XMATS32 Memory Test. Diagnostics Problems.

Rafterman414

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Jan 31, 2013
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Hello everyone. I was wondering if anyone knows of any memory testing utilities that perform the XMATS32 test. I tried to use Google to find some but so far all I can find are people who experience problems with dell computers during the XMATS32 diagnostics. Here is a [strike]little[/strike]alot of background on my problem if anyone has any ideas that would be great.

This might be long so thanks in advance for taking the time to read it:
I've got a Dell Inspiron 17R SE 7720, Core i5 3230m, 8GB RAM, 2GB GT 650m. I usually run the Dell ePSA diagnostics about once a week while my machines are in warranty. I ran it before upgrading my BIOS to A13 from A12 and everything passed. Now that I am on A13 when I run the diags I get two problems. The first is a Video Memory Discrepancy Error. This test says it tests the video card but I think it is only testing the integrated graphics and its associated shared system memory. If I move onto the memory test the computer will reboot itself during the XMATS32 portion of the memory test, It's like 5 or 6 tests in. Another reason why I think the video card test is for the integrated graphics is because when I do the thorough test it too reboots the system, the same way it does when the system memory is being tested.

Here is the troubleshooting I have done so far:
I took the RAM out of the 17R and tried one DIMM at a time in different slots, same results. I then decided to take the RAM out of my Inspiron One 2320 and swap that with the RAM from my 17R SE. I ran the diags on both machines and the One 2320 passed using the 17R SE's RAM, however the 17R SE still failed at the same points using the One 2320's RAM.

In addition I ran memtest86+ for 11 passes with 0 failures, I ran several other tests and everything passed with the RAM and the Video Card. I even used a bootable Dell diagnostics utility that can be ran from a USB drive, designed for a workstation but it still ran and passed just fine. I never experience any artifacts when playing games, I never have any problems with BSODs or programs crashing, and let me say again that every single test I run passes, except for the built in Dell ePSA Diagnostics.

Could it be that my Dell Diagnostics broke as a result of the BIOS flash? Given the state of Dell's BIOS support lately this would not surprise me. I would like to troubleshoot this by extracting the diag tools from their partition and placing them onto a USB drive to boot on a different system to see if the crash occurs at the same points. However I tried to use clonezilla and gparted to make a copy of the diags partition and the data from it, however, all they do is create the partition and I cannot boot from it or see any data, I even tried to change the hidden flag off. Does anyone have any experience with this? Unfortunately Dell does not make the diag tools for this system available for download.

I know I could have a dell tech come out to my home and replace the mobo, however I would like that to be a last resort. The last time a Dell tech came to my house he was pretty ignorant and kept resting his arm on the motherboard while replacing the screen, did not bother to wear an anti-static wrist strap, and did not put the laptop back together correctly. Don't worry I sent that machine in for a refund, it's not my current machine, this one is about 30 days old.

To all who took the time to read this I greatly appreciate it. If you need more information let me know, and if anyone has any ideas I am all ears.
 
Solution
The BIOS update probably did break the memory test, have you tried resetting the CMOS memory in the laptop? You could always go back to the "working" BIOS if the update did not cure any other problems, the latest BIOS is not necessarily better.
The BIOS update probably did break the memory test, have you tried resetting the CMOS memory in the laptop? You could always go back to the "working" BIOS if the update did not cure any other problems, the latest BIOS is not necessarily better.
 
Solution

Rafterman414

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Jan 31, 2013
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@pjmelect, I saw you edited your reply so I edited mine accordingly. Did you see my note about memtest86+ above?

I successfully flashed the BIOS back to A12 but there was no change, so I went back to A13.

Resetting the CMOS is probably my second to last resort, this thing is a pain to take apart, hopefully I can take the battery out. I came across a laptop at work with a non-removable CMOS battery (Why make something that could be in need of a replacement non-removable? I'll never know, support costs I guess)

Maybe I'll feel adventurous tomorrow and attempt to remove the CMOS battery.

However if the community agrees that the issue lies with the test tool itself I will probably just live with the broke Dell Diagnostics and use other "better" third party tools. I just want to make sure that is the problem and not a hardware failure.
 
Rafterman414 I did not read all of your post and did not see the bit about you using memtest86, I am not familiar with Tom's new forum as I have not posted for a while and didn't click on the show full content link, I wont make the same mistake again.
It is interesting that reverting back to the original BIOS did not fix the problem, I can't at the moment think of a reason for this. I hope that resetting the CMOS memory will fix this problem.
 

Rafterman414

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Jan 31, 2013
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No problem, the first few posts I saw on Tom's I did not see that See Full content link as well.

Based on how every other test I have tried passes what is your opinion? Do you think everything is fine and the diag tools are just busted?

So far here are the diagnostics that I have tried, all pass.
memtest86 (Started this last night, so far 4 passes no fails)
memtest86+ (11 Passes, 0 Failures)
Windows Memory Diagnostics (Pass)
Video Memory Stress Test 1.7.116 (Tested both the GT 650m and Intel HD 4000)
Dell Diagnostics from their PC Checkup tool (Runs in Windows, different from the ePSA Daignostics)
Dell Diagnostics from a workstation PC, diagnostics are from 2009 but still run and pass just fine.
Something else that I cannot remember what it was called, I do know it tests memory seating which passed fine.
Ran furmark for a few hours, no artifacts or crashes. Max temperatures ~76 Degrees Celsius. Clocks are at stock speeds, never overclocked.
Ran prime95 for a few hours, CPU temps around ~85 Degrees Celsius.

The only one that fails is the computer's own ePSA Diagnostics.

I have been involved in some discussion about the 17R SE and its BIOS problems over at the Dell Community Forums and have noticed that there are different versions and even different product numbers for the motherboards in this system. It would not surprise me if Dell made the BIOS updated and tested it on only one version of the motherboard, forgetting about the others currently fielded.

Thanks for taking the time to get back to me!
 

Rafterman414

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Jan 31, 2013
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Alright guys my mind is now officially blown, check this out, you're gonna like it:

I am sitting here using my computer, not doing anything taxing on it just checking some emails and all of a sudden my screen goes black for about 30 seconds and then comes back. I immediately think oh great those memory errors are real and the "S" has hit the fan. So I decide to reboot and run another ePSA to see if it has become worse, but uh oh, F2 and F12 have stopped working for me! (it used to work just fine for me, I even checked it out a few hours ago and it was working fine, for some other users of this system F2/F12 to get into the BIOS are not working) I also noticed that the resolution of the boot screen is slightly different and the Dell logo looks bigger. Once I get back into Windows I do the whole SHIFT+RESTART deal and get into my boot menu.

Now here is where things get even weirder. For one my boot menu used to be alined to the left of the screen, however, now it is centered on the screen and appears to display at a higher resolution. I also noticed that my custom boot entry that I had made for my Ubuntu install that was previously on my second HDD is no longer present, just Network Boot and Windows Boot. So onto the diagnostics, everything passes! (Before I had Video Memory Discrepancy Error as well as a reboot occur during the XMATS32 memory test)

Does anyone have any idea what happened? I imagine that black screen was some kind of restoration of the BIOS, or was it just a coincidence? I am relieved that all of my Diagnostics now pass, I am little upset that F2/F12 is no longer working though. So what happened here? Did my BIOS just decide to do some house cleaning, or did I just get ninjaed by Dell? I wonder how many motherboards have been replaced due to people having an error like this that would just eventually clear itself out.

So pjmelect, you hit it on the head I guess, diags were corrupted and somehow it rebuilt itself, either by itself or by phoning home to Dell.