Dell XPS 14Z L412Z Troubleshooting

Screen displays colored lines and flickers.

More often than not, actual physical damage to the screen may be causing the laptop to create the distorted, colored lines. A minor crack or fissure can cause the screen to be unresponsive, and can potentially display additional, unwanted lines across the screen. Carefully inspect the screen, checking for small cracks or damage. If you notice that there is some physical damage on the screen, then you may want to consider replacing the screen. For more information on screen replacement, please see the iFixit page for the Dell XPS 14Z L412Z Screen Replacement.

Dell Laptops have a built-in diagnosis system that can assist in narrowing down the main source of the issue. This tool can help determine if the main issue is the actual, physical screen, or if it is different, internal issue. To run the diagnosis, first, power off the laptop. Next, connect the laptop to a power source. After, inspect the screen for any dust or particles, and remove them. Next, hold the “D” key on keyboard and power on the laptop whilst still holding the “D” key. This will enable the Run Hardware Diagnostics to begin. Continue holding the “D” key until colored lines will fill the entire screen. Whilst the colored lines are displayed, examine the screen for any abnormalities. If there are no flaws, then it is an internal problem.

You notice your device gets very hot and noisy and/or randomly shuts itself off while in use.

Turn device on and listen for noise. A properly working fan should sound like a soft propeller fan. If you can't hear a noise, then feel for airflow which will be located on the bottom of the device. If it is extremely noisy and hot, you may need to open the bottom of the device and inspect the fan for dust or dirt. This causes not enough air to get into the device which causes it to overheat. Remove the back of the device by unscrewing the screws near the edges. Then, unscrew the screws holding the fan in place and gently take out the fan. After that, then carefully remove the fan component and gently use an air compressor to get the dust out of the fan and the vents. Repeat these steps in reverse order to put back together.

The battery on computers get old after a while and/or they might become less efficient in holding a charge due to bad charging habits such as leaving the device plugged in for long periods of time after it reaches 100% battery or letting it reach 0% regularly. This can cause the device to become hot. It is very easy to swap out an old battery for a new one. All you have to do is follow our replacement guide.

The keys on your keyboard won’t respond or appear to be broken or missing.

The entire keyboard fails to respond, try replacing the keyboard.

When the keys can’t be physically pressed, there may be something below the key holding it up or down. To try and fix this, remove the key and make sure nothing is under it. It is also recommended to wipe the area out. Once the area is clean, press the key back into place.

If keys on the keyboard are missing, replace them.

"The laptop will not boot up properly, or data has been lost."

There may be a case where you will experience a disk error while the operating system is booting. This is likely due to an abnormality in the OS’ kernel. To solve this, Windows will likely bring up repair options in the case of an error. Follow the instructions in the dialogs to potentially solve the issue. If Windows does not give this option, the BIOS will likely give options to repair or enter safe mode.

If Windows refuses to boot, there is a good chance that the issue is due to a hardware failure. Follow our replacement guide to begin diagnosis. Once you remove the cover, carefully and safely power the system. If the hard drive can be heard or seen spinning, it could still be saved. It is worth checking connections with the hard drive and the laptop first before jumping to conclusions, however. If the hard drive appears to work, consider reinstalling Windows from another drive. If that does not work, or if the hard drive did not appear to work in the first place, replacing your hard drive through our guidewill be the next best option.

"The touchpad on the laptop is not responsive to user input."

To begin troubleshooting, it will be easiest to find a USB mouse to navigate Windows. First, restart the computer. If that does not work, go to Start and type in Settings. Click on Devices, and then Mouse. Make sure that the touch pad is enabled.

Attempt reinstalling the drivers for the track pad. Go to Device Manager. Click on Mouse and other pointing devices. The track pad should be listed as a device. Right-click and uninstall the drivers. You can install the new drivers from Dell’s website. Install the drivers. Then restart your computer. Then, go through the process of enabling the touch pad through the above method.

If nothing above helps, it may be a hardware issue and you may want to consider a replacement.