M17x-R1 Issues

Has anyone else experience similar issues with the USB ports breaking? Of the four USB ports, every single one has lost the little plastic part that prevents the cord from going in the wrong way. As a result, they are non-functional. I can manage to get the two on the right to work with a little bit of jiggling but I feel it is something I shouldn't have to deal with.

Also, I recently reinstalled Windows 7 after a failed install of Fedora screwed up my ability to boot to Windows. I was able to use a command prompt from the 7 install disk to copy all my files over to my second 750gb WD internal HDD before wiping it to reinstall Windows 7, but now whenever I boot up, the OS fails to recognize that my second HD exists even in the device manager. After rebooting an unspecified amount of times accompanied by forcing the device manager to search for another HD, the computer will magically find the HD. Then about 25% of the time that I set the computer to sleep after it has found the second HD, it fail to show it anymore. Anyone have any ideas to solve that? Could it do with the fact that i set the command prompt to copy EVERY file (including the pagefile, etc) to my second HD? If so, how should I go about fixing it?

 

well every goddamn day i use all 5 (five) usb ports (one of them esata+usb combined as u know). every mourning i plug-in 5 devices and in the evening that day i plug-out all 5 devices. i use laptop since 25 sep - 5 mounth. almoust half-year. no issues with this plastic parts=))

 

I never had issues with crappy USB-ports? And also I used them every day?!? So I don't know why they are falling apart at your M17x r1. Are u sure your using them the correct way? (not applying much pressure (enforcing it) if it's in, in the wrong way? Because I could imagine it will brake that way...)

 

Sounds like those ports were bulldozed in and out many times ....

Seriously though, you should call Dell and make 'em replace the mobo.
And since you are at it they can replace it with the Intel/i7 one fixing the DPClatency issues as well

 

Haha I never forced the USB cables in or out. I just noticed one day that one of the pieces of plastic had fallen out. Then a week later I noticed all but one had fallen out. The next day, they were all gone. I really don't want to call Dell again as this is already a replacement for an M17x-r1 that continuously crashed during gaming, etc. It was such a headache getting them to replace it, even then..

 

Are you crazy? I would certainly call Dell, USB ports which are falling apart is not normal!

 

call Dell - new mobo time
actually ask for a update to R2 lol

 

I can vouch for this. My one USB port has the middle plastic thing missing.
And Im pretty gentle with my baby.