M17x R1 Windows 7 Hangs

Sometimes my windows 7 randomly locks up, music stops playing and windows basically freezes but i can still move my mouse but no programs respond and ay they are not responding. Any idea whats going on?

 

i heard it's all about raid. another thing - storage drives hangs system.

 

I dont have raid =X just a single 250 GB HDD

 

so maybe storage drivers. i haven't storage drivers installed and my drives not in raid so i've never had lock-ups

 

i didnt install any storage drivers?

 

Kevin,

This may be an indication of a failing drive.

Go to the manufacturers site of whatever hard drive is installed in your system (Seagate, WD, etc.). In the support section they should have a diagnostics program you can download to factory test the drives in your system.

That test will usually find the issue if it is a hardware fault. If it finds something, just call Alienware and ask for a new drive.

- Denver

 

Test Option: EXTENDED TEST
Model Number: WDC WD2500BJKT-75F4T0
Unit Serial Number: WD-WX80AB9N2974
Firmware Number: 11.01A11
Capacity: 250.06 GB
SMART Status: Not Available
Test Result: FAIL
Test Error Code: 11-Cable Test::Write sector error!
Test Time: 11:50:52, February 04, 2010

Test Option: EXTENDED TEST
Model Number: WDC WD2500BJKT-75F4T0
Unit Serial Number: WD-WX80AB9N2974
Firmware Number: 11.01A11
Capacity: 250.06 GB
SMART Status: Not Available
Test Result: FAIL
Test Error Code: 11-Cable Test::Write sector error!
Test Time: 11:51:08, February 04, 2010


Test Option: QUICK TEST
Model Number: WDC WD2500BJKT-75F4T0
Unit Serial Number: WD-WX80AB9N2974
Firmware Number: 11.01A11
Capacity: 250.06 GB
SMART Status: Not Available
Test Result: FAIL
Test Error Code: 11-Cable Test::Write sector error!
Test Time: 11:51:25, February 04, 2010

 

OUCH!

I think we found the problem

 

it failed right away, is that bad or something i could fix maybe the cable is loose?

 

Mine does this all the time, did it from the first day I received it.

I replaced the drive with an SSD and it still does the same. Its the drivers or the chipset drivers. I replaced mine with a R2, or will whenever it gets here.

 

Kevin,

You could try removing and reseating the drive. However, personally, I'd call Alienware...

A drive should NEVER fail the manufacturer's onboard test. That's automatic warranty replacement from any drive manufacturer.

If you have issues after drive replacement then the issue is with the hardware in the notebook itself.

 

well i did a chkdsk c: /r as advised by alienware so now we will see how it performs, it still hung a long time at the windows start up and i had to shut it off twice before the boot

 

Tell them the drive failed and you have no confidence in it anymore and need a warranty replacement. Since the test failed it you can count on it just getting worse and at the most the CHKDSK will just remap bad sectors. I would just backup your important data while you still can and tell them to send a replacement.

 

thanks for info, ima call them back tomorrow im sick + rep for that btw

It failed the WD diagnostic after the windows thing anyways.

 

Do you remember when installing the chipset driver,... did you go default or custom install unticking the storage nForce controller??
You may need to remove the nForce disk controller (including the software removal) and CCleaner it afterwards.

 

I do not remember and wha?

 

Download this
http://www.nvidia.com/object/nforce_win764_15.51.html

Uncheck the storage driver install

Later when it asks you for the network controller dont install that either.

You will still get the lockups but they will be considerably less. Also when it locks up do not reboot, let it take its 5 minutes to unlock and the frequency will be shorter and short till you will be able to go days without a lockup.

 

Kevin,

Hopefully the techs can fix you up with a new drive... Any drive failing the manufacturer's own test is defective - period.

The check disk command they had you run actually executes before Windows loads... That further confirms bad drive.

While i'd like to be able to tell you the chipset driver is the cause, I can't in good contience. No one should ever risk their data on questionable storage media.

 

well its been a few hours without one now since i ran the chkdsk c: /r, windows said it repaired a 4KB strip that was bad. or is it just avoiding it?

 

been a few days now and no lock ups, if anyone else has this problem id suggest trying the chkdsk c: /r command