Studio XPS 16 | Not Shutting Down Completely

I am facing a strange problem with my Studio XPS 16. It was working fine with no BSOD, crashes, hang-up etc for a week or so.

I was watching a movie this weekend and laptop was on batteries. Well by the time movie got over only 15% of battery charge was remaining (I am having a 6 cell battery). I plugged in the laptop for charging.

After while I shutdown the laptop and surprisingly after Windows did the shutdown the Laptop was not shut down and the white light on the power button as well as on both sides of the laptop (on the side of hinges) were blinking i.e. very much similar to what happens when the laptop is put on sleep.

I tried shut down several times and same thing happens always. I have to keep the power button pressed for several seconds (which actually restarts the system) to shut down it completely. The Windows is working perfectly normal and after a shutdown starts normally (just the way it should after a normal shutdown).

Also, when I hibernate the system it hibernates without any problem for the first time and comes out of hibernate mode normally but when I again try to hibernate (in the same session of Windows – no restart in between) it does not hibernates and hangs in between.

So what is it with my laptop? Also has anyone tried the new A02 BIOS? I am having the A05 pre-installed so should I try the A02 now?

- Harsh

 

This may sound stupid but how are you shutting down vista?
in the start menu power button, its actually set to sleep. If you want you can change that through the power options.

I may be way off

 

Hi kman01, I know that by default the shutdown button takes the Windows to sleep. But I am doing a proper shutdown here by click the small arrow after the log-off and sleep buttons in the start menu which shows the all the options of Shut Down, Sleep, Hibernate, Log off etc....

 

Not sure what is happening but do NOT install A02. It is not an update for your bios. The next bios when/if it is released will be A06.

Did you install anything new before the problem started? That's usually the first place to look when a problem pops up.

 

I really don't think that this is an issue with Windows as it is shutting down properly. It seems to be a problem related to BIOS.

Should I call Dell???

 

I guess yah, give em a call. Thats odd... Hmm...

 

I had called XPS Tech Support. Now according to them this problem is due to Vista Updates and I should have not Updated Vista from Windows Update

I tried System restore but it does not have the restore point of that date when I did Windows Update. So I guess I have to Reinstall Windows Vista

But frankly I don't think that this is a Windows Vista Problem. I will try Live Booting from Linux (I have Unbunto DVD) and try shutting down from there. I still feel this is something to do with Power Supply or BIOS...