Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with computer and dell

Using factory restore disc after factory set RAID 5 configuration change

lyam — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:51:54 -0800

Will changing/removing a factory (DELL) set RAID 5 configuration from a home desktop PC interfere with rebuilding the OS (XP Pro) from the factory restore discs? I have a home XP Pro system utilizing a RAID 5 array that was setup by the factory. If I want to rebuild the system, but reconfigure the hard drives as two independent drives, will I still be able to use the factory restore disk to restore the OS? I'm afraid that I only have access to XP from the restore disc (shakes fist at Dell). Thanks!

Why does my laptop think I'm pushing ctrl?

Pope Guilty — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:50:34 -0800

My Inspiron 1545 thinks I'm pressing ctrl and I don't know why. I picked up a Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop awhile back, and the only problem I've had with it is that it frequently activates the ctrl key regardless of whether or not I'm actually pressing it- or even have my hands on the keyboard! Sometimes this is just annoying, like randomly crouching in an FPS or tab-targeting grabbing friends instead of enemies in WoW, but if I type a "w" while it thinks I'm pressing ctrl, I lose the Firefox tab I was working in! If I hit tab in Firefox, I frequently go to the next tab instead of the next field. Perhaps most bafflingly, it is only ctrl that this happens with; it never randomly types another character, nor does it ever wrongly activate shift or alt or any other key.

So far, I've talked to Dell about it; they sent me a replacement keyboard, but this did not resolve the problem. Googling indicates that many people are having this problem, but nobody seems to have any solutions (besides one suggestion, bizarrely, to reduce trackpad sensitivity, which did nothing).

Anyone out there know what's going on or have any ideas?

Did dude steal a Dell?

ChurchHatesTucker — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:16:05 -0800

Is this computer hot? A friend of mine found a good deal (person to person) for a Dell Windows Vista laptop. He's wondering if the deal is good because the computer is hot. Is there any easy way to get a fair idea? (He's a newbie, I'm a Mac.)

How to fix laptop keyboard keys that fell off?

macsigler — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:21:29 -0800

How to fix laptop keyboard keys that fell off? I have a Dell XPS M1710 laptop, and some of the keyboard keys have popped out of their spot. I have tried to reattach the plastic retainers on the keys to their spot on the keyboard, but inevitably they never latch on like they used to, and in fact some are now broken or lost. Is there a secret to getting them to pop on, or is there an alternative, i.e. mini-springs and superglue, etc.? I'm willing to try most reasonable ideas. Thanks in advance!

Help me pimp my laptop?

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:17:30 -0800

Dell has started to suck. I've owned several, both notebook and desktop, over the past 10 or so years. Now, after buying two power cords for my lemony Inspiron 1720 in less than 2 years, I'm going local. So what are some suggestions for beefing my machine up? Asking anon because I'd prefer to not parade my ignorance here.

The PC is less than two years old, but in addition to buying a (third) power cord, what are good ways to turbo my computer? I'm not a gamer, but I teach and travel pretty widely, and I'm thinking of upgrading from 2 gigs to 4, and 250 RAM to maybe 700? I have Vista, so I have less speed and ease of use than I did with the Windows 95. I want lots of ample storage, and blink-of-an-eye speed. I'll be in Asia, so the Internet connection I'll tap into will be blazing. I am, obviously, clueless. Do I need an external hard drive? Am I barking up the wrong tree here?
And finally, in the Baltimore area, about what can I expect to shell out monetarily for this? Is $350 to optimistic? Or overkill?

Dell Inspiron 1720 w/ Vista. I'm sure I'm leaving some vital info out, so ask away (fatbackncollards@gmail.com), and be amused at my inability to articulate a coherent reply.

Why can I install Ubuntu but not Windows?

spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:54:58 -0800

Why can't I install Windows XP Pro on my Dell laptop? I get an error message that says "acpi.sys is corrupted". I can install Ubuntu 8.04 just fine. I've searched various forums for this issue and haven't seemed to make any headway. I used (retail) disc to successfully install XP Pro on my sister's Gateway laptop just to see if it was a problem with the disc. It wasn't, and the install proceeded normally.

I updated the BIOS to the latest version and that didn't do anything. I've searched every BIOS setting for anything related to ACPI but can't find anything. I know ACPI is a power management setting, but there's nothing in the BIOS that says ACPI anywhere.

I've tried pressing F5 during the install to change the Hardware Abstraction Layer. I've tried every option there with no luck. I finally tried to install Ubuntu 8.04 and that worked perfectly. I just need to be able to install Windows to run a couple of applications that can't run under WINE/Crossover Linux/Other Emulators.

It's a Dell Precision Workstation M65 with 2 GB of memory, with the A10 BIOS version (formerly tried under A04 and got the same error). It used to have a corporate image of Windows XP Pro on it, but when I lelft my job I was locked out of the laptop (I used a live CD to back up all my data and then reformatted the drive). After that, I can install Ubuntu but I can't install Windows. Weird.

Any clues? I'm getting by with Ubuntu and Open Office, but I'd really prefer the option of running Windows here.

SLI VS CROSSFIRE VS MY BRAIN

Bageena — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 01:00:25 -0800

Question: where can I find a valid coupon/discount code for a Dell XPS 730x. I've heard there's some out there for 20-25% off, but I can't seem to find anything online that's working. Failing that, how much of a difference is it really if I just build a really sweet XPS 630? The system I want, the 730X, has an Intel® Core™ i7-920 (2.66GHz, 8MB cache), 3GB3 Tri-Channel DDR3 at 1066MHZ (3x1GB DIMM), and a pair of nVidia GeForce 9800GT 512MB3 setup SLI along. If I can't find a coupon to get the price lower, I'm looking at building (XPS 630) would have a Intel® Core™2 Q9550 (12MB,2.83GHz, 1333FSB), 8GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz (4 DIMM), SLi Dual nVidia GeForce 9800GT 512MB... the difference without a coupon is nearly $1000. It's been a lonnnnnnnnnnng, long time since I've built a PC or even scoped out the specs on the newest processors, video cards, shit, rigs at all. Like, for instance, instead of getting the SLi, Dual nVidia GeForce 9800GT 512MB on the XPS 630, should I spend the extra $100 and get CrossFireX, Dual ATI Radeon HD 4850 512MB instead?
For the record, I don't do a whole lot of gaming YET on the PC, but I could. I do use it for a lot of multimedia (like 3 to 4 TB of movies and music and stuff) and graphic design. I spent a lot of time on the computer and it'll be awhile before I get to buy a new PC again. Help?

Laptop screen dying: DIY to prevent RIP?

googly — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 09:00:05 -0800

My laptop screen appears to be dying. Is there anything I can do? I have a 3-year-old Dell Latitude X1 laptop that has taken a fair bit of abuse over the years. Recently, the screen has started having an intermittent problem: part of the screen will take on a much lighter shade, and it will look as if the resolution has been reduced - almost exactly like when Windows is run in Safe Mode. Here are some pix:

Normal.
Abnormal: 1, 2, 3.

I can rectify this problem by slightly bending the screen from the side, or by changing the angle of the screen.

My questions:

(1) What is the problem? I assume its hardware related, and (hopefully) some connecting wire that is being bent/broken. Or could it be the motherboard?

(2) Is this something that I might be able to fix on my own and for relatively cheap? The computer works great otherwise and I'd really love to hang on to it, but I'm not willing to pay $1000 for a replacement screen.

(3) Is there some way that I can diagnose and/or fix this? I am comfortable opening up electronics and doing basic repair work (e.g. replacing drives and fans and so forth) but hardly an expert.

Do I have to Rebuy MS Office When replacing a computer?

GregX3 — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 11:37:06 -0800

Do I need to rebuy MS office if I'm replacing a computer? I bought a Dell computer about two years ago and added the include MS office option. That computer died and I'm ordering a new Dell. Do I also need to include office on this one? Or when I bought the last one was I buying the office software which I can now use on this new one?

Should I disable the fingerprint scanner on my Dell?

Dasein — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:10:26 -0800

Should I fear the fingerprint scanner on a new Dell XPS M1330 as a feature that is going to lock out the computer in the future, or embrace it as a neat piece of technology that will make the computer more secure? And if I should fear it, what steps do I need to take to disable it? I seem to recall reading a comment somewhere on metafilter from a guy whose wife's computer was rendered unusable when the fingerprint scanner malfunctioned, and that sole half-remembered anecdote has me thinking I should just uninstall the software that came with the computer.

The laptop is running Vista Home Premium 64-bit, and came with Fingerprint Reader Suite. I keep ignoring its attempts to get me to swipe a fingerprint, but I've hesitated on uninstalling the software in case it's actually useful. This will be my dad's computer, and I won't be around if something goes wrong, so I need to know either that this technology is reliable or a permanent way to disable it.

I'd appreciate any personal experiences/tech advice. Thanks very much.

I want a laptop, not a craptop.

gnutron — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:32:46 -0800

Laptop Battel! Help me decide which manufacturer deserves my hard-earned money. I've narrowed it down to Dell vs. Toshiba vs. Lenovo. Also, RAM: 2gb or 3? So I'm shopping for a laptop. I have read the other posts on the topic.

I know what I basically want: 14" screen, 2/3gb RAM, 100+gb HDD, nice screen, reasonably portable, less than $1K. I have narrowed it down to three choices: Dell Inspiron 1420 or Toshiba Satellite Pro S300M or Lenovo ThinkPad R400

These all meet my basic requirements and ballpark around the same price. Since they're all about the same price, my main concern is quality, durability and reliability - I want it to work well as a secondary/travel computer for 5+ years. I have read that Toshibas are prone to overheating problems. Any recommendations or warning on these specific brands?

And regarding RAM... I understand that Vista is hungry for it, but it doesn't really use more than 2gb anyway. I won't be doing anything particularly intensive with the machine. Still, I'd like my computer to run well and continue to run well 5 years from now. Will spending a little extra money on another gb of RAM actually make a difference?

Make my Vista Arrow Keys Work.

Juicylicious — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:07:15 -0800

How do I set up my arrow keys to cycle forward/backward in firefox? I had this ability with my T42 XP, now I have a 1720 inspiron Vista and I don't have that ability anymore. I've called Dell support, but they have no idea what I'm talking about. I miss using my arrows keys to move back and forth between pages on firefox, instead of the mouse. Help :/

Sound card for a Dell PowerEdge SC440?

hokie409 — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 07:37:46 -0800

Sound card for a Dell PowerEdge SC440? I have a Dell PowerEdge SC440 which is a server so does not have standard desktop slot connections. I'd like to add a sound card to it. Dell said that they don't offer them. Does anyone know where I can get one that would fit? I understand that it would not be validated for this computer by Dell.

Lagging edge notebook computer for less than $500?

WestCoaster — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:04:53 -0800

I'm looking for a lagging edge (can be large, heavy, and have poor battery life) *new* notebook computer, for less than $500. Suggestions? My sister-in-law wants a new (not used) notebook computer. She is only going to use it at home, but wants to be able to move it off the desk when she's done (so let's rule out a desktop computer). It can be "lagging edge" because she doesn't care about (a) weight or (b) size or (c) battery life. She would like at least a 15 inch monitor, and it needs to be a Windows machine (I'd prefer Windows XP). And yes, I've checked dell.com; they do in fact sell notebook computers with 15.4 inch monitors for less than $500 (not counting shipping and tax). I'm interested in suggestions for alternatives - what's available that's really solid, so I won't have to do tech support (or apologize for my recommendation)?

Old Dell 8200

robbyrobs — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:46:25 -0800

What to do with my old Dell tower 8200? I have this Dell 8200 Pentium 4 2.80 GH 512mb 128GB hard drive that is in good working condition that I no longer need. Can it be used as a movie storage, data storage or what are your ideas?

You're not the mute button! Stop it!

EarBucket — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:35:39 -0800

The left control key on my keyboard has suddenly started toggling the mute on my master volume. How do I make it stop? I'm running Windows XP on a Dell Dimension desktop, if it makes a difference.

How can I get data off a bad hard drive?

deafmute — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 23:28:11 -0800

I am having a very unusual problem with my hard drive and CANNOT recover any data from it after trying numerous methods. Please help me with your technical expertise. A few weeks ago the hard drive for my Dell Inspiron 1520 became unable to boot into Vista after freezing suddenly. When trying to boot, I get a BSOD with the error message "Stop: c000142{DLL Initialization Failed} Initialization of the dynamic link library winsrv failed. The process is terminating abnormally." When attempting to launch startup repair, boot into safe mode, or boot off of several different Vista DVDs I am greeted with a cursor (that I can control) on a black screen that never goes anywhere.

I ran Dell's built-in diagnostic program, and after being given several hard drive related errors, Dell (very quickly) sent me a new hard drive. Now I need to send them the old one, and I would like to recover my data from it before wiping it and sending it back.

I first put it in an enclosure and connected it to Vista, but Vista does nothing more than prompt me to format the drive.

I then ran Spinrite, which, after 27 hours(!) of operation returned no bad sectors or errors of any kind. What's unusual, however, is that my old drive does not exactly match my new drive in terms of partitions. The data partition is flagged as being too large for the size of the drive, and I am advised to change my BIOS's "understanding" of the drive (which I can't do). It is also missing a partition labeled as "hidden CTOS memory dump". I have no idea what this means.

I then booted off of a Knoppix cd and attempted to mount the drive there. I was able to mount the two partitions containing Dell's hidden diagnostic and recovery data, but Knoppix was unable to recognize the existence of a third partition containing my data.

Google searches have proved inconclusive (particularly in the case of my BSOD error message). Please help me get my data!

Is there a smaller AC adapter out there?

SirNovember — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:52:52 -0800

I have a Dell Latitude X300, which uses the same ac adapter that every other Dell I’ve seen lately uses. Is there anything that will work for my laptop that is smaller and easier for me to carry around? My current adapter says:
65W AC Adapter PA-12 Family
Model No.: PA-1650-05D2
Input: AC100-240V 50-60 Hz 133-158VA
Output: DC19.5V 3.34A

My back thanks you!

My computer might be sick.

als129 — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:07:51 -0800

My computer gets extremely loud at random moments. I have a Dell desktop with a rather large tower. Lately, every once in a while, it sounds like a really loud fan turns on inside the tower. I thought maybe this only happens when it's been on for a long time, but today I only had the computer on for 30 minutes and it started. Everything is fine, computer is working normally and then BAM -- it gets REALLY loud for a good minute and then gradually stops. What's going on? Should I be concerned? FYI -- The computer works fine and at normal speed when the fan sound is on. Also, the computer is nearing it's third birthday and it definitely did not do this for the first two years.

Dell says take a downgrade or wait 2 months to fix system

dejah420 — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:26:37 -0800

I bought a high end Dell laptop for my business. When I purchased, I bought the 3 year OMG "complete care" warranty. Two days ago, the system bluescreened with a "memory parity 500 error". System won't reboot. In the last couple of days, I've spent over 6 hours on the phone with tech support, none of whom are native English speakers, to be told that my options are to either wait 3-6 weeks for a replacement system, or to accept a significant downgrade in components to have a tech come out and repair the system. Am I just screwed if I need to get my system up asap? For the record, I'm using someone else's system to post. I have an ancient alienware that I'm going to pull out of the closet and try to limp along, but the laptop is my primary business computer which has all of my company database info and all kinds of other goodies.

The downgrades that they are suggesting that I accept are to take a significant downgrade in video cards...to two generations below my high end nvidea ge force, a downgrade in system board, and slower memory than the fast mem I paid for.

If I refuse the downgrade; they're saying that I can't get a replacement system before the end of April, and I can't get replacement *parts* before the end of May.

The complete care contract says that replacement parts must be "functionally equivalent", which doesn't, to my non-legal mind, seem to suggest that a downgrade is what I paid to insure.

Is there some trick to getting Dell to honor their warranty that I'm missing?

Is it always cheaper to repair an old laptop than to buy a new one?

Amizu — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 13:16:05 -0800

Should I buy a new laptop or spend $400 to repair my 2004 Dell Inspiron 600m? This week I turned on my computer and it took about 10 minutes to boot, and then all the internet drivers were missing. Nothing has changed despite my various attempts, so I took it to the Geek Squad. They told me today that the hard drive was damaged and that I could spend about $400 to repair (diagnostic, new hard drive, new hard drive installation, software update - can't find my old stuff, etc.) Money is an object. Should I spend $400 and repair my 4 year old Dell Inspiron 600m, or should I spend about $1300 to buy a new one? Is there any important info I have left out? Geek Squad checked and found no viruses. The Geek Squad guy recommended I buy a new one, fwiw.

They say with cars it's always cheaper to repair an old one than buy a new one. Does the same logic apply to computers?

Can an Apple-geared print server be set up and used in a Windows-only world?

potch — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 06:36:40 -0800

Can I configure and use an HP wp100 AirPort print server in an all PC environment? If so, how? I'm currently in a stint as the resident tech guru at a public middle school. My current project is a mobile computer lab, which consists of cart of laptops, and a PoE access point for use in the rooms. My staff has requested that a common printer be added to the cart. I'm looking through my current supplies, and found an HP wp100 wireless print server, unopened. I know Airport is 802.11b equivalent, so once configured, it should work wonderfully. However, I don't have access to Macs to configure the device, and all of HP's product guides speak Apple-only.

More info:

-My school has let its Mac labs become defunct, and the few Macs we have, I don't have administrative rights to.
-If it involves some nitty-gritty down on command lines, I'm completely comfortable in both Mac and PC environments.
-The printer is a Dell Laser 1700, and I have full and free access to any print drivers necessary.
-It's a public school, so I'm trying to do this on the cheap, meaning existing parts. My superior isn't afraid to sign off on a purchase order, but I need to be able to prove we can't do it with what we've got.

Help out my creaking old computer.

By The Grace of God — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 03:00:02 -0800

Succour for Aged Computers Filter: I've got an old computer that is having two problems. 1) When it boots up, it always asks to go into safemode. This is an old problem. 2) when it boots up, I can use the kb to select safemode (or not) or make selections in the bios, but when XP loads up, mouse and kb aren't working! I will note that when I set up this old beast, the kb and mouse worked, and it would usually boot into windows after two or three tries. (It's a backup computer for when there are too many people in the office.) Now, it will boot up after two or three tries, and then the mouse will hover in the centre of the screen; the keyboard won't work (the caps lock key won't even light up at this point, and the green keyboard light goes off).

It's not a USB keyboard - it came with the (Dell) computer and plugs into its dedicated port in the back.

As regards the safemode booting: It boots up, and the black screen ("we apologize..") comes up with the option of safe mode, safemode with networking, load windows normally or load windows with the last working settings. I usually do normally or last working settings, and windows will either load (slowly) or will freeze while loading.

When it does load, the networking etc. are working - i can't test anything due to no mouse or kb input tho! When the kb and mouse were working, everything did work properly when windows would start up.

I'd appreciate help with either or both of these problems. Many thanks in advance.

Help me get past the BIOS password on a Dell Latitude.

EarBucket — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 07:44:59 -0800

Help me get past the BIOS password on a Dell Latitude. I work in a pawnshop, and one of our employees recently purchased a Dell Latitude D520. When the laptop is booted up, though, we get a gray screen with a message saying:

"This computer system, #7RZNPB1-595B, is protected by a password authentication system."

From my investigation so far, it appears you can crack the thing open to solder and short some stuff on the motherboard, but that's a little beyond my expertise. There also seems to be a way to deduce the master password from the service tag given above, but I can't find it. Anyone?

Where can I buy an $800 Linux Server?

phrontist — Thu, 10 May 2007 11:25:46 -0800

I need to buy a server for around $800 ($1000 as an absolute maximum). It will be hosting a website with a (PostGres) database that will start at around 4GB and grow slowly (so would like at least 2GB of RAM). It must be able run Linux, preferably Ubuntu or Debian. I go to college in Kentucky, where I work for Radio Free Lexington. I am now home in the DC area for the next three months, during which I intend to develop a custom CMS/Radio Station Management/Playlist tracking system. The problem is, I have nothing to run or develop it on.

Before I left Kentucky, I had ordered a Dell Optiplex 320. It arrived two days before I had to leave, and what I thought would be a quick and straightforward install turned out to be extremely difficult (see this thread). Even if it is possible, I'm now out of town and can only ask the minimal effort of the person who has graciously volunteered to help me out of this mess and install the replacement machine in my absence.

So I'm looking for recommendations for a "server" (whether it is billed as such by the manufacturer is not important to me) that is comparable or better to the Optiplex machine, but is well documented as being trivially Linux compatible (no kernel patching) or ships with a Linux distribution installed. It must be something I can order in the next two weeks (I know Dell is promising Ubuntu systems... but I can't wait). Dell is not out of the running, but I'm highly suspicious now.

Here are the specs of the last machine:

P4 Processor 641 (3.20GHz, 2M, 800MHz FSB)
80GB SATA HDD (the SATA controller is actually what caused the problem, so I'm somewhat wary)
2GB SDRAM
$643 before shipping.