Laptop slow death (Overheating? and wont connect to WIFI)

Iruka

Okay so I have a DellXPS M1710, and I've made a thread kinda like this before, but the last few times my computer was under warranty, it is no longer.

It seems like the video card is acting up again, I'm getting these red dots on the screen in dark areas 10 minutes or so after start up. This was the first stage of my last card crapping out on me, and without the card the computer is rendered useless, so I'm backing up my stuff.

Strangely though, it also wont connect to the internet. It wont see any signals in the area except for the free public wifi nonsense. I'm guessing the video problems are coming from a heat issue (they happen after the computer runs) But I'm not sure why it wont get a signal anymore, the heat doesn't seem to spur that, it hasn't connected for two days..

So I'm kinda working part time and couch surfing at the moment, which makes buying parts largely out of the question, but ideally I'd like to save this computer if possible. Im just looking for trouble shooting help so I can get to the bottom of the issue. What gremlins could be causing my Wifi problem?

Hahnsoo1

Back up everything, if at all possible.

Double check and make sure it's not your router. Reboot all the devices in question (the modem, the router, the laptop, etc.). Also, see if you can improve the heat flow around the laptop (place fans around it, etc.). There have been several hot days (even in October) in California where I live, and it may be the same thing where you live, and that would exacerbate the problem.

Finally, you may need to open up the laptop and reseat anything that may be modular. RAM typically can be removed and upgraded, so reseat the RAM. Same with the Hard Drive, and even the Battery (which, oddly enough, can cause problems in some laptops).

Iruka

Well, due to the couch surfing I have tested it with three, separate networks, all that my phone and other computers can see just fine, but my laptop wont. I just tried to hardwire it and also no dice, I'm currently using my mothers computer, which sees the network just fine.

It was pretty cold the night that the issues started. Its currently on a desk with nothing around it, other than putting a fan on it, I dont think I can improve the air flow. the fans dont seem to be going into "roaring" mode, though, so maybe they are faulty. I'll see if I can find a way to test them.

Once I back my stuff up I'll reseat what I can get to.

Hahnsoo1

Iruka wrote:

Well, due to the couch surfing I have tested it with three, separate networks, all that my phone and other computers can see just fine, but my laptop wont. I just tried to hardwire it and also no dice, I'm currently using my mothers computer, which sees the network just fine.

Power Cycle everything anyway, no matter what you may think about the status of the network from other sources. Seriously. This is the one thing that needs to be done first, regardless of how much you know about computers and networking.

It was pretty cold the night that the issues started. Its currently on a desk with nothing around it, other than putting a fan on it, I dont think I can improve the air flow. the fans dont seem to be going into "roaring" mode, though, so maybe they are faulty. I'll see if I can find a way to test them.

Once I back my stuff up I'll reseat what I can get to.

Put a fan on it. It's not about the daily conditions (although hot days can exacerbate it), but it's about the air flow over a long period of time. But yeah, backup and reseat first.

Iruka

There has been Power cycling in the various locations, it is my first response, it hasn't worked. It sees no networks currently. It should at least see the ones around the neighborhood, as it usually does. Resetting and hard wiring also did not work. I don't think this is an issue with the three routers. it wont even go through the motions of Repair connection.

Iruka

So after some part wiggling, I seemed to have temporarily fixed the screen, but not the wifi issue. I'm not entirely sure if my wifi card is a wiggle-a-ble part.

AtomBomb

The wifi card should be something you can pop out and back in. It's under the mini-card cover here:



There should also be some antennae wires connected to it that might have popped off. However, even with those not connected you should have been able to see the networks when you were close to the router.

I just read that someone with that laptop had intermittent issues with the wifi that he fixed by uninstalling the card and then letting Windows pick the drivers. That's not going to work for you if your wired networking is borked though. I work in IT, so I have to ask the dumb questions: is the wired NIC disabled? I see lots of folks who exclusively connect wirelessly on laptops who at some point disabled the NIC so they wouldn't get the "a cable is unplugged" pop up. It's an easy thing to forget.

Iruka

Yep it was enabled. It made the motions of connecting but wouldn't find an IP address. Im going to open it up and do some wiggling and then see if it wont work hard wired after some power cycling

Edit: got the lan working, re installed some drivers. Doing the same for my wifi.

Iruka

SHIT! I fixed it! Looks like the wifi card was a little loose, or the drivers were bad. Haven't seen my screen distortion today either, though Im not really sure if that phantom is completely gone or I really actively fixed it, but at least I can get some work done. Gonna do some 3D and hopefully it wont go back to crapping out.

AtomBomb

Congrats