Alienware M17xR3 Black Screening w/ Sound Loop

Foxware · Dec 1, 2013

As the title states my M17xR3 has been black screening completely randomly and often....sometimes its a pain just to boot it up....sometimes im able to play for an hour or so.
I have tried running memtest overnight with no errors, ran the multiple system diagnostics that come with the system, tried formatting and reinstalling windows from the disc, virus scans, temperature checking.Im completely at a loss and im hoping its not the gfx card going out since Alienware told me they dont make them anymore and the laptop is out of warranty.Only once have I gotten a blue screen and only one time has it black screened then played the sound for plugging and then unplugging a usb device. Any help is greatly appreciated.

System Specs
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.130828-1532)
System Manufacturer: Alienware
System Model: M17xR3
BIOS: InsydeH2O Version 1.0 A12
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2760QM CPU @ 2.40GHz (8 CPUs), ~2.4GHz
Memory: 16384MB RAM
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX580m using driver ver. 306.97 from dell
Equipped with 3D Vision and 120hz Monitor

The one blue screen I have
On Sat 11/30/2013 11:38:15 PM GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\113013-34694-01.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: ntoskrnl.exe (nt+0x75B90)
Bugcheck code: 0x1E (0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0)
Error: KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
file path: C:\Windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
company: Microsoft Corporation
description: NT Kernel & System
Bug check description: This indicates that a kernel-mode program generated an exception which the error handler did not catch.
This appears to be a typical software driver bug and is not likely to be caused by a hardware problem.
The crash took place in the Windows kernel. Possibly this problem is caused by another driver that cannot be identified at this time.

Any help is greatly appreciated at this point.....

EDIT: I have tried reinstalling a multitude of the drivers on the PC uninstalling the Realtek card reader seemed to make the pc last longer or maybe its just the randomness......uninstalled the gtx580m and running off the standard vga adapter to see if problem persists

Tom Tancredi · Dec 1, 2013

Okay stop with the drivers for a moment. I feel your pain here, I am on a M17XR2.

Your error there is Windows itself, which can mean any number of issues, so lets start from the top here.
1) Remove the battery, and test again, do you still have these problems?
2) Do you have the issues even when trying to access BIOS? How about in Safe Mode?
3) I see your running the VERY OLD 306.96 drivers, don't bother with them try the latest from Nvidia (331.93).
4) Next drop down from 120Hz display through Nvidia Control panel and try just 100Hz.
5) When doe these BSOD/ Black screen happen, video games? Just typing in Word? When your playing Multiplayer but NOT when Single player? etc.

Foxware · Dec 1, 2013

Tom Tancredi :

Alright gonna try your steps and ill reply back soon....and they seem to be completely random they seem to occur more frequently within 30 minutes to an hour but on a few occasions ive been able to game for longer

Alright so I took out the battery, lowered to 100mhz and Updated the drivers to current nvidia (i was told to use at that time manufacturer drivers for gfx so I did....gonna start using nvidia now)........and it seems its holding up through games and graphics intensive stuff, or that could just be the randomness....guess we will see. If I hardly ever move my laptop and constantly keep it plugged in do I even need the battery incase that is the problem. Wear level on battery is 20% BTW according to HW Monitor.
Anyways ill be keeping an eye on it and post back if it happens again. Thanks for your help and I will be coming back with updates soon

Foxware · Dec 2, 2013

Well it lasted a little over a day without a problem and now its back.....I havent changed anything since it was working so Im completely at a loss.....can someone tell me what acceptable temps are for my cpu and gpu?

Problem: PC Black screens.....Loops Sound( Once i got a USB Plug/Removal Sound ) and The Fans Spin all the way to what sounds like max. No errors in event viewer or SFC ( System File checker0.
Anymore help greatly appreciated

Tom Tancredi · Dec 3, 2013

Okay we eliminated the battery (which sometimes can cause the issue). Normally people forget to remove the battery as it just 'sits' all the time and cause, overtime, overload and very 'quickly' weardown /short the battery as it never 'discharges' and keeps being forced to 'recharge' while power plugged in.

"5) When doe these BSOD/ Black screen happen, video games? Just typing in Word? When your playing Multiplayer but NOT when Single player? etc."

The "Problem: PC Black screens, Loops Sound and The Fans Spin all the way to what sounds like max." sounds like the 'crash' of the computer usually due to the GPu either shorting/died or overloaded/overheated. So your suspicion to check the temps on both CPU and GPU is very important. I normally use MSI's Afterburner (http://event.msi.com/vga/afterburner/) for ingame view of my specs (GPU and CPu temps and usage). For a quick check run SPECCY and will show also your HDD temps as well. These are important, so please tell us what you see when you 'first boot', while playing a game, and any other time you notice 'before the crash'.

Foxware · Dec 3, 2013

Tom Tancredi :

This doesnt happen just in games......this can also seem to happen just from music and or web browsing.
I might just have to look more into overheating as the issue because after it crashes and i go for a reboot it struggles to come back up (maybe because its still hot?) and Ill give it 5 minutes and its ready to go.I will run the suggested stuff and get various temps for assorted things and post back.....thank you again for the help.

Foxware · Dec 8, 2013

Sorry it took so long to get the temps but a personal matter had come up...
Idles around 48-55 usually and most games are giving me temps 65 - 78 HDD Temp is 32 according to speccy.

Tom Tancredi · Dec 8, 2013

Okay we eliminated a few issues so lets narrow the list of what is left. You advised it happens when doing other aspects. Run a game in Single Player mode you know causes this problem when in Multiplayer. Do you get the same issue?

Download and run a Memtester to test the RAM, then something like HDTune to see if it detects anything from the HD.

If we see no changes then next would be to use another GPU, but that is a issue for M17s... since they are far and few between (MXM 3.0 cards). So the only thing next would be to use a external drive, run Windows Easy Transfer to backup your personal data, wipe the drive with DBAN, and do a clean Windows reinstall, then drivers, patch it / updates, then just the 'problem games' you had load, and see what happens.

If on a clean build (no restoring your personal data / settings) it also goes, then the problem is hardware, most likely the GPU, but could be any component and every test would require using a second 'working' component to test with.
By doing the DBAN and reload is a good stress test of the HDD, if it fail/error during the wipe/reload the HDD is failing.
Test with different power supply (for the PSU) to make sure it isn't just undervolting under load.
Test with just a single stick of different RAM, does it fail?
Then you narrowed down to GPU, Mobo/CPU at that point.

Foxware · Dec 11, 2013

Just a little bit of an update here on whats going on......So I managed to get the black screening freezes to stop......the only problem with this is that it took disabling MSE's(Microsoft Security Essentials) Real Time Protection to do it......I have tried reinstalling the 64 bit exe mutiple times from diff downloads and I always comeup with the same result.....Will run fine while off.....when turned on I can expect a black screen at some random point.
While it was off My PC Lasted A whole day and overnight which it has never done before....So any Ideas whats going on?

Tom Tancredi · Dec 11, 2013

Uhm if you have TWO/more antiviruses systems (MSE and something else) that be a serious problem and reason why your having issues. Personally I wouldn't use MSE ever, for many reasons, most of which is, it scores lower then many other solutions I personally have seen work alot better so far. I would remove MSE and any other AV system you have, go to www.filehippo.com and download either AVAST! (personally I suggest this) or AVG and use one of those, they both score well for many factors.

I suspect, that if you get black screen freezes with ANOTHER AV (other then MSE) then it is a sign your computer got something serious (rootkit?) and your ONLY solution is to just DBAN wipe the computer and reload everything fresh. You can't pull any data from it, or else you will just 'reinfect' your system all overagain. This is the worst case scenario, but it DOES happen and IS the only solution.

You never responded to this below, and may also still be MSE is causing the interaction with one of these and that ultimately is the problem not MSE nor a virus

__________________________________________________________________________________________
Download and run a Memtester to test the RAM, then something like HDTune to see if it detects anything from the HD.

If we see no changes then next would be to use another GPU, but that is a issue for M17s... since they are far and few between (MXM 3.0 cards). So the only thing next would be to use a external drive, run Windows Easy Transfer to backup your personal data, wipe the drive with DBAN, and do a clean Windows reinstall, then drivers, patch it / updates, then just the 'problem games' you had load, and see what happens.

By doing the DBAN and reload is a good stress test of the HDD, if it fail/error during the wipe/reload the HDD is failing.
If on a clean build (no restoring your personal data / settings) it also goes, then the problem is hardware, most likely the GPU, but could be any component and every test would require using a second 'working' component to test with.
Test with different power supply (for the PSU) to make sure it isn't just undervolting under load.
Test with just a single stick of different RAM, does it fail?
Then you narrowed down to GPU, Mobo/CPU at that point.

Foxware · Dec 11, 2013

Yeah sorry.....I have tried memtest overnight on 2 separate occasions with about 10 passes.....no 2 antivirus.....so I guess I am gonna try this HD Wipe......is this gonna get rid of my partitions for Recovery and oem.......I don't really care about recovery but what is on oem??

Tom Tancredi · Dec 11, 2013

OEM is Original Equipment Manufacturer, the maker of the computer. A OEM is a partition which would have Windows in it (and probably the Apps) that the manufacturer loaded into the HDD to save the costs of including DVDs. You should have (when you first started the computer and still should now) make your DVDs so you can recover / reinstall Windows even if the HDD takes a dump.

That is also a reason I said do the HDTune, to check that health as well, as that 'data' (the OS, recovery, whatever) may all be corrupt if the HDD is failing. So even if you made DVDs then ran the Recovery, you would be using bad data onto a bad HDD (garbage + more garbage data). AFTER making the HDTune test, then the DVDs, I would use the FACTORY RESTORE feature that may be in BIOS to restore everything back to when you first got the computer.

Yes the DBAN would wipe out everything on the drive, hence why we need the DVDs, which should 'make it all' including the OEM Patition, etc. like the manufacturer did when they made the computer to sell to you. This is the ultimate clean method as any other usually would take what is on the drive (rootkits? garbage damaged data? etc.) would carry over and still confuse the issue.

FYI the step by step process I did helps eliminate each part, since we can't see "what the problem SOURCE is" so then we can figure out what the solution is. This narrows it down by testing each component leaving down the list to the final ones. When taken to a Service Technician / IT Specialist they would have a spare set of 'known good parts' and would test each part on your computer. When your computer behaves right, that is the hardware part that is faulty.

Foxware · Dec 11, 2013

Alright I will definitely try your steps when I get home from work.....another thing.....I no longer have access to alienrespawn factory restore since I've tried reformatting through windows alrdy but I saved the factory images on my external to use with imagex just incase.....I also have the OS disc that came with the PC.....is that enough to continue on forward with your steps....

EDIT: Also this OEM Partition is only 35 MB so I know windows or anything of the sorts isnt installed onto it.....It is the only partition ive never tried formatting from fear of not knowing whats there.
Also now to add....PC has now lasted 2 Days with MSE RTP Deactivated.......
Once Im sure ive gotten all the restore possibilities covered ill be following your steps

Tom Tancredi · Dec 11, 2013

Based on this edit, I would highly suggest then potentially you test if it is a virus (rootkit) issue by uninstalling MSE, and use AVAST! or AVG and let it do a long scan over the computer. IF using ANY antivirus causes the issue then there is a underlying issue (rootkit) that is the problem and only a good wipe of the drive will be the solution. I would use DBAN (as suggested) to make it HDD as clean as when the company first got it, then use IMAGEX to restore the factory images onto the drive or use the OS Discs (they should do the same but I found the respawn partition isn't included on mine when I had to reinstall to my new SSD) but can be added later potentially (I have R2 so mine is older / different, then your R3).

Foxware · Dec 11, 2013

Alright gonna try AVAST! if it comes up clean then Ill be using the DBAN then use the OS Disc (Just incase my external is infected aswell) then ill work on getting everything up and running and see what happens.
Thanks for the help again

Tom Tancredi · Dec 11, 2013

Foxware :

Yeah if it comes up clean / no issues like MSE then we know it isn't a virus, then you should go to the steps I copy and pasted from my previous post. Here is a example of what I mean on the accuracy of the different software I am currently finding on my own system.

You can see MS is almost done but hasn't found a damn thing, while Avast is only 18% and found a few items, while malwarebytes which has been running for hours and now on my D drive found only 3 malware (as compared to the virus/etc. Avast found).

Foxware · Dec 11, 2013

Just finished a full scan and it came up clean but with warnings saying 3 files couldnt be scanned Image from AVAST since I couldnt figure out how to just copy it.

Foxware · Dec 11, 2013

Image hopefully in better RES

Tom Tancredi · Dec 11, 2013

I would only be suspicious of the third one, as it is a possible infection. Did you do a FULL scan or a QUICK scan? A Quick scan will just look at what is loaded in memory and such, not a real full scan of everything on the drive (which takes a while).

But then I guess since we rules that out then we will have to

Download HDTune to see if it detects anything from the HD.

...use a external drive, run Windows Easy Transfer to backup your personal data, wipe the drive with DBAN, and do a clean Windows reinstall, then drivers, patch it / updates, then just the 'problem games' you had load, and see what happens.

By doing the DBAN and reload is a good stress test of the HDD, if it fail/error during the wipe/reload the HDD is failing.
If on a clean build (no restoring your personal data / settings) it also goes, then the problem is hardware, most likely the GPU, but could be any component and every test would require using a second 'working' component to test with.
Test with different power supply (for the PSU) to make sure it isn't just undervolting under load.
Test with just a single stick of different RAM, does it fail?
Then you narrowed down to GPU, Mobo/CPU at that point.

That be the process to eliminate each and every level down to where either the MOBO/CPU or the GPU is dying for you.

Foxware · Dec 11, 2013

Yeah I did a full system scan......didnt take all that long at all surprisingly.....Im 100% positive I did a full
My PC also just black screened again when trying to download DBAN while AVAST was active,
Restarted and got it burned to disc....gonna try this HDTune real fast first.

Tom Tancredi · Dec 11, 2013

Okay then maybe a hidden rootkit messing with things. IF ONLY when AV is running, no matter from whom, you have issues either A) HDD is failing (will cause different computer code errors) or B) a rootkit/other is buried on your computer and is 'fighting' everytime the AV starts messing with it. So DBAN be the best test / solution to resolve this.

Foxware · Dec 11, 2013

Just finished HDTune After a 2 Hour Full Scan with No Errors ( All Green).......Going to DBAN now and reinstall OS/Drivers from discs that came with PC. Ill make sure all my Flash Drives and externals are DCed to prevent any inefction or mishaps so I get a clean install.Ill be back ASAP with results.

Tom Tancredi · Dec 11, 2013

Okay, glad we see that is working. I really hope just a clean reinstall of the OS will be a resolution. Remember don't more then
" Windows reinstall, then drivers, patch it / updates, then just the 'problem games' you had load, and see what happens. " We just want to see if we can get the games to work on a 'off the shelf' computer. Not specifically with your settings, tweaks or whatever else.

Foxware · Dec 11, 2013

Back with a question.....upon starting DBAN it's saying something about RAID not being supported. AFAIK my drive is set to raid in the bios.So I'm hesitant to start this till I know what I'm dealing with.

Foxware · Dec 11, 2013

Here's my plan of attack on this thing...
Reinstall OS then get basic drivers from driver disc.....then update those drivers with ones from dell then windows update then one of my games

Alienware M17xR3 Black Screening w/ Sound Loop

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