XPS M1530 - Serious restarting/overheating issues

Hi all,

This is my first post on these forums. I've tried to search as best I can for an answer to my problem, but haven't been able to find an answer as of yet.

I'm running a Dell XPS M1530 with Intel T9300 dual processors and 4GB RAM. My system is a dual-boot: I use Vista Enterprise 32-bit for general activities such as schoolwork and internet, and I also have a very bare-bones Windows x64 that I use for some intensive MATLAB computation and music recording/processing. This system is about 9 months old.

I first started having problems after I'd only had this computer for about a month. I was at a conference and had my laptop in its sleeve and in my backpack. I took it out sometime in the afternoon after having used it in the morning and it was extremely, extremely hot. The computer was off, but the fan was working like you would not believe to cool it down. I called Dell and they figured that 1) I accidentally left the computer in sleep mode instead of shutting it down and that is why it overheated or 2) the display adapter (nVidia GeForce 8600M GT) is defective. I wasn't entirely sure which option it could've been, so I ignored the problem.

Then this started happening with greater frequency and stranger happenings also began to appear. When I closed the computer to put it into sleep mode, it would restart automatically. When I attempted to shut it down, it would proceed to, then the dreaded BSOD would appear and it would restart. This would happen two or three times before I could actually get it to shut down. Whenever either of these things occurred, the computer would get very hot. Many times, it has happened that I've taken my computer out of my backpack after I'm positive that I shut it down earlier, and the fan is spinning and it is burning up. It almost seems as if this thing is haunted and has a mind of its own!

The mysterious restart has also happened out of the blue while I've been working on the computer or browsing the internet. Incidentally, all of this happens only when I've been running Vista and not once has it happened while I've been on XP. The only weird thing I've been witness to on XP happened just about an hour ago. I was on Vista, closed the computer to put it to sleep, and it restarted, as I mentioned above. I decided to work on XP for a bit, but of course, the computer was really hot from the previous restart. While I was working, I could tell the computer was not cooling off well, and then the thing just died, as if the battery had just been yanked out.

It is worth mentioning that these restarts do not happen all of the time, but they have been happening more and more lately...probably at least 50% of the time now when I close my lid, it restarts, and about 25% I go to shut down. The BSOD flashes so quickly that I can't see any of what it says, and related threads I've come across instructing the user to look for C:\Windows\Minidump don't apply on my machine as I can't find this directory/file.

I'm becoming increasingly frustrated with this and do not want to send my computer off for three weeks while I have work to do. If you are able to provide some assistance with solving this problem or even some help in debugging, I would greatly appreciate it! Do not hesitate to ask me for any more technical information on my system, OS, etc.

 

Call Dell and ask to get another computer. Obviously something is wrong with it, whether it be a defective video card or some kind of fan / cooling issue, and Dell should take a look at it. If you ask nicely, they might even throw something juicy in for your troubles

 

I've found with the m1530 it will get "stuck" in a state sometimes when you shut the lid before it has fully shut down. I just wait until all the lights have gone and haven't had a problem with it overheating...

If you go into the Control Panel > Administrative tools > Event Viewer you might be able to find some more details of the BSOD you've been seeing.