XPS 702x, shut down and sleep problem

I recently bought this laptop and i'm very happy with it, just for one thing that bothers me:

sometimes when i leave the computer for too long without attention it shuts down and then windows starts saying it didn't shut down correctly.

the same thing happens sometimes when awakening from sleep - it shuts down and then starts with error.

here are the specs:

XPS 702X, Windows 7 home premium
i7 2.2, 8GB ram, GT555/3GB, hdd1: 120gb intel ssd, hdd2: 500GB 7200, 1920x1080 matte screen without 3D

anyone... any suggestions?

 

Check the system event log for errors at the time of the shutdown. There won't necessarily be any errors related to this problem, Windows might be restarting before any logging takes place, but it's a place to start.

Event logs are accessed from the Computer Management console:
Start button, right click Computer, click Manage. Expand Event Viewer in the navigation pane, Windows Logs|System. Errors have a red icon with a "!".

Might be easiet to check the next time it fails to start properly, that way any errors will be close to the top.

 

thanks! i'll try that

 

yep! Report back with results when you figure it out

 

unfortunately i couldn't figure out the problem... in the events log there's this:

----
The previous system shutdown at 2:37:04 PM on ‎5/‎7/‎2012 was unexpected.
----
The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.
----

and the events before that are minutes before the shut down.

the problem is very evident now, as it happens not only during sleep but as i'm working - the computer just powers off surprisingly.

i'll be calling a dell technician for the problematic usbs on the back and will tell him about this problem too. at first i thought it is software problem but now it seems more of hardware one. sometimes it happens minutes after restart (rarely) and more often after a few hours or a day of work.

 

If there is no BSOD, then the system must be experiencing a sudden loss of power - a motherboard replacement is probably your best option.

 

thanks matix5, yes there's no BSOD, so that's my guess too. i've read that the problems with the usb 3.0 ports on the back is also sudden loss of power and needs motherboard replacement.

 

Good luck with the motherboard replacement...
I hope you get a better technician than I had...

I'm waiting for my replacement laptop as the replacement motherboard created numerous other issues...