M15x Problem/Technical Question thread

Well thank you for your time and knowledge on these issue. Awhile back I had issues with my machine just turning off and re-booting. One of you figured out the issue there. And then this current flashing of bios A9 issue. I would have panicked if I hadn't read what to do. You guys are fantastic and I cannot thank you enough.

 

Hey all, it's been a while.

My mm... I'm not sure what the correct technical term for it (which is making it harder to fix the problem)... the little overlay pictures that appear when you use the fn+F keys don't seem to be showing up. It's kinda annoying because I recently recharged the battery, but now I obviously don't want it to overcharge and degrade. It's pretty much impossible to tell if I have it on the right battery setting without that overlay though. Although that said the battery one always seems to have been kinda iffy with the tooltip on the battery charging / plugged in highlight never really being that consistant with what the overlay thingey was telling me.

Thanks,

-Poobah

 

It's called OSD, on screen display... you can try to reinstall it, you'll find the latest version on the Dell page.

But first make sure whether the process is running at all... it's called " OSD_Main.exe", check it in the task manager. If it isn't running start it manually.

 

Hmm, then you should have the latest version... but check it to make sure. The latest version is V2.5.54.0.

 

Thanks, I reinstalled it and it seems to be working again

-Poobs

 

Guys, im having this problem, i noticed it when i first got it. The DVD-RW drive cant read some of my discs (cds and DVD) and it then freezes for a few sec when i try to eject the disc and it will not remove. It also produces some noise that keeps repeating (hurm.... dunno how to explain the noise, its like klack,klack,klack....). I have to hard shutdown the system to remove the disc. What is this problem? My RM 10 cd player can play the cds. RM 10 is about 4-5 US Dollar. However, it does read some discs though. I didnt expect this from a high performance machine. It also sometimes seem to be sluggish like waking up from sleep or start up even.

Bios revision A09.
The model shown in device manager is DVD+-RW DC-8A2SH and according to a webpage http://www.photodex.com/support/drives?make=Plds, it only reads dvds?
Also when i check, the drivers are at year 2006! And the drivers listed in dell's website are different. What should i do?

 

First try to update the drivers.

If it still won't work call Dell and let them replace the drive... As far as I remember the problem was relatively widespread some time ago... they might have gotten a bunch of bad drives once.

 

I tried and the driver from dell says drive not compatible. IThe driver is for toshiba TSSt but i think the drive i got is different. PLDS DVD+-RW DC-8A2SH.

 

Do you have a compatible driver on your ressource disc?

 

Is your CD by any chance....fake
I realised with my laptop, it hates fake CDs.

To remove the CD, start up in safe mode. That should do the trick.

 

I have a few issues with my Alienware and wondering if people also have this problem.


Have you ever shut down the laptop, with the adaptor plugged in, and see that the computer automatically restarts itself?

And sometimes when the computer is turned on with the power charging, it says something about the adaptor being not recommended?

And the "plugged in, not charging" issue?

Finally, I've upgraded the video card (260M) driver from the official Dell site - is there a point to get the one nVIDIA suggests? A few days ago, when I was browsing the web + streaming, all of the sudden my computer hanged, and the screen pixels just split, resulting in the desktop being all jumbled up. Anyone had that problems before?

 

Never heard of this...

You can disable this warning in the Bios... I guess you're using the Dell adapter? It's possible that it doesn't work as it should.

Try removing the battery and putting it back... this issue hasn't been solved yet as far as I know... but it could be due to the battery not making properly contact.

Try a clean install of the driver (or of a newer).

-download a driver (and download & install ccleaner and driversweeper if you don't have them yet)

-uninstall the current driver

-reboot to safe mode

-use ccleaner (don't forget the registry) and driver sweeper (choose nvidia)

-reboot and install the new driver


It's advisable to disable the automatical driver installation from Windows 7 if you haven't done this already.

 

I realised that i had no thermal pads on the gpu for 5850
what size pads do i need, and if i ve repasted the gou few months ago do i need to repaste again when i place the thermal pads?? thanks

 

Yeah, I could consider that. And yes, I am using the Dell adapter.

I tried that, and the power drain method. Both don't work.
Although I realised that if plugged in long enough, it will eventually charge the battery.

I tried that method last night.
The one on DELL site says driver date is 8/25/2010.
I downloaded the one there, uninstall the current driver (date 26/6/2010) by removing nVIDIA related programs on control panel.
Then I installed this driver and it still says my driver is dated 26/6/2010


Anyways, the technician will hopefully come by tomorrow.

 

same problem >< from Malaysia too.. and my laptop is ard 3 week +.

 

Call Dell and let them replace the drive.

 

Yeah I get the same problem and I got it from Malaysia..but because I don't really use CDs I don't really care that much.

But from my experience, it tends to be horrible against fake (pirated) CDs.

 

hi i would like to ask how come my internet acces icon display x even im connected to internet ? how do i change it back? and how come my aliensense say unable to process biometric data , pls check camera ? any 1 can help ? because i cant use the camera as well. it says it is in used by other application. pls close the application..

i tried restore point it has back for the icon but still not working for the camera.. so i plan to alienrespawn.. but i need to know what should i do or save before doing that for this com

 

i ve repasted my card and i get the following temp during cod black ops at 700/1000. 75/82.5/78 C are these temp okay??
before I had about 10C difference between vram and everything eles, Vram being the highest, is the new temps okay??

 

should we update those windows update ?

 

Here is a link to my GPU-Z log file:

Link

This is during a short session of Counter Strike Source. Cannot understand why GPU load would not be higher. At some points the GPU load is 0%.

 

I have a question, Can a m15x with a 5730 be replaced by another mobile graphics card?

 

@Kraka: OFCOURSE IT CAN be replaced with another GFX card ... prolly won't take more than 15 mins in the process..!! You can either choose HD5850 or a 460M...depends on what do u use ur lappy for and which "brand" you prefer.
Hope this helps.

 

I have a question: I have the 260M graphics card, but if I go to nVidia it shows that I can upgrade my driver (instead of the current one Dell offers) - has anyone downloaded and tried the nVidia one?

Or should I stick with Dell?

I'm having a bit of issues lately - after the last time, the technician came and changed the graphics card. I thought it was working fine - till today - I was youtubing a few clips and all of the sudden the screen went black, and the audio being a bit jumpy...
Perhaps I was youtubing too much. I tend to open up various tabs and let the stream finish downloading then I watch, but there were less than 10 videos there..


Since this year, I've changed the HDD and the graphics card of the computer...I mean what else can be the problem? Memory? Motherboard?

After the graphics card was installed, the technician ran a diagnostic test and the memory seemed fine.

 

What driver are you using at that moment? Don't be afraid to get your drivers directly from nvidia website, that's what most people do!
So update your graphic card, and the bios if you haven't. If problems persist, call Dell and ask for a replacement. Your system is having issues where it should not!

 

It's 8.17.12.5738

Date: 6/27/2010

The latest one from Dell is 8/25/2010, which I got, but it still says 6/27/2010.

The BIOS is updated.
I think I'm going to wait to see if this problem persists. If it does then I will have to contact them.

I think it's the motherboard or the memory...
I really doubt I have the capability of running my HDD/Graphics Card down to the ground in 1 month.

 

Anyone else notice the backlight on the keyboard and some other lighted areas get a little dimmer over time? I especially notice the lighting is a bit washed out around the bottom of the keyboard, esp. around the space bar. They just seemed brighter when I first got it. And no, the dim setting is not enabled in AlienFX. I know there are 3rd party apps for controlling the lighting. Can anyone recommend a good one?

 

This is absolutely normal IMO...I've been using my M15x for 10 months now I've noticed the same dim light around the lower and spacebar area if the KB. I think it's much more visible in this latest bios A09. But I can definitely see this problem at my system and would other users care to comment on this. I am also aware that LED used in the lighting area of the M15x are just plain,old LEDs and it does have a certain lifespan. But we as a users of a top dollar laptop expect a lil' more out of our system due to the amount of dough we put in it!!! May be I should gone with that Sager lol. Or may be it's time I asked for that KB replacement!!

 

Technical question:
Would anyone be able to kindly list a few categorical differences between the M15x R1 & the M15x R2? When I receive mine (EDD today, lol I won't be able to receive it as I'm not in the country!!) I just want to go over it step by step to make sure I'm not getting a return or lower quality item. My specs:
i7 620m 2.66mhz
Gtx 460m 1.5 DDR5 (no ati option in uk unfortunately )
4 gb Ram
1080p WLED
320gb hdd 7200 rpm
Blu ray
Bluetooth
And on.

 

I did a system reinstallation on the 15x and can't seem to get the light up touch controls to work ( the ones right above the keyboard )

Only eject works

Any tips?

 

i plan on upgrading my processor and gpu. does it matter which 1 i install first??

 

There's really no such thing as a M15x-R2, it's just an M15x. The predecessor was called an Area 51 m15x. The two are completely different with respect to components, chipsets, etc. If you have a Core i7-620M (or any Core i processor), then you have a M15x. The old m15x used Core 2 processors.

 

Oh Man One More Question.... I Dont Seem To Find The 1394a Drivers Anywhere In The Internet..

They Dont Appear On My Device Manager Either... I Need To Install A M-audio Profire 610 On The 1394a Port... Any Help??????????????????

 

I was trying to watch a youtube video earlier today and I got a blue screen stating that something was wrong with the display drivers? The message went away too quickly and the system restarted but I heard that adobe flash might be the problem? Could it be my components? I just got this laptop yesterday refurbished. I'm afraid to watch any type of video now.

 

^^ did u update your OS after you got your system..?? I think that might be the problem..!!

When you got your system, did you get the message:" please wait,preparing to start your system for the first time..." ( or something like that)??? If not, I suggest you do a clean reinstall of Win7 just to make sure that the OS is clean and there is no s/w conflict. Either ways, updating windows is a must.

I'd the same issue when watching video over the Internet. The fix for me was to do a clean install of video drivers using driver sweeper. Also, I never use the video drivers from Dell's site as it is often outdated. I rather prefer drivers from nVidia's site itself and the modded INF files from laptopvideo2go.com. Use the latest driver after a clean uninstall of older ones and that will fix your issues for sure.

One more thing, I thing it's a good idea to register your service tag under your name and address from Dell's site. This will make it easier for you to report to Dell Support.

Try the above fixes and let us no what happens. By the way, congrats on your new system. Welcome to AlienZone. Cheers !!!

 

Sorry I thought u were using Nvidia. Do a clean reinstall of ATI drivers. If I were u, I'd ve done a clean OS reinstall because the system is refurbished.

 

Is it me, or do your laptops feel a bit laggy when the laptop is in battery mode?

 

problems solved///

 

That's because the whole system automatically gets downclocked when on battery... you can improve it a bit with adjusting the power plan settings but you will never get the same performance as with the AC adapter plugged in... the battery simply can't provide that much power.

 

Ok, my specs are as follows

i7 cpu.....8GB ram....

i used to have a core 2 duo with 4GB ram......

Why on earth does the core due run my audio and video production conversions FASTER than the new M15x I got....?

 

That's wierd... you sure you have stealt mode disabled? Which i7 CPU do you have?

It may be software related... but usually the Intel architecture spreads the load really well across the cores even if the program is coded crappy...

 

Hey everyone. So I was going to make a new thread for this, but I figure the sticky is here for a reason. If the question gets lost to the ages I'll make a new thread. But I'll put it here first.

I'm asking on behalf of my roommate, first of all. He has an Alienware m15x that he got in 2008, so I am assuming it is an R1. He is running 32 bit Vista. He recently decided to try to upgrade his GPU driver for his 9800M GT. Upon doing so, he received a code 43 error on the card in the device manager (Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)) He uninstalled the new driver he had just installed and it threw him back to the generic VGA graphics. He then attempted to reinstall the drivers. Upon restart, the code 43 happened again.

I had him try rolling it back upon receiving the error, but again, it rolls back to the VGA. From there I had him try to upgrade the driver through the device manager (rather than getting it from a website), but the same error is occurring.

He has downloaded the driver from both the NVIDIA website and from the Alienware website. Both times, same error. He is considering taking it in for somebody to look at, but I feel like there is a simple fix that he would be kicking himself for missing. I have been around these forums for a few months and know you all to be very knowledgeable. So any wisdom would be much appreciated.

If you have any questions about his setup or anything, let me know and I will ask him.

 

Try uninstalling the driver, go to safe mode and use ccleaner and driver sweeper before installing the new driver.

Not sure whether it'll work but it's worth a try.

Make sure the driver is suited for vista.

 

Hey guys I was actually thinking to Upgrade my RAM to from 4GB to 8GB.. Once I upgraded my RAM can I Overclock my GPU more than what I got now? Currently i Can overclock up to 745/1490/1500 on 266.58 version..
__________________________

M15X / Nebula Red / 1.5GB GTX 460M / 4GB / 500GB / 1080p / Blu Ray

 

Upgrading the RAM will not affect your GPU overclocking ability in any way. Honestly, unless you are using an SSD with the paging file off, I doubt you'll even notice any difference in system performance from 4 to 8GB.

 

question:
is hl-dt-st dvdrwbd ca30n the bluray enable drive?

 

sorry to revive this but did you ever find a solution? because my machine does the exact same thing when i try to install command center again

 

Hello, sorry for my bad english.

My m15x have two visible problems:

1) at switching-on it seems to me that the notebook makes "dobulestart", that is at first a sound of operating fans, indicators light up, then die away and transits noise of fans, in 2 seconds again turnes on and go to normal boot process. Is it normal?

2) at reboot or if the notebook long stay with the closed cover sometimes the display doesn't turn on again though the keypad is highlit and indicators blinks, helps only unplug and plug power cable.

Bios already up to date A09, power drain trick not help.

And one question: how to disable Wireless touch button?

 

Quick question that will hopefully be easy for someone to answer. Here's my system specs:

Win 7 4 bit
i7 740QM cpu
8GB PC1333 ram
GeForce 460m GTX
etc etc but that's all that's really relevant.

I've been playing Rift and experiencing 20-22fps while a friend on a slightly older M15x (same model, just older vid card and less ram) is getting about twice that with the same game settings.

I went to the Nvidia site to d/l the latest drivers but when I try to install them it says they do not match the hardware detected. I can get a driver for the 460M GTX direct from Dell but it was last updated Nov.16.2010. The most current ones on the Nvidia site were last updated on Jan.18.2011.

So:
a) Why don't these drivers direct from NVidia want to work?
b) Why doesn't Dell have a more recent version of the driver on their site?

Thanks in advance - sorry if this has been dealt with elsewhere, I looked but couldn't find a similar thread.

 

anyone?????