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From: Boris on 21 Jan 2007 23:56
Ron Hardin <rhhardin(a)mindspring.com> wrote in
news:45B40BB4.208D(a)mindspring.com:

> Ok, in the slow-boot Inspiron saga, I put both of my I6400's, one
> a month old, one two weeks, in an unheated bedroom (48 F) for an
> hour and ran the diagnostic CD custom test on the thermal sensors.
>
> CPU Thermistor - Sensor range Test
> Test Results: Fail
> Error Code 3900:0626
> Msg: Temperature sensor out of range temp=0C min=10C max=100C
>
> ditto for
> Other Thermistor
> Video Thermistor
> SODIMM Thermistor
>
> except these three reported temp=255C
>
> which probably accounts for the fan on.
>
> The theory is that the CPU and/or memory and/or cache gets throttled
> and the whole thing runs extremely slowly, and that's why you don't
> get a desktop for ten minutes.
>
> Since 2 recent 6400's both failed, I'd assume that they all do.
>
> A software fix would seem to be easy. Don't believe 255C at bootup.
>

Hi, Ron,

I've been following this saga in all the different threads, and have also
seen you over on microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support.

I'm interested because you got two 6400s with this problem, yet I haven't
seem anyone else on this Dell newsgroup report the same problem. I just
bought a 6400 for my mother- and father-in-law, and it's been running
fine since December 26. I ordered another 6400 for myself four days ago,
and it was shipped today. My sister-in-law would like me to order one
for her this week, and another friend would like me to recommend (and
probably order) a laptop for him.

In your searching for answers to help you troubleshoot and nail down the
cause of the machine's hour long wait to get up to speed, have you heard
of any others having this incorrect temperature reporting problem?

Thanks
From: William R. Walsh on 22 Jan 2007 01:04
Hi!

> A software fix would seem to be easy. Don't believe 255C at bootup.

That's easy enough to do, but the underlying problem really must be
corrected. If that sensor is reporting a "pegged" reading, then it isn't
working. There's no way for the computer to know if it is really overheating
or if the sensor has failed. I'd even hazard a guess that the computer
*knows* the reading is out of range and therefore bogus...and it's just
holding the clock speeds down for safety's sake since it can't tell what the
real temperature is.

If the computer overheated while its BIOS was ignoring the sensors, severe
damage to the internals and case could occur. In the worst case, you might
start a fire indirectly. That's why the sensor and downclocking feature are
present.

If you were to try swapping the computers under warranty, you might be able
to keep the hard drives by arranging something with Dell.

William (whose Latitude D800 has shut down a few times by itself with the
lid closed for long periods of time...)


From: Spam Trapper on 22 Jan 2007 01:25
I'm using an Inspiron E1505 with BIOS Rev. 12 and am not having any of
the thermal problems that are being described. It could be that paulmd
has found the fix. Suggest you try updating your BIOS to Rev. 12 to
see if it fixes the problem.

On 21 Jan 2007 20:47:37 -0800, "paulmd(a)efn.org" <paulmd(a)efn.org>
wrote:

>I haven't followed the saga too closely, but it often pays to look in
>the bios revision history, if you haven't already done so. See below.
>
>
>
>Ron Hardin wrote:
>> Ok, in the slow-boot Inspiron saga, I put both of my I6400's, one
>> a month old, one two weeks, in an unheated bedroom (48 F) for an
>> hour and ran the diagnostic CD custom test on the thermal sensors.
>>
>> CPU Thermistor - Sensor range Test
>> Test Results: Fail
>> Error Code 3900:0626
>> Msg: Temperature sensor out of range temp=0C min=10C max=100C
>>
>> ditto for
>> Other Thermistor
>> Video Thermistor
>> SODIMM Thermistor
>>
>> except these three reported temp=255C
>>
>> which probably accounts for the fan on.
>>
>> The theory is that the CPU and/or memory and/or cache gets throttled
>> and the whole thing runs extremely slowly, and that's why you don't
>> get a desktop for ten minutes.
>>
>> Since 2 recent 6400's both failed, I'd assume that they all do.
>>
>> A software fix would seem to be easy. Don't believe 255C at bootup.
>>
>> --
>> Ron Hardin
>> rhhardin(a)mindspring.com
>>
>> On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.
>
>http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R143459&SystemID=INSPIRONI6400/E1505&os=WW1&osl=en&deviceid=10430&devlib=0&typecnt=1&vercnt=6&formatcnt=1&libid=1&fileid=191473
>Latest is a12.
>
>Click the "other versions" link, to browse older revisions.
>
>BIOS: Dell Inspiron 6400/E1505 System BIOS, English, Inspiron MM061,
>A11
>1. Thermal control enhancement.
>
>
>BIOS: Dell Inspiron 6400/E1505 System BIOS, English, Inspiron MM061,
>A08
>
>Enhancements
>6. Update thermal control.
>
>
>BIOS: Dell Inspiron 6400/E1505 System BIOS, English, Inspiron MM061,
>A07
>
>
>Enhancements
>------------
>1. Improve system performance.
From: Ron Hardin on 22 Jan 2007 05:25
Boris wrote:
>
> Ron Hardin <rhhardin(a)mindspring.com> wrote in
> news:45B40BB4.208D(a)mindspring.com:
>
> > Ok, in the slow-boot Inspiron saga, I put both of my I6400's, one
> > a month old, one two weeks, in an unheated bedroom (48 F) for an
> > hour and ran the diagnostic CD custom test on the thermal sensors.
> >
> > CPU Thermistor - Sensor range Test
> > Test Results: Fail
> > Error Code 3900:0626
> > Msg: Temperature sensor out of range temp=0C min=10C max=100C
> >
> > ditto for
> > Other Thermistor
> > Video Thermistor
> > SODIMM Thermistor
> >
> > except these three reported temp=255C
> >
> > which probably accounts for the fan on.
> >
> > The theory is that the CPU and/or memory and/or cache gets throttled
> > and the whole thing runs extremely slowly, and that's why you don't
> > get a desktop for ten minutes.
> >
> > Since 2 recent 6400's both failed, I'd assume that they all do.
> >
> > A software fix would seem to be easy. Don't believe 255C at bootup.
> >
>
> Hi, Ron,
>
> I've been following this saga in all the different threads, and have also
> seen you over on microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support.
>
> I'm interested because you got two 6400s with this problem, yet I haven't
> seem anyone else on this Dell newsgroup report the same problem. I just
> bought a 6400 for my mother- and father-in-law, and it's been running
> fine since December 26. I ordered another 6400 for myself four days ago,
> and it was shipped today. My sister-in-law would like me to order one
> for her this week, and another friend would like me to recommend (and
> probably order) a laptop for him.
>
> In your searching for answers to help you troubleshoot and nail down the
> cause of the machine's hour long wait to get up to speed, have you heard
> of any others having this incorrect temperature reporting problem?
>
> Thanks


What may not be common is a cold room. The newer one has been very good
since I moved it to a corner of the room that's a little warmer, an accidental
realization.

Both fail solidly at 48 degrees, the temp of my unheated bedroom today. Try
leaving yours in that temp for an hour and try bringing it up.

Downstairs where the machines are runs around 58 degrees in the morning,
which I guess is marginally okay for both, but the one some mornings gets
hit by it.

A Dell Forums thread ``Inspiron 6400 slow startup'' has a few people with
the exact problem.

--
Ron Hardin
rhhardin(a)mindspring.com

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.
From: Ron Hardin on 22 Jan 2007 05:44
Spam Trapper
wrote:>http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R143459&SystemID=INSPIRONI6400/E1505&os=WW1&osl=en&deviceid=10430&devlib=0&t
> >Latest is a12.
> >
> >Click the "other versions" link, to browse older revisions.
> >
> >BIOS: Dell Inspiron 6400/E1505 System BIOS, English, Inspiron MM061,
> >A11
> >1. Thermal control enhancement.
> >
> >
> >BIOS: Dell Inspiron 6400/E1505 System BIOS, English, Inspiron MM061,
> >A08
> >
> >Enhancements
> >6. Update thermal control.
> >
> >
> >BIOS: Dell Inspiron 6400/E1505 System BIOS, English, Inspiron MM061,
> >A07
> >
> >
> >Enhancements
> >------------
> >1. Improve system performance.

Mine are both A10. What's involved in upgrading the BIOS? It sounds like something
that will leave you dead in the water if it doens't work ; the thread at Dell Formus
said it didn't help the problem, and furthermore the machine didn't work with the
new BIOS, which is not reassuring, so they had to upgrade back.

--
Ron Hardin
rhhardin(a)mindspring.com

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.
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