Just got an Inspiron 6000 and need to fix it

*Because this poste became to long I have tried to make a summary with all my questions at the end of this post. If you dont want to read what became a really short essay just scroll down to the end of this post, my post, and read only the summary.


Hi everyone, I am new here and I just got a used Dell Inspiron 6000 for free from a friend. I got it because I use a laptop almost all the time and have one with me everywhere and until now (quite a long time actually) I was borrowing a Dell Latitude X1, but now the owner is moving away and takes it with her. I don't have the money for a laptop right now and I believe that isn't going to change the coming few years, but I am very dependent of a laptop so another friend was kind enough to give me his old Dell Inspiron 6000. Now going from the X1 to the Inspiron 6000 is quite a change. While with the X1 it just worked as I wanted it to work from the day I got it, the Inspiron 6000 requires some more tweaking. I have now actually many questions to ask, but I have managed to narrow them down to the most important ones, I will ask about other issues another time. I will try to keep the post short, but please bare with me if it gets long.

My friend didn't care if the computer got broken so he always stressed the Inspiron 6000 to the max such as he always ran very intensive applications on it which required the max out of the CPU and the GPU (Ati X300) while he turned off the fan and didn't turn it on before the temperature reached 185 degrees Fahrenheit (85 degrees Celsius). This made the HDD complain (it has S.M.A.R.T) about overheating and the whole computer was so warm it could almost burn someone who touches it (you couldn't have it on your lap at all) and the battery was so warm it almost became bigger. Where the fan exhaust is its possible to see a heatsink and if you touched it, you would literary get burned (I did that once after he asked me to touch it). I was amazed at how warm the computer can get while still not crashing and burning up (he actually used the computer to warm up the room during winter, it was a small room). He did do some good stuff too like ran PowerPlay on the GPU and SpeedStep on the CPU to minimize heat and power used, and he undervolted the CPU too, for the same reason, but it still got that warm.

I cant do anything about the size and width of the computer, but I hope I can do something about the noise. I need it to be as noiseless as possible (the X1 didn't have a fan at all) and I have undervolted it, turned on PowerPlay, turned on SpeedStep (I use Notebook Hardware Control to do all that), installed I9KFanGUI (2.3 beta) and made profiles to keep the computer as noiseless as possible. My problem is that it always complain about the second fan. I turned of everything that has to do with the second fan and the profile I made I had selected "No Change" everywhere for the second fan, except for the last level since it didn't want to save the settings if I didn't have something there. I also raised the trigger temperature as high as possible so that it doesn't try to control the second fan ever. The problem is that it always pops up a warning that say it couldn't change the speed for the second fan. I can get up to several hundreds of this messages, even when the temperature is quit low because I am only using the computer to surf the web. The first fan does not even change speeds, so that means it is registering the right temperature, but I can understand why that message window always pops up then. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to fix this?

Secondly I wondered for a long time if there actually isn't a second fan in this computer, because when I turn off the primary fan, I can still hear something, like fan fan running on the right side of the computer. And I9KFanGUI reports the number of RPM the second fan is running with. Why would it report it if there is nothing there? But now I think I found why I hear the sound (haven't found why I9KFanGUI reports a second fan and the speed of it though), I think it might be the HDD causing it and I would really like it to stop causing that noise. The X1 had a HDD and it didn't make that noise. Can someone help me get rid of this noise, how do I do that?

The Inspiron 6000 has a NEC DVD-writer and my friend told me he had flashed it to remove region-control, rip-lock and something else I cant remember. Now the problem is again noise, every time I insert a CD or DVD and read it, the drive makes a horrible noise. Not only is it loud but it is utterly horrible. I don't know how to explain it, but the best way I can think of is, remember the days with the really old printers (the 486 and earlier days or maybe I am just too old), the printer where the head had a tape and it went back and forwards when printing while making a horrible loud sound, thats exactly the sound my DVD drive is making. Actually the first time I heard it I thought to myself, what is going on, is it printing on the drive? This kinda renders the drive useless when I am working, because I need it to be as quiet as possible and a fan at quiet level is the maximum amount of noise I am allowed to make. Is my DVD drive messed up or is this normal? Has it anything to do with the custom firmware that removes rip-lock and region-control or not? What can I do to fix it? I have already tried software to limit the read speed, but even at the lowest speed it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. What should I do to fix it?

Another thing is that the Inspiron 6000 has a bluetooth module built inn and I have installed the drivers, which seem to be based on the Toshiba bluetooth stack. The problem is that I have software that is only compatible with the Microsoft Bluetooth stack. I tried to install the Microsoft bluetooth drivers, but with no luck. So now I ask is there a way to install the Microsoft bluetooth drivers?

I would also like to overclock/underclock the computer a little. I know this can be achieved by SpeedStep, but I would like to change the FSB too. I have searched, but haven't found any way. Is there any software (ClockGen, SoftFSB, etc...) that works with the Inspiron 6000? If not is there anyway I can do this?

Lastly I would like to add what my friend told me he experienced, he said that when he got his Inspiron 6000 he checked for dead pixels, very carefully and with pixel tester software and made sure he didn't have any dead pixels. After a couple of months he noticed he had 3 dead pixels at the bottom of the screen. After many rubbing's to try and wake them alive, they are still there today. Luckily they are at the bottom so I don't mind them, but my friend is sure they weren't there when I got the Inspiron 6000. Is this normal, does this happen a lot? Do pixels die after some time? Is this something I should fear, that more pixels might fail after longer time and more use? And something unrelated to dead pixels, but still about the screen, how do I check what screen I have (Samsung or LG) without opening the laptop?

This post became longer then I wanted it and if you actually read it all I thank you a lot. I really hope to get some answers for my questions. Luckily from what I've read, this forum is full of smart and talented people and I am sure I am going to get some good answers. Thanks for your help everybody

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1. I9KFanGui always complain about the second fan. I turned off everything that has to do with the second fan and the profile I made I had selected "No Change" everywhere for the second fan, except for the last level since it didn't want to save the settings if I didn't have something there. I also raised the trigger temperature as high as possible so that it doesn't try to control the second fan ever. It still get messages randomly about it not being able to change temperature, even when the temperature is quit low and I have made sure it is registering the right temperature. What might the problem be and what can I do?

2. I9KFanGUI reports the number of RPM the second fan is running with. Why would it report it if there is nothing there?

3. I can still hear something when the first fan is turned off, is it the HDD? The X1 had a HDD and it didn't make that noise (the noise sounds like a fan). Can someone help me get rid of this noise, how do I do that?

4. The DVD-drive makes a horrible noise and that noise is not the spin up noise (which I can also hear and is not loud at all). It sounds like something is moving inside of the drive (I am not talking about the cd-spinning) and the best way to explain that noise would be how the really old printers worked, the printers where the head had a tape and it went back and forwards when printing while making a horrible loud sound. Is this normal? What can I do to fix it?

5. COuld the problem with the DVD-Drive have anything to do with the custom firmware that removes rip-lock and region-control which the drive is flashed with? I have already tried software to limit the read speed, but even at the lowest speed it doesn't seem to make much of a difference.

6. The Inspiron 6000d has a bluetooth module running with the Dell drivers, which are based on the Toshiba bluetooth stack. Can I instead install the Microsoft Bluetooth stack/drivers? And how do I do that, because I have already tried unsuccessfully?

7. I would like to be able to change FSB too. I know this can be done on other laptops by using software such as SoftFSB or Clcokgen. Is this possible on the Inspiron 6000d? And what software do I need? Or is it any other way to change the FSB?

8. There were no dead pixels when the previouse owner got the computer. Months later there were 3 dead pixels on the bottom of the screen. He has tried to revive them by using technics he read about on the net, but it didnt help. Now moths after no other pixel has failed, but the 3 dead ones are still dead. Is it normal to get dead pixels after some time of use? Do pixels die after sometime and should I fear that more pixels might fail after longer time and more use?

9. How do I check what screen I have (Samsung or LG) without opening the laptop?

Hi thanks for all your replies. First of all I have now made bullet points for all my questions at the end of my first post since I know I can get carried away when writing amd write to much. Hope I can get answers for them all.

Let me clarify, I do not want to stress run my Inspiron 6000d, that was the previouse owner that did that and I really dont want to destroy my computer, but I am willing to push it a little. Secondly I do not want to turn off the fans and overclock at the same time (and I am also interested in underclocking). I am asking about both options because I can use them in different situations. I know there is a big difference between the Latitude X1 and the Inspiron 6000d and I am not expecting to have the same experience using the Inspiron 6000d as had using the X1, but I would still like to customize the Inspiron 6000d to fit my situation. I just want to customize it to my liking.

About the HDD, the option in NHC is set to quiet and was so by default, but it still makes noise like a second fan. The X1 didnt have this noise, so it must be possible to make it quiet. The question is how? Or is it because I have a more performance HDD then a silten HDD and that is the problem. Maybe the X1 had a silent HDD and the only way make it quiet is to change my HDD. Could this be it? NHC reports my HDD as HTS548060M9AT00 . Can anyone tell me about anything about it and if it fits in my theory of why it is making noise?

The problem with the DVD-drive is not spinning up, because that is something I can hear and is not making much noise. It is something else, it sounds like something is moving inside the dvd-drive (I am not talking about the cd) and therefore I was wondering if it might be something the custom firmware might have done. It works, it just that it makes alot of noise, it is porbably the noisiest part of the computer and it is noiser then most Desktop computers and any laptop I have ever seen. That is why I am asking if this is normal and if there is something I can do. Any suggestions?

Lastly I want to say that I would love to disregard sound/noise and just use it the way it came from the factory, but this is not up to me. If I want to take it with me and write notes and stuff it has to be as quiet as possible (especially in some of the more advanced rooms)and therefore I am trying to find a way to make it more quiet. I dont care if it gets slow just as long as it is quiet.