M17xR3 Eratic Start Ups, 8 Beeps.

Good morning,
Now I am new to these forums but I am not having any luck with this computer or the tech support forums. Now I am currently unable to call Dell or even get them online tech support so this is making things tough.

Now after having this computer for about two months something weird started happening. When I tried to turn it on one day the screen didn't turn on and then there was eight beeps then a break and the same eight again. I read up and it said it was the video card, but I then tried tuning it on and it started up. So for the last week of me trying to find an answer and hoping it would actually start up I found this site... The only problem is that I don't have the time to look through all the threads to find an answer and also it took me an hour just to hit the 7th page lol.

So I am asking for help. Does anyone know what could cause this brand new computer to have start up problems that happen every other time?

 

Oh also my specs are...
Alienware M17xR3, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit, Intel Core i7-2820QM CPU @ 2.30 GHz, 8.00 GB Ram , 730GB Hard Drive, 120Hz LED 3D Screen, Nvidia 460M GTX.

 

Haphazardly, did you change anything physically? Also, did you call up Dell tech support? Assuming you bought it brand new, you do have at a minimum 1 year warranty that you should take full advantage of.

Beforehand, I'd run the Diagnostics tool on your computer if you can by starting up your computer, pressing F12 and selecting Diagnostics. It takes under an hour to run (I forget the exact timing since I've only ran it twice; twice too many IMO) and saves you call time with Dell by being able to respond to their diagnostics question right away.

 

Sadly where I am at right now, this is all I go, I get the internet a few times a day, so makes it hard to just call them up about this. I have not changed anything physically before this started happening, I did however start to remove and re-install the hard drive, the ram, and the video card + fan as it said in there tech support. Sadly there was no luck. The weird thing is I did run the Diagnostic from the boot menu and it is saying there is nothing wrong. It is like it gets hung up on start, give me those eight beeps and then after a few times turning it off and on (Always a different amount of times.) it will start up, checked everything on windows as well, no errors or problems. I even went back to the A03 for the Bios in hopes it would work. When I did that it started to flicker on and off a few times before it started beeping, took a dozen times but it finally started up. Thought might be the power, but it does it plugged in with the AC or just on the Battery.
So any other ideas? Because this is the weirdest thing I have seen on a computer in a while. It is like it doesn't know how to make up it's mind. And I would think the video card is not seated right or something of the sort but shouldn't it do it all the time or at least crash the computer once and a while once it starts up?

 

Sadly where I am at right now, this is all I got, I get the internet a few times a day, so makes it hard to just call them up about this. I have not changed anything physically before this started happening, I did however start to remove and re-install the hard drive, the ram, and the video card + fan as it said in there tech support. Sadly there was no luck. The weird thing is I did run the Diagnostic from the boot menu and it is saying there is nothing wrong. It is like it gets hung up on start, give me those eight beeps and then after a few times turning it off and on (Always a different amount of times.) it will start up, checked everything on windows as well, no errors or problems. I even went back to the A03 for the Bios in hopes it would work. When I did that it started to flicker on and off a few times before it started beeping, took a dozen times but it finally started up. Thought might be the power, but it does it plugged in with the AC or just on the Battery.
So any other ideas? Because this is the weirdest thing I have seen on a computer in a while. It is like it doesn't know how to make up it's mind. And I would think the video card is not seated right or something of the sort but shouldn't it do it all the time or at least crash the computer once and a while once it starts up?

 

If its hardware problems which it looks like you should better contact support.

 

Yes, check if you put everything back the correct way, check the fans connectors etc. etc.

If this does not help at all, you should call Dell and let them know your problem. Probably you should not mention about your 'opening experience' (removed memory, hdd, GPU and probably CPU) as they may void your warranty.

Hope the above helped

The tech should bring a GPU and a motherboard

 

I suggest removing your motherboard battery and your laptop battery.

Then hold the power button for 30 seconds then take a break for a few sec. Then hold it one more time for 30 seconds.

Then put the motherboard battery back in and hold the power button for 30 sec.

Put the laptop battery in and let your computer sit for a min (turning it on right away will make it beep due to the motherboard battery barely being in)

Then see what happens. Dell does not know beep codes and they will suggest either you send it in or someone will come to your house to replace everything.

 

Try reseating your gpu. Could be a loose connection.

 

I would actually laugh if they say it voids my warrenty seeing that I did what they said on there site, and no where on there did it say this voids your warenty lol. I should be back in Canada sometime in a few weeks so I can actually call them. Sadly there will be no chance they will be able to fix this in the two weeks I will be back. I have not tried reseating the GPU yet, but that might be an idea to try. Lucky for me I am able to use a static free lab lol. Just not a fan thus far with this thing acting up. But the battery test I did try out and it got pissed at me, didn't start for a few days lol. But I didn't hold down the power button when I did it so I will have to try that.
Thanks for all the advise on this guys. It is a weird experience for me seeing I have never seen this with a computer. If it was all the time I wouldn't be as pissed off seeing I would be expecting it not to work.

 

So now as you can see I have not been on in a while seeing that the computer finally will not start up at all. I am now guessing it is actually the GPU then the Video Card seeing that when I tried to take it apart it pretty much was not connected to the heat sink anymore, it looks as if the glue they put on turned to powder inside the computer, wasn't much on either of them. So I am sure the company messed up when connecting the two and it was a matter of time until it finally fell apart.
Again thanks for the advice and help, I guess she will be going back for repairs and not coming back with me for the last four months I will be over seas... And here I got this comuter because I was told it was the best one out there. Kind of fell short of my expectations.

 

^^^It is a good one. But human error (cough) still happens. Did you have any problems BEFORE you opened it??? Cause you said you had it for 2 months with no issues!? Just saying. Still, should be covered under warranty so don't fret. And don't send it off unless you have to. They should come to you to fix it.

 

It will be a bit still until I can actually send it back to them, I actually live out of that 200Km at home service thing they have, so sadly I don't see them coming to my place to fix it, if they do that would be great and I will be able to bring it back here instead of having to go and buy another computer for the four or six months I will be away once again.
As for the first two months, I had a few problems, where it didn't start up, it would flick on and off like it restarted then turn right on with no problem, there was also the whole freezing while in sleep mode or when I locked it and the screen turned off. Wouldn't get anything to work, the keyboard would not respond so the screen stayed black and didn't power up. I finally looked inside of it becasue of where I am, had a few computer techs here look at it and they went over it only to say they didn't see any problems or anything that looked burned out without tearing it apart.
So once I get back home I will for sure post on here what the problem was so that others out there can know what happened with it so that it doesn't happen to them.

 

Have you tried starting the computer without the GPU? It can run on the integrated GPU.

 

I have tried that, and no luck still the same eight beeps, it is really weird, now the funny thing, I got it up and running again just today, and when it started it said that it was in the year 2017 lol, don't know why it did that one. I really don't know what to say, seeing that it is so irratic I think I got it and then it does it agian, it may just be the motherboard has something wrong with it and just the right temp, level or pressure on the computer makes it work. I really still have no answer and may never, but once I get home Alienware will be hearing from me since they hung up on her once again trying to find out if they would come to our place or if we had to ship it. So the services as well now are not going too good for me. I really with I had something good to say but so far no luck. Might be interesting taking it back home through the airport if they ask me to start it up and it starts beeping. Crossing fingers I have no problems with that as well... But knowing my luck thus far, I better be expecting it lol.

 

Do you have other DDR3 RAM sticks to put in?
Try starting the laptop with one stick only and minimum hardware (without dedicated GPU also).