Alienware m17x r4 power problem

[cubusil]

Hello guys! I hope someone has a solution for my "problem". I have been using some Alienwares since m15x r1, m18x r1, then m18x r2, m17x r4, and finally the Alienware 17 (120hz, 1070m),so I'm pretty familiar with this brand and it's problems. Right now I've bought an Alienware m17x r4 from eBay (160 euros lol) which was sold as is, and the seller was saying in the description that the laptop just turns on and beeps. I was thinking that it would be a common problem that we all know like dead gpu, or bios corruption. So today the laptop arrived and I've started to check what is wrong with it, and these are the symptoms: when plugged or on battery the laptop turns on for few seconds and then just turns off by itself. No boot logo, no post, nothing. I've pulled the RAM memory to test if the motherboard is "alive" and without RAM memory the board beeps 2 times (so it detects that there is no RAM in it). Swapped the RAM memory for one which is 100% working, and had the same result: turns on for few seconds and turns off. Swapped the CPU, same storie. Tried to turn it on a bios recovery method (hold the "end" button and plug in the charger) the fans are at 100%, laptop stays on for about 20 seconds and also turns off by itself. So if there is anybody who had the same situation as mine and solved it please give an advice. Thank you! 

[i.bakar]

i had the same issue in 2 different laptops alienware 18 and alienware m15 :

 

- the issue in the alienware 18 was the bios is bricked.+ installed an upgraded GPU and didnt change some sittings on the bios ( cant remember what ) what i done is remove all ram and started the laprop , then 2 beebs comming for about 16 times then the laptop restarts ..... after the 16 times repeats and before the laptop turn its self on again there is a 2 second gap in which the laptop is off .... in this 2 seconds window i insert one ram stick ( at any slot ) the the bios reset and the laptop works ...

 

one very important note here ... when u say (the laptop turns on for few seconds and then just turns off by itself) u mean the screen is black or it has a back light shows but now text on the screen ? 

 

- the issue with the alienware M15 was the power supply gets hot very quickly and then shuts off ( one good way to test this is try to disasamble the laptop and run it while u can touch the motherboard's power supply ) and see if something gets very hot very fast. 

however we had to replace the motherboard by a used one.

[Eban]

On 3/11/2023 at 12:00 AM, cubusil said:

Hello guys! I hope someone has a solution for my "problem". I have been using some Alienwares since m15x r1, m18x r1, then m18x r2, m17x r4, and finally the Alienware 17 (120hz, 1070m),so I'm pretty familiar with this brand and it's problems. Right now I've bought an Alienware m17x r4 from eBay (160 euros lol) which was sold as is, and the seller was saying in the description that the laptop just turns on and beeps. I was thinking that it would be a common problem that we all know like dead gpu, or bios corruption. So today the laptop arrived and I've started to check what is wrong with it, and these are the symptoms: when plugged or on battery the laptop turns on for few seconds and then just turns off by itself. No boot logo, no post, nothing. I've pulled the RAM memory to test if the motherboard is "alive" and without RAM memory the board beeps 2 times (so it detects that there is no RAM in it). Swapped the RAM memory for one which is 100% working, and had the same result: turns on for few seconds and turns off. Swapped the CPU, same storie. Tried to turn it on a bios recovery method (hold the "end" button and plug in the charger) the fans are at 100%, laptop stays on for about 20 seconds and also turns off by itself. So if there is anybody who had the same situation as mine and solved it please give an advice. Thank you! 

 

 

Oh I remember reading somewhere on the old NBR about a Ranger that did this. Turned out to be the keyboard!

Stupid design shuts down pc if kboard wasn't found 

 

Hook up a different one if you run out of other ideas

[cubusil]

3 hours ago, i.bakar said:

Hi there again people !

I was aware that I will have to do the "ram stick trick", but was scared a bit, but it seems to be the only solution, I will try to do it and will report to you guys. When I was saying about the screen I meant that it was completely off, it was not showing any activity.

3 hours ago, i.bakar said:

- the issue in the alienware 18 was the bios is bricked.+ installed an upgraded GPU and didnt change some sittings on the bios ( cant remember what ) what i done is remove all ram and started the laprop , then 2 beebs comming for about 16 times then the laptop restarts ..... after the 16 times repeats and before the laptop turn its self on again there is a 2 second gap in which the laptop is off .... in this 2 seconds window i insert one ram stick ( at any slot ) the the bios reset and the laptop works ...

 

one very important note here ... when u say (the laptop turns on for few seconds and then just turns off by itself) u mean the screen is black or it has a back light shows but now text on the screen ?

 

[cubusil]

Hi, thanks for the suggestion I will also verify the keyboard then.

2 hours ago, Eban said:

Turned out to be the keyboard!

Stupid design shuts down pc if kboard wasn't found 

 

Hook up a different one if you run out of other ideas

Hi, thanks for the suggestion I will also verify the keyboard then.

[i.bakar]

15 minutes ago, cubusil said:

 

i'm not trying to let u take it lightly but i did this trick more then 30 times on the same laptop. somestimes 5 or 6 times in one day and even i insert it at the wrong time few times ... nothing ever happened. so don't be scared ( the laptop lights goes off during this 2 seconds ) so if u r worried just keep it repeating  a few times until u are confident from managing ur 2 seconds correctly then do it. good luck 

[Eban]

@cubusil any progress so far?