Inspiron 9300 just stoped working

HI guys looks like a good forum!

I need help. My computer was working fine last night, shut the lid and went to bed. Woke up hit the power button and I have blue screen. Restarted and now have blank black screen. I have a XP cd I try to put it in and nothing happens. I want to boot by cd but it wont. Cant figure out how to get into setting to change order for bios. I hit F8 and that works and tried all the options and no go, still blank black. I would wipe it out and start over If I could. Nothing new was installed. It was fine last night and today it woke up nasty!?

Any suggestions?

Thanks! Dg

 

Update: I got my system to restore, I wiped it clean. It fires up like the day I bought it. But then after 3-5 minutes it crashes to the blue screen. I can restart and it will boot correctly, but after 3-4 minutes...blue screen. I get this error it says: Device driver got stuck in an infinite loop. Tech info: ( 0x88cb8b30,0x88af87eo,0xbae3cb4,0xxooooooo1)

What does this sound like? I never have these issues before.

Thanks again!

 

if you search for Device driver got stuck in an infinite loop on google everything points to a video card problem.

 

Thanks for the reply.

Update:After I did a restore my computer worked for a few minutes and then turned to blue screen, like I said. Then it worked for a couple hours flawlessly. The screen started to fade with weird lines and eventually just kinda froze up. I restart and I get many weird colored charters and it never gets past the restart with out turning to a blank black screen. Also have a bunch of dots or something as it restarts. I have a 128 ATI x300. Could this be the issue? Sure seems weird that the screen is having so many issues. I never updated my x300 driver before. I did update the driver while the computer was running well after the wipe.

Any input would be great! Thanks Gamer Phfreak.

 

Hey dg

I had the exact same problem with my dell inspiron 9300.

But without the exact information of your BSOD memory dump I would hazard a guess that it is a problem with your graphics card.

There are a number of ways to remedy this.

Step 1:
Boot up as normal then right click on a blank section of the desktop, click on properties then hit the settings tab, after that go to advanced, then trouble shoot. You should see a hardware acceleration slider, reduce it to zero.

The computer will now render all your graphics using the CPU, this will make your computer much slower and might mess with resolutions, but it'll work for computer stuff like web browsing word processing, youtube etc...

This method effectively takes your defective card out of the picture, it's a dead piece of silicon in your 9300...

Step 2:
But maybe you don't want to abandon your ATI card? What about 3D games?
Well forget it, no more games for the inspiron on software only graphics

Now, step 2 is a kind of 'hardware/software' temporary fix.

Leave Hardware acceleration at full. When you boot up your computer next time just let it sit there for a few hours, even if it still BSODs...if you don't need to work on it just leave it - but don't switch it off. Come back to it a few hours later and restart it. Everything should work fine, in 2D, but you'll still get artefacts and crashing in 3D or high intensity graphics apps.

Why?

Well basically, the onboard RAM of the GPU, (That's the Graphics Processing Unit) is contained in tiny little chips which are soldered to the board itself...

I'm guessing you've had your 9300 for a few years now, so, over those years of shutting down every night and starting up every morning (like a responsible owner), the daily temperature changes have slowly compromised the integrity of the solder which CONNECTS the RAM to the GPU!!!

There are what is called micro-fractures in the solder itself, which is hard and brittle and doesn't bend with the temperature changes....

So what can you do?

Well, in the Alienware forum is a great thread on baking, yes, BAKING your graphics card. I know it sound crazy but basically what you do is remove it from the machine, then remove the large metal heat distributor that is afixed onto the card itself, then remove the plastic thermal film ontop of the man chip on the GPU.

Pre heat your ELECTRIC oven to 180 deg Centigrade.

Place your GPU on four aluminium balls on a baking tray.

put it in the oven for 10 mins.

This reflows the solder.

Let it cool.

Rebuild your laptop and voila. Brand new GPU! Fully working inspiron.

here's the link:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=385973

how to dismantle an inspiron


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD6WDt-goiU

 

Thanks for the great reply!

I don't have an option to right click, just a blank black screen, with no control. Google "Dell Inspiron 9300 Screen/Graphics Death (pics)" That's the only other info I could find on this, first one. Im thinking graphics card. If he's pushing on key board and it's helping... Sounds like your baking method could work. Maybe a solder conn went bad????

Thanks again any more feedback is welcome.

 

I hope mine doesn't do this soon. Granted I have a 7950 GTX in it so it different that the card both of you have, but I baby this laptop and this IMHO has been one of the best laptops I had.

 

Yeah I think the problem is particular to the 6800 Go as it is a notoriously hellish card with a very troublesome reputation. However, solder connections going bad can actually affect all fx cards depending on the quality of the manufacturing process.

If you find the solution useful + rep me cheers

Be careful of toxic fumes when baking, use an oven in a well ventilated room.

UPDATE:

Just remembered. You can find out what is causing your BSODs. Dell has an excellent diagnostic utility in the BIOS of the 9300

Press the power on button then IMMEDIATELY hit the F12 repeatedly until you see a list of options. Scroll down to DIAGNOSTICS and hit return.

The 9300 will do some auto diags then take you to a GUI.

select custom diagnostic

go to video card, click on the ATI and test the Video RAM. If the test fails then it's definitely your VRAM

 

That would work, but if he deleted the partition he would need the "Drivers and Utilities" CD that came with the machine I believe. Not 100% sure about the name of the CD though.

 

New Graphics card off ebay and... Bingo! Good as new! Thanks all!!!