Eject button won't work in Windows -- Alienware OSD is installed

Before anyone mentioned it Alienware OSD is installed on the system.

The issue: The eject button fails to work while I am in Windows 8.

Troubleshooting: To ensure that the button is working in general I disabled Secure Boot and enabled the legacy option rom again so that I can attempt to eject during the bios screen and it did so successfully so now I know the button is ok. I also attempted to reinstall the OSD software with zero change in progress. All other buttons on the button bar work except for that one.

Currently the only way to eject is via Windows Explorer. Any fix for this?

P.S. - I tested the eject button with secure boot disabled (still boots in UEFI due to the install) and same issue... Eject button shows no animation and no action.

 

Did you install/enable .net framework 3.5 and 4? They are disabled by default on an install and required by the OSD to work.

Running windows 8, UEFI + secure/fast boot and my eject button works, but no animation shows for it, but it physically will eject my disc.

 

Yes I did. I needed .net framework 3.5 for another application and .net framework 4.0 was enabled for AMD Catalyst Control Center.

 

Uninstall it and reinstall is all I can recommend I guess, maybe install order was a bit messed up for it. All the other buttons work on the media bar?

 

Yup. I installed all the apps as recomended on the Dell/Alienware website. I also tried to reinstall both the OSD and the Control Center. I don't know what is going on. I'll try to patch it up.

P.S. - This does seem to be a fairly common issue for people. Alot of reports on the M17x R4 on the Alienware and Dell forums. No fixes though...

 

Well I made sure command center was installed first then OSD. BIOS version maybe? A10 is latest.
Couldn't tell you how I did it, mine was OK initially. Have you disabled any startup processes?
Yeah I saw quite a few people complaining when windows 8 was launched.

 

Yup. Same. Command Center was installed first then OSD. I'm also pretty sure it worked at first. I already use A10. Not really in the mood to wipe the system for it so I was hoping someone found the culprit.

 

I had the same problem with my M17XR4. Right clicking the drive in My Computer and selecting eject will work but that is the only work around that I ever found before dropping back down to windows 7.....Window 8 just had to many missing drivers for me.

 

Any virus programs you using? Anything running compared to a stock clean system?

 

The following applications are running on the system (vs Clean).

Trillian
Norton Internet Security
Dropbox
Skype
Steam
Winsnap
Origin

Now then all but Norton do not load on a clean profile and I had the same issue on that so let me take Norton off and I'll get back to you.

Update: Went back and uninstall NIS (just in case) and it didn't affect anything. Eject button still doesn't respond. I also disabled the other apps for good measure and nothing. On this same note I forgot to mention that the eject button doesn't even work back on the login screen and this would be before most of my startup apps.

 

Sorry to make you uninstall stuff and that, trying to figure out whats wrong .
Uninstalled NIS and then try uninstalling OSD and reinstalling?
Honestly don't know, I have put a DVD in my M17x and it will eject a disc while on the desktop, it works fine, just no screen notification about the disc being ejected.

 

Yea... I'm kinda stuck scratching my head. I might have a spare HDD lying around that I can do a test install on and see if the issue reproduces on a clean install but at this point I think I'll move up my plan on removing the internal ODD. My external is a tray load Bluray burner so no harm done and I wanted to get a Raid 0 in there eventually...

EDIT: Ordered the caddy so this will be a moot issue soon. The hard part that comes is installing it later on. I've already got a matching drive thanks to me getting an identical one before and keeping the OEM one on the side. I'll just reinstall the OEM one.

 

Weird how every other button works. I don't know, I bought my M17x relatively late, (my keyboard has the new style windows key on it).

I attached a picture of my start processes, (basically nothing haha). Maybe see if yours are the same?

 

Yea. I got all those fine. The issue is lower in Windows than just basic startup apps as I would think that the eject button would have to work before you even login...

P.S. - I know the OSD software is working. I did Fn+F8 and it prompted me to connect an HDMI cable. The message came from the OSD software.

 

Huh weird, mine doesn't ask me to do that when I press FN+F8, FN+F7 doesnt work either but the others work. I have an Nvidia card though.

Just wondering in your bios did you use AHCI or SATA/RAID mode?

 

RAID but it shouldn't matter. I have enduro so I'm going to go and enable it later and see if it was causing a weird issue with the eject button and Windows 8. I have it off now out of habit.

 

Mines under AHCI, sadly you have to reinstall everything to go from RAID to AHCI, doubt its worth your hassle, thats the only difference I can see between our system setups. Could be a cause I guess.

 

Well RAID is default and it is good I have it anyways because a reinstall is needed to go from AHCI to RAID as well and I will probably be able to migrate the existing drive into RAID 0 without data loss.

 

It may be the optical drive's gone lame. You can try hitting the eject button while in the BIOS. That's always worked for me.

 

I already mentioned that it works fine from that point in my op post.

 

Oh, well I'm just gonna shut up now. Mainly because I re-read thru what you've tried to solve this with and have no idea why, but I do have two points of thought. One, press the eject button while moving the cursor around on your screen. If the cursor freezes for a bit after you press eject, then the problem is within the drive itself. I know this because I've had the ODD replaced in my notebook twice already and each time it went bad, that is the behavior it exhibited. Two, if you're going to use an ODD externally thru the eSATAp port, make sure to disable USB powershare in the BIOS. Otherwise the drive won't start correctly when the system is booted.

 

Thanks. When I do the eject with the mouse cursor moving it doesn't pause at all. I just think something broke software side and I have no idea where.

As for USB powershare I think I usually shut that off anyways. Regardless I won't have the drive connected on power up. Most likely connecting it when I need it and such. I had to install Windows 8 from a flash drive in order to get it to install as a UEFI install (i.e. dvd wasn't seen as UEFI...).

 

Huh weird, I installed windows 8 with a DVD, (windows 8 downloaded/preparation tool created a UEFI bootable disc, since it had the UEFI folder for it to work).

 

Ya... I know the UEFI dvd detection is ok because I had another dvd in there that worked fine and the iso does have the requisite efi folder so it just be that it didn't want to pick it up or a weird burn...

 

Hmm, who knows
Any luck getting it to work like? (eject)

 

Yup. Sounds like the software issue then (probably a registry error). When my ODDs were dying, they would only eject if I clicked eject in Windows Explorer. If I pressed the eject button at all, the cursor and keyboard would freeze, but strangely not the whole system as my live wallpaper would keep going. No OSD animation would appear as well. After about 10 seconds, the keyboard and mouse would respond again and I would get some C++ error message regarding .NET something or other. It all magically was fixed after the ODD was replaced. But the other sign my ODD was going bad was it was sounding like nails on a chalkboard when it did it's self test during POST.

 

I'm doing a dummy install to see if I can figure out when it stopped working... or if it worked at all.
(Spare 750gb)

Update: It apparently never worked during the install from the beginning. I did a fresh install and at no point did the button decide to start working while inside Windows.

Threads of others having the same issue.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m17x/694657-window-8-media-bar-drivers-r4.html
http://www.alienwarearena.com/forum...tton-dont-work-on-windows-8-pro-m17x-r4-3d/1/

 

Trying to avoid creating a new thread...

New firmware drivers for the optical drive,

Driver Details | Dell US

My eject button has always worked (but my firmware was already the same version when I tried to update). Working with UEFI + windows 8.

 

What is the godamn point if they are fixing it for just one specific model optical drive..

I use a Blu-ray burner drive...and I dont get it eject either...They should bring out a solution for any optical drive attached.

Any I can confirm its just because of Windows 8....as I recently did a full re reinstall and it remain the same...

 

Calmate Guey! If the fix if for the firmware side then it means it's the drive's fault (ergo the manufacturer, Hitachi-LG Data Storage), not Windows.

 

I disagree.....this has nothing to do with drive because it works perfectly fine when using Windows 7...How can the drive be suddenly faulted when windows 8 is used. Tat means windows 8 requires some kinda of hardware firmware modification????

Bull from mircrosoft and Dell as usual....

I am usings Mata UJ Blu Ray Burner which works fine with the Media Eject Button until the windows boot kicks in.....So does this mean its also drive's fault?

 

Yep, looks like it was a drive firmware conflict, good thing they are working on fixing the issue.

 

Yes. A device's firmware can conflict with a newer OS even when it functioned perfectly with the previous OS version.

 

It is less likely as firmware is a more base level of code at the device level but if the OS uses for example a newer standard of communication the firmware might not quite understand the commands.