Dell XPS M1710 troubleshooting

[Saxito Pau]

Gentlemen, I do have a nice scenario for you to rack your brains:

I have a Dell XPS M1710 to fix with a unique series of issues that I seek advise on:

- Owner described the boot process as follows, which I verified: Turn on computer, it takes longer than usual at POST screen, then it will say system file missing and fail to boot. He has to restart and enter the BIOS and then exit the BIOS before it boots properly.
- Keyboard and mouse 'stutters' when using the laptop. It will take about 3 presses of a key for it to register. It occurs  both in windows and in the BIOS. However an external USB Mouse and keyboard will work fine.
- The fancy LEDs won't turn on even when the colour is set in the BIOS.
- The battery does not work at all. In fact it is not even recognized by the laptop.
- The laptop seems to work just fine bar the keyboard/mouse issue
- Techies in two other counties have diagnosed a bad motherboard (client is a yachtie)

In my troubleshooting so far, I removed one of the two 1GB modules and then the keyboard/mouse worked instantly (BIOS and windows) and the LEDs turned on. Of course this had me thinking that I fixed it.

But this 'fix' only lasted for a day and reverted to its original behavior. Re-seating the original modules and swapping known working modules (I had a known working 2GB module to test with courtesy of daniboy)  have no effect this time. The LEDs and all turned back off. This occurred in daniboy's presence.

Dell apparently has voided the warranty on the laptop as the Service Tag number keeps generating an error on the support website, and the customer told me Dell won't do a transfer of ownership from the previous owner.

I have so far re-loaded windows (while the KB/Mouse was working properly) with all drivers.

Updating the BIOS has had no effect. With no battery, I needed a usb floppy, DOS mode and a "/forceit" switch to do so.

I have looked up  the cost of a new motherboard and the best price I came across is US$450 before shipping, which is impractical as he bought it used within the last year.

I can take the whole thing apart (I have access to the assembly manuals) in hopes of isolating which part is bad (I hoping is not the board, but the evidence starting to saying so)

Any ideas anyone can suggest? Tis a nice lappie, running 2GB RAM, 6 USB ports and a 512MB GF 7950GTX video card.

[Spazosaurus]

Ive had a couple Dells stop recognising the battery. Indicates a mobo problem. A problem with the touch pad and keyboard indicates a controller problem, again, pointing towards the mobo. Perhaps it took a fall or some roughing up at the hands of this owner or perhaps the previous one.

I mean, its a lappie. Apart from trying different memory/swapping out the entire board, there's no real way to properly isolate the problem...so i'd say the foreign techies are spot on is calling it a mobo problem.

[TheApprentice]

Thats definitely got to be the mobo...
All those problems directly relate to the mobo.

[SPK]

I third that motion, mobo seems to be the heart of that issue...

[Saxito Pau]

yeah i i'll have to agree, but i keeping other ideas open.

By chance, anyone has access to another XPS M1710 or any similar Dell XPS  or high end inspiron laptop  (9xxx) that uses  the same battery?

I'd like to see if that battery will charge.

[Saxito Pau]

Update:

I have confirmed a list of laptops whose battery should work in an XPS M1710:

Precision M6300
Precision M6300 Mobile Workstation
Precision M90
Precision M90 Mobile Workstation
XPS M1710
XPS M170
Inspiron XPS Gen 2

If you know anyone who ows any of the above-listed laptops and is willing to help me out with battery testing, let me know.

Troubleshooting:

I took the time to take apart the laptop completely using dis-assembly manuals I had available. took out the motherboard and sprayed it  with some QD Contact Cleaner.

Part way thru the re-assembly, i decided to put it on and the fancy LEDs lighted up (the LEDs are my guage of is the laptop is working properly or not).

Finishing the re-assembly and no fancy LEDs. even forgot to plug in  the keyboard, so I know that the keyboard is not faulty.

At this point only one method of troubleshooting left - "Process of Elimination"

To start, I took out the following:
1 of the 1GB RAM
Modem module
Wi-fi module
battery

keyboard was re-connected

wa-la! the laptop turns on with Fancy LEDs!! at this time is only half hour it is on...

will have to add parts one by one with the hopes of consistently isolating the culprit.

[Nephilim]

Part way thru the re-assembly, i decided to put it on and the fancy LEDs lighted up (the LEDs are my guage of is the laptop is working properly or not).

Finishing the re-assembly and no fancy LEDs. even forgot to plug in  the keyboard, so I know that the keyboard is not faulty.

seeing as it worked more or less gutted it may be a short with the laptop chassis or a part that is in direct contact with it for grounding purposes.

[Spazosaurus]

Could it be the wifi module that's been causing all the bother?

Remember, it could seem to work for a while but then crap out eventually too eh. /end bubble burst

[Saxito Pau]

Well so far I've stuck in the 2nd stick of DDR2 RAM and run a memtest - OK

stick in the wi-fi module; No issues

stick in battery: issue

take out battery same speed: no issue.

Only the modem is to be put in now.

It looks like the battery is ONE cause of the guy's problem, I dare not say it is THE cause...yet.
I will leave the battery out for the remainder of all tests in case some other component is causing trouble too.

He has a month left in the country so i have time to play with

[Saxito Pau]

Well it appears that it is either the battery or the battery connector on the laptop motherboard, or both that's causing the problem. It has worked flawlessly for the last few days with only the battery removed.

One person suggested that the battery could have damaged the motherboard.

I have returned the laptop to the customer, and it is up to the customer now to get a new battery to try in the laptop.

He seemed quite happy to have it working properly for what may be the first time since he bought it. He said 4 techies from 3 other countries up the islands couldn't figure it out.

I just have to give him the weekend to go through the paces of the laptop and then bill him for services rendered.