Alienware M17xR1 HDMI Won't Output (Not the usual problem)

Hiya guys,

I've got an Alienware M17x up and running. I just finished my 3 day struggle getting Windows 7 and everything running on this Laptop. Crysis is running like a pro, but I can't share that awesomeness on the big HDTV.

Whenever I plug my HDMI or my standard Analog Video Out, the computer screen AND the HDTV just go black. The computer sits there and does nothing more than a black screen, even after I disconnect the cable. I know the TV is recognizing that it's connected to the computer because the TV says it recognizes either a 720P or 1080P signal, however, both screens still stay black. Waiting several minutes doesn't seem to resolve the issue.

I'm running dual GTX 280M's in SLI. As well, I'm running the standard 179.85 (or maybe it was 179.95?) nVidia Driver's off of my setup disk as they run Crysis the smoothest out of all of the different driver's I've tried. (Everything else has given me an extremely laggy Crysis experience)

I also don't have the Chipset driver's installed. I noticed that when the chipset drivers were installed, my WiFi becomes disabled, so I've avoided installing it for now.

Also, the Fn + F6 and the Windows + P, key combinations fail to force it to output anything to either screen.

Lastly, I haven't been able to force it to output to the HDTV via means of closing the laptop lid and hoping it defaults to the TV.

I'm beginning to wonder if the computer needs those chipset drivers to manage the video outs for the computer. Any ideas guys? I'm at a loss. This isn't incredibly important, but I thought I'd ask all the same.

I apologize for the length of this article, but I figured more information is better than less information.

Thanks!

 

I am having the same exact problem. I wonder if its an issue with windows 7??

 

I had the same problem, solved it by getting a new HDMI cable.

But I do have the chipset, video, and sound drivers installed.

On other thing to check is to make sure you aren't using the 9400M. The 9400M is considered power saving, and as such doesn't support external monitors, projecters, etc.

 

I'm definitely running my comp in SLI'd 280m's. Are the chipset drivers updated to no longer cause the wifi disconnectivity issue? Otherwise, I think I'll live without HDMI out so that I can use my wifi.

Thanks for the replies guys!

 

I've had the same problem. Alienware m17x, upgraded to Windows 7 this last weekend, then installed all the drivers (including video, sound, and intel chipsets) as this page told me to for Windows 7 64 bit: http://4help.alienware.com/cgi-bin/...SZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PTYwNTI*&p_li=&p_topview=1


As far as I can tell, everything with the laptop runs fine. Except now, when I plug in the HDMI cable, both the laptop and the TV go black. There's nothing wrong with the HDMI cable, as the same one works perfectly with my blu-ray player. Before, the laptop screen would go black, only to be immediately replaced by the TV. I've tried using the laptop FN + F6 command, as well as using Nvidia's control panel. It seems though that Nvidia's control panel can only help IF you can see the screen while both displays are connected, which I cannot.

Also, what is this 9400m power saving thing you guys are talking about? I have no idea what that means, maybe disabling/enabling that could be linked to the solution though.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks guys.

 

Has this been resolved I have this same problem am and unsure what to do.

 

Nope I've still got the problem. Hopefully someone has a solution

 

Mine came with Win7 installed and it had the same problem. I tried everything I could think of and no go.
I did an Windows update and rebooted for them to be installed and the dang thing works now. Not sure which update fixed it, I'll go look at the history and see what I can find out.

 

I am having the same problem.

I reformatted my HD and installed a clean version of windows 7, downloaded all of the drivers from Dells website and everything works great. EXCEPT that when I plug in my monitor using the HDMI out on the m17x both screens go black and the computer freezes up and I am forced to hold down the power button to shut it off and then restart.

I also downloaded all misc. and bios versions off of Dell's website for the m17x.

Prior to this It had the factory version of Vista installed and everything worked great (besides Vista being a huge memory hog)

Anyone found a solution to this? I know my HDMI cable is good.

 

Yea. For my clean install to 64 bit windows 7, I downloaded all the m17x drivers from the Alienware link I posted above. Before, the Vista installation with Alienware drivers worked fine. I do remember that the normal nVIDIA drivers on Vista would make it not work, but the Alienware specific ones would work - which leads me to believe that Alienware includes something specific in their video drivers for the HDMI port functionality that other places do not.

Still have no idea though. I've downloaded ALL windows updates that my computer can find though.

 

It's saying I don't have the minimum requirements to install chipset driver and many other drivers will not install either..

 

I have made it work...however it is very unstable and slow for me. I installed the chipset driver (during installation I unticked the Ethernet option because that's what made my WiFi no longer work). I had enabled Hybrid Graphics via the BIOS menu on computer startup and plugged in my HDMI cable, adjusted some settings, and it worked. Had some problems with resolution and it seemed to make my tv extremely sluggish, but it worked...

 

NOTE: I HAVE TWO SOLUTIONS POSTED HERE, ONE REQUIRES A NEW INSTALLATION, THE OTHER DOES NOT! SKIP THE FIRST SOLUTION IF YOU DON'T WANT TO RE-INSTALL WINDOWS!

I've been working on this. I've gotten the HDMI to work properly via a clean install of Windows 7. Here's what I did.

1. Install Windows 7.
2. Install Chipset Drivers (nVidia ones first, then Ricoh)
3. Install your graphics drivers.
4. Install your Wifi (Broadcomm) drivers.
5. Install your bluetooth or you'll begin to wifi issues.
6. Install your audio drivers.
7. (Optional) Install your touchpad, OSD, and Command Center Apps

This has HDMI working for me perfectly. However, I have ONE MORE option for you if this doesn't work! (And it always works when you do this)

1. Make sure you have your display drivers installed properly.
2. Restart your machine.
3. Hit F2 to get into your bios.
4. Go to the Advanced Tab.
5. Go to Graphics Settings.
6. Disable both graphics options (this forces your comp to default to the 280 or 260M's)
7. F10 to save and exit.
8. Boot up your machine and login to windows as usual.
9. Right click on your desktop and select "Screen Resolution"
10. Plug in your HDMI.
11. Tell your monitor to extend, mimic, etc etc whatever screen options you want.
12. If your screen looks scrunched on the HDTV, right click on desktop again.
13. Select the nVidia Control Panel (if this isn't here, select it from the start menu)
14. Go to "Resize HDTV Settings".
15. After that, click the "Allow Resize" button.
16. Wait a bit, then a new screen with nVidia and handle bars appears. Use the handle bars to resize the arrows at the corners of the picture to match your HDTV's corners.
17. Click the Done or OK.
18. Scroll down inside the page you clicked "Allow Resize" in and select apply, then ok.
19. Close nVidia Control Panel, your HDMI should be working flawlessly. Now get gaming!

Hope that helps guys. The second solution is the one I use whenever the HDMI wants to be a pain. And it's all because Alienware didn't allow the 9400M inside your Alienware M17x to have HDMI output. This is why if you're having any kind of issues with HDMI, I recommend going with my second fix.

 

If you install both chipset drivers, then your graphics drivers, finally followed by your wifi and then your bluetooth, you will not have to untick the ethernet options and your wifi will work perfectly. Also, this fixes HDMI out issues. Check my previous post for more details.

Hope that helps.

 

thank you iinosana! Been having this problem for MONTHS I appreciate it.

 

Thanks IioSama.. the solution 2 worked perfect to me.. the hdmi inn M17x R1 is really buggy, you should post your solution in another thread, thanks

 

Hey IinoSama thanks for posting your solutions.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to get them to work. I've attempted solution #2, (because reinstalling Windows 7 is not something I want to do right now), but I haven't been able to get it to work because when I go to the BIOS, and then to the advanced tab, there is no "graphics settings" for me to select to then disable the graphics options as you've instructed.

Any ideas why that isn't there? Any suggestions as to what steps I should take? As far as I know, I have the correct Alienware drivers for Windows 7, but feel free to point me in the direction of any drivers that I should double check on in order for this solution to work.

Thanks for the help.

 

If it helps to know, I have an Alienware M17x from 2008, running dual NVIDIA GeForce 8700M GT, with SLI enabled. I'm convinced it's a driver problem preventing the HDMI from working, but still no luck on solving it.

 

First of all, getting setup to post on this forum is a bi**h by itself; trying to help should not be this hard.

Anyway, my M17x is a beauty to look at but it had been giving me so many headaches that I want to stomp on it almost everyday. Everything works fine, but the stupid video card and the settings are horrible. I had been to thread to thread, from yahoo answers to notebook review.com. It was a nightmare trying to figure it out; I am not giving up!!! I finally got it to connect to my LED samsung at 1080. It feels like that pizz after a 3 hour traffic jam! The relief is amazing. So, I feel obligated to have to help because it is so frustrating!

Here are some points you have to check if you have SLI; especially if you are doing a fresh load.

1. Make sure you have the exact driver and utility from Nvida for your card. I got it from Dell ? The Official Site | Dell. You have to have the utility with advance settings.

2. You have to hit F2 to enter BIOS when you start/restart your m17x. Use your arrows to navigate to "graphics" which is right under "overclock". To me, it is really rediculous to have to activate and deactivate the SLI through the BIOS. Like I have read on another post, you have to be a software engineer to operate this lappy. Shouldn't there be a on off button somewhere. Hell, put a "light switch" on the side if you had to dell!! Rediculous.

3. Disable Integrated graphic and disable Hybrid. Save and exit.

4. Once the lappy starts up, hit simultaneously "FN+F6." That should allow you to send the desktop to your HDTV. Ta-DA!!!

p.s. you should open the nvida utility and play around with it. There are many options you can set to taylor it for you needs. ie, you can have your desktop on your lappy display and a video player on the HDTV.

If this doesn't work, I feel for you because all the stars need to align for it to work on top of what I just wrote. All three, 9400m, gtx260, and the gtx280 will allow you to use your HDTV as a monitor.

Good Luck!!

 

I never bothered with HDMI Out/FN+F6 with my system. Will have to do this - what display driver are you seeing the issue with? All versions?

 

I personally used my HDMI with all video drivers this machine had and never an issue. Just plugged the cable,went to Nvidia control panel to tweak the resizing and that was it.

 

Confirmed - no issues here either.

 

This sounds like a driver problem...I have had this or something very similar with the Dell drivers. I use a Sony KDL-40XBR4 as my second monitor thru HDMI and a Mitsubishi DLP thru the displayport on occasion as well. I am running NVIDIA 197.16_notebook_winvista_win7_64bit_international_whql and they provide good sound and video via HDMI and/or DP. My .02 for what that's worth.

 

You should contact dell before your warranty expires, i just got of the phone with one of their representatives and he was controlling mi computer,changing settings and trying everything he possibly try,and we still had the black screen the moment we plugged the HDMI or VGA cable,so he said there was a problem with the motherboard and he is having a new one shipped to me and a technician to my home to replace it and make sure everything works fine.

 

Yonder, did you already attempt to follow the steps presented by IinoSama? Did they not work out for you as they have for others? If not, please try them out, as it may save you a number of headaches if the wrong technician gets his hands on your machine.

Just checking to make sure you did not accidentally overlook the solution. There have been more than 10,000 views on this thread and only 2 people have posted that these steps failed for them. If you have followed these steps and they did not work, then we wish you a good outcome with the dispatch.