Random shutdowns

Have you tried running a full format and reinstall with your Recovery CD to eliminate the possibility of it being software related?

Try calling our Technical Support for live assistance over the phone. If the system needs to come back for replacement of the motherboard, it may not be considered under warranty if environmental damage (water) is found.

You might have your "Power Settings" set up to do that.

Running on batterie: Stand by, Sleep or Hybernate in 1 min
Plugged in: Never or After N minutes

Try changing your "Power Settings", it could be a simple as that.

Right-click on desktop > Properties > Screen Savers Tab > Power

Hope this helps.

Why does Alienware always tell you to reformat your system. Why not explain to someone how to repair Windows XP? Not everyone has a backup solution and even more frustrating it sounds like an escape goat. I've been having problems with my cd/dvd player burning both cdrs and dvds. I have been on the phone with them twice now and the last time they support person wanted me update the bios. I asked how was I going to do that if I can't burn the cd. Then he asked if I could burn it on another computer and call them back when I was able to upgrade the bios. He also said if that doesn't work I will have to reinstall Windows XP before he could send me a new cd/dvd player.. I can't believe this... You should never have to reinstall Windows XP unless it can't fix itself. I think I have reinstalled windows on my 51m like 6 times now since I have owned it, and everytime it hasn't solved the issue. I don't see why Alienware can't just send me a new drive. I paid for the extended warranty and the laptop is only a few months old.. I guess I will have to do without the burner until I get the time to go to friends house and burn the new bios...

Anyways... Dont format your system unless you have to...

The reason we advise a format and reinstall of Windows XP before really going along with a part replacement is to make sure the issue is not software related. There have been many times when we've had customers experience issues with recording CDs, crashing on games, and the system restarting automatically. It would be unnecessary to replace an optical drive, video card, or hard drive without first seeing that it's not software related. Which is where formatting comes in. Keeping back-ups of your data should be routine. In the event that something may go wrong with your system, formatting won't be that big of an issue.

It's a very big troubleshooting solution that can answer a lot of questions.

Well I feel my problem is an obvious hardware issue. It doesn't cause my computer to crash or restart. When I burn a cd or dvd it makes a blank disk. Once the disk is created the drive fails to eject the cd/dvd. I have to reset the computer by pulling out the battery and power supply. If I don't reset the computer the bios doesn't see the cd/dvd anymore, thus not appearing in Windows. It's obvious I have no choice other than to follow the support persons step so I can resolve this problem. Its been over a month since my first call..

Alienware wants you to sacrafice a small mammal to their Pagan Gods as well before replacing any hardware.

If you have the 4x DVD+RW, try running the Firmware Update (if you haven't already). You can retrieve it from our Drivers and Downloads section...

1) Windows XP
2) Mobile
3) Alienware Corp.
4) Area-51 M 766

"4x DVD+RW Firmware update"

If this doesn't work, call into our Technical Support and if the drive shows to be defective with our technical support agents, we will replace it (given you are still under warranty)

i had a VERY similar problem...I went through crap for a week before they concluded that my motherboard was bad. So I waited over a month from then to get it back...

In all fairness to Alienware, I worked for a computer company for a year doing repair work. You wouldn't believe the number of problems I fixed with a fresh install. My turn around rate some days was like 20+ systems. I would set my bench up to do a fresh install of 4 computers at a time. Maybe one in four had actual hardware problems. I think I can remember 2 occasions where three out of four had actual hardware problems and never four outta four. It was extremely rare. Even when I knew it was a software problem, I'd tell the customer to bring it in. It sure beat the hell out of arguing with him/her over the phone for an hour and then still having to service the system when they went over my head to the manager. It was a customer relations nightmare when the store changed to a "hardware repair only" warranty. I got called every name in the book just about everyday after that. Thankfully, I got another job after being there only a year. I'll never go back to repair work. There's just too many stubborn people out there.

I'm not saying that any of your problems are BS, but an O/S restoration is the only real way of eliminating software related problems. There's literally thousands of things that can go wrong in Windows that will cause hardware to perform badly if at all. Besides, you'll certainly hate waiting for a depot turnaround when you find out the solution was a 30-60 minute procedure you could've done yourself.

I hope this post didn't come across to anyone badly. I sincerely meant it to shed a little light on the thinking behind the madness.

A cup of water is counted as enviromental damage