M1330 Display Issue (Vertical Lines on Reboot & Crash & Vertical Lines)

Today I started having an issue with my M1330 display after having the system for 4-6 months. When I was working (running lovely Vista-Hell) today the screen just went black, then vertical colored lines started filling up the entire black screen and the computer crashed. When I reboot the same thing happens on start-up until the login-screen appears. Any ideas? I haven't updated any drivers since I got the system. Is my video card on its way to the grave?

Thanks in advance. I will update the video drivers to see if that helps.

 

Your are not the first - a pattern may be emerging here.

See some posts below this one http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=2791806&postcount=11

 

Mine went dead past weekend. I got my M1330 in September


It overheated a few times and then it died.

Ask Dell for a motherboard replacement. Mine is coming today.

 

Just happened to mine too! What gives? On hold with support now, anybody else have this happen to them? Have you notified Dell?

 

It might overheat issue. Mine is starting to act up this past week. What is your BIOS version?

 

A07, flashed the BIOS a few weeks back...

 

I went back to A06 and I have no problem so far.

 

How do you go back to A06? I can't even boot now...

 

Did you let the laptop to cool down? I could re-boot after the laptop cool down or kept on turning on and off. I don't think I am going to use A07 BIOS.

 

I let it cool down, uninstalled the new nvidia drivers I had downloaded from Dell, currently reinstalling the drivers that came on the driver CD they gave me.

How can I go back to A06 bios? Do you think that's really the issue here?

 

The issue might be Nvidia driver but it seems that A06 BIOS, the fan running faster. Here is the link to A06 BIOS, http://support.us.dell.com/support/...eid=R166327&formatcnt=1&libid=0&fileid=224649

I am using Microsoft released nvidia driver 156.87 and it seems to work well with A07 BIOS but I still have problem with system down with vertical line on the screen.

 

Thanks for the link. I downgraded back to A06, even though I was warned that downgrading your BIOS is not recommended. I really don't know what to make of this. I formated and clean installed using all the new drivers that were posted on Dell's site for the M1330. Everything ran fine, and then the crazy lines and driver screw ups began again. It started on my M1330 even before I formated and clean installed, I figured that by starting over fresh, my issue would go away. I've had the A07 BIOS in there for a while now. Is my motherboard going? Should I ask for a replacement M1330? I use my laptop every day for work, I can't have this thing going out of commission! Ugggh...

 

You can call Dell and report it. Dell will probably send a tech to replace the mother board. I was using A07 BIOS with the nvidia 156.87 driver. It was working for a while until I got the problem with the screen. Vista reported memory error. I am running A06 now and it is stable so far.

 

For those of you who have this problem with the lines. Does your screen make a buzzing noise when you turn the brightness down? I need to know if i should be expecting this problem any time soon .

 

Since going back to A06 and the nvidia drivers that came with my M1330, everything seems to have gone back to good. The only thing is Vista does seem a bit sluggish. Do you think using the updated drivers and applications off the Dell site for the M1330 may do this? Am I better off just installing the drivers and applications that came on my M1330 when shipped? I feel like I'm using a machine that can go up in flames at any second!

 

When I had the graphics failure my motherboard was fixed by Dell. The replacement motherboard was a A01 with (I think) A02 BIOS. I upgraded it to A07 BIOS on the basis that if there is a heat issue then the later the BIOS the more likely it is fixed.
Since then I have played Pacific Fighters quite a lot (the heaviest use I make of cpu and graphics) and the problem has not re-occured.

One thing I pay more attention to now is making sure nothing is blocking the air vents when I am using anything intensive. I guess using the machine on a bed or having it accidentally still running in it's bag might be ways that the thing could get fried. Just having a bunch off cables running along the back of the machine might also restrict the airflow a bit.

 

SirWells, I had pretty much the same problem about a month ago. I would have strange graphical errors while doing random tasks in vista. For instance, all of a sudden, certain colors would be stuck on the screen and everything would freeze. When I would try to hard reboot it, the screen was full of white and some color lines instead of the Dell logo. I ended up getting a motherboard replacement and I have not had any problems for the past month now. The problem won't just go away w/out a replacement.

 

So you're recommending the motherboard replacement to the A04 motherboard? Did you do this yourself or have a tech do it? How did it turn out, I've heard stories about the way the laptop looks after the tech "completes" the job. Any improvement on the whine?

 

I had a tech come out and do it. It took him about a half hour to replace the board, and the condition of the laptop was as good as it was before he took it apart. And I can't really answer the whine question because my laptop was essentially whine-free from the start.

About the service techs, I suppose most of them do a fairly good job. I've had the same guy come to my home 3 times(keyboard,LCD,motherboard), and he has done an excellent job each time.

 

It just did it again, there was nothing blocking the air vent for the fan. I guess the motherboard is going to have to be replaced. I'm going to ask for new M1330 to be sent to me. I have the XPS letters falling off, somebody to come and fix the keyboard (which was never really fixed) and now this... I know they won't send a NEW one, probably a refurbished one. I don't know what's best.

 

Isn't XPS support suppose to get you in touch with somebody right away? I've been on hold for 30 minutes today and I was last night before I gave up! I'm telling you, I'm about to make the switch!

 

Do you have CC? It is best to get another display, video card with motherboard! You will have to work hard with Dell though!

 

CC?

I want a whole new unit sent to me with the latest revisions to their hardware (ie. A04 motherboard, etc).

 

CC is Complete Care. Sorry for the abbreviation!

 

Yea, I have the works on this thing!

 

They transferred me to Customer Care, where on earth on Dell's site can I find this Customer Care area anyways?

 

I'm still on hold on this stupid chat program on Dells site. Does anybody have a direct number for customer care?

 

I ended up performing all of those diagnostic tests and found absolutely nothing. I'm thinking maybe this whole time it was me? When I have my laptop on a rather flat surface, maybe it's not getting enough air through the intake fan? On my glass coffee table it might have gotten too hot. I know I sometimes place my M1330 on top of my wife's Inspiron 1420 when I have it hooked up to my LCD screen. Maybe there wasn't enough air intake? I don't know, do I need a special stand to hold up the laptop or something here?

 

I think the motherboard is completed toasted now. It froze even when it was getting enough air. I contacted Dell support and a new A04 motherboard is going to come to me. For those who had this problem, the A04 motherboard fixed it?

 

I also posted regard to this matter the other day. first time the display blackout and then vertical line appeared and now if i run few programs its keep FREEZING!!!

I sent email to dell coz they don't answer the phone!!!! but still no reply!!

As i'm not a expert in computer...if i ask them to change the motherboard will it solve this problem?

 

SirWells, I was pretty sure it was a motherboard failure because it is almost identical to my issue. The replacement completely fixed it.

 

so replacement of motherboard A04 is the solution right?

 

It was for my 1330.

 

I updated BIOS to A09 last night using DOS. I couldn't get the BIOS file to run on Windows. I have no problem today but Dell is sending dispatcher to change the motherboard. I spent time cursing at tech support on the chat line. He was so stupid kept asking to test my laptop with the external monitor. I kept telling the guy I don't external monitor. Final after many 4 letter word, he is sending the new board out. I will have it replace next Saturday.

 

hm...so..best option is to replace the motherboard..are they gonna change the motherboard to same one? or do i have to tell them specific model of motherboard? sorry for my ignorance

1. it seems ppl recommend to change to A04 motherboard and isn't it degrade?

 

Don't worry. The new board is A04 version. You might want to update the BIOS to A09. I thing A07 BIOS causes overheat.

 

I see. so do i need to change the motherboard first and then update the BIOS to A09?

 

now my laptop is getting worse and worse i can't even do multi-task..
if i run movie clip the display just goes blackout

 

Sometimes the new board comes with the lates BIOS. If not you can downloaad it from Dell website.

 

My replacement motherboard (was A01 board) fixed my graphics problem.
Everything was fine until today - when watching a DVD from disk I got a blue screen "hardware error" (I didn't have time to capture more detail than that but it didn't have any message about graphics).
The windows event log just showed an unexpected shutdown.

So it isn't obviously the graphics (and hasn't re-occurred in the last few hours)... but it is an ominous sign.

 

Still waiting on the A04 board to arrive. I'll post as soon as it's installed. I just upgraded to 4 gigs of RAM the day before my M1330 died too. Just have to make sure that when the motherboard is replaced, I'm sure to keep my RAM. I'm pretty sure the RAM is connected to the motherboard! I'm too lazy to check right now.

 

Yes, The technician who did my mobo replacement first took the entire unit apart. I mean EVERYTHING. The HDD, the memory modules, even the slot-load dvd-rw drive comes out. So the m1330 is left with just the bare underside with the motherboard attached to the front audio inputs. Once he removes the board and fits in the new one, he reattached each component perfectly as it was. I was quite nervous that something may get placed incorrectly or loosely, but he did a great job with it replacing all the parts onto the new motherboard.

 

Sounds like I'm going to enjoy this motherboard replacement very much. Hopefully it will resolve these issues.

Thanks for all your help. Will post how it all goes down...

 

so envy you guyz. I sent email several times to Dell but still haven't got any reply..yesterday my com just shut down when i watched movie..
How long normally dell get back to you ppl.
Last time they got back to me quite quick..like 2days..now..none

 

another question is that do i just ask them to motherboard replacement or ask them specific model number of motherboard?

and how do i check my current model of motherboard?

 

Godcha, I usually use the Dell Chat to contact them. Later at night it can take quite a while to reach someone, maybe 30 minutes or so, and that's XPS support too!

When I contacted them a few days back, at around 11 AM, I literally had no wait at all. You may want to try them directly.

All motherboards they ship and installed on new M1330s are all the A04 revision, so no need to request a specific model.

 

now i just talked with them on the phone and told me that they gonna change the motherboard for me..hope it solve this problem

btw why actually this thing happend?

 

When did you get your M1330? I read on these forums that a lot of people with the A00 or A01 motherboards have started to only recently have their motherboards burn out. I received mine in early September.

All I can say is my experience with the M1330 and Vista have made me really want to make the switch over to a Mac. Never in a million years would I ever have imagined I would ever say that! Hopefully the motherboard replacement and Service Pack 1 will calm me down some.

 

i got my one early september too..
i'm really seriously thinking about change vista to xp...

 

From what I've read, Service Pack 1 really speeds things up and takes care of many issues, so I would definitely wait for that before reverting back to Windows XP.

My issue with Vista is with the driver conflict between bluetooth and the Nvidia drivers. I can't put my M1330 (or my wife's 1420) to sleep if we have our bluetooth drivers installed. There is a hotfix from Microsoft for this but I'm waiting for Service Pack 1.

All in all, this all may be too little too late for me. I think come next year I'll be making the switch...