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London2004
5 Posts
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19945
February 29th, 2004 15:00
smart pc shut down
Hi everyone,
My system shuts down sometimes without a warning. (I do not play games on my computer)
No virus involved. Dell diognostics program does not show any problems. have reinstalled windows but no change.
I suspect the ac-adaptor. because:
1. this does not ever happen when running on the battery.
2. sometimes if i am on the battery and it is running low and i connect the adaptor, the screen
goes very dark. (so dark that i have to restart the comuter)
3. the shutting down also happened even when i was running the diagnostics tests (when windows was not running)
4. i think the adaptor runs hotter than other adaptors (eg. sony ones)
Any ideas
Thank you very muc.
My system shuts down sometimes without a warning. (I do not play games on my computer)
No virus involved. Dell diognostics program does not show any problems. have reinstalled windows but no change.
I suspect the ac-adaptor. because:
1. this does not ever happen when running on the battery.
2. sometimes if i am on the battery and it is running low and i connect the adaptor, the screen
goes very dark. (so dark that i have to restart the comuter)
3. the shutting down also happened even when i was running the diagnostics tests (when windows was not running)
4. i think the adaptor runs hotter than other adaptors (eg. sony ones)
Any ideas
Thank you very muc.
684
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Posted March 2nd, 2004 13:00
London2004,
Thank you for using Dell's Community Forum.
Considering that your system shut down while you were running the diagnostic program, it sounds like you will need to have the computer repaired. You should contact us about setting up a repair.684
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Posted March 3rd, 2004 00:00
Does the AC Adapter charge the battery? Also, if you "jiggle" the AC Adapter connector in the back of the computer does it seem to go to battery power? Check for a bad connection there -- but it does sound like you will need something repaired...684
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Posted March 3rd, 2004 09:00
Thanks very much. As you say there is not need for any repair. I think it was a problem of overheating which is sorted by keeping the adaptor on its side, rather than flat, on the floor. this way it does not overheat.
thanks once again.
best wishes684
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Posted March 4th, 2004 12:00
I'm having the SAME problem with the same PC.
The people I've talked to at Dell pretty much have no clue what's wrong with it. It shut down mid-diagnostic like yours did and still doesn't work properly even after doing a reformat.
Unfortunately, this all started about a week AFTER my warranty ran out
I'm starting to think it's a AC adaptor problem too... is there any other type of after-market adaptor I could purchase somewhere else?
Thanks!
701
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Posted March 4th, 2004 19:00
Try using some compressed air to blow-out any dust from the air-vents.
You're joking, right? Have you read any of the other HUNDREDS of threads on here about this topic?
Unfortunately, this was the first thread I read... and the first thread I posted to. Then I checked another, and another, and another and began to realize "wow, EVERYONE that owns a 250N is having this problem!"
Why isn't Dell addressing this? Why isn't Dell fixing this? Is it going to take one of these laptops catching on fire and seriously injuring someone or burning down their house before Dell steps in and does something??
684
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Posted March 4th, 2004 19:00
gilmour25,
Thank you for using Dell's Community Forum.
Try using some compressed air to blow-out any dust from the air-vents.701
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Posted March 5th, 2004 18:00
I was wrong about the adaptor being at fault. Today I had another shut down when the adaptor was not overheated.
I agree with all you guys out there who say that we should pressure Dell to replace our computers with another model which would not have this problem.
The question is how to go about it. Perhaps talking to our lawyer friends could be a start. I guess there are not many people from the UK with this problem, or are there?
cheers701
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Posted March 5th, 2004 18:00
@London2004 wrote:
I guess there are not many people from the UK with this problem, or are there?
cheers
London2004... just take a look through these threads. There are TONS of people with this problem... pretty much everyone.
You aren't alone here... and it doesn't look like Dell is ever going to admit to this problem (probably the reason they don't sell SmartSteps anymore).
Your best bet is probably just to bother the pants off of them until they do something for you (and don't let them take your computer in to fix it... demand a replacement).
Good luck.
462
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Posted March 6th, 2004 11:00
My SmartPC 250N has just starting shutting down again for the fourth time. I demanded they replace the machine last time, but they were having none of it. I look forward to another unpleasant conversation with one of the technical supervisors!
London2004
5 Posts
684
0
Posted March 1st, 2004 12:00
Would appreciate some help.