Need some advice on broken sound and LED logo after MB replacement

So I had a motherboard replacement today and the tech wasn't all to sure on what he was doing...I should have just done it myself but for this very reason I tend to leave it with the tech and have the blame fall on him if anything bad happens. So he replaced the board and in the process broke one of the secondary LCD connectors....the LCD still works and I am not sure what the connector does but it isn't hooked up anymore. There is a new LCD on order and he will be back on Monday but I didn't use the laptop until a few hours after he had left and it was all back together. Upon using the system I noticed....I have no sound....at all. My USB headset works and Windows shows a sound device but I get nothing at all out of the speakers...which can't be a good sign. I assume there is a cable that connects the speakers the board somewhere? maybe he just didn't reconnect it....also the Alienware logo isn't turning on anymore on the lid, it just doesn't do anything even with the rest of the LED lights on , could this be the broken connector? does it get it's own plug in? I thought it ran off the LCD light and not an LED of it's own.

Regardless I will just use my USB headset until Monday because I don't want to strip the system down and make anything worse but it is still kid of irritating. I am more so just wondering what to look for when he takes it apart again so I can make sure it goes back together a little more properly next time.

Don't get me wrong I am not making a complaint thread....the tech really does not even know as much about my system as I already do , I am more so hoping someone may have stripped theirs down and may be able to say yes look for this connector or cable etc....

Thanks in advance.

 

Hi, I'd suggest you search out some tear-down videos to see, I've seen some very good ones. Now he's bu**ered it you're not going to know what should be connected and where.

I also preferred to have dell supply an engineer for exactly the same reason as you, if it is faulty then it is a simple to get them to fix.

Luckily for me my local engineer is very 'up' on aw laptops, the last time I had them out (to replace the panel) he said that the panel is easier on the R4 than the R3 to replace and was very quick to do the work.

Good Luck.

 

Hopefully the 2nd visit will help you fix that. probably the connector that he broke was the one for the AW logo Led and the speakers just need to be connected properly.

 

Unfortunately the second visit only resulted in disappointment

The speakers were connected but they are just dead....so I am thinking the replacement MB is no good. They also shipped the wrong LCD and connecting cable so that was a no go as well.

The system is being boxed up and shipped back to depot but I must admit I am a little disappointed, this simple change over that I protested due to a faulty adapter is turning into a nightmare.

 

'A little disappointed'? That's very generous of you! I had a chain of problems on my R3 that many attempts to fix failed - I was just plain mad!

If it does not come back perfect then you surely are at the point they should consider a replacement. Don't know if dell have changed their internal policy but when I called a few days ago to renew my warranty the guy 'selling' it said that if they could not fix a problem then a new machine would be supplied. I always thought dell's policy with replacements (parts or whole machine) is that refurbished parts can be used, maybe that was what he meant? Does seem to be country specific though...

Good Luck.

 

I may have been overly generous, I can honestly say I am pretty pissed off but phoning and screaming isn't likely to help either. The only thing I can hope for at this point is that I just get a new one instead of this jinxed one back.

The way it was explained to me it has something to do with US laws and refurb parts being treated as new or something like that so they don't have to tell you that it is a refurb or some damn thing. While they can't sell a refurb laptop as new they can send you replacement parts apparently.

 

Hopefully the depot people will be able to do better on this and they will fix the problem with it. Thanks for the patience, if it's not fixed send me a PM and I'll help out from the inside.

 

Absolutely right, stay calm because alienating (lol) the support guy is not going to get it fixed.

I'm sure that the dell t's & c's on the warranty are clear about refurbished parts being used - so only in countries where local laws override this will they use only new parts. The do sell the refurbs but only in the outlet store, with a full new warranty.

For me when I asked for a replacement the guy said he would check the outlet first then said one in my config was not available so I got a new R4. Luck of the draw I guess

Fingers crossed

 

I would not be opposed to a replacement M18X....just sayin...hint hint hahaha...

Thank you Porras , I am sure it won't come to that but it is nice to see someone looking out for us on this end

 

Well the system came back today....all seemed to be fixed at first. They replaced the MB again, the screen and another hardware part that was not listed specifically which I assume was the cable that connected the power to the LED on the lid. But I just realized that my Alienware logo on the bottom of the LCD on the inside isn't lighting up.....grrrrr......I am in the process to re-installing CC to see if that helps.

So I reinstalled Alienware CC and no change

Then I tried to reinstall Windows .... no change

I opened her up and checked all the connections, they were all good

Then i realised when I resumed the system from a system hibernate that the logo came on....ever so briefly, it would flash on red and then cut out immediately which can't be a good sign. I phoned Alienware back and explained to the tech that the system just came back today and the steps that I had tried. He apologized profusely and immediately started to to a system exchange, no more fixing it , just start from scratch. So I am getting a new R4 with the newer 3630qm instead of a 3610qm so small upgrade if nothing else. Can't say I am to upset at this point, I get to hang onto this computer until the new one gets here and everything else seems to be working just fine with the exception of the logo.

All in all I am happy with the service, I didn't have to yell or get angry and despite the troubles Dell has in the end come through for me.

 

At last! I almost wrote last night that it is time to request a replacement but thought I'd see if you posted results today.

This is just unbelievable the amount of issues - but as you say, they do come through when it gets bad. I also got a CPU upgrade when they replaced mine 'for all the trouble'.

Hopefully, like me, you get a good one this time around

 

So the new one is in production....but it is being built with the wrong screen option .... I called into tech support again and talked to someone who assured me I would be getting a call back from the rep that initiated the return but I have yet to hear from anyone

I really hope this is sorted out before they ship it or I won't be a happy camper.

 

Take a look at this: http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...ation-questions-ask-here-194.html#post9217962

Nobody can get hold of the 1080 screen but don't accept anything less without written assurances it will be replaced when they are back in stock!

Edit: If the R5 comes out before the screen is available then you should get one those, that is what they will be building and they are not going to change a production line just to give you an 'old' model

Might be a good thing if you can wait a couple of weeks...

 

I talked to 2 more tech support reps as they are they only ones that can look up details of the exchange apparently. The first one assured me that the original tech that put in the exchange would look into it and get back to me...that was last week. The second one assured me that even though the website says that it has the 1600x900 option for a screen that it will be coming with the 1080 version, so that is some comfort I guess. Realistically it isn't like I don't have a computer to use in the mean time but if it does get to my house and has the wrong screen in the long run then I think it will be time to stop being the nice understanding customer and start getting angry. There is also no estimated ship date on the website leading me to believe that the screen is just hard to come by and holding up the order.

 

So I talked to the original tech that set up the exchange and he has been following my case. He tried to get the 1080 added to the system while it was being built but even in his system it is telling him they don't have any screens in that warehouse....which is quite honestly a croc of **** but what can you do, we all know they are holding them back for the R5's. They do however have some in another wearhouse and can have one shipped out to me. It isn't his fault and i know that so I can't do much about it. He is doing the next best thing however, he can have a replacement 1080 screen shipped out and then have someone come and install it once I get the new system, so while this isn't preferable it is the only option at this point so I have agreed to it. He is watching the system and once it is shipped which it is showing it did yesterday, he will arrange to have the replacement screen shipped out to me and set up the tech appointment. The difference this time is because I know the tech personally as he comes into my data center all the time and does work for clients, I will strip the machine down myself and then all he has to do is drop the screen in and put it back together. Hopefully this should reduce the odds of something being broken like the last visit.

Hopefully this nightmare is almost over

 

Wow so I thought this nightmare was behind me.....

I was reinstalling my OS this evening and realised the tech didn't move the webcam over when they changed out the screen....so I don't have one....dear god, I am kinda beyond words at the moment.

 

That's kinda strange. I've had two displays from dell (R3 and R4) and both were full assemblies ready to go. Is there nothing visible through the cam window? Did you watch the guy; have to remove the alienhead light assembly from the old one?

 

According to the support guy I am talking to right now it should have come in the screen so I guess they just game me the wrong screen from the get go and it wasn't the tech that did the install. Def nothing but bezel through the cam window, I even popped the bezel open to double check, there is just a hole that goes straight back to the back of the bezel haha.....it is kinda humerous and yet not lol. I am sure they will get it sorted out for me.

 

Yeah, sounds like they sourced it from somewhere other than normal or a bad assembly job at the OEM. I have seen panels for sale from 3rd parties for AW laptops and they state that the cam/mic assembly does not come with it. Guess you get to see your guy again

 

lol indeed...not really sure what happened, maybe the first one didn't have a webcam either, I don't even remember. As usual Alienware took care of it, no questions asked and the appointment is scheduled for tomorrow so just over 24 hours from time of discovery until complete resolution.....and this is why I love Alienware.

 

If I was you, when I had a hold to the 'older' system and received the new one, I would have swapped everything that I am not happy and have one fixed just the way it was supposed too... There is no point in going back and forth on this exchange / replacement etc. Best of luck with your screen replacement (BTW, it is very easy to do the replacement yourself; just take your time and make sure you ground yourself when you touch all those connectors, just as a precaution)!

 

Well they installed the webcam and due to some other issues....I have another post about possible SSD failure.... we were unable to test the webcam while the tech was here. Being that I know the tech because he does work at my data center we agreed that i wold clean install windows, test the webcam and I would let him know what happened. So I did so and the laptop kept spitting no webcam detected errors at me..so I assumed either the webcam was DOA or I had more serious issues. I was getting ready to phone tech support back and decided to flash the latest bios being that I was on A11 and not A12.....so I did so and low and behold the webcam came back....but why? Anyone have any ideas what could possibly cause that? it is my understanding that the bios would have no impact on that at all?

 

That's a strange one! Unless there is some bios option to turn off the cam, and it had got turned off? Flashing the bios will reset all the defaults so that may be why.

Strange also that dell did not flash the latest bios first thing. I've been asked to do this whatever I'm calling in about

Oh well, that's one prob out of the way