A Couple New Alienware 17 Question

Follow up to my previous pre-purchase post...

1) Can you set up different lighting schemes per Windows user or is it one scheme per PC? I thought it might be nice to see who is logged in just by what color was displaying.

2) I saw the Win8 clean install questions, but I was wondering if I were to install an SSD in my new 17 (add a drive, not replace), could I use the recovery tools to restore the factory load to my new drive? If not, are there other shortcut methods, or am I better off just doing a clean install?

My new machine is on it's way to me now - just continuing my excitement while in transit.

Thanks again for all your support - great site!

 

Yo brO

1 that is a weird idea, why would you want that ?, you cant just reckognize person by looking at him/her

2 clean install is always better as you skip all unnececary rubbish that comes preinstalled from new :thumbsup:

peace !

 

1) LOL - understood. I actually have a couple logins for myself - different tasks/settings - and my wife will be sometimes logged into the PC. I don't disagree that is a bit unnecessary, but it would still be nice if it worked.

2) I thought the Alienware loads were significantly cleaner than your standard consumer laptop fare. I do normally agree with you BTW, but I was trying to avoid any driver hiccups. Figured the recovery partition would have everything set up the "right way".

 

Alienware loads are significantly cleaner, the only thing that usually comes bundled is the Alien respawn software which is about the only thing I would classify as bloatware as you don't get the full version, just a very basic trial version that you can use to make backup discs when you first get it.

Unless you don't like the Alienware look and feel then realistically the only other programs your going to find that won't come with stock Windows would be the Control Center and OSD which you will need to run your lights and media keys.

 

If you get a new machine read all the posts on doing a clean install. Be sure you know all there is about it as I have seen countless and I mean countless times over the years here. Where someone gets a new system and first thing clean install then has problems with drivers the Comand Center or how do I get it back to the way I got it. Just saying get use to it then research it before diving in and changing stuff. Avoid problems that way.

 

Exactly why I was hoping the restore utility might have worked onto the new drive. I completely understand/expect it not to work, but I was hopeful. Do you know if the Win8 clean install instructions are the same as Win7 (driver order and such) or is there a specific Win7 guide somewhere (I only saw Win8 when I looked).

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...er-install-order-guide-alienware-systems.html

Here you go...

 

A clean install would be better in this case, but you can also create recovery DVD's using AlienRespawn, that should work to install the factory image in your new SSD.

Here's a tutorial from our support site to clean install Windows 7, in case you need another one...

 

Thanks all!. For the record, my machine came yesterday and I was able to answer question 1 myself. The answer is, yes, you can auto switch lighting schemes per user. Doesn't look like many ppl want to do that, but I wanted to document in case someone did a search in the future.