XPS M1210 Screen Flickers and Blackout when removing AC power

Is this a VISTA or XP question?

I'm sorry that I do not have a solution for this problem but I just wanted to chime in and say you're not the only one experiencing this problem.

My newly purchased HP DV2130 also exhibits flickering when it is running off its battery. From the sound of it you experience this flickering EVERY time you unplug. I experience this only intermittently and rarely (for now). Usually it happens when the laptop has been left on for an extended period of time, then suddenly removing the AC power; Or after draining the battery more than half way continuously.

It doesn't happen all the time which is the frustrating part because it would not be easily replicated if I wanted to turn it in for warranty repairs. They could easily say they could not replicate the problem and send it back to me.

Here are some things i've found out as the screen flickers:

1) If I shut down normally and reboot, the screen restores to normal operation while on battery operation OR on AC operation.

2) If I change resolutions (1280x800 to 1280x768), it restores the LCD to normal operation. I can revert back to 1280x800 with no problems...no more flickering.

3) Shutting the laptop screen to kill the backlight doesn't help. It still flickers when you reopen.

4) Dimming or brightening the backlight doesn't help stop the flickering.

5) I can't really remember for sure, but in direct lighting, while screen is flickering, the unlit LCD image ALSO flickers - which indicates that it could be MORE than just a backlight/inverter issue.

6) Thinking it may be a memory issue (as the video card shares system RAM) I downloaded the first memtester I saw online and tried it without any negative results. Being illiterate in things this technical I could have overlooked better tests.

I don't know much about inverter problems but my GUESS would be that is solely for powering the LCD backlight (flourescent?). I refuse to believe that it is a power problem, but if anyone can give an adequate explanation it would help determine a case for repair.

I believe the problem could be:
a) defective RAM.
b) problematic power management
c) (God forbid) bad video/motherboard

As soon as I got the laptop I flashed the BIOS to a newer release and starting using Notebook Hardware Control. As these "mods" deal directly with the motherboard AND power management, I'll try reverting back to factory settings and running it at least for a month to test.

I'll be following this post....hopefully we can find something!

P.S. People can be "fanboys" for whatever company they want, claiming that "so-and-so" is better....In reality, when it comes to mechanical problems, it can happen to everybody regardless of brand or class.

I am having the same exact problem on a replacement XPS M1210 I recieved as part of a warranty exchange. I run the same exact setup on my old and new laptop but only the new laptop experiences the problem highlighted in this thread. The only difference between both laptops is that the new laptop has the T5600 processor (T2400 in my old laptop) and the AV Package. I see you have a T5600 processor as well, perhaps this is part of the problem.