[iammykyl]

Start PC, >at the Dell Logo screen, press F12, > at the One Time Boot menu screen, press the down arrow and highlight Diagnostic, > press enter, > select which to run.
Video, > http://www.dell.com/...JzfpAfsNxKkTW0f
More videos, > http://www.dell.com/...PlayerOpen=True

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Hi,

I did all this with a dell rep when I called them and everything reported fine.

I want to rule out corrupt install of windows so Im formatting and doing a clean install today then I will be out tonight so wont be able to respond further til tomorrow.

However I want to ask, usually when I right click on a folder and select properties, it tells me the number of files and the size of the files within straight away. Lately when I do that, it has to count up the file numbers and sizes and it takes a LONG time in some cases. Is this reflective of a HDD malfunction?

[icikle]

Hi,

I did all this with a dell rep when I called them and everything reported fine.

I want to rule out corrupt install of windows so Im formatting and doing a clean install today then I will be out tonight so wont be able to respond further til tomorrow.

However I want to ask, usually when I right click on a folder and select properties, it tells me the number of files and the size of the files within straight away. Lately when I do that, it has to count up the file numbers and sizes and it takes a LONG time in some cases. Is this reflective of a HDD malfunction?

[iammykyl]

Gday.

it takes a LONG time in some cases. Is this reflective of a HDD malfunction?

don't think so, some things like lack of free space on the HDD, badly fragmented, corruption in a Context Menu handler. To be sure the drive is not faulty, burn the manufacturers diagnostic tool to a bootable CD so you can test outside of the os, or use UBCD has what you want + more diagnostic tools, > http://www.techspot.com/downloads/5930-ultimate-boot-cd.html

[iammykyl]

Gday.
Suggestions for your clean install.
Only install the OS, MB drivers/utilities, GPU drivers/software. Do not updates the MB or GPU drivers.
To stop windows update possible messing up the new system, Change the update settings to, inform me of updates but do not download. You can then leave ticked the OS updates _ generic drivers but, untick any drivers to do with the MB or GPU, then, when you see the prompt, tick the box, do not show these updates again.
Run the system for a couple of day to see if the cisue is resolved.
Did trying your older GPU still crash the system?

[icikle]

Trying the clean install by booting from the manufacturer disk but I get an error saying missing drivers on the boot disk. Can't continue.

[iammykyl]

Gday.
The disc may be damaged or DATA may be corrupted. So I take it that you do not have an actual Windows installation disc.
There are 2 methods still available. As windows is not stable, we can do a factory restore outside of the OS.
I hope you are able to watch some videos. Please watch lesson #1 half way through shows you how to recover outside of windows but, you will need to follow the steps in lesson #2 if you wish to preserve/backup you DATA.
What do you think?
> http://www.dell.com/...ew?docid=540734

[icikle]

I have now factory restored.

i will monitor performance from now,

[icikle]

System far from fine.

This now HAS to be a hardware fault. I cannot tell if its my HDD or my GPU.

The error dumps say GPU fail but for some reason Im inclined to think its my HDD as my system seems slow even when I am not gaming.

Im now at a loss as to what to do next.

[iammykyl]

Gday.
OK. we can run some tests outside of the OS.
Can you please review your warranty. You need to know if parts like the CPU, GPU, (intel warranty 3 years, GPU??) still apply, or What exactly is covered by Dell. With some pre built system, if you open the case, the warranty is void. I do not want to give you instructions about altering your hardware that might leave you with no help from Dell. email them giving details of the issues and what you have tried to fix them.

Please download UBCD ISO image from the link, save to the desktop, place a blank CD in the OD, right click the saved image, select Burn to CD.
Restart the comput and boot from the CD, select a CD diagnostic tool from the menu and run.

Select other tools to test, first, the RAM, > CPU, > GPU..
> http://www.techspot....te-boot-cd.html

[icikle]

Ill do this tomorrow.

My warranty for the machine itself has expired but nvidia website says my GPU has a 3 year manufacturers warranty but when I follow the support links it directs me direct to alienware/dell.

Im now swaying from HDD to GPU error as its definitely exacerbated by playing games and just playing DOTA is causing significant slowdown and frame rate drop.

I think its an overheating problem...but the question is why is it overheating?

Its a GTX 690 so this will not be a cheap thing to replace.

[icikle]

Burned the ISO correctly but it isn't a bootable disk.

[iammykyl]

Gday.

I may have not given good instruction for burning, please see > http://www.wikihow.c...-With-Windows-7
Still do the HDD and then the RAM tests to rule them out.
Contact Dell Support about the GPU, Request a RMA for the video card. Your emails need to be firm but always polite. If they start messing you about, contact the manufacturer of your card, i.e, Asus.

Reply has been edited.

[phillpower2]

While checking to see if the MB had an integrated video chip to use for testing purposes I found the following two topics/links, the problems reported there suggest that yours is not an isolated case, Toms Hardware and CNET forum

Once you have completed any/all steps that iammykyl suggests I would try the video card in the second PCI-E slot, swap in a known good PSU that is capable of supporting all of the present hardware and finally check out the cooling system - if liquid cooled is it dry for example.

Please note that overheating can cause many issues and poor HDD performance is one of them, including lock - ups etc

[iammykyl]

Phillpower2 "Guy", Thanks for the additional instructions.

Yes, I noticed the large number of posting with problems on the computer. Issues are with all hardware components, many of which are quality parts so am inclined to think the problem may lie with Dell's own MB, but because of the sheer volume of the Alienwares sold, maybe no worse than another brand selling the same quantity. The frustrating part is being able to get decent, reasonably easy, support.

Hope our troubleshooting can pin point the problem.

[icikle]

Hi,

I did burn it the way the wikihow is telling me, it is still not a bootable disk.

When I explore the disc, I see all the files and folders and not the ISO which is the way it should be when an image has been burned successfully. Also what is the best way of finding out the actual manufacturer of my card because dxdiag and my order list just show it as Nvidia Geforce...this wont be the manufacturer as surely this will be someone like Asus, Gainward, Gigabyte.

Also I cannot move it to the other PCI-e slot until I am certain it wont invalidate any warranties I may have with dell or the manufacturer.

I am away all next week too which is the really frustrating part so I wont be able to give an update or speak to Dell til Friday at the earliest.

One thing I want to point it which I havent mentioned before. When I boot my PC after it has been switched off for an extended amount of time, i.e. overnight, it always fails to boot the first time and I get loud beeping noises coming from my tower. Then the 2nd boot attempt is successful.

Thanks,

Edited by icikle, 09 February 2014 - 08:27 AM.