M17x R4 - Downgraded from windows 8 to windows 7. Graphics cards are no longer supported?

So i just downgraded to windows 7, followed a guide i found on here for driver installation. When i try to install the intel recommended drivers from dell's driver utility, it says "This computer does not meet the minimum requirements". I don't know what I'm doing wrong, I then tried installing the AMD 7970m drivers and it worked. When i press Fn+F7, nothing happens. I checked bios and it doesn't detect an internal graphics card. I used the alienware resource dvd for the older driver for the integrated graphics card, it still says i don't meet the minimum requirements. I downgraded from windows 8 to avoid all these driver issues, and now i'm just stuck with more.

 

Does the laptop originally support AMD's Enduro? I know with some out there to avoid conflicts the dual GPU is not supported on AMD or NVidia gaming machines.

 

The R4 supports Enduro, but it can be disabled in the BIOS. You could cheak the Alienware forum here, I'm sure people downgraded their R4 before and I'm almost certain that Windows 7 was offered on that laptop as well.

 

yup, my r4 came with windows 7, and the 7970m was an option right from the beginning..
so yeah, original there was an enduro version sold with windows 7..

since i dont like enduro, i went for nvidia for my gpu, but switching to dedicated only mode in bios, will be your best bet..
just forget about the hd3000, i know your battery life will go down while doing this, but i think thats nothing compared to hassle with enduro (my msi gx70 has enduro, and i hate it.. really)

 

Hi mendameister,

I purchased the R4 in my sig in July of 2012, and it shipped with Windows 7 Pro and Enduro turned-on. I am currently running Windows 8.1 with Enduro on. In order for Enduro to work, you must have three pieces of software in place, the Alienware OSD software (enables the graphic switching functionality), AMD signed Intel drivers, and AMD Mobility drivers that support Enduro. You can't just install stock drivers and get these features. The easiest way to get the correct drivers, is to go to the support.dell.com and download the versions available there. You must install the Intel drivers, OSD drivers, and THEN the AMD drivers to enable it to work. The AMD drivers will install a critical file to the Intel drivers which will allow the cards to work together. Once you get it working, you can upgrade the drivers by doing "upgrades" over the original driver, but do not uninstall the original drivers, or it will quit working. The drivers available from AMD and Intel do not contain the media support drivers that are needed for Enduro to work. Plus, you can actually install AMD mobility drivers that do not support the Enduro feature. All of the most recent AMD mobility drivers seem to be OK, installed over the top of the Dell drivers.

The only reason I could think that it might now work, is if your M17xR4 was shipped with UEFI mode "on" and your physical 7970M does not have the "legacy" BIOS installed. However, that is doubtful as it is working, just not switching. Good luck!

Rich S.

 

Great suggestion, make sure you have all those for it to work properly. Let us know how it went.