m15x Hardware failure or virus?

Two days ago my m15x blue screened and shut off; I didn't get a chance to read what it said. I immediately restarted, and start-up repair came up to scan for problems...and it stated it could not find the source of the problem. I restarted the computer about three more times, each time start-up repair came up and could not find the problem.

I then opened Dell Datasafe Local Backup to restore my system to factory settings, and it seemed to work. I opened i.e to download needed programs and soon random popups appeared while browsing the web. I installed nod32 and malwarebytes and both did not find any problem with my computer.

After a few windows updates, my computer again failed to start, opening up start-up repair and being unable to find a problem. Therefore I started Dell Datasafe again to restore it to factory settings.

I have restored my m15x about 3 times now and do not know what to do. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Download and burn memtest. Boot the disc and let the test run for 8 hours. If you don't get any errors, your system's hardware is stable.

 

Do as JohnnyFlash told you, and IF there isn't any problems with your hardware then it has to be an infection. After doing the factory restore using Dell Data Safe, don't plugin any external devices like your USB flash drive or hard disk since there is a chance they might be infected.

Download a new copy of your anti virus and install it. After doing so, plug in your external devices and scan them. Hope this helps.

 

I had a similar problem and as it turned out my external HDD was the source of infection.
If memtest comes back without any errors I would personally disconnect all the external devices as ramstein37 says and perform a clean install of windows from Alienware installation CD.
If you have acces to another uninfected machine - go to Drivers & Downloads - download all the drivers you need for your machine and burn them to a CD(I would also download the setup files for the anitvirus and burn them to the same CD).
Before installing Windows - format the hard drive from the installation menu(you can keep the recovery partition - I got rid of it).
Don't allow the system to connect to the Internet during the installation.
Once the installation is complete - use the CD you've burnt to install the drivers: start with the chipset(there's a thread in this forum on the sequence of driver installation).
DO NOT use the Alienware resource CD - it's the scource of many troubles - I've thrown mine away.
When finished with the drivers and many reboots run the anti-virus setup file from the CD and let it install. Scan the system for any trouble. If none there and you personally don't see any weird behavior - create a restore point.
Check that your Windows firewall is switched on and -Hey!- connect to the network.
Let it install updates - I always leave the machine be while it's at it.
When done - I'd follow Rammsteins advice and scan the external media storage for viruses. Hope it helps