Volt-Schwibe

Alright, let's get those system stats out of the way before i get into the meat of the problem.

Dell Studio 1537 Laptop
4 gb ram
Intel Dual Core t3400 (2.16ghz) *NOT core 2 duo*
Vista Home Premium SP1 (i hate vista)
Fully patched & up to date
Problem has existed since i opened the box

So what happens, is random applications hang up, usually while they are starting up or closing down, but sometimes in the middle of use. End task in the task manager does nothing, and i can't start the application again because i get a popup saying "the application is already running". Ultimately, the only solution is to reboot the computer. I've had this thing for about 11 days, and i've had to reboot it literally dozens times per day, i'm not kidding in the slightest. Half the time i reboot it, i have to hold the power button down, because the shutdown command does nothing. (i let it sit for an hour the other day and it never shut down) I hate vista.

The applications that hang repeatedly include: (but not limited to)
Explorer
IE
Firefox
Chrome
Safari
Opera
Doppler (rss reader)
Gimp
Windows Media Player
VLC Media Player
Synchronize It!
Dropbox
Pidgin
Audacity

Some things that have never crashed:
Battlefield 2
Battlefield 2142
Avast!
Zonealarm
Sketchup (google 3d modeling tool)
Picasa (google photos tool)
Winamp
Truecrypt
My CD & DVD burners

Anyhow, i've tried the "TASKKILL" command into the run bar, and it SAYS it's killed the process, yet, it's still in the task manager list, and will not start, because according to it, it's still running. I've also contacted Dell, and after they had me do all the self tests the machine can run, they've concluded there is nothing wrong with any of the hardware, which i beleive.

Reading online, i see alot of other people with very similar problems, but not this exact one, so i was unable to find a solution with google. Is vista just this much of a peice of garbage? why are people even able to use it if it's just going to constantly lose control of processes? This is stupid, and i can't even put xp on it, because it gets to the beginning of the installer setup and bluescreens. (which i've read online that everyone who has a studio 1537 and tried to put xp on it ran into this problem)

So, anyone have any ideas? i'm really getting sick of this, and i'm about to just put linux on it, at least then it'll work. (did i mention i hate vista?)

I've NEVER had this much trouble switching operating systems, not even when i went from 98 to xp. Please help :(

EDIT: oh, and here's the best part, the crash monitor that everyone wants to see the results of, isn't showing these crashes, so people think i'm just crazy. I'm not, it's really happening, i swear. It shows the normal crashes only, where end taks actually works. If i cannot end task on an application, it doesn't end up being logged as a problem.

Another problem i'm having, is about half the time, my control panel won't finish opening, it just hangs, forcing me to reboot. If i open the task manager and end task on explorer BEFORE it stops responding, then i can open the control panel just fine every time.

jenae

Hi, hopefully this is a minor problem, remove the mains power and then remove the battery. Turn over the laptop and open the Ram enclosure remove the ram sticks make sure the female connection is clean clean the pins on the male end and carefully reset the ram make sure it is in tight. Replace battery and reboot test for awhile and let us know how you go.

Volt-Schwibe

Even though it ran memtest for 10 hours with no problems, as well as passed a 2 hour dell self test? Also, every time i've had ram problems before, battlefield caused a bluescreen or a reboot within 10 mins, and i can play all day without a single problem.

I'm a little leery of opening it at all, it's 11 days old, not to be rude, but i'm interested in trying other things first before i open it, since i'm very sure it's not a hardware problem, and i've already had a lengthy argument with dell about voiding my warranty.

I'm mostly positive it's related to some stupid vista problem, so that's where i'd like to start.

Zappaboss

Volt-Schwibe Hi, Considering this is a new system and a fresh install something definitely is fubar. I wouldn't be so quick to blame Vista. Many people swear by it, others at it, I've done both. First for s&g's how about posting a Reliability and Performance report. Start/Run type perfmon /report .

At 11 days out forget opening the pandora's box and voiding warranty. Seriously consider Dell warrantying it out. Less headaches.

For more fun see if the crashes show in performance reliability monitor. Start/Run type perfmon /rel . They should there.

Jenae is most likely correct on a loose connection at ram socket , caused at assembly or banged around at shipping.

I've never been to the automotive section,think I'll head that way now.

Volt-Schwibe

That's actually part of the problem i'm having, the crashes i'm talking about do not show up in the reliability monitor. There is some crashes listed, but each one of those was "normal" and end task worked. The times when end task does nothing, there is nothing listed about it.

This perfmon report isn't built to be posted so i'm going to have to do something weird to post it here. Back in a moment.

EDIT: well, i was trying to host the html somewhere, but i'm just going to attach it here as a file, since it uses something that my host is unable to display.

And there it is as a zip.

Attached Files

perfmon report 2009-04-14.zip (132.0 KB, 12 views)

Volt-Schwibe

I've been gone for quite awhile, so i haven't been there myself lately :(

Volt-Schwibe

Alright, so dell said there wasn't any harm in opening the hood long enough to reseat the ram, so i've done that.

Everything looked sterile and clean, as should be. I reseated both ram sticks and closed it up. We shall soon see if it was something that simple :)

Now to attempt to get some work done, i'll be back as soon as i have to reboot it, or in a few hours, whichever is first.

Volt-Schwibe

Alright, no go.

I have to reboot now because doppler has stopped responding and ending task does not remove it from the list.

What next?

joeten

hi there would be no harm in trying sfc /scnw or chkdsk it might be worth trying drv/verifier if nothing else it could rule these out even mem test86+ is worth a shot

Volt-Schwibe

Also, when an application stops responding, and end task does not work, i choose shutdown from the start menu, and the machine sits there and does nothing for about 5 minutes, during which time no browsers will open, no programs will start, but i have complete access to the windows explorer, i can open it and look at hard disks, folders etc.

And, even 2 minutes after a fresh boot, the control panel will NOT open unless i end task on explorer.exe, and run it again, at which point the control panel works fine.

It's getting extremely annoying to have to kill and restart explorer.exe almost every time i open the control panel.

Seriously, a fresh install of an operating system shouldn't act like this.
VISTA IS A PILE OF FECES. I hate it even more now that i'm stuck using it. (or trying to use it)

Volt-Schwibe

Tried all of that on the second day i had the machine, with no luck, so i ran the "factory restore" tool, and no change. After that, i did a fresh install from the vista dvd, and still no change.

And, a quick search in google shows that i'm not the only one having these type of problems with vista, it's just a broken OS, so i guess i'm just burnt, and i'll have to either live with it being buggy, or replace it with a linux distro, since it refuses to start the XP installer. Which is apparently something many studio 1537 owners have had to deal with.

(i'm starting to hate dell just as much as i hate vista)

EDIT: alright, this time it was chrome that has stopped responding, so i'll be back in about 6 minutes. :(

joeten

hi have a look here in particular Windows Explorer shell fix this is just an idea so please feel free to reject it http://pcbutts1.com/downloads/tools/tools.htm

Volt-Schwibe

And now it's bluescreening unless i start it in safe mode.

UGH.

This is why noone's seen me here in a couple years, computers are just more trouble than they're worth.

Dell and Microsoft sure screwed me good this time, i'm stuck with this buggy peice of garbage that i'm being overcharged for, and Dell won't RMA it for me, since all their self tests say the machine is fine. On top of that, i can't even put xp on the stupid thing, which i wasn't told when i ordered it.

So, unless someone has some amazing idea, i'm going to have to run factory restore YET AGAIN and just deal with it being a peice of garbage.

Anyone wanna buy a 12 day old laptop for like 80% of the too much that i paid?

Volt-Schwibe

Excellent, that's worth trying.

However, i may not need to, because after i changed the verifier.exe settings and it started bluescreening, i went into safe mode, ran verifier.exe yet again this time setting it for "typical" and "unsigned" and running it that way, and it pointed me at a .sys file relating to gamejackal, so i uninstalled game jackal, and it stopped blue screening. O.o So for now it's up and running again.

so, i guess i have to let my slot loading dvd rom scratch my game disks, since game jackal apparently has issues with vista. If all these problems have rooted from game jackal, i'm gonna be seriously heated. We shall see soon enough...

If the problem remains, i'll run that explorer shell fix and see if that helps.

Thank you all for the help you've given so far, and i know i seem upset, but it's at vista and dell, not at any of you. I'm being billed 1500$ (catalog store monthly payment plan price, plus interest) for this machine that doesn't even run right, and i'm so furious that if i could, i'd punch every dell executive in the nose, as well as all the executives at Microsoft. (suddenly, radical extremists don't seem so radically extreme to me, seeing how these companies don't mind shafting people whenever they possibly can, dealing out a peice of garbage and calling it a quality product)

But, you're all wonderful, i appreciate the help, and i'm glad to be a part of TSF.

Volt-Schwibe

7 hours, and nothing yet, but i didn't get a chance to use it much, had to cook dinner etc.

We shall see what tomorrow brings.

jcgriff2

Hi -

It does appear that you have Vista verifer-enabled mini kernel dumps. I would very much like to get them as they could hold valuable clues. I will also need system information. Very easy to do - please follow THESE instructions. The resulting zip files will contain any mini dumps found as well as the system information that I need to get started.

For now, be sure that the driver verifier is OFF.
START | type cmd.exe | RIGHT-click on cmd.exe uptop under programs | select "Run as Administrator" | the cmd/DOS screen appears | type verifier /reset

Please attach the zip files to your next post.

Regards. . .

JC

.

Volt-Schwibe

Alright, i'll try all those things tomorrow when i wake up.

However, the only remaining problem seems to be the control panel not wanting to open. It's really starting to seem like game jackal was doing this the whole time, it was one of the first programs i installed, and also was one of the first i installed after reinstalling and restoring.

now that i've uninstalled it, the entire machine runs better. It is kinda lame that one program can completely break vista, poor feeble thing :(

jcgriff2

There may be others waiting in the wing now that a spot has opened for them!

I'll be glad to take a look at the files & see what else may be there.

JC

.

Volt-Schwibe

So i had some problems with the batch file, zonealarm popped up a whole bunch of times, and i didn't answer them quick enough, so i'm gonna have to run it again. BRB.

Volt-Schwibe

ok here is the zip.

Attached Files

TSF_Vista_Support.zip (962.1 KB, 1 views)