Can frigid weather (below zero) damage new 1530

Just rec'd new 1530 and having some startup problems--system
shuts down and is really slow in processing. we have a 7700 processor and 3 gs ram and use vista ultimate.

not sure how long this 1530 box sat on DHL truck but we've had
below zero weather for last 5 days. could that hurt computer?

any thoughts? thank you.

 

Don't think so unless it was turned on while it was still cold.

 

It can if it gets condensation inside when the computer warms up again.
Also I've been told you shouldn't try to start up a computer that's been at below freezing -- that you should let it warm up closer to room temperature. The reason is something to do with how far the read/write heads are from the platters inside the hard drive.

 

that's interesting. I didn't know. I did turn it on as soon as I received it
and it was cold. i'll see what i can do here. that's a bummer, i'm sorry
i did that. thanks for u'r replies.

 

I never knew this but it sounds like it is very true. Rep for you

 

Condensation is the only thing I can really see as a problem. Other than that, just let it climatize.

I've had to leave the thinkpad in the car a few times on below zero days. I left it in it's bag and ran it off of a power inverter. Worked great.

 

I lived and worked in northeastern Siberia for several years in the mid 1990s. Each day during the long winters, I carried my first laptop (pictured at left) from my warm apartment (73 F. degrees) as I walked to my workplace in temperatures anywhere from -30 to -65 F. I kept a large bag of Silica in my computer bag and would let the machine warm up briefly upon my arrival at work before turning it on. I can't say that I was always careful, but I never had any issues with condensation, etc. The best advice would be to let it acclimatize, I would say.

 

try to update the drivers and remove the bloatware

 

It makes sense that cold could cause a problem... condensation or just being cold.

But I wouldn't be surprised if there is some unrelated problem. In my own experience it seems like conclusions like this often turn out to be coincidences.

 

Condensation isn't the only problem - theres more thermal expansion of components when they are powered up when they are cold. Thermal expansion accounts for a lot of wear and tear - why some recommend running 24 hours. The fact that it's constantly running is not as bad as the stress of starting from cold.

 

Sure, like everyone else here noted, it could be condensation. BUT... before we all claim such a drastic reason for your problems, I suggest you do a little more investigating first and offer up some more info, such as:

What kind of startup problems - a little more detail would be welcome.
How often does it shut down - and is there any prior indication (i.e., BSOD)?
Launch the Task Manager (right-click the task bar & select TaskMgr): do you see any process(es) (other than system idle) that is/are using up more than 1~2% cpu utilization constantly?
IS THE COOLING FAN SPINNING?

The above steps are the first round. Assuming the unit stays on long enough, the next steps would be to determine:
actual processor/ Bus / Memory-bus speeds
check the BIOS for performance-associated settings like "Multi-Core Support", or "Intel Dynamic Acceleration", or maybe even "SATA Operation", etc.)

You can probably use VISTA and/or Dell's own tools to determine many of the above info; I use external tools (like Sisoft's Sandra, Futuremark's PCMark, RivaTuner - for grpahics, etc. to "inspect" my rigs, so I am a bit rusty when it comes to which "native" tools are at one's disposal, but I'm sure someone else can add their two cents

Last but not least, it won't hurt to flip the puppy over and check to see that the memory sticks are properly seated and that the heatpipe "looks like" it's in good contact with the processor, etc.

If all else fails (or you don't have the time / interest to mees around with it), then have Dell send over a rep - after all, you paid for that privilege

 

Have you let Vista download all the possible updates from MS? If not, do that first. I remember when I first got my 1420 couple months ago, things were sluggish. Program would crash, shut down took ages or it wouldn't shut down...this and that. After I ran all the updates and let Vista figures out the problems (download fixes). Everything is very smooth now (knock on wood). Try that first and let us know.

 

One issue I have not seen mentioned is expansion and contraction of parts. I know this is a real problem in conditions such as the fellow who says he spent time in Siberia where temps fluctuate in extremes as you go in and outside. This can and will seriously destroy batteries, at least, I know. But then, temps below zero are not too serious, so I don't know if that would apply here--not just in this case, but in general, I mean.

 

You didn't read my post then