New Dell Studio Laptop Problems! Oh no!
Hey all you out there in hopelessly-wired-and-dependent-on-technology land! I’ve got some interesting news to share, in case you are like me and happen to own one of the new Dell Studio laptops, and you woke up one day, went to turn your laptop on, only to find that:
-The Media keys up top aren’t lighting up or responding.
-Typing on the keyboard is very difficult with certain keys, or all keys, requiring repeated hard pressing to get recognition from your computer.
-A super spazzy touchpad.
Edit 10/24/08: I’d like to add to the list of common problems, a cooling fan that is just positively roaring for no good reason.
Apparently you are not alone. A quick google comes up with evidence of other people experiencing the same problem, and also evidence that Dell knows about this issue, yet doesn’t have a solution. One of the user comments I came across suggested powering off, taking out the battery, and holding down the power button for ten seconds, replacing battery, rebooting. This supposedly “cleared static buildup,” whatever to that, it worked and that’s all I care about.
More information pending for those of you that are concerned or care, or have a shiny new laptop like me and want to know what the hell is going on. I’ll also get around to scouring the web and citing my sources. I’m a firm believer that technology should work, end of story. When it does stuff like this, malfunctioning without user interference, then there’s almost nothing more frustrating.
So I’ll get back to you, weary technofiles. As far as I’m concerned, if Dell knew about this they should’ve sent out some e-mails giving a heads up to people who recently purchased their product. Since that’s not the case, I’d like to do what I can to spread the word.
UPDATE 9/10/08: One of our commentors, Jo, got Dell to remotely update the bios and drivers on her laptop, and that seemed to fix the problem. So for those of you who are finding that the battery trick doesn’t do it (my dell hasn’t given me trouble since, maybe you’re also a lucky one) then looking into a bios and driver update could do the trick.
UPDATE 9/18/08: Here are some particularly helpful comments I’ve recieved as of late. Putting them in the main body of this post so that they are more easily accessible:
Kev77 – I have had is one week and the same problem. Just updated my bios from A02 to A05, looks good so far.
Queenie – I had the same problems. I have the studio 1535, keyboard and touchpad are not working. The best way to fix this problem is go to go through Dell Live chat support. Agent will remotely connect to your laptop and update your drivers. If you currently have BIOS A02 then you definitely need to update to BIOS A05. Agent might also or I would suggest to have him/her reinstall your Dell Touchpad driver as well because updating the BIOS alone may not solve it completely. ***There may be a lot of people on queue but even if it says “your’e #50 on queue” should still take less than a minute to connect with an agent. Goodluck!
Further edit 10/24/08: I’d just like to add that I am not a fixer-of-computers. I can’t even take credit for solving this problem on my own laptop, I found someone else’s cool trick. And also I’d like to relinquish any responsibility for how any of you out there might take this information and use it, because this is the internet, and gosh darnit I do not want to get sued, or accused by some jerk for messing up their computer. (But seriously, don’t hold me accountable. You do whatever you want, I’m just throwing out some amassed data and suggestions. It’s like religion. You can’t blame God because you stubbed your toe and he created the rock that did it. Or..maybe that’s really off and I’m really tired.)
Recentest latest right now update 12/4/08: First of all, thanks to everyone who continues to share their experiences with the blog and each other. I’m sorry I can’t reply to everyone, to be perfectly honest my priorities lie in the realm of finishing up my first semester of senior year with all limbs and brain matter attached.
So to those of you just stumbling upon this information now, the comments below are the best place to go to learn about the laptop problem, and possible fixes. It doesn’t seem that anyone has found The One Solution to these issues, which now include the sound system just not working. If it’s any consolation, I’ve had both the touchpad/media keys/keyboard problem, AND the sound problem, but the sound issue resolved itself. I still owe the use of my computer to that battery trick, and by the grace of Thor I haven’t had the problem recur, though I know others are not so lucky.
So best of luck to those of you still struggling with customer support or your laptops (whichshouldbeworkingfromthegetgogoddammit!).
Your Midnight Snack 
I have the same problem. I bought a Dell studio 1535 and after 1 week I got the above problem. I dit a DIOS upgrade to A05 and the problem was over. But after 3 weeks it it appears again. This is very frustrating. Please let me know if there is a solution.
Have you tried what I suggested in the post, yet? Turning it off, taking out the battery, holding down the power, then putting it all back together? Let me know if that works for you, because it has worked for me and other people. -Delgado
I just found your post on the Dell Studio 1535 causing the laptop to stick in Sleep Mode. Tried your suggestion below and it worked perfectly. My daughter is now a Happy Camper. Thanks so much. Larry S.
Re:
Have you tried what I suggested in the post, yet? Turning it off, taking out the battery, holding down the power, then putting it all back together? Let me know if that works for you, because it has worked for me and other people. -Delgado
I bought mine in July and have had 3 since then due to this problem. I have had it. STaples (were I bought it) has been great getting me a brand new one 3 times. But if it happens again, I am going to HP. My touchpads stopped working completely each time.
I certainly don’t blame you for wanting to switch brands, I know when a computer dissatisfies me that’s the first thing I do, because experience shows that, usually, once a problem, always a problem. I hope your new studio doesn’t go wonky on you like the last three, but if it does, try the trick I described above. Since doing that to my own, I haven’t had a problem. Best of luck. – Delgado
Thank you so much for the posting , per keyboard/mouse probs with the Studio. Tried your fix it worked first time. Could not bear the thought of having to send back to Dell.
Like you, the thought of having to send in the laptop and deal with all kinds of company bullshit was totally appalling. PLEASE let me know if the problem comes back though. As of yet, mine has still been fine, but if there are any changes I’d love to know so that I can add that information to the internet. And I’m so glad it worked for you, too. – Delgado
I had this problem repeatedly– tried the trick that you mentioned, but it continued recurring. After I contacted Dell, they sent someone to replace a part in my touch pad. The computer worked great for three days and the problem has started again. I’ll be calling Dell to see if I can get a refund– I don’t have the patience for this.
I’m in the same boat.Hubby is going to try the battery trick for e tonight. I’m fed up with it atm! If that does’t work i’ll contact Dell.
Hi – me again. Just to say after not managing to contact Dell by phone I did their support livechat instead – i spoke to someone who took control of the computer and updated the bios and the drivers for the touchpad and now my keyboard and touchpad is working!!!! 😀 😀 😀 HTH
I had the same problems. I have the studio 1535, keyboard and touchpad are not working. The best way to fix this problem is go to go through Dell Live chat support. Agent will remotely connect to your laptop and update your drivers. If you currently have BIOS A02 then you definitely need to update to BIOS A05. Agent might also or I would suggest to have him/her reinstall your Dell Touchpad driver as well because updating the BIOS alone may not solve it completely. ***There may be a lot of people on queue but even if it says “your’e #50 on queue” should still take less than a minute to connect with an agent. Goodluck!
I have had is one week and the same problem. Just updated my bios from A02 to A05, looks good so far.
HELLO THERE, I BROUGHT THIS NEW DELL STUDIO 1535 LAPTOP RECENTLE AND I AM UNABLE TO COPY ANYTHIN FROM DVD OR CD TO HARDDRIVE. WHAT’S WRONG? PLS HELP
Hi guys, had the same problem with my 1535. Keyboard, touchpad, media keys not working, and the cooling fan constantly running. Delgado’s solution worked fine thus far. It is recurs, I’ll have a look at updating the drivers. Cheers, Boy from Oz.
EDIT: hey host im so sorry please delete my previous post >< this is an updated one.
hey there everyone. surprisingly mine was working this morning perfectly but now im stuck with all the problems listed above.
_______________________________________________
Dell Studio 1535 Symptoms for me:
1) when power button is pushed, the cool boot sqeuence where all the touch control lights shine DOES NOT RUN
2) in diagnostic mode, all tests say there are no probems with the keyboard but when testing it freely i notice keys 67, YU, HJ, NM must be pushed down hard to even register.
3) spamming keys does not work. holding “t” only makes it pop up once and not “ttttttttttttttt”. In addition, holding backspace only makes the computer delete one charcater as opposed to everything as long as you hold the button
4) the system fan [top right on the laptop on the underside] continues to run on high constantly. System disagnostics show no problems with the temperature sensors or fan speeds
4) the touchpad does not work. [i use a wireless mouse so im not sure when exactly this failed]
5) plugging in a usb mouse and keyboard works perfectly fine with no problems whatsoever.
____________________________________________________
Ive called dell up once today and they dont really seem to know what the heck is going on. My antivirus wasnt working properly so the tech guy said to me that it was probably a trojan or something. But i have since scanned my computer and can say that it is clean of any viruses.
UPDATE: i actually just tried the battery solution. i want to note that i updated to bios A05 the day i got my laptop [end of august] so i did not try that solution. I shutdown, took our the battery, and held both the wifi and the on buttons for about 30seconds straight. I put the battery back in and wtf everything works like normal again.
Dell why is your studio messing up like this? i have no clue. On the bright side, at least its not as detrimental as the nvidia video card GPU failures that the XPS line of laptops are getting.
Cheers to the blog and troubled dell owners on here. I’ll update this post if i learn anything or anything comes up.
-Tman
Had this laptop (1535) for about 2 months now and the fan kicked into extreme overdrive the second i turned the system on. I laughed it off thinking at least my laptop would be cool but i then noticed the problems above and crapped myself.
Tried restarting, nothing, tried doing system restore, nothing, tried scanning for viruses, nothing.
Finally i disconnected everything and reconnected it all, including the battery and it was working normally again. I almost wish it was some dodgy virus or whatever because ive had plenty of experience removing that crap in the past but this is something completely out of my control.
Ive updated my bios as well and can only hope this does no come back again as i really cant be doing with this kind of ****, makes me sick, litrally…i felt nauseous given how new it was.
I used to have some crappy 8 year old desktop, never had a problem…this thing? ive had my audio almost die on me due to some headphone socket problem (along with a few other people) and now this…all in the space of 2 months, blegh.
I have problems with original DELL STUDIO 1535 WD 205Gb hard disk. One laptop has been changed to new one, but there is the same problems with other laptop too! 😦 Shit…
* Disk is clicking and sometimes suddenly freezes!!!
This has nothin to do with your HDD, it’s the problem of your OS. I installed Windows 7 RTM when I got my new Studio 14z which also uses a WD HDD. But I was having the same problem as yours. Then I reinstalled WIndows 7 RC, and the problem is gone.
Ug i have that same problem I keep resending it in, they exchange some parts (the media bar and the back and update the software) it works for a while and then it starts up again, its very annoying
hi, I have a studio 1535 and in my case the problem with the touchpad it’s related with the temperature, the isolation from gpu and memories modules it is not very good.
Regards from Madrid.
I HAD THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM! Dell didn’t solve anything for me!
They installed the new BIOS and a load of drivers. They even had me revert back to the factory default and reinstall the operating system! None of this worked! Then I remembered it worked when I took the battery out and replaced it. I just wish I had knew that before I talked to dell. I’m really upset over the whole ordeal.
My computer is my education because I’m taking online classes. Now I have to waste two days reinstalling everything on my computer. It’s not even the same either. I don’t have the dock, the side bar is different, even the switch between windows is different.
I wish I had found this site yesterday before Dell Chat. I was trying to do the right thing by not fixing it on my own and making it worse.
Thanks for your posting. I have a newborn and therefore no time to waste with Dell support (tried that once before and they sent a tech to my house that ended up telling me to load again Vista Image to my laptop!). In any case I’ll try your suggestion and try to get hold of the Dell chat support.
I actually wouldn’t recommend Dell chat support. They didn’t do anything for me.
I’d like to note that the battery trick does work but it’s happened to me again after that. I don’t hold the power button down either. I think that was someone pulling your leg or maybe not…
I just don’t understand the problem at all. Then I just noticed yesterday my Wifi isn’t working at all. I think I need to update all my drivers since I lost all of my updates from the wipe.
I also noticed something else. Right by the wifi checker button my side panels cover on the monitor sticks out. I have no idea why though. Does anyone else’s do that? I haven’t dropped mine or anything for it to do that.
since this is a factory defect, are we not all entitled to a refund?
Or at least warnings / competent customer service people who are aware of this problem and prepared to help the many people who would go to them! I’d take a refund, except I really like the laptop and don’t want to give it up. In addition, the battery trick worked on mine and I haven’t had a single problem since. – Delgado
so i tried the battery trick several times and the problem just wouldn’t go away. it would work for a while, but eventually revert back to “defect mode”. the interval between normal operations and defective operations became shorter and shorter, to the point where it was interfering with my work. i finally caved in one night and contacted dell via live chat or whatever it’s called. they tried updating my drivers, bios etc and nothing worked. finally they deemed the problem to be hardware related and sent someone out to my apartment to replace some parts. well, the guy they sent found a few tethering devices on the motherboard were loose, and that was most likely the problem. he replaced them, gave me a new keyboard and a new touch pad. the problem is officially fixed. and, my computer is shiny new again.
HURRAY! So glad to hear that. – Delgado
Thanks nice to hear Delgado/Tim. I updated all my drivers and I haven’t had any problems since I fixed them.
It’s been acting up some but it has done the explicit not work at all lately.
My fan is running again >.>
I did the battery thing to fix the keybaord and it worked.
I have almost all problems mentioned here with my two week old Studio. Most irritative is fan cooling problem. Bios upgrade and battery trick doesn’t fix my problems.
But I can add one very strange problem, you don’t believe it – my dell wakes up whenever it wants. For example at nighttime and it’s happens several times. Before that i made shut down, like always. Only choice is remove battery every night before going sleep.
That is, odd, haven’t heard of that problem before, Umas. The only thing I can suggest is Dell Customer Support. 😦 Best of luck! – Delgado
I read that could be the automatic update set for late at night.
Try turning it off.
I’m still having my problems but not as often. Had to do the battery trick today.
The disc eject button is so annoying when it does its thing.
Hi folks my studio 1535 has the same issue. Sometimes if I press the keys too fast some keys just behave like they’re stuck. For example, I press “r” and it repeats “rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr” until I press “r” again. I’ve updated the BIOS to A05 and updated the touchpad driver to 7.2.101.104 but the issue is not resolved. Could anyone please help out? Thanks.
Hi guys. I had the same problem with my dell studio, I tryed the trick and It worked. Thanks a lot for the advice. I will update how is working.
Folks – bought a Studio 1735 in July 2008 and same issue just happened with mine. ‘Sticking’ keys pregressively worse over a period of days, then stopped working altogether along with the mouse touchpad. On boot up lights did not light up and Vista opening sound did not happen. Hard disk has been thrashing, behaving erratically and fan ready for take off! Incidently the wrist-rest gets sometimes uncomforably hot as the fan sits inder it. Powered off, removed battery, held down the power button for 10 secs, reinstalled battery, powered on – now OK – but for how long? Will be calling Dell for an explanation!
wish i’d never bought this laptop, nothing but problems. audio issues, touhpad not working, now the freakin’ keyoard! i’m writing this with the onscreen keyboard…not acceptable for a £600 laptop. emailed dell, be interested to hear what they have to say.
Hi, I had problems with my studio too. It became a running joke of bets whether system would turn on or not when i pushed the button. Also sometimes then froze when i moved much. I found that they’d seated the RAM incorrectly and it was kinda in the right place but jiggled out and in. Reseated memory properly and worked fine for a whle, til got the other problems you’ve listed.
Eventually i sent it back (I live in n.ireland and they don’t have technicians who come out to you so was without a system for a week grr) and they checked each individual component and it is now sorted!
I also do an online masters so was a real problem for me. i just complained and also demanded they phone me (hate getting a large phone bill when it’s their fault!) and they sorted it after quite a few phone calls.
I too have the Studio 1535 and have updated to BIOS A05 and updated all drivers. These things fixed the audio jack and media light problems but the keyboard and touchpad problems that everyone else has been describing are killing me. The only solution I have found is the replacing the battery trick but this is ridiculous. I should not have to do this in the middle of an online quiz or project. Dell needs to do something now.
I had to do the battery trick twice today.
I’ve just been taking the battery out before I even turn my computer on now but today that didn’t even work. I had to shut down twice to get the trick to finally work.
It definitely is a pain but talking to Dell about it is even worse.
Hi, all. I bought a 1735 for my wife as an early Christmas present; she has been using it since 11/10, and fired it up this morning – same sort of problems listed here. As an aside, I am typing this on a 1998 Toshiba Satellite laptop; I have two and have never had a problem – to me that means a laptop can be designed problem-free. I’m a stubborn, sometimes nasty type, and if I have no satisfaction from Dell as I’m finding here I’ll be researching the magnitude of the problem and then perhaps we should be contacting the PTB to start a class action.
Same problem here with my boss’s laptop, glad I found this site before Dell tech support had me reinstall Vista a second time (“it’s an OS problem”…uhh no dude it’s not). Battery trick worked perfect, THANKS!!! No telling for how long it’ll be before it happens again though…already had A05 bios update, tried reinstalling touchpad driver with Dell’s recommended (7.1.104.2) as well as another I found online (7.1.200something), no changes and was about to crack it open. As an aside the keyboard illumination doesn’t work either.
Hi Delgado,
Glad i found your site, fixed my issues on my 1535, had been using a USB keyboard to get over that problem but the fan and the multimedia keys were a problem.
Took the battery out, powered on for 10 sec and rebooted, all working oerfect again.
Haven’t updated the bios yet but will monitor the situation.
I have a question for everyone here. I’ve noticed when my laptop is running perfectly fine I can push down near the fingerprint reader or under the CTRL button on the right on the metal part of the keyboard my fan will start running that signature way all of our Studios do. Could it be the loose thingymagjig? The motherboard? I have no idea where it is located in the computer but if mine is loose and I push in the area it might be does that make sense why the fan might be kicking on when I push? It’s not even a hard push just laying your hand down to type does the trick. At this point I’m still fed up with Dell and don’t really want to call.
“If that was the case then it might explain the battery trick, which requires turning the computer upside down–and thereby putting whatever is out of place, back in place? I don’t know…I believe someone above also said something about just plain turning the laptop upside down working. You may be on to something! I just tried pushing my laptop where you described and nothing happened. The only time I had that fan issue was when the whole thing went wonky. Keep us posted?” -Delgado
Hi everyone. Just wanted to let you guys know that I’ve installed the BIOS A05 and updated the drivers. I’ve had the same issues. I did notice also that sometimes when I flipped my laptop upside down (at least prior to the BIOS update) the keyboard and touchpad issue would be fixed. I hope updating the BIOS resolves the issue. However, Michael from above has me worried since he’s experiencing the same issues despite having updated. I’ll keep checking this post.
Dracey,
I updated my computer wiped it and updated it again. All because that’s what Dell said to do. I’m still expericing the exact same problem. Today I’ve had to shut down and remove my battery multiple times. I’m going to cave and try and talk to tell again.
It doesn’t always happen when you push on it but today it is… If I push the eject button the fan will stop running but that’s only when the eject button works. I can’t even type without the fan kicking on now. Which is a real pain trying to take online classes.
Hmm. The fan seems to have stopped for- there it goes again. I’m going to try the upside down trick..
Hmm it just growled at me. That was a first…
My shut down time seems to be taking longer too and the screen goes black for a second when the logging off display pops up.
Well my fan is still acting up more and more often and the battery trick isn’t cutting it. I have found that by lifting the laptop up the fan will stop running it’s just the matter of setting it back down the right way.
The Fan is my problem. I have only had the keypad problem once, but it was as described with some keys being hard to get to respond, but my led lights above F keys are insane. My touchpad generally sucks, but I dont think it is part of this. My FAN on mega max however, is infuriating. It sometimes cycles on and off rapidly, being on most of the time. I have been on the phone with Dell for many hours too, without result. I have tried both A05 (original) and A03 bios and back, no luck. Fan is still insane. And mine also wakes up randomly with full blast fan and cannot be shutdown properly, so I have to pull the battery at night.
One trick I have found to get the fan off is to use two hands and push down fairly hard just above the F-keys on the led controls. Usually I can get the fan off for a minute or so.
I am going back to my old Inspiron for now. This thing is crap. I am really disappointed.
i havc a similar experience with my dell studio, it is not recorgnising my system password,it tells my the administrator cannot recorgnise this password plz enter correct admin password.
i aint got any clue as to wat the pc is talking about, pls somebody help.e mail phujo@yahoo.co.uk
Eric,
I’ve found that lifting the computer up when the fan is running like that will usually get it to stop. Have you tried that?
Well I just asked Notebook Forums and said that I should probably contact dell. I just don’t want it to be screwed up when I’m trying to do my final project because Dell tried to fix it again…
Update 12/12/08
After spending over an hour on the phone with Dell tech support (and alongside my boss whose laptop is the problem, who was almost livid), I spoke to a supervisor that acknowledged that Dell IS aware of the problem, that it is an issue with the “hinge covers”, that a technician will be sent to our site to replace the hinge covers, the touchpad, and the keyboard. He also said Dell was notifying owners of the issue…
I’ll post again after the hinge covers are replaced, likely next week.
I’m so glad to have found this site, I bought my daughter a studio 1535 for graduation and she called today saying her mouse was frozen, the other day it was that she had no sound. I asked if she tried the batter thing and she said she did and it didn’t work so I got on the computer to trouble shoot and found this site. Well we tried the battery fix this time holding down the power button and that worked for her. When she comes home for break we will try the BIOS upgrade too. Boy it really makes me mad on my choice of computers for her, will never go with a Dell again!!
Update 12/15/08
Dell sent parts overnight via FedEx (keyboard, multifunction panel for volume, etc., and touchpad/palmrest assembly…which I guess you could call a hinge cover) and had a local guy come over and replace them. Pretty decent response time, as of right now it’s working right, I told my boss to let me know when the original problem returns…
BenBB,
Thanks for sharing that with us! I haven’t gotten any word from Dell about the issue. I plan on contacting them once I get the time to after I get on holiday break from this class.
UPDATE from Tman
Hi there everybody, so its been about 2 months since i last posted. For the most part it seems that the keyboard isnt an issue for me anymore and the touchpad only dies out sometimes. With a quick shutdown and battery trick, my laptop is back to normal again.
The touch media keys are come and go, sometimes they work sometimes they dont. Sometimes they light up, and sometimes they dont. The fan issue i can also add in that it seems to be a chronic problem for my Dell Studio. The only solution ive found is proping up the laptop with a stack of PostIt’s or anything the height of an eraser is small but should be enough to make the fan stop.
Im probably going to be calling dell in the next few days to ship this laptop back to get fixed, i’ll post up my results when that happens.
hi everyone,
Im glad to read that this space is helping so many of you.. but equally upset to realise that i have too bought a sucky computer,,
the touchpad has been of a problem to me for sure..
but recently this 4 month old machine has stopped reading dvds! i dunno what to do.. calling the tech support doesnt help..
does someone have any suggestions?
thanks
shilpi
Well from what I’ve figured out on my own and with the help of some of these post. Lifting the laptop up will get the fan to stop and today I managed to get it to stop by ending the montior down some. I haven’t heard the fan run at all but typing and reading the screen sure is awkward.
I’m going to be calling Dell anyday now to get the problem fixed for good.
Does anyone else have there typing jump around the screen? One mintue you are typing on one line then it jumps up and you are typing somewhere else instead?
FINAL UPDATE from Tman
Hey everyone. Last week i called up dell and shipped mt laptop back to them. Its been exactly 7 days and i just got it back from the repair shop. It seems that they replaced my keyboard, touchpad, and the top pannel with the media keys on it. No more crazy fan and no more sticky keys! I think my laptop has been fixed for good now! I would like to thank the authot of this blog and all the others who commented on here. I recommend everyone to call up dell and ship their laptop back to the factory, it’ll definetly be fixed!
@ Sisen
I had this problem for a short time as well before i sent my laptop back to Dell. I assumed that it was the faulty touchpad that kept making my cursor jump everywhere. Try disabling your touchpad and using an external mouse to see if it helps
I’m going to try and make the call today.
My touch pad isn’t a problem anymore, it’s the fan and media keys. Thanks for the tip though.
I’ll be sure to let you know what happens.
I called and of course the person doesn’t speak perfect English. After telling him my problem he told me to turn off the computer and remove the power cord and battery. I’m sure we all know what that means; hold the power button in for 10 seconds. Well he had me do that. Of course this time it actually works and my computer is fine, where as the previous two days it wouldn’t work. I had to spend time explaining to him that I already knew about that and I did in fact have the latest version of the BIOS.
So he put me on hold for a few minutes and came back on and told me to update the BIOS…
He’s going to give me a call back in a few days to see what happens.
I think the service I’m getting is ridiculous; I clearly explained that the battery trick doesn’t always work. All it is a quick fix and I’ve been doing that for the past few months.
He even kept calling me ‘mam’ which I’m not. The name on the account is female.
Just because the computer isn’t making noise right now they don’t want to do anything which makes no sense.
How exactly did those of you that had technician’s come to your house or have the computer fixed achieve that?
Well I was sitting and getting ready to use my laptop, and just as soon as I go to move it. FFFFFFFWWWWWWW. The fan kicks into overdrive. I have no idea why it didn’t do it before when I was on the phone with Dell. It started up fine when I went to use it but the fan just kicked on out of no where and whenever you push on it or move it or the moniter it kicks on high.
I downloaded the latest BIOS today and need to go install it on the laptop, I’m really doubting that it solves the problem though.
It only took around four months and forty minutes but they’re finally going to send a technician to our house! They’re going to ship him a fan and keyboard but they said if it’s something else then they’ll have to send more parts for him to come back later. I couldn’t opt for the factory option because I need my computer starting this weekend for school work.
my keyboard on my dell studio laptop just broke and i got a replacement keyboard but i dont know how to put it in our anything. i need help.
I have s similar problem with a brand new Dell Studio Laptop. It is interesting to note that the keyboard is not working before the Operating System loads. You cannot press F2 to get into the bios setup. After the system boots, you can use an external USB mouse and the screen keyboard to make the computer work. You would think that by now, Dell engineers could design a computer that doesn’t have these kinds of problems. Will try the battery removal trick and see what happens. So it is not a windows problem nor a driver problem. It has to be bios/hardware/motherboard etc.
Nikki I’d try and tell you how they put mine it but it involved a lot of unscrewing, snapping, and sliding.
Since I got my new keyboard and fan replacement my laptop has been good. The fan hasn’t run like it used to and it isn’t as hot as it used to be either.
Removing the battery really works – also have a new Dell Studio…oh why didn’t I get a Toshiba! Anyway thank you so much…saved my bacon as I’ve a presentation tomorrow!
Hi all,
I had this same problem starting to happen to me just a day ago, and I was quite pissed with it because I thought Dell made some good computers but I already had a sound problem (for which a fix is available too, by the way) so I was like, wow what a shitty laptop this is.
Anyway, I just gave Dell support a call and they told me to install the BIOS update. My version was A02 and now it’s updated to A05 and everything seems to work perfectly again. Keyboard is fully functioning again as well as the touchpad and the mediakeys.
So, if anyone else has this problem I suggest installing that BIOS update (you can find it here: support.dell.com).
I can confirm it worked for me, so I didn’t even had to do the battery trick.
Cheers.
PS: If anyone has the crackling sound problem like I did, you can find the solve on support.dell.com too. Just click Drivers & Downloads, choose your model and then under the Network category, you download the Dell – Driver with the version that starts with 5.10.38… (as of Feb. 4, 2009).
It applies to Wireless WLAN 1397 Half MiniCard (4312bg), Wireless WLAN 1510 Half MiniCard (4322) and Dell Wireless 1397, 1510 Half MiniCard.
Hi Guys,
Hi Guys,
I have my Dell 1535 for almost 2 months now and still experiencing same problem with the audio. I already updated my BIOS from A02 to A06 (I wonder why others have A05 while mine is A06 which correspond to my service tag number that I provided to DELL Support Drivers download service).
My problem with my audio keeps on turning ON and OFF, ON and OFF continously showing the RED CIRCLE MARK (MUTED) on the Audio ICON and also the Volume Bar on my Screen.
I havent seen any comments same as my problem in other forums but i hope somebody can help me to fix this problem.
Thank you in advance.
ya know, your post was the first to come up in my google search. the suggestion you suggestion seem too simple and silly, that i continued searching thru other sites, trying all these control panel suggestions, getting into the bios screen. NOTHING worked so i said ‘what the heck. lets give the simple solution a whirl’. and W@W!!! it really truly does work! amazing!!!
but what about the fan speed issue. i see it was mentioned as one of the problems, but didnt see any suggestions to fix it. i know you said you were still googling, but with how easy the keyboard/touchpad issue was resolved, i was hoping you had a magic fix for thr fan problem as well.
but a HUGE thank you for even thinking about posting this so others can repair their keyboard, too. ThankYouThankYouThankYou!!!!!
Hey everyone. My Studio had all of the same problems that are mentioned here. It had the very loud fan noise, the malfunctioning media buttons and a keyboard in which the keys stuck and didn’t work. Here is a solution to all the problems that worked fine for me:
1) For the keyboard keys, make sure you have the latest BIOS version A06 that can be found on the dell website under drivers and downloads.
2) Media buttons and fan noise. This problem I think is a result of wires being too close to each other and things just being too tight in the laptop. For this I simply took off the part above the keyboard (i.e. the black panel that has the media buttons on it). This can be done by prying (gently) both the left and right sides off with a phillips screwdriver and then taking out the battery and removing the two small screws that can be found under it. You will find, at least I did, that the media keys now function when you have removed this panel. Simply straighten the white cable that attaches the panel you just removed to the motherboard and tape it just above where it used to be. Then snap the panel back on but don’t put the screws back in. For me this made the panel stick out a bit in the centre, but you can hardly notice it. Note that the computer should be powered off for this and you should touch something that is metal and grounded to remove any static electricity from your body.
I will repost if any problems occur, but so far its working perfectly. Good luck!
Very interesting. Most of you say that bios upgrade is the key.
Now, here is my story:
I bought my Studio 1537 3 Weeks ago, and have Problems with the Media Buttons ( Volume+ & CD Eject).
I used the Dell Support Chat, and they told me to DOWNgrade the bios, from A07 (Preinstalled) to A02.
Isn’t that funny?
…i don’t think so.
at least, i have some problems to install A02… It requires Admin-Rights (which it has!) and don’t let me install.
i think i am going to contact the support tomorrow, and send it back to Dell.
I updated to A06 and it fixed all the problems listed in the very beggining. When I first instaled the new bios the media keys worked, but then after a restart they dont work. I tried going back to A05 and the old problems came back very quickly! So I went back to A06 and the same thing happend. Media keys work until I restart the Laptop. They light up like they are working, but nothing happns.
Thank you so much for posting about this!
I tried your battery solution after a day of tearing my hair out, and it worked!
hi guys i have new dell 1535 series lap but when iam watching movie or playing any game within five minuts the screen goes blank . you no the great thing i send that to dell sho room . they cant fix they told its ok . but still problem is there . can any one help me ? please ? it gives me message before giving me blank screen the graphic driver is not responding and recoverd seccsusfully . but this message is a problem .. i tried dell daignotic cd but it is shoing hardware is ok .. please help me ?
Hi Faisal, I personally can’t help you with this as I haven’t experienced the problem you’re describing. I’m also no techie, just someone who stumbled across a neat trick for those other problems I described. Hopefully someone else who visits the site will see this and be able to help you, but in the meantime I would recommend calling customer support, or bringing your computer to a specialist. – Delgado
i think dell and hp both are same dummy laps
This website was so helpful- the battery solution is (at least so far) holding up. You have no idea how much I appreciate the posting of this in a readily available location.
Keep up the great work!!
I have Studio 1735. Had all 3 problems: fan, media keys, sound. Fan – humming when booting into Vista. My solution: go to sleep mode and come back. Resolved. Sound getting shut off in Skypem, Messenger, etc. My solution: update IDT driver. Resolved. Media keys: same problem, media keys stopped working. Did the battery trick and for now the media keys are back working.
i cant even turn on my 1735.. zzzz
Yet another person with the same problem: a new Studio 1535, one day the fan suddenly starts running full blast like my laptop is going to take off and the keyboard and touchpad stopped responding. When I restarted it, I got an “error 8602 auxiliary device failure” so I unplugged my external mouse and USB key, but had the same problems again. Now today everything seems to be back to normal, I realised I did the battery trick by chance which might be why it is working now (I turned my laptop over to see the service tag number, and took out the battery out of curiosity). I haven’t updated BIOS or drivers.
I think it is outrageous that Dell is carrying on selling this model without at least alerting people to the problem. I had a SONY VAIO for 6 years and never had a single problem. But it only had 250 MB RAM so it was time for a new laptop. If I experience the slightest problem with the Dell Studio 1535 again I am going to try and get a refund and get another brand.
Somebody needs to start a class action lawsuit. this is a very common issue and im possitive dell is trying to sweep it under the rug. does anyone out there know how to start one or have the resources to get one started?
Just to leave a small thank you! The trick with holding down power button worked great in terms of fixing the fan issue! Just to be specific, I left the battery out for some 5 minutes just to be sure.
Thank you!!
I bought a Studio 17 last August & was pleased with it until about 6 weeks ago. The fan went into hyperdrive from the moment it was turned on and in the last few weeks the touch buttons , the touchpad and the latterly the keyboard stopped working. I thought it might be a combination of sandstorms (frequent this time of year were I am living) and a driver? conflict after using external keyboards and mice. My main problem is that I am in a location where Dell repair people as as rare as rain! So I thought I would have to do it myself or live with it. Anyway after reading this blog I took the battery out and did the power on thingy for about 5 seconds ( in the process turning the laptop upside down) and everything returned to normal. After 5 hours usage the fan made a noise but much quieter than before but then the atmospheric temperature is about 33 degrees.
I will see how it goes and report any developments to you helpful people.
Thank you to everyone who makes this site possible.
Of course Dell denies it, but I have a problem on mine that is clearly not just on mine. The keyboard frequently double-strikes a key. I’ll type a leetter (see, like the “e” there), and get two. It tends to start in the home keys and then migrate all over the place. I have had the keyboard replaced both on site and at Dell a total of six times. They have replaced four motherboards. Two service techs here, two trips to Dell. I finally asked for a replacement, which is sitting next to me. Sure enough the new machine has the same flaw.
Wow, I never thought I’d be back to this blog…
It has been around three months since dell ‘fixed’ my computer. I was sitting and typing when I heard the dreaded noise come to life. I thought it was just the normal fan running but… Today… I placed my hand on the keyboard in that special place and it roared to life. The fan is back in action once again.
I haven’t had any of the other problems, my standby mode has been a little wacky but it usually is…
The replaced my fan and keyboard last time, I don’t feel like bothering them again.. The only good thing is the fan doesn’t seem as loud as the other one. When they replaced my fan, I think they just gave me a quieter one.
This is so ridiculous. Purchased my Studio 1537 end of Jan. and have had the following problems since:
adaptor overheating, Media Keys light up when not in use and then come on and off intermittenly, shuts down for no reason, no error message etc.
I’ve invested $1500 in this system and am sick to my stomach that Dell sold and continues to sell a defective product. They need to stand behind their product and refund our money. I will never buy another Dell and have been passing the word onto friends and family. I have never been so disappointed in a product and its customer service.
Thank you very much for this blog. i was just about to pull out what’s left of my hair when I saw the words remove the battery! It works!!!
Thanks a lot for this page. I was really crazy about a fan noise, everything else I could survive. T tried to find a solution to that but hopeless. Upgrading to A06 BIOS did not help. Also getting out battery trick did not help. Getting laptop up and down helped, but this stopped to help some month ago (bought in October 2008). The only thing which helped me – pressing panel over F1-F12 buttons hardly. I did it just 10 min ago. Let’s see what happens…
Unbelievable … the battery tricked worked. I was thinking ‘come on man, really …’ but it really did the job. Well at least for now anyway. Thumbs up to the blogger … I’ve had this computer for nearly 5 months now and it started misbehaving in the last two days. The fan has always been a bit unpredictable and the ‘close lid’ to sleep / shutdown is almost always imperfect / incomplete. Perhaps this magic battery trick will solve everything …
Just to say thank you for that battery trick. I have fan problem for a week and even went to dell’s representative here – they ordered new fan and i am waiting for fan replacement.
Anyways, battery trick worked. Let’s hoped fan problem is solved forever.
Thank you!
I bought a DELL Studio laptop on Friday 10th July 2009. I returned it to the store on Sunday 12th July 2009 for a refund as the keybaord was not responding. Before returning I googled the problem and found and tried the battery trick that did not solve the problem. On returning to the store the “tech guru” suggested that I try downloading some firmware but gave no specifics. As far as I am concern a new computer is suppose to work and one shoudl not ahve to be fiddling with a battery, downloading stuff to make it work. So I took it back. I was warned about DELL before buying but I thought I’d give it a try. Never me and DELL again.
My Studio 1535 (purchased in March) came with the A05 version of BIOS installed, but I have the same fan problems, with a really handy extra feature: When the fan noise comes on, I can be pretty sure that my laptop will suddenly shut off in the next few minutes. It’s done this at least 80 times in 4 months, doing nothing more than surfing the internet. It’s NOT overheated, trust me. And by “shut off” I’m not referring to the Windows shut-down routine– I mean it’s “Click!” and OFF. Clearly an electrical issue. It’s exactly like you’ve hard-booted it by holding in the power button, except that you haven’t. Be warned – Save often, and buy HP next time! Gotta go — the fan is revving up now… 😦
Studio 1735: Keyboard / Touch-pad problems fixed by trying the battery trick (See Earlier Post). Thank you everyone who suggested it. I love you all. Mwah. x
I bought my personal piece of crap a year ago. I was one of the early suckers. Then I spent the next three months angry and frustrated and arguing with my husband that no, the problems (ALL of the ones mentioned above – except for one) were not MY fault! Finally, on a cold, rainy night in October, after steeling myself with a glass or three of pinot grigio, I committed “the final solution”; I cleansed my Studio, reverting it back to factory condition. Of course, later I had to reinstall several programs, and other stuff, I lost. Anyway, everything has worked since then (but this is NOT the computer I originally paid to have built for me). Then, two weeks ago, I turned it on, and the fan absolutely roared! (Scared the crap out of the cat.) Thank you, thank you, for “the battery trick”.
When your vehicle has bad parts, the manufacturer sends you a recall letter, along with a certificate to have it fixed for free. Wouldn’t you think – duh – in the interest of good public relations, that Dell would do the same?
Thank you for the Keyboard/Touchpad solution. Powered down, took out battery, held power button for ten seconds, replaced battery and rebooted. Worked like a charm.
mine wont even power up any ideas
Mine wouldn’t power up unless I held the button down for 2-3 seconds – and not until I then let go of the button.
Have you tried the suggested solution? It worked for me this morning, now mine boots when I just touch the power button again.
Same problem as everyone else here as far as the keyboard is concerned. Keys sticking, etc. I called Dell and they actually told me that I was not pressing the key with the proper amount of pressure that the keyboard was intentially made to not be sensitive. When I explained that is was only with certain keys and this is not acceptable to me, the guy finally agreed to send a guy out with a new keyboard. Same problem. Battery removal solution works, but needs to be done often. I think this is ridiculous, a BRAND NEW laptop shouldn’t have to have be rebooted by removing the battery. I also think that Dell with their denial and refusal to offer a refund or an exchange for a different type laptop is absurd and disappointing. I will NEVER buy Dell again. I think a Class Action lawsuit is appropriate.
I have had problems with my Studio 1737 since the first week I got it. First the a CD got stuck in the DVD player. Dell replaced the drive. Then the computer would not shut down. We got that resolved. After three months the computer won’t turn on. Dell’s solution to that problem is to send me a refurbish computer. I refuse their offer. I have been without a computer for over a month now.
I am going to buy another brand.
I bought this computer last July, I have experienced all the problems above (freezing keyboard, overheating, freezing touchpad, taking out the battery etc.) I have also dealt with the hard drive breaking within one month of having the computer, once I got a new hard drive it was only 5 months later that the “mother board” broke and they agreed to replace my computer.
After receiving a new computer in April, it decides today not to turn on anymore. I checked the battery on another computer and it still works. Dell wants to charge me $49 to talk to a technician, and if it needs another part it’ll cost at least another $150 without even a guarantee of a fixed computer or ANOTHER replacement. I have spent countless hours dealing with them on the phone and I have lost everything on my computer more than 4 times this year. I am beyond frustrated and do not want to give Dell another penny. I think a Class Action lawsuit is appropriate as well.
Wow, Glad to see i am not alone. I have a 1737 that has been to depot twice for the media keys not working. The first time, they replaced the keyboard, hinge cover and motherboard. 2nd time they replaced the hard drive, so i essentually got a new laptop. The down side is that i am still having the issues with the media buttons. Removing the battery and holding the power button down does the trick every time but then it happens the next day. Dell was going to replace the laptop and then decided not to, they wanted me to send it to depot for a third time. I send them a nasty email telling since the original problem was reported before the 30 day period and because their requests to send it to depot but me past that i wanted a refund or i was going to contact my CC company and have the charges dealt with. We shall see how it goes.
Hi Everyone, I have a 1535 Studio 64 bits and my girlfriend has 1535 32 bits Studio. Her’s started to do the overdrive fan thing and the Media keys stopped working. Mine is working fine. Today i’m reading all this so I will update the bios of my gf laptop. I think is a problem with 32 bits Proccesors. I will let you know if that worked out fine.
Wow, the internet wins again! Thanks for this – two days ago my dell studio laptop starting doing every one of those symptoms you mentioned. I tried your suggestion, and MY SANITY IS RESTORED! (And so are all the functions of my laptop.)
Thanks!!!
my mother’s dell studio had the same problem and i tried your battery removal idea, it worked spot on, thanks very much. as a mac owner myself i was amazed by how rubbish dell’s are. nothing is simple with them and for the keypad, touchpad to go like that on a hardly ever used computer is a joke. i have a macbook which i have dropped about 4 times and it has never given me a moment’s worry.
My son purchased a 1737 in August right before he left for college. He has also been experiencing these same problems in addition to a problem with lines through the LCD screen. The screen has already been replaced by Dell. Too bad he didn’t find this site BEFORE he made his purchase. We have a call scheduled for this morning and I will make sure we cover all these issues with the technician and get him to upgrade to the newest Bios version. Like most of you, we wish we had not made this purchase and are hoping Dell will replace this wth a different model. Fortunately, we have not paid for this purchase yet and have contested the charge with the credit card company. Anyone have suggestions on an alternate model, cool enough for an 18-year old college freshman, but reliable enough to keep us all sane?
hello my friend has dell studio 1635 and it has this problem,it went off and refused to power on or charged
Same issues here Internet stops working laptop is 2 weeks old Its a studio 1735 biggest pos I ever bought. Wish I had seen this before I bought it. Dell will certainly be hearing
from
me.
Hi, same here i have a studio 1535 since one year ago. I have my keyboard and touchpad that stopped functioning. I removed the battery and it worked. This actually happened around 6 month ago. I did remove the battery but not on purpose before reinstalling my computer. Therefore I taught reinstalling was the solution.
I called Dell technical support. The technician on the phone told me he has no report concerning such an issue! And since my computer is not under the one year warranty I should pay an extra 200$ to dell to have someone to look at that.
Thanks a lot. I tried a lot of things before and i had to reinstall all my softwares and data for nothing…
the fan issue sucks!! would have been nice to have speed control option in the bios. “speedfan” is unable to control it on vista32bit home premium. speedfan did however enlighten me to the fact that dells cooling system is worthless, everything inside my 1735 runs hot, the hard drive is consistantly over 130 degrees. used the vacuum to clean out the inside and hasn’t randomly shutdown since
OMG….this fing laptop (studio 1737) is a piece of sh+t. Bought it from best buy (less than 2 months ago) and within a month spent 3 hours online with them “fixing” the slow keyboard issue.i am a fast typer and i have to look at each key and press it hard one or more times 2 get it to work!! soo…still had the issue and had it sent out to dell. was without it for 2 weeks….only to have the same issue again and more after they REPLACED THE ENTIRE KEYPAD AND COVER!!!! WTF!!! soo…i just called again today and they are going to send me a box to have it sent out again…and be without it for another 2 weeks. I paid over $800 for this thing, plus the $300 geek squad protection plan. I am waiting to hear back from a senior person as i want rid of this thing asap…yes,,,,if you have this laptop or are thinking of buying it….DONT!!!!!!!!!!! REFUND REFUND REFUND!!!!!!!!!!! THAT IS ALL I WANT, AND I WILL NEVER BUY DELL AGAIN.
Studio 17 series — countless endless issues…nearly all resolved. Recently, my problem is keyboard and/or touchpad mouse freezes & is inoperable upon rewake (lid down/sleep mode). Have to do a hard shutdown (press/hold off button). Dell chat can’t help because it is rather random…i.e. doesn’t happen every time & I can’t get them on chat to determine the problem when it does. Also doesn’t show up on the Problem Reports and Solutions (Windows). I’ve had nearly all parts replaced, Bios updated, 4 OS restores…I am WAY BEYOND beyond strongly disliking this Dell…my mantra is … “Dell smells”. Any ideas on the freeze up of the keyboard & mouse?
I have a Dell studio and had this exact same problem. Started with touchpad mouse not working and keyboard lagging. Then lagging got worse and some keys wouldn’t work at all. Within a few days the entire keypad would not work. So frustrating. I tried updating, reinstalling, lots of things and was about ready to give up entirely. I thought taking out the battery sounded too simple to be true after all I’ve been through. But I tried it and can’t believe it. It works. Touchpad mouse= fine. Keypad = fine. No lag. Normal again.
Not sure why it happened. But so glad you fixed it!!
I have bought a Dell 1737 laptop, got it on october 16th, and found that when upgrading to A07 Bios, I loose one of my 4 usb ports… after this Bios Flash, ANYTHING I plug in that port gets a vista message “Your usb device is malfunctioning”, and if I plug the same device in any of the other 3 usb ports, it works perfectly.
First time I did the bios flash, I didn’t know I had my usb port failing because of this flash, so I sent it to the Service and they changed the motherboard. Once I got it (last monday) I used it all night, and everything was working, so I started to install some drivers and the bios, when it was about to restart it sent the message about my usb device was malfunctioning… so today I sent it again to the Service Tech, they told me not to upgrade to that Bios (A07), I did tried, before taking to the Techs, to downgrade, but every Bios I used (from A02 to A06) didn’t fix the issue…
I am sure this is somehow Dell’s fault, something in the Bios writes on the usb routines and makes it fail… and this laptop is new but has gone to the service tech, twice already!
Has anyone have same issue as me??
Thanks
I just tried this today, and the audible (non audible?) fan noise is quite a relief. I have had the lickety split loud fan going for a year now. Read on the Dell support site today to check the fan settings from the utility disk. (Boot from the disk – run the custom test for fan speed) – now, my settings all “passed” – but in doing that, I think something reset the fan speed. It is off or on low…not that high, laptop is going to take off at any second, speed. (For the record, I am running BIOS 06 on a rolled back Vista to XP Studio 15)
I did a search to find out about my eject button issue, just to see if I could fix this before I sold my computer. I found that there IS a firmware download that will fix the media buttons issue. It can be found here:
http://en.community.dell.com/forums/p/19247625/19522074.aspx#19522074
Apparently, Dell issued then pulled this update in fears it could cause other problems. But if you read the comments since it came out the first time (June 2009), you’ll see folks haven’t had any other problems. I myself have done the flash, and haven’t had any problems. Good luck!
I bought a Dell Studio 15 (model 1555) last 9 December 2009 and I noticed that the number “1” keypad is faulty, I have to push the number 1 button hard to make it function. The touchpad is also erratic and very hard to use. Tried the battery tricks on this site to no avail. I returned it to the store the next day hoping that they will replace the laptop to a new one but the store owner said that they just sell this Dell laptop and I should contact Dell Service center for this problem. Imagine after only less than a day of using this Dell Studio 15 laptop and the store won’t replace the laptop. I am still trying to contact the Dell Service thru telephone but still unsuccessful because their automated answering machine keeps on saying that my express service code number is invalid. I also sent an email about these issues to their technical support but has yet to receive any response after 3 days. I won’t ever buy any Dell products again nor recommend it to my friends! Investing my hard earned money for this piece of garbage is not worth it.
Great post!! I just have to copy it, I have written a blog about laptop, please come visit my site when u have time ^_^
does anyone has the master psswrd for studio 1735?
I had these issues. My fan ran non stop. A third of what I typed didnt show up, which is super frustrating. And the touchpad was sproradic. Finanlly learned that I could make the mouse work by pressing on the bottom corning of the computer. I called dell and the guy said my keyboard stopped working after a year and a half because it’s on Canadian settings??? The battery trick didnt work for me. I had also reinstalled everyhing which didnt make a difference. In a last ditch effort before buying a new computer I took off the back panel to look inside. I didn’t see any loose wires or anything so I just put it back on. When I turned on the computer again all my problems were gone. The fan finally stopped, my touchpad works, and I can type again!! Maybe the screws just needed to be tightened?
I have a 17″ Studio laptop that I purchased in June 2009. Within a short time I began to have a problem with the numbers pad on the keyboard. At first I thought I was making errors when entering passwords or addresses but I quickly realized that some of the numbers just were not responding. I called Dell and they sent someone out to replace the keyboard. Everything worked great for about a week. My PC came loaded with Vista but shortly after Win 7 was released I went to the Dell websited and downloaded all of the needed drivers, including the bios update. I did a clean install of Win 7 and everything worked great, except the numbers pad on my keyboard. I called Dell, they went to MSCONFIG and made some startup changes.Their conclusion was that this was a windows problem, that windows was not installed properly and and I would need to purchase a $250.00 software warranty to fix it. I’m not sure why but I agreed to this. The tech opened system manager, uninstalled the keyboard and touchpad. I believe he downloaded the keyboard driver and it seemed as though this activity made a difference. However, within hours, they numbers were not working. I was not up to calling Dell again so I waited but after a week or so I called again. They suggested replacing the keyboard again and this seemed to solve the problem. I was upset because I feel that I was manipulated into buying a software warranty and spent about 30 minutes arguing with a cs rep. They would not agree to a total refund, only $110.00. Shame on me foy buying the warranty in the first place.
Yesterday, the keyboard problem returned. I Googled the issue and found your post. I turned off the system, removed the battery and held the power button in for ten seconds. The numbers pad works fine now. However, I fully expect it to return. At least now I have a fix. I believe removing the battery is the key.
Disappointed doesn’t begin to describe how I feel about Dell over this problem. I feel as though I have been dealing with a used car salesman. The cultural differences introduced by the technical staff and the difficulties that presents when trying to communicate just adds to the problem. If Dell truly is aware of this issue, I should never have been compelled to buy the software warranty and it causes me to question their business practices.
Thanks for the free solution!
Hi Folks, Having just got a Studio 16 I(‘m worried. I wish I had done more research. After 3 days getting locks ups, blank screen, battery in and out several time. If this was a car you would take it back for a refund. QUESTION has anyone got their money back,
Dissapointed after spending £1500 Jin Chambers MBE
I’ve had all these problems since getting my Studio 1535 as a Christmas present in Dec of 2008.Dell has had me reload the operating system 4 times(I refused to do it anymore)They have replaced the finger print reader twice the fan and cooling system twice and the mother board once.I can’t run this without a cooling pad under it or it shuts off.It is still very hot,almost too hot to touch in places.I’ve had to extend warrenties, both hardware and software.Finally was able to get a contract that included USA service so I could understand who I was talking too.I wish I knew how to go about a class action suit,or just sue them.My wife bought this direct from Dell and I tried to return it when it was less then a month old with not luck.I have spent at least 100 hours or better on the phone with support and still have the same issues with the touch pad,key board and cooling system.I’m just getting ready to call Dell again which I just dread doing.I think they just hope people will finally get tired of trying to talk to them and go away.I wouldn’t have bought another Dell when my wife got this but she didn’t know.When this works I love the computer.I have had other laptops for years with no problems and never talked to their service.I fact when this really gets to me I go back to my last old slow laptop that still works great.Unfortunatly this is the last Dell I’ll ever own.I didn’t state that when Dell was a young company I worked for a company that they contract to service their equipment and I rarely had any problems and they were great to deal with.I guess about every American company has gone downhill with their products and service in chase of the almighty buck.I sure miss quality products and service.
Ok, i think i can add something new to this forum and hopefully put this drama to rest! I have a Dell XPS M1730 and the keyboard was sticking and because i can type over 100 words a minute i noticed the computer wasnt keeping up with me, it would lag and then just stick and do its own thing. Haha, sound familar? Well heres what i did to fix it, i opened up Windows Task Manager and clicked on the Processes tab and noticed the PCM.exe was using the CPU when nothing was running not even in the background. I highlighted the PCM.exe and pushed the End Process button and PRESTO! I had full control of my keyboard and the keys never lagged or stuck again, that was until i restarted Windows and the PCM.exe returned to the Processes tree with all the usuall suspects. Grrr i said, what the hell is this PCM.exe? I did a little research and found out it stands for Pulse Code Modulation and its part of the pre-loaded program Dell Media Direct. I own the install disk for this program but in the 6 months of owning it and my laptop i have NEVER once used it,so i thought what the hell i’ll uninstall it to at least stop the PCM.exe from returning to the Processes tree each time i had to restart Windows and thus the interference of my keyboard. My laptop now works perfectly, i think it even might of fixed the problem with the fans because that to came good and they dont make half as much noise as they were before i got rid of the useless program Dell Media Direct. Please, if anyone is still experiencing the above problems and want a more permenent fix then the battery removal solution try this simple work around and leave a comment. I really think this or something about the PCM.exe used in Dell Media Direct is the root of the problem and could very well trigger the other problems mentioned. It took me ages to figure this out, like most of you i was at my wits end, since uninstalling Dell Media Direct ive NEVER had a problem since. Hope this works for you all, its probably the last thing most would expect to be glitchy. I mean its software made and designed especially for Dell, but try it! Happy dayze here!
Hey Bit Gig, I’m having keyboard problems too and don’t know if by ‘sticking’ you mean the keys will not work. My issue; the e and d key will not always work. I’m not nearly as fast at typing as you but not being able to trust the keyboard is nuts. Before I do the PCM uninstall, I would appreciate hearing from you. Thanks.
Thank Heavens for this page!! My keyboard stopped functioning all together last night. I tried resetting, I tried updating drivers, no good. The Battery thing was a total life saver! I’m hoping it will also fix the other things that constantly go wrong… like the media keys, the fan, and the wonky touchpad.
I really hate this laptop. The minute I took it out of the box, it had a dead pixel smack dab in the middle of the screen. the corner squeaks, the plastic is coming away from the barrel hinge, and it constantly has any number of strange quirks causing me misery.
Thanks again for the battery trick!
Thanks all. My husband’s been at his wit’s end. In the middle (as ever) of a load of deadlines and keyboard stopped entirely. I’ve just done the battery thing and it’s back. I’ll have a look for the Dell Media Direct as well. Otherwise, this has been a great laptop (bought last October) and so I hope this isn’t the beginning of the end of a beautiful relationship.
Battery trick has worked for me (so far!) My keyboard stopped working and my touchpad too, oh & my eject button had a life of it’s own aswell! Hopefully all fixed permanently!?
Thankyou so much, another hwdot (Hopelessly wired & dependent on technology) person saved from insanity!!!
Hi my dell studio laptop keys r ok its just not working .When switched on its saying system information not found .What does that mean .I have done a pre reeboot test it passed but it won,t let me reboot can anyone help me.
I want to kick Dell in the balls. I have a Studio 1535 that has those awful DPC latency spikes every 5 seconds. Bought this machine to use as part of my home music “studio” but screw that, will not work regardless of all the BIOS update crap, turning this or that off, removing every non-essential program etc. I’ve had it with them. What a terrible machine (and the thing is poorly made – siding came off very fast etc.) I’ll NEVER buy another Dell. Time for a Mac. If someone files a class action lawsuit, please let me know. I want my money back, Dell!!!!! (and this is after 2 years of trying to fix this hunk of shit!) [beating head against wall]
amen to that check out my ordeal
Hi all, Studio 17, touchpad works but keyboard fails. Can’t login even – soft keyboard on Win7 doesn’t work. m is apparently mapped to Enter for some reason, Backspace does something (no idea what, certainly not a backspace). Restoring to factory default now (shame I didn’t find this sooner!) and will follow up.. (Written on my ever faithful MacBook)
I purchased my Dell a Studio 1737 in Feb. 2009, 1 yr and 8 months later I went to turn it on. It has power, no beeps, hard drive tries to spin up for 2 sec., nothing on the screen, cd/dvd rom is not working. When first purchased had the same problem with keyboard, had to update drivers for dvd rom cause it wouldn’t burn.It was a known problem. After updating it worked fine. Very disappointed, I really liked Dell. Thought I was buying a quality product. This is my second Dell, would always recommend to others, other laptop is still running but its about 6 yrs old. A Dell Inspirion 5100, only problem is the battery don’t keep charge anymore. But not sure now if i would recommend anymore. Need to possibly purchase a new laptop, possible motherboard failure. Board is too expensive, it sounds like Dell’s quality or workman ship is declining.I think Dell needs to do something about these problems.
hi there,
i have the same issues but until today i couldnt find any fixes for it. my fan always running at highest and i cant fix it, i tried sooo many things already but nothing worked for me, so i hope i will find a solution right here now. i even tried to get dell customer service, but they dont know what it is too. i have to say i changed my motherboard to a brand new one and since that i got the issue with the fan and ALSO with the media panel and 2 USB-ports on the right side of the laptop! the thing is the media panel is alright, its working, cause i tried it with my other laptop dell 1737 and there it worked great. so i dont know what it could be to get also work into my dell 1735! with the 2 usb-ports thats not really that big problem for me, i still got other ports that i can use, but this is still one of the issues too. and i really hope sooo bad, that somebody knows what it is all about and how i can fix especially the fan issue cause it gets on my nervs and the media panel thing.
thank you all sooo much!!!
hope to hear from you very soon…
two weeks ago I bought a dell studio 1749 for my wife. Its not been right from day one. Continually freezes on shut down leading to need to remove battery etc to force shut down. This week it won’t start up. Press power button, hard drive turns, lights flash and then it turns itself off. Hour and a half on phone to dell support removing and replacing memory modules in various orders powering up without battery in etc failed to resolve. Right now it won’t start and I’m waiting for visit from tech engineer. Bios is A05 and windows 7. My wife is really cheesed off. This is not good!
I brought Dell new studio xps 15, and i m facing the problem, system entering to hybernate/sleep mode while working, i updated the bios itslef, still getting the same issue, anyone can help me to resovle the issue, thanks in advance.
Many thanks for the battery out / hold power button tip.. fixed my dell studio fan always on full and media keys not working issue !
So you say you want to buy a Dell….. I had a long standing issue with Dell. I wanted to send back one computer (studio 1749) because it came with the wrong sound card. I ordered a sound blaster high def. internal and they sent it with an ATI high def. Their answer to this was “our studios do not come with creative labs sound blaster…” so I showed them on their site where I built my computer and where it said Creative Labs high def internal card and so their answer to all that was to send me a non-working external sound card from sound blaster. On top of being NON functional it is not able to have new drivers downloaded because I found out on the Creative labs site, it was no longer being sold or made by creative labs…. So I called and arranged another send back along with the computer via their FEDEXing and asked for my money back. The support said as soon as they received the computer I would get my money. I called three weeks later and the girl said yes we have the computer and you should receive your money back within 10-14 days, I said its been that plus and she said it took time for the shipment to be restocked etc…. so I waited an additional week. The check never came. I called back and the guy said let us send you a computer with the right sound, I swear to you it will be the right thing and exactly what you ordered I will take care of this myself. SO I was like ok well I need a computer to do my work so okay lets try this again. Then recieved another studio (studio 1747) without the touch screen of my original and mind you they werent going to give me any reimbursement on that either, still the wrong sound card but also it would not start at all. Again I called and talked to the same guy who sent me on to another woman who assured me that if I sent that one back they would return my money in full refund and they would again pay the shipping through their FedEx. I sent the computer. They didnt send my money, like they said they would, I called again and the woman assured me that the check would be there but would I like to maybe upgrade to another computer instead and then she didnt even wait for my answer she directed me over to a sales rep who tried to sell me an XPS, I told him I didnt want it I was only interested in my money back since they had their computer back and it was already put back in stock etc… for the second time. And for the second time I was told 10 – 14 days I would have my check in hand. I was now furious and wanted to scream at them to get me someone who understood English. So after exhausting all hopes of talking to someone who would make sense I told the girl again just send me my money back. So I waited. STILL nothing. So after 1 week later instead of a check, they sent me this piece of crap studio xps that STILL doesnt have the right sound card and shuts down whenever it wants to… stays in hybernation randomly and restarts itself…. I checked for viruses, trojans, worms, there are none… this is just a piece of crap, so I call Dell and say I want to give you back this computer and get my money back like we said in the first place… they tell me… we cannot give you your money until you return the computer so I say fine send me the FEDEX sticker or whatever you have to do. I got nothing, waited for weeks. Finally I called back again. Talk to many many many people over the course of several weeks and finally some guy tells me that I have to return the previous computer as well as the one I have before I can receive money. I am like WTF are you talking about?/? I gave him the tag number from FedEX and another guy calls me back saying yes we have that computer now what is the issue at hand. I tell him, I want to return this piece of crap that isnt right in the first place and doesnt work. He tells me he will send the information to a manager in charge of operations who will call me within 24 hours. I am like ok and so I wait. NO PHONE CALL. I call again.. and I get this guy telling me that NOW I have to send back 3 computers …. I am like are you all out of your minds, you have two computers that I sent back and you sent me a computer that I NEVER ordered in the first place instead of my refund and now you want me to send you computers I dont have??? The ones I have already returned? I tried to be pleasant and tell him it was a mistake and that I only have one computer. He said he has no record of their return. I said look just give me my money back and you can keep your lame ass computers. He said AND I QUOTE…. ” ITS DELLS POLICY NOT TO REFUND ANY MONEY OR SEND OUT ANY OTHER COMPUTERS UNLESS THE PREVIOUS DEFECTIVE COMPUTERS HAVE BEEN RETURNED AND RESTOCKED” Are you getting the drift here? If not let me spell this out for you. In other words, they say, they cannot send out money or computers until they have the previous ones and yet I have a computer they sent. They claim they have not received either of the previous computers. SOOOO …… does Dell really know what the hell they are doing ??? I ordered the first laptop in May 2010….. I had been fighting with them and the computer I have now I received in OCTOBER 2010. That is how long it took for them to replace computers and I ended up with no refund, no tech support, and out 2000 US dollars and all to end up with computer I never ordered and it does not work. Still want to buy a Dell?
Later I found out that I didnt have to return this computer by federal law because I never ordered it in the first place. I could consider it to be a gift. Some gift. bah! But after talking to the guy several times over the next few weeks, he tells me that they have lost the tracking numbers and the computers are missing and that I will not be receiving anything not even tech support for the Dell I do have until the others are returned…..is this a joke? I am out money and stuck with a defective piece of crap. DELL IS NOW OVERSEAS,… Dell USE to be a great company when it was here in the USA. Since 2003, Dell has turned into the worst company with the worst computers ever built. I use to be a total Dell all the way or nothing person, since then I have changed my mind. My next computer will be an HP, SONY or an APPLE… no more dealing with a company that does not stand behind their product. Goodbye Dell.
oh wait I forgot the best part….
YES I called a lawyer…
he said… you would be better off buying another brand of computer and counting it as a lesson learned because it would cost me more to sue them.
What lesson is that? Dont trust Dell? Lesson Learned!!!
I have had Dell Studio XPS 16 for two years and touch buttons have worked fine. About 3 months ago they stopped working, i.e. they won’t show up at all. Keyboard lights worked well though. I reinstalled quickset and they started working fine. Recently, the problem has appeared again. I have uninstalled/reinstalled quickset. Tried the battery trick many many times, but touch buttons do not become visible at all It is really really frustrating. Any other solutions than the battery trick?
Hey guys! I have turned of my dell studio 1735 took the battery off waited for a few minutes and now it seems that all the lights are turned on and work ( eject, volume) and also the keyboard works great!
Although, I am thinking to buy a mac book pro. I know that for the same configuration you can get something at a lower price, but friends keept telling me that it works very well and never had problems with it!
[…] Returned the battery, powered on, and suddenly keyboard started to work! I found this solution on https://yourmidnightsnack.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/new-dell-studio-laptop-problems-oh-no/. Thanks Delgado! Shame on you Dell! This entry was posted in hardware by vucetica. Bookmark the […]
Dell Studio laptop keyboard problems | Aleksandar Vucetic said this on January 8, 2012 at 1:15 pm |
My 1737 has been problems almost from day 1. I wish I would have sent it back and bought something else. I will never buy Dell again. When i bought this, Dell themselves sold me on the 1737. It cost a lot. It has a screen you cant read sometimes, it self adjusts to fuzzy every other word, the buttons stick, volume, video issues, software issues, cant shut it down sometimes, and countless other issues. I rate this computer a 1 of 10 stars. Its junk. It feels flimsy, weighs a ton, you can pull it apart. Theres nothing I like about it. An Acer or Toshiba would of been half the cost and worked twice as well.
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