Help With Inspiron 6000 Laptop

blackoutsarebadblackoutsarebad
edited January 2007 in Hardware
I have an inspiron 6000 laptop that for the last year has ran excellently and i've just kept it with windows xp media. Recently after some traveling i've been getting the Blue screen stating a number of different errors that all reference a memmory dump that all lead to the pc being powered down and then won't restart unless i wait for about 20-30 min. I've run so many system checks on all my devices, ram checks, and everything appears to be fine. I recently installed a fresh copy of XP pro and in the effort to reclaim all my missing drivers i'm getting the Blue screen again. Whats up can anyone help me?

Comments

  • miragemirage
    edited January 2007
    blackoutsarebad wrote:
    I have an inspiron 6000 laptop that for the last year has ran excellently and i've just kept it with windows xp media. Recently after some traveling i've been getting the Blue screen stating a number of different errors that all reference a memmory dump that all lead to the pc being powered down and then won't restart unless i wait for about 20-30 min. I've run so many system checks on all my devices, ram checks, and everything appears to be fine. I recently installed a fresh copy of XP pro and in the effort to reclaim all my missing drivers i'm getting the Blue screen again. Whats up can anyone help me?

    Waiting 20-30 minutes to restart is, IMHO, a symptom of either heating problem with the CPU/RAM or the power circuit. You can check the CPU/RAM temperature and fans with this program I8kfanGUI
  • blackoutsarebadblackoutsarebad
    edited January 2007
    if it helps, the IED that looks like a Lock with an A in it flashes and then it sounds like there is a weak power down.
  • miragemirage
    edited January 2007
    blackoutsarebad wrote:
    if it helps, the IED that looks like a Lock with an A in it flashes and then it sounds like there is a weak power down.


    Does the crash happen only when you are not connected to the wall outlet? The battery might also be at fault. Why don't you check this first?

    Then, you can can check the CPU/RAM overheating problem by using the above program.
  • blackoutsarebadblackoutsarebad
    edited January 2007
    What temperatures should i see as bad... can you give me an idea, i'm still learning all the technical aspects of the pc.
  • miragemirage
    edited January 2007
    blackoutsarebad wrote:
    What temperatures should i see as bad... can you give me an idea, i'm still learning all the technical aspects of the pc.

    Above 70C is high, below 60C is normal for a loaded Pentium M CPU. Ideally, the CPU temperature should be around 40C or lower when the CPU is idle. When the temperature is high, I8kFan should read nonzero fan RPM and you can feel the warm air coming out of the fan exhaust, and this means CPU fan is working. Memory temperature also should not be much higher than 50C.

    I strongly suspect your memory is the culprit. After the battery and CPU are cleared you can test the memory. First, you need to remove and reinstall to make sure the memory has good contact. Then, if you have two memory sticks you can try them one by one. If there is only one stick, maybe you can try to borrow from somewhere.
  • PterocarpousPterocarpous Rosie the Riveter Lives On in CA, USA! New
    edited January 2007
    I agree w/ mirage, the first thing one thinks of w/ the symptoms you are describing is a heat problem. His suggestions are definetly sound. (Good info. re: the temps, too mirage... and the Dell utility.)

    My input is just a TIP and is for general knowledge re: the care of your laptop where it concerns avoiding overheating.

    Laptops are unique in that we move them around all the time, changing their position, environment, etc. frequently. So it's easy to make a mistake or accidentally damage a laptop computer.

    One (very common) way this can happen is by blocking its air vents. The vents will be in one or more of the following locations: sides, back, or underside of your computer. It's easy to forget about these vents and inadvertanly block one or more of them.

    Folks tend to (myself included) like sitting their laptop on, well, their laps! I've also seen people place a pillow on their lap (ironically because they don't like the feel of the hot laptop against their legs) then place their laptop on the pillow. While this may be comfy, it's a good way to damage your laptop. The reason is the weight of the laptop causes it to sink into the soft pillow. As a result, the pillow blocks the air vents. The result of the blocked air vents is overheating and possible damage to your system.

    Two things I always recommend to people who own laptop computers are:
    (1) Familiarize yourself w/ where your laptop's vents are located and make sure they are never blocked.
    (2) Always make sure your laptop rests on a hard surface. If you like it on your lap, a tv dinner tray will do the trick.
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