Had my Dell since September. Here's the list of what's wrong with it.

Funkstard

i)Microphone input broken

ii)Explorer.exe not working on startup

iii)No background on resuming from hibernation/standby (wallpaper but no startbar/desktop icons)

iv)Crashes repeatedly

v)No screen after resuming from hibernation/standby (black screen)

vi)Screen flickering, black gaps in the background/startbar when screen begins to flicker

vii)Multiple error messages (Microsoft C++/Intel Framework MFC Application)

viii)Crashes on ‘saving settings’ screen when restarting

ix)Internet explorer frequently not working/stops working (when using wireless/network cable)

x)Wireless info. box freezing

xi)Fn keys GUI gone, Fn keys not working anymore

xii)When the screen flickers, the grey windows 2000 startbar shows momentarily

xiii)CPU often working at over 80% when the computer is idle

ixv) iTunes has ‘detected an error with my audio/video set up – iTunes may not work properly’

xv)Errors with ‘vsmon.exe’

xvi)ZoneAlarm firewall crashes and shuts down

xvii)Firefox browser windows closing for no reason


The main problem is that everytime I start/resume the computer, it is guaranteed that there will either be a black screen upon which I have to restart the computer, or just the wallpaper with no startbar/desktop icons, and I have to wait ~10 minutes for them to reappear and for me to be able to use the computer.

I sent an email to Dell support about 2 weeks ago, and of course there's been no answer yet. I now hate Dell. Seethingly. I've been so close to punching my screen or smashing my fist off the keyboard many times. The laptop had problems from the first time I booted it. What an absolute joke.

Tom Dunne

It sounds like you have a couple of programs that are conflicting.

For example - you are using Zone Alarm - why? Do you have Windows XP? If so, it has a firewall. Also, Dells usually com with McAfee secutiry center, which also has a firewall.

I'm not going to go through each problem indivudually, but without knowing what you installed onto the computer, it is hard to say where the problem is.

Any why in God's name did you e-mail Dell for support? You need to get on the phone and start talking to them. Venting here is not going to get your laptop fixed.

petes

So it had problems the first time it booted up. This was the first time you should have contacted Dell. And if you say it is from September why did you wait until two weeks ago to email them. Also use the phone. You will get a much quicker response.

rick_fantastic

perchance is it a dell d620 ?????

yer best bet is to do a fresh reinstall. when xp is back on the laptop. put the resource cd in and install in the following order....

chipset
dell notebook system software

and then all the other drivers etc etc

i had to rebuild every dell d620 we got into work as they were not ghosted properly

try that and if that fails...

id ring dell, email is a waste of time. be prepared to run round in circles for at least an hr!

Funkstard

I have already rang Dell, after waiting a good hour on the phone I was told I have to go through a Diagnostics test with a technician over the phone. Won't be able to do that until I get my holidays from college as I can't do it during open hours.

And for Zone Alarm, I got rid of the McAfee trial stuff that came with the laptop, it was slowing the computer down and wrecking my head with the constant popups.

It's a Dell Inspiron 6400 by the way.

I didn't contact Dell right away because I waited to see if the problems would sort themselves out, in case it was just a case of the OS gradually 'warming up' or whatever.

BlackWizard

Dunno if I would blame dell on your problems...

Sounds like you got your laptop and unistalled stuff you dont like and installed
your own.

I'd recommend formatting the harddisk and re-installing windows. Installing only
what YOU want after that.

Tony H

First of all , you can do the dell diagnostics your self , hit f12 after the restart and run the dell diagnostics from there
the software problems i would not be worried about as a clean install will fix these ,format the hard drive and do a clean install(if you have the disc)
any hardware problems i would have dell fix straight away esp if you have dell onsite service you can have it fixed at home with no downtime
i had a lot of hardware issues with my 6400 and after two attempts by dell to NOT fix it they replaced the system with a new one ,
on my new one i reformatted and reinstalled and have had no problems since

Sparky

v)No screen after resuming from hibernation/standby (black screen)

I got this on an XPS M1210. I sorted it as it was an nVidia driver issue.

One other thing I also have to note is that my dell for some reason looses wireless connectivity a lot. It just randomly disconnects itself from any router and then cant find it untill I restart windows.

I'm planning on reinstalling windows again after Christmas as it's a dual core with 2GBs of ram and yet is acting slower than my old i6000

BlackWizard

I had the Black Screen of Dell on my XPS m1710

Just a driver issue. I think I decided not to use the dell ones and installed ones
off some site. Later I downloaded some from the dell site.

old boy

my young wan got a new one last year, took 3 trips back to dell, no joy it had to be replaced twice, they made out it got infected because she downloaded freeware i think it was morphius or some thing that sounds like that,