Dell Customer Support

Q: What is the fastest way to get a failed hardware device replaced on a Dell system under warranty?

A: Consider using the online chat feature then turn off your brain and do what the techs ask you to, step by step.

Explanation - Received a laptop in with CRC errors within the operating system.  Ran Dell's brief DIAG (with the system off hold the Fn button down then press / release power then let off Fn) which of course found nothing.  Tried to run the extended DIAG but the system said the diag partition was not installed.

The HD was a Samsung so I ran the Samsung HDD and it found bad sectors.  I took screen shots of the diag to submit to dell.

Called Dell Tech support and explain the situation and offered the screen shots of the bad sectors.

Dell - Please run the diag

Me - I ran the Diag & here's an error

Dell - Thank you, could you please run the Diag?

Me - I already did do you not believe me?

Dell - not that I don't believe you, I just need you to run the Diagnostics.

Me - I already did, it said the system has bad sectors.

Dell - Thank you, could you please run the Diagnostics?

Called back a second time with similar results.

Resolution:

Finally found the Dell Drivers CD that has the bootable diagnostic.  Ran the full diag & it found errors on the drive & spit out a proprietary Dell Error code.  I opened  a chat window with a technician provided the Service Tag and the Error code.  He was convinced and started the process of sending me a HD.