid of it and replace with something else; RichM's recommendations are solid. Of course, you should read independent reviews and find a well-reviewed model in any brand; preferably one with 4 or 5 stars and at least 500 reviews. Check publications such as CNET, PC World, and Consumer Reports Online.

Looking over your SPECCY report (thanks for running that!); and I noticed 2 things. 
#1) You are running Nanya RAM memory modules; did those 2 Modules come with your Dell 1550? You never mentioned whether your RAM was replaced; some of the guys asked you to run hard drive diagnostics; did you ever run Memory Diagnostics (MemTest +86 or Windows Memory Diagnostic?). Faulty RAM can also cause some of the symptoms you've mentioned. Also, I don't believe Nanya is a preferred laptop memory brand--I suggest you try replacing with Quality laptop RAM such as Kingston, Crucial, Micron, or Corsair. If the Dell repair shop you had your Mobo and Hard Drive replaced installed those for you, whether they told you they did or not, they certainly did not do you a favor, and I would report them to Dell if they did! 

#2) SPECCY says you are running Avast Anti-Virus AND Windows Defender. You need to disable one and keep the other. You cannot run both at the same time, and SPECCY says you are doing just that! Running 2 Anti-Virus or Security Suite programs in foreground memory at the same time will cause your CPU performance to shoot through the roof and can cause system hangs, crashes, lockups, and occasionally BSODs. :nono:

Probably, the other guys here missed these 2, and I still hold that your laptop is toast! But, if you want to keep playing with it before you toss it in the junk pile, you should consider replacing the 2 RAM modules first. Here's a link to buy: Untitled Page)
$63.99 for 2 of them. I wouldn't spend the money myself given what's been written about this Model; but, hey, if you can't let it go without knowing for sure/!

Of course, if you replace the RAM modules, and don't forget to fix your A-V problem, and it works--you owe me a BIG Thank You! opcorn:

BBJ


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Thanks, RichM. By the way, do you think it's worth taking 2 years of extra warranty (in addition with initial 2) for 117 dollars?

BigBearJedi, yes, these RAM modules came with initial purchase of laptop, and as far as I know, were never replaced. In last page of this topic someone asked me to run MemTest86+, and I did that, 6 passes with no errors. So I'm pretty sure RAM is ok.

All right, I'll disable Windows Defender, and see if it fixes the problem. I certainly hope that I'll owe you that


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Whoa here Windows Defender is not an Antivirus below Windows 8 and can be run with anything, however I disable it because it does nothing in all units I touch. In Windows 8 it is an Antivirus but would disable itself if there was another Av present anyway.
I think he may have something with the ram though as Nanya is about as bad as you can get. When you say you ran 6 tests I think you misunderstood. You need to run 4 complete tests and each test has 8 cycles and I would do it again on each ram stick installed alone as well. The problem is if you buy ram, its Ddr2 so you can't use it going forward and it is possible new ram from a quality maker like Crucial could resolve this so your call. If I did that I might be tempted to replace hard drive with a WD as well as I don't have a solid feeling about a Toshiba hard drive that is refurbished either.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Well, MemTest86+ didn't have any options, so I ran default test. You estimated that 4 tests (8 cycles) should take around 4 hours, and these 6 tests (12 cycles, I guess) took 7 hours, so it seemed just about right.

Anyways, I would replace RAM now only if I knew for sure that this is the fault. Since I don't know, I really don't waste money on experimenting, which might end up fixing nothing. Better invest into future, right?


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

I agree with you but have you run the system with a single stick each time. That is actually the right way to do it.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Well, I actually never disassembled my laptop to the point where RAM sticks show. Maybe I should try it, I don't know. What is the chance that problems that didn't show up with all sticks will show up with one?

Also, could you please comment on that extended warranty I asked before?


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Normally I wouldn't do extended warranties but $100 for 2 years is worth doing I think. Many stores offer all risk laptop policies where they cover you if its your fault as well but I doubt this coverage would be that.
Almost all laptops have a door on the bottom to reach the ram, it is not major surgery.
Actually the chances of finding a problem are better with single stick scanning.


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## BIGBEARJEDI (Aug 8, 2012)

Wow! This thread has been more interesting than most of the "Reality TV" shows on the Tube. :grin:

As usual, Rich-M has given you some really sage advice on things including his recommendations on components for the 1555 as well as ideas for your new laptop. 

I'd like to weigh in on a few things:

#1) Cardinal Rule #1 in buying laptops is, *you are not going to get "Gaming" type performance from a non-Gaming laptop.* The Games you have been playing are part of the problem, and they are causing your laptop to overtemp. If the laptop has been overtemped from the first day you brought it home from the store without playing any Games; you should have returned it immediately for a Cash Refund or at least a Store Credit to purchase a different Model or Brand!

#2) >>_Well, I actually never disassembled my laptop to the point where RAM sticks show. Maybe I should try it, I don't know. What is the chance that problems that didn't show up with all sticks will show up with one?<<_ If you do wish to try, here's the link to download the Dell 1555 service manual, which gives you step-by-step instructions: ftp://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/all-prod...dio_laptop/studio-15_service manual_en-us.pdf You'll want to pay attention to Pages 2 & 36, as they show you a picture of where your RAM modules are located on the bottom of the laptop, underneath the *BASE COVER*; 2 tabs and 3 screws open up that compartment very easily. You can get access to the 2 RAM modules. Remove the top RAM Module, and replace the *BASE COVER*, and re-run the Memtest 86+ test that Rich-M has you run before. If it passes; you most likely have 1 good Ram stick. I would then remove the bottom RAM module, and replace it with the top Module, replace the *BASE COVER*, and re-run the MEMTEST 86+ again! If the 2nd module passes, you are probably 95% certain your RAM is ok. However, as Rich-M states, sometimes there are problems with the RAM **in your case, sub-standard Nanya RAM** that the tests can't uncover *the 5% Murphy cases* so replacing them both at that point is your only option, and you can't afford to do that. (a good Computer Tech would go through that process however). 

#3- >>Also, could you please comment on that extended warranty I asked before? << I disagree a bit with Rich-M on the extended warranty; you should go 3 years or more. I sold laptops retail here in the U.S. for 4 years, and have been repairing them for 30 yrs.+ They are designed to fail between 2 yrs. +1day and 4 yrs. Those coincidentally are the same terms of duration that the Warranty companies are willing to sell you Warranties for. There a couple of companies here in the U.S. that will sell you a 5 year Warranty, but they are plenty pricey(as you can see I can easily write a book about this!). If you pay $117 for a 2 yr. extended warranty as you are asking about, and you buy a $900 laptop, and it breaks on you after 2 yrs. and 1 day; you are probably going to be out for a repair of $150-$400 or more depending on how many components break when it dies on you! For another $58.50 for a 3 yr. warranty *at the rate you quoted* you can save a very expensive repair when the laptop hits it's RED-ZONE; that's when the 2 yr. warranty runs out. (I'm hoping you understand this; the majority of my Customers do not, as I live in a rural mountain resort town and they are quite low-tech.)

#4: Lastly, when you reviewing your Speccy report, I noticed that your 1555 hard drive was partitioned for 46GB for your C: drive boot partition and that's where Windows7 lives. Was that boot partition always that small, or was it changed after you had the Mobo and hard drive repaired/replaced at your local "Dell Authorized" repair shop???  If it was always that small, I would have returned that laptop to the Store I bought it from *IMMEDIATELY!* and demanded a Cash Refund or Store Credit. :angry: That's too small IMO for a full Window7 OS load partition! I never put a Windows C: boot partition lower than 100GB to allow for growth and installing of many new programs over the lifetime of the laptop. I've seen other Techs do 60GB and 80GB, but 46GB is out of Bounds! :facepalm: If that Laptop came from Dell that way, then they are doing something different in your Country than they are here in the U.S. or the U.K. My guess is your Dealer or the Computer Store you bought it from did that. :nono: If so, another reason why to never buy from them again! :nonono: If it was a larger partition, say 100GB or larger when you bought it, or even the entire drive; say 460GB (for a 500GB hdd you have) that would make more sense. If it was changed after the "Dell Authorized" place performed your repair, then they did you a huge disservice and you should report them to Dell! :angry: An analogy here might be that you bought a 9 bedroom home, and after you move in the Realtor tells you that you can only live in 1 bedroom because the other 8 rooms are not safe! :facepalm:

I'm very sorry to be the bearer of bad news here.

#5: Rich-M's comments on your RAM coincide with mine. Also, his comments on the Western Digital drives being the best, also coincide with my experience. Many of the failed laptop drives I get from the big name laptop makers such as Toshiba, Acer, and HP are Toshiba and Fujitsu drives; which are all Crap IMO! To be fair, I worked about 6 yrs. for Western Digital over the course of my Career, so I admit I am biased towards their products. :hide:
Here's something to think about if you do replace your hard drive though; whenever I replace a Toshiba or a Fujitsu laptop hard drive and put in a WD, I never see them again *at least for a hard drive failure* I've got Customers running laptops 10 yrs. old with original WD hard drives in them! :rofl: Can't say that about a Toshiba or a Fujitsu hdd. :nonono: Like I say above, they are all made to fail after 2 yrs. and 1 day! I have a stack of them here if you'd like to see a photo! :blush: 

Hopefully, some of this makes sense, and if I'm sorry you had such bad luck with the Dell. Dell laptops are my #1 recommended brand, for price, reliability, and serviceability! The other guys here recommended you the other top brands which are good; but not many of them are going to last 5-7 years. The only 2 laptop brands I've seen that last that long are Dell and Sony--and yes I have Customers still running on those brands for that long; ableit they've had a part or two replaced such as fan, hard drive, display, keyboard, etc. :dance: The other brands, not so much. Toshiba used to own 68% of the laptop market back in 2001, but their quality in the Consumer market has eroded so badly, I can no longer recommend them. And I bought probably 500 of them back in the day. 

Looking forward to your answers back about your hard drive partition size and further RAM tests. 

Best of luck! :thumb:

BBJ


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

I agree with the Jedi on almost all of what he says and have recently added Sony to my recommended list except I note newer Sony laptops have inferior wireless adapters and Sony have always been overpriced so if you can find a good sale they are well made.

Dell Small Business laptops are excellent but in recent years I see nothing but issues with consumer lines including hard drives dying a week after a year (watch that warranty) where I had 8 of those alone last year and Dell won't do a thing for you where they used to. I just saw something really amazing though. A client had a laptop where the hard drive croaked in a year and 3 months. She is an experienced user and the only thing she did that is a bit unusual is her husband flies a small plane to various localities and she is always with him. Her 17" Dell Studio laptop died in flight from Fla to Pa last winter and when I went to replace it I noted 2 screws out of the hard drive holder allowing the drive to physically move around in flight. She swears no one ever opened the case so it had to have been shipped to her that way. Dell's sloppiness caused the drive to die but was it deliberate? Try and prove it!


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

BIGBEARJEDI, thanks for extensive answer.

I'll look into that manual and try to disassemble laptop. I talked with computer technician today, he said that there is a chance that some contact is loose, so if I disassemble all parts as thorough as possible and assemble again, it might fix the problem. If not, he suspects motherboard. Thank you for the link to the manual, I'll try it when I'll have a free day.

You're saying that laptops are designed to fail between 2 and 4 years. That sounds almost as if they want it to fail. I can understand commercial reasons, but come on - there must be a market of computers that are actually designed to last "forever" (as much as possible, not just a day after warranty expiration). Isn't there? I still have a computer in our house which was bought 12 years ago. It didn't fail once, even though it was used heavily (now it is still used for web browsing and text editing). Where are such computers now?

Ah, the partitions. When I bought this laptop, there was one C: partition with DOS installed, nothing else. It was my choice to divide HD into two partitions - 46Gb for Windows and Antivirus (absolutely nothing else, except maybe for Windows updates), and all the programs and data are in D: partition, the large one. I did this so that if I have some kind of Windows failure, I can just reformat C: partition without losing any information (nor having to transfer it to D: with some boot-time tools)). Also, after Windows reinstall, some programs that were installed to D: don't require reinstalling, so it saves a lot of time and work. Beneficial always. There is still about 15 free gb left in C:. Maybe I should repartition it to 50gb, but actually, it never gets nowhere near full.

I will attempt RAM tests as you said.



Rich-M said:


> Her 17" Dell Studio laptop died in flight from Fla to Pa last winter and when I went to replace it I noted 2 screws out of the hard drive holder allowing the drive to physically move around in flight. She swears no one ever opened the case so it had to have been shipped to her that way. Dell's sloppiness caused the drive to die but was it deliberate? Try and prove it!


Well, what do you know. The same thing happened to me after motherboard replacement! They didn't insert ANY of the screws which hold HD in place. After a few days, computer started to shut down at random, with blue screen of death. I couldn't figure out why. I opened the cover... And found HD nicely sliding around. I screwed it in place.

I hate to think this is their usual method, but now when you mentioned identical situation...


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Well there were 1 of the 4 in place but that let the drive move just enough to separate from the plug and short it out with a jolt in mid air which is what I think happened. I assumed it was sloppiness but the more I think about it now I am not so sure especially when I hear your anecdote.

You need more than 50 gb as Windows can be 25 gb alone. 100 I can live with.

Consumer laptops 3 years yes...doesn't mean some can't last longer though as we have all seen that. Want a better laptop buy from the business division and they all have them!


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Rich-M said:


> You need more than 50 gb as Windows can be 25 gb alone. 100 I can live with.


But what for? As I said, I install only Windows and antivirus software into C:. All other programs are installed into D:. Right now, C: has 11gb free space, and it never drops below 10. So why waste space there when I can use it in D:?


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

It is not a waste if Windows starts off being 1/2 the size of the partition it will grow and even though you put only Windows and Av on that partition, remember System restores add to the size and mistakes are made no matter how careful you are as most installs will try to default to "c".

I think there is another fallacy here anyway. Let's say you Windows becomes corrupted and you restore an image file you are fine. But what happens if the image file has the same corruption and you wind up having to reinstall Windows? You will then have to reinstall most of your programs again anyway even though they are on a separate drive because they have entries in the registry in the Windows folder to run. We used to do things like this years ago thinking it would save time when disaster strikes, bu the stability of newer versions of Windows has most of us not doing that anymore becaue it actually causes extra work imho!


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Well, actually it was about 2 years before I reinstalled Windows again (few weeks ago). During those years, it never grew to fill up these 46gb. I did regular cleaning, and was very careful not to install anything into C:.

And when I reinstall Windows, I do not use image file, I do a normal reinstall. Some programs which rely on registries in C: don't work, sure, but many of them do, so in the end, it seems beneficial...


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Seems like unnecessary extra work to me. I don't bother with any partitions anymore on my pc's of course my files are on a server so I guess there is a difference there. BUt even before the server I stopped making partitions years ago mainly because it was easier to make one image file weekly than make several and I strongly advise making image files. That also saves a lot of work.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Hm, I actually never gave it lots of thought. Maybe you're right. Install Windows, updates, basic and commonly used programs, and then all to the image... Okay, I will do it. Any software you recommend for this?


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## BIGBEARJEDI (Aug 8, 2012)

>>You're saying that laptops are designed to fail between 2 and 4 years. That sounds almost as if they want it to fail. I can understand commercial reasons, but come on - there must be a market of computers that are actually designed to last "forever" (as much as possible, not just a day after warranty expiration). Isn't there? I still have a computer in our house which was bought 12 years ago. It didn't fail once, even though it was used heavily (now it is still used for web browsing and text editing). Where are such computers now?<<

Quoting from your Post #73 above:

Well, that was then and this is now.  12 years ago, some of the computer companies, IBM, Dell, HP and others were still manufacturing their computers here in the U.S. using mostly Japanese, Taiwanese, and Indonesian parts. However, due to the Outsourcing of American factories offshore beginning in 2000, that's all changed, as almost all of the laptop guys now assemble and test their computers (especially laptops) in offshore factories using offshore-manufactured components. :frown: The last holdouts are Dell Business Systems and IBM Business Systems, and they are not cheap because of the 10:1 ratio in Labor differential, which I'm sure you've read about. Engineers who work in the US to design and test computers make $60k per year here, and in India, China, and Indonesia they same Engineer with the same Education and Creditials makes $6k per year! So, computer companies ship their jobs AND their factories offshore to take advantage of this fact, and in order to compete in the Global Economy. As far as Customers with computers (desktop or laptop) still running over 10 yrs. old; that's going to be a thing of the past, mark my words--I know Rich-M will agree with me as will most of the other folks here on TSF on that point. I have only seen 3 Customers in the last 5 years who having computers still running and working on the Internet over 10 yrs. old, and they are not without part-failures as you indicated on your computer. I try to get them to replace, but these folks are all in their 70s and 80s and they hold on to there computers forever, they see no need for added speed or performance. Especially, when they don't think they are going to live long enough to get their money's worth out of something new. This trend is validated in my day-to-day repair business, as newer computers are failing SOONER and MORE OFTEN than they used to. In short, the next computer you buy will not last 12 yrs.; you'll be lucky if it lasts 6 yrs.!!

In reference to Post #75: 
Quote:
Originally Posted by *Rich-M*  
_You need more than 50 gb as Windows can be 25 gb alone. 100 I can live with._

<<<But what for? As I said, I install only Windows and antivirus software into C:. All other programs are installed into D:. Right now, C: has 11gb free space, and it never drops below 10. So why waste space there when I can use it in D:? 
>>>>>>

You can take our advice or not on this one, as you may have more time to do your repairs than we do; but we service many computers not just one, and not just once a year when yours breaks down. I do between 125-150 computers a year, and time to repair (we call it MTTR) costs us money when we do things the Long way or the Wrong way. We are just trying to give you some reasons why your computer isn't performing optimally; as that's why you posted here in the first place. You can take our advice or not. It's like the Doctor says, if you don't take your Prescription, that's fine, I'll see you in the Hospital! :nonono:

On your Post #79: 
<<<Hm, I actually never gave it lots of thought. Maybe you're right. Install Windows, updates, basic and commonly used programs, and then all to the image... Okay, I will do it. Any software you recommend for this? >>>

I use Clonezilla which you can find on the Partition Magic program on the UBCD Linux Toolset by Benjamin Burrows at www.ubcd.com. This program requires an expert level of computer knowledge to use, but it is Free and works better than many commercial programs such as Norton Ghost. I have some colleagues who also have experience with and like Acronis True-Image; but that's more of a commercial program and it costs $49-$299 depending on how you are going to use it. From what I've seen of the free download demo; it's graphical user interface is much easier to use than Clonezillas' which is Text-Based (like DOS). Some of my Colleagues use this since it's easier for them to use, and some like it because they can recommend it to Customers so that they can use it themselves. Most cannot. 

Hope that insight proves helpful. opcorn:

BBJ


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

I recommend Macrium Reflect and there is a free version which is complete for image file and cloning, paid versions for incremental and differential image files and it is way simpler to use from Clonezilla from what I hear as I have never used Clonezilla.
Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - Information and download
I use a paid version because I make incremental files weekly and full files monthly and that is just what I do.
And I do agree that any more I seldom see computers still running much after 5 years and with prices of upgrades and repairs what they are I normally suggest moving on to my clients if the repair is too pricey!


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## BIGBEARJEDI (Aug 8, 2012)

@Rich-M: thanks for sharing the tip on Macrium Reflect; I've heard about it and will give it a try! 

BBJ


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

One of the interesting features of Macrium BTW is that it makes a Windows Rescue Disk and a Linux Rescue Disk and right now may be the only disk that will boot to a Windows 8 Secure Boot, UEFI bios situation which all the backup companies are struggling with.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

BIGBEARJEDI said:


> You can take our advice or not on this one, as you may have more time to do your repairs than we do; but we service many computers not just one, and not just once a year when yours breaks down. I do between 125-150 computers a year, and time to repair (we call it MTTR) costs us money when we do things the Long way or the Wrong way. We are just trying to give you some reasons why your computer isn't performing optimally; as that's why you posted here in the first place. You can take our advice or not. It's like the Doctor says, if you don't take your Prescription, that's fine, I'll see you in the Hospital! :nonono:


Um, I'm, sorry. You're right. I just wanted to understand the reasons behind that. No disrespect meant.

Rich-M, I will definitely use that software you mentioned the next time I reinstall Windows.


So... I disassembled the laptop. Down to the motherboard. There wasn't a single screw left unscrewed. Everything that can be removed, I removed. The only thing I didn't disassemble was the screen, as I see no reason to suspect it for these shut-downs.

I cleaned everything, including contacts and plugs, re-distributed the thermal paste (it was a lot of it on the outside of the CPU shiny-looking rectangle thingy, and not a lot on the middle, so I covered it with nice thin layer. Paste wasn't dried up, so I saw no reason to replace it), double-checked all the plugs, and screwed everything back in place. ONLY one small screw was leftover  And to my amazement, the laptop actually turned on after all this (frankly, I expected some smoke AT LEAST). This was my first laptop disassembly ever, I followed a youtube tutorial video on this particular model, however, it didn't cover putting everything back in place. But hey, it works. All ports are responsive, all modules recognized, there is video, there is sound, mouse, keyboard works. I even ran CPU stress test - temperatures didn't go more than 75 degrees in 20 minutes. Maybe that thermal paste redistribution had to do something with it. I'll leave it overnight to burn, just to check if it really helped with temperature reduction.

And then I made these RAM tests, as you suggested - one stick at the time, 4 hours each. No errors...

So, I'll check now if laptop still shuts down, and report back.

Off topic, but... What an amazing piece of technology laptop is. Everything so compact, so thought-of, every centimeter is used up for something, all parts fit each other by millimeters. Not just a bunch of stuff thrown in together, but every part made with awareness of others. I have no idea how they designed it all like this, not to mention actual production of these parts, but it is beautiful.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Yup. Still shuts down.

I managed to catch an owner of Dell Studio 1558 and convinced him that he must let my try his RAM sticks. They should be more ore less compatible, and then I'll see for sure if RAM is to blame.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Now you are cooking good job stay in touch here!


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

So, finally I got open both laptops, and then saw that my 1555 runs on DDR2, while that 1558 has DDR3... It never crossed my mind that such close models might use different RAM modules. Needless to say, I was unable to fit DDR3 into DDR2 slots.

I will try to get another RAM modules, but I'm not sure if there are any options except buying.

By the way, are desk computer (PC) DDR2 RAM sticks compatible with laptop DDR2?


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

No they are not.


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Well, I'm out of luck then. Unless I come up with some laptop DDR2 RAM, this mystery might never be solved...


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## textmarker007 (Jan 7, 2014)

Hello everyone,

I have the same problem with my dell studio 1555 as you laukejas and almost tried everything...
i installed windows 7 sp1 and ubuntu 13.04 and when i'm working with ubuntu, there are no unexpected shutdowns like in windows. but i formated the windows partition and reinstalled completly but the problem still exists...

so, do you solved your problem meanwhile?

greets


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## laukejas (Aug 1, 2010)

Hi there textmarker007,

I'm sorry, but I didn't find a solution. Had to buy a new laptop, and use old one only for internet, mail, Office stuff and so on, nothing heavy. It seems stable for now, but if I try running some game or more demanding application, it shut downs again...

Sorry to hear you have the same problem. This is definitely a mystery.


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## textmarker007 (Jan 7, 2014)

thanks for the reply laukejas. i think i have to buy a new one as well. it's definitely a mystery... the systems runs perfectly for years, and then (after the term of guarantee?) this ****.

but i don't play games. i happen mostly in office mode, when i am working important stuff and not when i am doing useless things  :facepalm: :grin: 

thanks for support and good luck with our new systems


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## joeten (Dec 4, 2008)

Hi did you clean out the air vents and fan with a can of compressed air,have you considered applying a fresh coat of thermal paste.


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## BIGBEARJEDI (Aug 8, 2012)

@laukejas & @textmarker007: Well, no laptop lasts forever, and even my bulletproof Acer Aspire 5601 finall has bitten the dust and I have to replace the screen on it, or if the Mobo vid.chip, the Mobo itself--which I'm probably not going to do. 

The shutdown problems occur usually due to failed hardware; the #1 cause in laptops over 2 yrs.old is the hard drive as I posted earlier. If the shutdowns continue after replacing of the hard drive, it's most likely the Motherboard *excluding faulty RAM of course, which actually is quite rare these days*. Video chips fail on Motherboards all the time. Don't know why, but, from reading hundreds of posts here on TSF forums it appears that the 2 most common reasons for that failure is from people trying to use their laptops for Gaming *for which they were never intended*, and more specifically, people who attempt overclocking on OEM or name brand laptops in order to turn their laptops into Gaming machines like an XBox. This has the very deleterious effect of overheating the underpowered video chips on the laptops and eventually kills the vid. chip or some other weak-link component on the Mobo. 

@textmarker007: since you are NOT gaming with your laptop, you can learn from this thread. First of all, you should have gotten a longer warranty; you mention that you got one for years, but how many? 2 yr., 3 yr. In the U.S. warranties are available for up to 5 yrs.! Next, if you are getting suspicious shutdowns, I suspect (no offense here) that you didn't go through your laptop as assiduously as laukejas did and simpy didn't find the problem. If you took that laptop to a good Computer Pro, he can isolate that problem and repair it for you correctly. I have had a few laptops like this in the last couple of years, and as I stated, those types of quirky shutdown problems are due to failing hardware. You just need a higher skill level to be able to track down the actual problem and replace the hardware. I had a client here when I first moved to my current home, have an identical problem to yours, and fixed it. They were a very important business client, and during the period where I worked with them, they disclosed to me that they had 4 or 5 of the other best computer techs here in my community attempt to fix the laptop--none of them could do it. But, I did. So, the laptop that they told everyone was unfixable, was actually fixable. They just needed to hire the right person to do it. Yo didn't mention whether you paid someone to fix yours, just that you couldn't do it. Had you considered the possibility that there are people like me where you live who do this for a living, and could repair it for you??

Best,
BBJ


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## textmarker007 (Jan 7, 2014)

Hey guys,
first, thank you for your answers joeten and bigbearjedi.

@joeten: i cleaned out the air vents and fan and applied a fresh coat of thermal paste two weeks ago, but the problem still exists. i don't think its a heat problem, because the cpu don't gets warmer than 70°C and the notebook don't shutdown in gaming mode (i ran games for testing) or in prime95 benchmark

@bigbearjedi: i bought my notebook in 2009 and got three years warranty.you are right, i am not a computer pro, but i am not a beginner too (and i don't feel offended from you, i am thankful about every answer and advise from you and the community:smile. i tried to track down the problem. i formated c:\ installed a new win7, ran some tests like memtest86+ (overnight about 6 hours), prime95 (about 4 hours), dell diagnostics and some hard drive tests. i installed several hardware drivers for mainboard and graphic card. unfortunely i have no possibility to change my ram just to see if it's a ram problem. i changed the hard drive and the cd-rom drive 2 years ago, because the old one were damaged. but after these tests and diagnostics i don't know what to do further. my notebook skills ends here.

here's my speccy, maybe you can find something, when you have time

thank you a lot guys!


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## joeten (Dec 4, 2008)

Hi I am going to suggest you redo the memtest 86 + testing 1 stick at a time then swap the sticks to the other slot and run again for at least 7 passes each time


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## textmarker007 (Jan 7, 2014)

thank you joeten, i will try it and report.


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