6615W - Teething Troubles

Had a few issues with my new 6615W...

Decided to install windows myself - not sure if that has helped matters...

Used all the drivers per Zepto website...

BSOD

Getting regular Blue screens on bootup and sometimes also mid session , some with memory parity errors some not..

Gonna install the new bios and drivers for the 7600 and see if that helps - looks like display based issues...

BOOT UPS

When i 1st hit the boot up button lights come on but no display and it stays like that, when I restart again it boots fine (this happens ever time!)

DVD DRIVE (Slot Loading)

Very choosy with what this is gonna read, DVD+ and - not great, refuses to read some CDR's....even refused to read some Commercially issued DVD Data disc (PC Format).

When it works it goes like the clappers and I can play WOW at max resolution everything on no problem (runs v hot tho but on a 4 hour wow session never a problem).

Running HL2Ep1 again full resolution and mostly max settings runs like a dream...

Seems to be once it gets going its fine (especially if im working plugged into the mains..) but intially can be a real problem.

Anybody had any similar experiences?

 

I think that bluescreens on boot come from the ram, but not sure.

 

the slot drives mechanism is junk, zepto need to change the one they use, my apple mac mini uses a matshita drive which isnt known for being great, but its a lot better then the sony drive, sliding a disc into the sony one zepto use is like forcing a sunday news paper through a letter box. no wonder they jam

 

yeah sounds like mem to me as well, there is a memtester on our site could you please download that, and could you give me the nb serial nr. in the bottom of the NB?

 

Ok gonna download the memtest and report back...

Serial number is..8680010440.

Now have the most uptodate nvidia driver with the modded inf file, hopefully this help as well...

Appreciate the help so far btw...one final thing how to I get the @ key to work as atm it prints a " and my shift-2 key gives me @...

 

isnt that just changing your KB layout in windows ?, i might be stupid, but i think it is...

But otherwise the serial will let me know so i'll get back to you on that as well one of our supporter guys..... im going abroad on friday, so i cant check back here there

 

yeh how do i change back to a UK keyboard because ive got it set on US too

 

go to the control panel, select regional and language settings...>

 

Hi Morten,
i got my 6615 yesterday and i got some blue screen (it sais 'hardware malfunction memory parity check error or smtg like this) while playing BF2. Is it the same problem that I saw with 6214? My bios is the 1.07 revision Do I need to flash it with 1.12 revision that is for 6214 (and is it for 6615 too)??

 

famous grouse:
The issue with the keyboard is as mentioned earlier because you have the wrong keyboard layout selected in Windows:

Via the Clasic Control Panel:
Start --> Control Panel --> Regional and Language Options --> Langage --> Details... --> Add --> English (United Kingdom)

Via the XP Control Panel:
Start --> Control Panel --> Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options --> Regional and Language Options --> Langage --> Details... --> Add --> English (United Kingdom)

This one is different from the English (United States) as on the US keyboard layout the Shift+2 = @ and not as on the UK layout Shift+2 = ".



Zamalito:
The BIOS' are model specific so you would just make your 6615 not function by trying to use a 6214W BIOS on it, so not a good idea at all. Have you tried testing your RAM with the RAM tester we have on our FTP site? If nopt i would suggest you do that just as it was suggested to one of the other users earlier in this topic.

 

Yeh ive sorted it.

Could you help me with this problem also(its at the bottom): http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=79807

Cheers

 

Thx Rene i patched the bugy BF2 and no more problem, but i'll try your tools.
Regards, Zam.

 

Good to hear you found a way to solve your problems. Patching everything up to the most recently updates are most often the best fix.

 

Well an update on my original teething troubles...I have turned off quick boot and it runs the mem test now - not had any BOS since (also since loading newest 7600 drivers with inf file revision.

So at present seems to be settling down a tad which is good.

Ran Memtest for a good 5 hours - no failures...

Have reset bios to factory settings also as a failsafe.

The only two questions I have now are :

1. Every time I boot it up for the 1st time the lights come on but not the screen hd spins for a while then nothing. Second boot is always fine...is this some sort of warmup problem do you think? (Have enables bios memory checking to give it a chance but never gets that far just black screen every time on 1st boot of the day...).

2. Where can I download the 6615W user manual in English?

Again thanks for help so far, I'm convinced this is a good rig and still a good buy just needs a little tweaking to sort out these initial problems

 

Hmmm this is still promising so much but continues to give me headaches...

On my 4th Installation of Windows (gonna reinstall tonight again) on the current installation I have kept the basic Nvidia driver provided on the Zepto website and not the modified INF version from LaptopVideo2Go.com.

In all the previous installations I did get a lot of BSOD from cold and hot and I now believe it could be due to the modified drivers.

With the basic Nvidia driver per the Zepto site have had no BSOD which is good.

However I still have two major issues which are likely to lead to me sending back to Zepto in the very near future - these being :

1. 80% of the time on cold boot (powered or just battery) the lights come on the HD spins but the screen does not come on and it just hangs. If I hold the power button down to restart it will then boot fine. This is unafected by bios settings for memory checks and like.

2. The DVD Drive is very noisy and picky with that it likes to read and not particulary quick (CD installation of WOW on original x4 discs is Very Very Slow) I think this is over and above the issued mentioned on this forum - I think the drive mechanics and spinup times are bad.

Now I've flashed the updated Bios on both the MB and the DVD Drive since I had all these problems, but has made no difference.

Can anyone suggest a Bios tweak that might help my cold boot problem (maybe something I am missing that I need to set/turn off?)

I think if I can sort the cold boot issue I can live with the DVD Drive - most of my media will be read from my desktop over wifi so this is no great hardship.

On a positive note once its running its stable now (5+ hours gaming surfing and the like no problem other than a little hot) and the **** think runs like the Devils Own Jugganaut - a real speed beast and no mistake.

 

Ok so I eventually called up NU Systems (UK Zep Representatives).

Next days they arrange for it to be picked up from my work, in just over a week they check and fully replace the chassis (including mobo) and now its back. Fixed completely and running like a very very very quick thing no problems at all.

This thing will eat any xp app or game and installed and ran vista rc1 very hapily and quickly - just need to test rc2 now...

So in the end I got the laptop I was expecting - an absolute flyer for the price.

My advice...if you get a zepto with problems call em up get it taken in and they will sort it - dont spend 6 weeks like it did trying to troubleshoot it coz it might not be something you can sort...

Anyway final word is NU systems (Ashley) good service here kept me up to speed and sorted it for me.

Cheers Zepto - one satisfied customer...

 

what about the DVD Drive?

 

well it seems better but it will only read in line with the list of media posted elsewhere on these forums.

I burn vista rc2 onto a dvd on my desktop and my desktop could read the disk just fine but the laptop would no read it at all.

Overall the DVD is ok and does the job most of the time but is just picky with dvd-r that are not originals or are home grown

 

Thanks Rigo, I really needed that, do you think they will use a better one on their notebooks?

 

After some not so favorable comments on the slot-in drives (that i fell in love with after seeing one in a mac book) i went with the good ol' tray.
Its not worth buying and then getting pissed off that it REALLY IS a crap drive.

So i avoided that headake, but i may still get them. I only made 1 or 2 dvd's so far, and i havnet had any reading problems with the dvd's cd's i have put in. But i may just have been lucky.

About the problem when you press the power button, and nothing happens other the the light goes on, and a fan spins up. I have that sometimes (when it first happend, i called Zepto danmark, but they had never heard of the problem. Somehow i dont beleave them... maybe they just dont document every problem that is called in.)

 

I read many of those comments and was unhappy because I already ordered mine with the slot in drive. After using it for 2 weeks it still runs fine. I'm pleased with it... No errors, no nothing, it does it's job fine.

 

Same Here. I don't have any problems with it. It's a little noisy at startup, and when you load a dvd but other than that it works great and is very silent in reading and burning... So I really don't understand all the fuss about the slot in. Plus it looks really cool !

 

It could be that there is a percentage of the drives that suffer from defects.

Issues with the drive braking discs, unable to read discs that wouldnt normally pose a problem for an optical drive, loud sounds from the drive..

It made me choose the normal tray, i would be gutted if i had to return a defective drive, and to the hole back and forth thing.

But im glad that there are someone out there that dont have problems with the drive.

 

I agree with SimonDuduch. No probs with it.