Alienware aw3423dw stuck in diagnostic mode (I think)

[jordan5244]

Hi everyone, 

So I just purchased a new alienware aw3423dw directly from Dell. When I plugged it in and hooked it up to my PC, it just cycles blue, red, white, green, and black on the full screen. I tried restarting both computer and monitor, holding the monitor power button for 30 seconds, I tried hooking up my laptop to it, I used both HDMI ports and the Display Port. I also installed the driver and software. Windows sees the monitor, knows what it is, the software can control the rgb lights on the back. The OSD menu does not come up. Any other ideas I could try???

[jordan5244]

Just adding a couple pictures to show what I mean

[jordan5244]

Could this be of any help?? Not really sure what it is but hoping there's an adapter I could find to connect to it

[dj2490]

Any luck with support on this? I am having the same exact issue with mine that arrived today. 

 

I am able to get a different screen and a glimpse of the OSD menu when I have an HDMI plugged into the monitor, but not into my computer. With a DP cable I can only get the flashing colors like you described.

[jordan5244]

1 hour ago, dj2490 said:

Any luck with support on this? I am having the same exact issue with mine that arrived today. 

 

I am able to get a different screen and a glimpse of the OSD menu when I have an HDMI plugged into the monitor, but not into my computer. With a DP cable I can only get the flashing colors like you described.

Sadly no luck. If you're able to see the OSD, you might be able to get it to factory reset. Hopefully you'll get lucky. Looming at pictures, you might be able to push up on the joystick once and then select and then up once again and select. 

[jrb0031]

Just got mine on Wednesday and just hooked it up and turned it on today...  Same issue...  Any luck yet?

 

[jrb0031]

Prepare your butts...

 

So, presumably because it is Dell, there is a really painful process (spoiler) to return this thing...

 

From what I just experienced, your service call can take about an hour (47 minutes, thankfully none of which were on hold at least...), and you will do some basic diagnostics (i.e. hold power button for 60 seconds, unplug/replug power, unplug and change the display connection, and possibly verify with multiple devices-- for me I was asked to try on my desktop and my laptop and using DisplayPort and HDMI).  AFTER this, you will have to take and send a video of the issue (in order to confirm the issue-- as if you were lying...).  Once this video is reviewed and approved, you will then have to take a picture of the monitor, the service tag and hold up a piece of paper with the written date-time group, your name, your address, and the ticket number... 

 

THEN, this has to be escalated to management, and then, within 1 to 2 business days, you will get an email from Dell support to let you know if you're authorized a new monitor or a refurbished monitor...  IMPORTANT, based on how long ago the purchase was, you may only be authorized a refurbished monitor-- so don't delay checking it out as soon as you receive it...  Evidently, if it's been more than 30 days (from receiving the monitor presumably), you will only be entitled to a refurbished unit...  Wow, I have a bad habit of not messing with stuff for months before I'll finally get around to setting up something new, and in this case that would have meant a no return possibility and a used/refurbished monitor for the price of a new one... Considering I waited for months to get this...that would suck.

 

Lastly, after the ticket/replacement is approved, you will be subject to product availability and will not receive expedited shipping... For a backorder monitor like this, no clue how long that may be.

 

Update on 31-May, replacement approved and new monitor is expected to arrive by 05-Aug...

[HumdrumPenguin]

On 5/28/2022 at 1:27 PM, jrb0031 said:

Prepare your butts...

 

So, presumably because it is Dell, there is a really painful process (spoiler) to return this thing...

 

From what I just experienced, your service call can take about an hour (47 minutes, thankfully none of which were on hold at least...), and you will do some basic diagnostics (i.e. hold power button for 60 seconds, unplug/replug power, unplug and change the display connection, and possibly verify with multiple devices-- for me I was asked to try on my desktop and my laptop and using DisplayPort and HDMI).  AFTER this, you will have to take and send a video of the issue (in order to confirm the issue-- as if you were lying...).  Once this video is reviewed and approved, you will then have to take a picture of the monitor, the service tag and hold up a piece of paper with the written date-time group, your name, your address, and the ticket number... 

 

THEN, this has to be escalated to management, and then, within 1 to 2 business days, you will get an email from Dell support to let you know if you're authorized a new monitor or a refurbished monitor...  IMPORTANT, based on how long ago the purchase was, you may only be authorized a refurbished monitor-- so don't delay checking it out as soon as you receive it...  Evidently, if it's been more than 30 days (from receiving the monitor presumably), you will only be entitled to a refurbished unit...  Wow, I have a bad habit of not messing with stuff for months before I'll finally get around to setting up something new, and in this case that would have meant a no return possibility and a used/refurbished monitor for the price of a new one... Considering I waited for months to get this...that would suck.

 

Lastly, after the ticket/replacement is approved, you will be subject to product availability and will not receive expedited shipping... For a backorder monitor like this, no clue how long that may be.

Oh.My.God. What the actual F^%&*#*?

 

It's good reading this kind of stuff from time to time as a good reminder to only buy monitors on Amazon.

[moltencheese]

Hey has anyone here had an update on fixing this?

Dell's support seems kinda incompetent and didnt even suggest trying to update drivers.

I've tried everything they suggested, and more.

for reference, the monitor OSD does NOT display at all.

 

I read that this was an issue on some older alienware monitors, but those people were able to fix it by holding the power button down along with a combination of the other 4/5 buttons on those monitors, which of course will not work here as the aw3423dw has only one joystick aside from the power button.

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated

[Epidimik]

I just received my monitor yesterday and have the exact same issue. Production date of March. DP/HDMI/No cables, it doesn't matter. Just cycles through the colors non stop. No OSD.

 

The fact this was released like this blows my mind.

[Epidimik]

Mine also arrived with scratches and bubble wrap markings all over the top of the monitor. Impossible to see while its on but when off and at right angle... def not a good look for such an expensive monitor.

[WillsB3]

I’ve had exactly the be sane experience. Connected the display and just see the red blue green test pattern. Cant get the OSD to display either.

 

I did manage to get a picture after holding the display port connector a very specific way and was able to use the display for a few minutes before it went back to the color cycling. It seems as though there’s a loose connection between the display itself and the hardware that actually tells the display what to show on screen.

 

I also had the same horrendous customer “service” experience - the agent didn’t really seem to know what they were doing and they were unable to send a new display because of the availability issues. I reluctantly agreed to try a refurbished display but if it’s not in mint condition with recent firmware it’s going back for a refund, which I really don’t want to do as I was able to get the display at a good price by stacking discounts and cash back offers which I’d be unable to replicate if I had to re-order from scratch (as dell have stopped the discount code I used) 

 

Should have known better given that it’s Dell really  

[jrb0031]

Prepare your butts again.  After contacting Dell and at this point spending hours on customer service, I still don't have my refund made available to me from my order I placed in March, received in non-working condition in May, and subsequently returned-- in May...  After dealing with Dell customer service again, I'm still somehow on a waiting list for a replacement monitor expected in August...  I have, again, tried cancelling this order and requesting a refund...  Not being able to talk to a person (because it's a Saturday perhaps?) I'm now loosely tracking (aka not certain either way bc their online order process is weird) that my "order" may/may not be cancelled, and if I receive it in ~August I can spend more time on the phone with their customer service at that point to try and return it again...

 

I'm so sorry if this message has typos or is confusing (tried to go back and clean it up), I'm just so sick of having no control over this process and having more than a thousand dollars out of my bank, with absolutely nothing to show for it, and no control at all.  I work during the day, as we all do, and so don't have time or access to my phone to deal with this stuff during ordinary hours...  Now here I am on a holiday weekend, out of town and in a hotel, trying to solve this with Dell-- when I should be spending time with my family.

 

I'm just upset and wanted to vent.  I hate corpos!  They're evil-- and what's worse, they're not even evil on purpose, it's just the nature of being so big and being so bureaucratic.