Help! Alienware 17 discrete Nvidia GPU not working for some reason!

This is a really weird problem that just came up after a fresh install of Windows 8.

I have an Nvidia GTX 780m with my computer. I installed up-to-date Nvidia drivers and did a computer restart. For some reason, my Nvidia GPU isn't working properly. Games refuse to use anything other than the Intel GPU, and monitors connected to my miniDisplayPort aren't being detected.

Various programs are giving me really mixed signals regarding its status:

• Device Manager was, at one point, telling me that Windows had disabled the device because it had reported an error. I manually disabled and enabled it through the right-click menu, and now it's reporting no errors.
• Nvidia Control panel won't open. Each time I try, it produces an error window: "NVIDIA Display settings are not available. You are not currently using a display attached to an NVIDIA GPU."
• NVIDIA GeForce Experience is telling me, "Sorry, GeForce Experience cannot optimize games on this PC." The GPU slot is empty.

 

Just a guess until somebody more knowledgeable turns up, but it sounds like you need to install some official Dell graphics drivers first which allow switching between the two.

Before I disabled Intel integrated graphics on my m17x r3, after a clean install I used to have to install Dell drivers and Intel 3000 drivers first, then install the latest GPU drivers over the top afterwards.

 

That was how I installed it initially; I put the Dell drivers on, then installed the Nvidia ones over them.

Update: I just attempted a clean install (uninstalled from Control Panel and reinstalled with the Clean Install box checked). The discrete GPU worked for about an hour before the entire computer locked up in the middle of a Breaking Bad episode. The main monitor (connected to the DisplayPort) turned a solid tan color, and the sound did that buzzing thing that it does when a computer locks up. I had to force a restart, and after the restart, the discrete GPU is back to its "not working" status again.

 

Update with what I've tried so far:

• Disabled and reenabled in Device Manager through right click menu
• Uninstalled and reinstalled drivers with clean install and upgrade install
• Clean installation of Windows, then all of the above
• Upgrade to Bios A04, then all of the above

 

hi!
how did you fix your gpu problem?
i also have that problem my alienware 17 cant detect nvidia. im currently using it by hibernation because if i shutdown it nvdia will be missing but i can enable it by doing a couple of disabling and enabling nvidia gtx 770m.
Alienware 17
16gb ram
nvidia gtx 770m

 

Try disabling the iGPU via the F5 key to see if you can get only the Nvidia to work on its own.

 

nvdia doesnt work

 

If you disable it using the key mentioned, does the computer boot?

 

no but the screen flashes a bit

 

Do the following, boot into your BIOS and see if the BIOS can detect your NVIDIA GPU. If the BIOS does then we can be a little more certain that it has something to do with the GPU drivers.

But if for some reason your BIOS does not detect the GPU, it could be that the GPU is not seated properly, you could just open the back and check if all's well.

Call tech support for help if need be.

 

i can see my gpu in bios however i cant use it right now because i accidentally pressed shut down. supposed to be it should be hibernate so nvidia wont be missing.

 

Can you just get dell to replace it?

 

If the GPU is detected it's most likely a driver issue, have you tried updating the video drivers? Also, a new BIOS version was released for your system a few days ago, you should try updating it click here for the download.

 

Try going through these steps. NVIDIA Optimus Test Tool | Dell US

 

this happened on my 17 when my son accidentally disconnected the power brick and then quickly re-connected it.. seems the sudden power changes disabled the Nvidia card.. We tried a few things, no luck, called AW Support, they did a screen share and re-installed everything from scratch since the computer had very little on it, I was ok with a re-fresh using the latest drivers... been working flawlessly ever since (one month now).

 

i want to try to update my bios now currently im on A07BIOS but what if it doesnt fix it? i have to do a couple of disabling and enabling the NVIDIA GTX770M on the device manager because im currently working on my project i am not shutting down my alienware for 2weeks just hibernate so nvidia would be available

 

Why don't you contact alienware support?! And it most likely will not help.

 

You should re install the video drivers, it doesn't take long, follow the steps in this article for a clean driver install.

 

I have done this updated my bios to A08 installed nvidia from Dell. Uninstalled nvidia and intelhd then installed intel hd 4600 and nvidia didnt solve my problem. I believe that this is not a hardware problem because bios can detect nvidia gfx :-( please help

 

Try restoring the system back to factory settings with AlienRespawn, click here for a tutorial.

 

I'm willing to blame it on windows 8s new swapping feature.....you can try windows 7 without having to buy it to see if it will see the chip youd need to disable UEFI in the bios and download an ISO for windows 7 and burn it to a disc it will work without a product key for a short period of time then it wont allow a wallpaper or give you updates but you can still test before you buy or even if you don't wanna buy i guess you can run a non -genuine and have it say please activate windows every hour a simple google search of Windows 7 ISO will pull all of them up there all LEGAL to download

You can get them from w7forums its the first thing that pops up when you google search Windows 7 Iso

You may be able to duel boot 7 and 8 if you partition your drive....partition it now in 8 (50GBs minimal) then create a new partition for 7....my brothers ASUS (deceased we got rid of it) had 8 and when i turned UEFI off it was capable of booting without it so no wiping required

MAXIMUM ATTENTION TO THIS PART:
DOWNLOAD THE DRIVER FOR YOUR WIFI CARD FOR WINDOWS 7 BEFORE YOU INSTALL 7 IT WILL NOT RECOGNIZE IT AND WITHOUT ANY SOURCE OF INTERNET YOU CANT INSTALL IT....put the driver in a flash drive and then install it in 7 then download the others from the dell site and nvidia site

It will ask your for a key during the install theres a skip button ._. it says it in the description that you may enter this later

Love the twilight wallpapers btw

 

I can't use alienrespawn Because i formatted my a17 and edited the ppartition however i didnt delete recovery and oem partition can i restore it using that factory.wwim? Now nvidia cant be accesed it says that it has reported problems how can i fix this :-( i really need my laptop now ihave many things to do :-(

 

you can try this however it may take forever.......while at the windows 8 logon screen.....hold shift then press shutdown and don't let shift up until the PC has shutdown then itll give you an advanced boot menu....try to find reset my PC in there somewhere this will try to reset the PC to factory settings if it fails then lets try the method below...they are both harmless

The microsoft instructions are here which don't involve turning off the PC

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pgmmi5kur275ofm/Photo Feb 25, 9 39 18 AM.png

Source Site: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/restore-refresh-reset-pc

Last time i tried this method it takes forever don't go crazy if its been 20mins and its at 1%

:The Method Below Starts Here


Download a windows 7 iso from here and tell me when your done

http://www.w7forums.com/threads/official-windows-7-sp1-iso-image-downloads.12325/

Just please don't choose a version you don't plan on buying later (you don't have to buy it if you don't want too but youll loose windows updates and your wallpaper after 30 days or less (sometimes it skips it)) tell me when its downloaded and ill give you your next step....

 

i dont have windows 8 im on windows 7 this thread is not mine im just asking the threadstarter on how did he fix his problem on his alienware 17

 

Oh if you have 7 then you alien should have came with restore discs check the box try the restore then see what happens

 

What restore? The windows 7 dvd? I have formatted my laptop twice and reinstalled all the drivers but it didn't work :-(

 

Sounds like a hardware failure. Get warranty support.

 

I'm not sure if this problem is related, but my son had the same problem and it was related to the fact he had somehow disabled the NVidia card using the switchable graphics function. In doing so he made the Intel graphics the default, and even though the system showed the NVidia card, and the proper drivers, it wouldn't access/use that card.

The solution was to use the Fn/F7 combination to bring up the switchable graphics option, and select the NVidia card on the reboot. Once he had done that, he was off and running with the graphics GPU.

 

I have found that when you accidentally unplug the laptop while it's in a Nvidia graphics card defaulted setup, the computer has serious problems with dealing with the latent voltage left in the transformer ... it seems to think that you plugged in a non-specified power adapter and the proceeds to lock out the discreet graphics card to save power.

 

My charger has no line light like what i see on the alienware charger tue brand on the plug says its voltex