Blue Screen Right Out of Box (NEED HELP!!!)

Hey all,
So I finally received my refurbished M14. I turned it on after plugging the adapter in. Everything booted up ok. I let the Windows setup run. Afterwards I had issues trying to connect to my N network. I have the Killer 3x3 wireless card. For some reason I couldn't get that to run. I thought maybe if I restarted now that the Windows setup finished that it would work. I also installed 3D Benchmark to see what the results are without the windows updates. I did manage to get it to connect to the G wireless network. Still don't know why the Killer wireless is showing as disconnected.

The wireless issue isn't even the main problem I've been having. After I restarted my M14 and log into my user account, it will load windows and a few seconds after my default windows desktop is shown it will give me a Blue Screen of Death. I feel like I just bought a really expensive brick. Is there any possible solution to these issues? NEED HELP!!! Thanks all!!!

 

First off what was your Stop Message? Have you tried to log in again? If you still get the BSOD try booting into Safe Mode and uninstall anything you have installed and see if that fixes it.

Good Luck

 

I don't get a chance to read it b/c it loads so quickly. Everytime I try to log it pops up a BSOD even when I properly reboot it using safe mode. The only thing I installed was 3D benchmark. I tried doing this with my m14 unplugged from the adapter. I tried again with it plugged in and the BSOD didn't occur. Any reason why this may be?

Edit: This is the BSOD I keep getting:
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b357/daverbmxer/P10402022011-05-22.jpg?t=1306098369

 

What 3D benchmark did you install? Also did you boot into Safe Mode? If so does it BSOD as well? From the Error it looks like a service that is trying to run isnt agreeing with your system.

But boot to safe mode. Uninstall the 3D benchmark then boot normal. If it doesn't BSOD then you know what the issue is.

 

I installed the basic one and the gamer tests. I uninstalled both, but still get the BSOD every once in a while. I'm currently trying to install the drivers and updates to see if that clears up anything. Still seems like I'm getting more errors than I should though. Possibly involving my wireless issue of not being able to connect to my N network...only G.

 

Updated all drivers and still get the BSOD every so often. I think I'll have to get some tech support from Dell. Hopefully they'll be able to help. Sad...this is my first alienware and I'm having so many problems with it already.

 

BSODs right out of the box are never good. Return it to Dell, do not exchange it. After you get a refund, if you want the laptop still, place a new order so that you have a fresh 30 day period to decide if you want to keep the laptop.

 

If you exchange it, don't you get another 30 days anyhow? Heck, that's what they told me when ordering an M11x from the Outlet last year after exchanging twice for three units before I was happy.

 

I didn't look up the error code but I received a brand new Alienware a few years back and on the first boot up of the brand new machine I have a BSOD.

Problem was I had a bad stick of ram. You can try taking 1 stick out and seeing if you still get BSOD and do trial of elimination on the sticks.

 

I have personal experience with this. No, they do not give you another 30 days. You might be able to reason with a representative but it is their policy to start the time period at the date of invoice for the original purchase, not the date a replacement was received.

 

If you exchange it, I have seen manufacturers start the 30 day return period from the 1st computer, not the exchanged one, which is why Greg suggested returning it not exchanging it.

 

That doesn't make any sense and certain it is not the caes. If a problem doesn't crop up until day 25 on the first computer by the time you get a replacement and actually get to use it they need to return or exchange it. I've never heard of such a thing.

I would just ask if the replacement gets another 30 days for return or exchange, and most certainly the answer will be yes.

 

does it matter if it's refurbished though?

 

Unless that is in writing, then the OP will get bit by this 30 day thing. Dell's policy is quite clear. I got into a massive fight with Dell about a $4,000 engineering computer a few years back that almost went to court because they kept exchanging parts, replacing it, and that 30 day return window had expired before they even got a working computer to us. They told me back then that "sure, it's a new window" but when it came to actually demand a refund, then they went back to this policy line and tried to screw us.

Eventually we talked some sense into a customer service manager but probably only because they knew we were going to file a small claims lawsuit the following week if it was not resolved.

Nope, the exchange / return period is the same for both new and refurb laptops.

 

It really depends on the manufacturers. I don't quite remember the exact circumstances, but somewhere in the XPS subforum someone got a DOA XPS, he decided to exchange it. Turns out he did not want the laptop overall during that "21" day return policy but Dell said he could not return it as the 21 day return policy started from the 1st laptop. This is why I prompted the CSR for a return for my Latitude E6410, a lot of minor issues but I planned on ordering another one later on anyway.

 

That's another point of confusion as well. Check the exact return policy for your laptop. Tsunade_Hime mentions 21 days...some business units (Home & Home Office) use that. Others (Small Business?) might use 30.

Generally speaking: problems out of the box = return ASAP

 

I've ran into this problem as well. Each person i talk to (reps) say that its 21 days even though my contract (in paper) clearly states "30 day return policy" on the top. I think its best to just think as if you only have a 21 day return policy. That way, you will no have any argument between the two.

 

I had the exact same BSOD when I run my virtual machine. And I found that the BSOD happened when I enabled my wireless Killer card. You may want to disable that in BIOS or manually unplug it, hopefully that can get you into windows at least.

 

i managed to get the drivers and bio a05 updated and messed with the killer card manager to connect to my wifi network. so far no BSOD. thought maybe it was a memory issue so ran a few stress test programs and surprisingly it didn't crash. ::knocks on wood:: hopefully i whatever i did was able to fix the problem i was having straight out of the box.

 

Maybe is that configuration from the bios... where you can choose ATA or AHCI...
if it is on ATA put in on AHCI