Alienware M17x R3 - Upgrading to Windows 10

Hi everyone, I currently have Windows 7 installed in my M17x and I'm considering upgrading it to Windows 10.
But seems like Microsoft doesn't like the GTX 680m that I used to replace my burned down 580m.



I'm currently with the A12 unlocked BIOS and running my 680m with a modded NVIDIA 331.58 driver. Integrated graphics card is disabled.

These are the steps that I have in mind in order to proceed with the update:

- Enter BIOS and enable integrated graphics card
- Disable discrete graphics card
- Save changes and boot the system
- Uninstall the NVIDIA drivers and reboot
- Run the windows 10 upgrade
- Download the latest GTX 680m driver and change the nvdmi.inf file to allow installation
- Put windows in test signing mode
- Reboot, enter BIOS and disable integrated graphics card and enable discrete graphics card
- Save changes and boot the system
- Install modded NVIDIA driver and turn off test signing mode
- Reboot and test everything

Should work right?

 

Hi, That's kinda strange since the 680m is clearly win 10 compatible. I wondered if it is triggered by the fact that it's an 'illegal' combination (the reason you need to mod the ini) but I would have expected to have seen this before?

Anyhoo, what I'd try is first just enable both GPU's and see what happens. IIRC you need to disable the on-board because optimus switching does not work. Windows sees the NV card and will load a driver but you cant get it to switch. If you get the upgrade to run (unlikely but worth a shot) then do the bios thing to disable the on-board when it has finished.

If you're still stuck then try the enable/disable thing to get it to install. You should not need to uninstall the NV driver, the upgrade will ignore it if it is not loaded. If it is, win 10 should install the latest driver NV have submitted to MS and you can upgrade it from there (doing the mod).

Good luck!

HTH, let me know how it goes .

 

Yeah it is the modding that causes this "glitch". I get the same message with my 980m (clevo mxm).
The only option is to either disable/remove the 980m to upgrade or do a clean install of win10.
I did the latter with my first 980m and it worked fine up until it died miserably.
With my 2nd one I am not taking any chances!

Especially since upgrading my work laptop to the latest build of win10 caused the OS to get corrupted and forced me to format...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Tried to post this just after my initial post, but seems like some error ocurred, anyway here are some prints from the BIOS:

Main


Advanced


Video config

Video config > internal graphics card

Video config > Pci express card

 

My intention is to do a clean install, but in order not to mess up the licensing I need to upgrade it first in order to do a clean install later (microsoft at it's best).
I'll try it later this week, will let you guys know how it goes.

 

That "not detected" is the first photo is normal because you have the BIOS set to PEG, which disables Intel HD Graphics. That's better anyway... so, I would suggest you leave it like that. Optimus sucks.

 

Good luck, I was going to say that it might be easiest to just remove the NV and install win 10 on the integrated. Then put in the NV, change to PEG, and hopefully windows will sort it out?

I had licensing issues when I wanted to do a clean 10 install on an old laptop that I had upgraded to win 7. It would not accept any of my win 7 license numbers (after wiping it down) so I called it into MS. They told me to skip past the license and it would activate later - it did!

 

That does sound a lot easier! So, If I physically remove the GTX will the system boot automatically with the integrated card or do I have to enable the internal graphics device first? Do I leave the display with PEG?

 

You will need to re-enable the internal and change PEG, probably easiest to default the bios then all the settings will be correct for booting from the IGFX...

 

I have this same problem with the M15x. I have no igpu. Does this mean I have to do a clean win 10 install?

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On a similar note, i have a 17 R4 with the 680M is it safe now to upgrade to windows 10 ?

I had seen a lot of posts saying it bricked displays ?

Looks like if you have a single GPU running optimus its relatively safe, but i wanted to confirm this.

Mr. Fox

 

On a similar note, i have a 17 R4 with the 680M is it safe now to upgrade to windows 10 ?

I had seen a lot of posts saying it bricked displays ?

Looks like if you have a single GPU running optimus its relatively safe, but i wanted to confirm this.


BUMP

 

Precision X appears to be a major contributor to the bricked LCD panels. It primarily affects Alienware and Clevo notebooks with LVDS panels. A few have reported corrupted EDID without it.

Prepare to be underwhelmed. Windows 10 really sucks. It kills CPU performance worse than Windows 8.X does... really horrible OS.

 

Thank you for the info, wont jump the gun yet.