The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    M17x-R2 second card not there

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by I_Am_The_Stig, Mar 27, 2011.

  1. I_Am_The_Stig

    I_Am_The_Stig Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    10
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Hi, I've got yet another problem with a different alienware. Same basic model, but long story short the HDD crashed and I reloaded all drivers. The second HD 4870 is not showing up in Device Manager, I wouldn't care so much about this but it's the one that controls my HDMI, at least I can't control my HDMI, and I'd like to watch movies with it. I've reinstalled the drivers multiple times except the BIOS because it's a B&%$h to do. If there is some way to control the HDMI without use of the second graphic card, I'm ok with that idea.
     
    I_Am_The_Stig, Mar 27, 2011
    #1
  2. TurbodTalon

    TurbodTalon Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    1,392
    Messages:
    3,147
    Likes Received:
    158
    Trophy Points:
    131
    It's quite odd that it wouldn't show up in the Device Manager, unless it's not physically installed.
     
    TurbodTalon, Mar 27, 2011
    #2
  3. I_Am_The_Stig

    I_Am_The_Stig Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    10
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I know, it was installed but since ever since I re-installed Windows and all the drivers it's not there.
     
    I_Am_The_Stig, Mar 27, 2011
    #3
  4. TurbodTalon

    TurbodTalon Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    1,392
    Messages:
    3,147
    Likes Received:
    158
    Trophy Points:
    131
    You know, the more I think about it, the more I think I've had this issue before. Here's what I would do. Uninstall CCC from the Control Panel/uninstall a program. Express uninstall all ATI crap when/if it asks. Then go to the task manager and uninstall the card itself. You should be prompted to reboot at some point. Let it reboot, but just shut it down when the BIOS screen pops up. Do this by hitting your Alien Head power button. Should shut off. Don't know if you've done this yet, but disconnect AC power and pull the battery. Then remove the bottom cover and pull the CMOS battery. Leave all power sources disconnected and press and hold the power button for 30+ seconds. This will do a complete power drain. Connect the CMOS battery, the main battery, and your AC power. If you're running RAID0, you'll need to go back into the BIOS and set that up, as well as restore the time and date. Once you're back into Windows, install the graphics driver again and see what happens.

    Is it an R1 or R2?
     
    TurbodTalon, Mar 27, 2011
    #4
  5. I_Am_The_Stig

    I_Am_The_Stig Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    10
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    R2, I have tried that (minus the uninstall the existing video card), but I'll try again.
     
    I_Am_The_Stig, Mar 27, 2011
    #5
  6. -l-Z3K3-l-

    -l-Z3K3-l- Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    6
    Messages:
    158
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    If you power off the laptop during the BIOS load screen, on a new booot up the BIOS normally redetects all the hardware in the machine.
    If none of the above suggestions work, then maybe look at reseating the card itself.
    M17x's are easy enough to take apart
     
    -l-Z3K3-l-, Mar 28, 2011
    #6
  7. TurbodTalon

    TurbodTalon Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    1,392
    Messages:
    3,147
    Likes Received:
    158
    Trophy Points:
    131
    Agreed. If purging the BIOS and letting it re-detect everything doesn't work, that ain't a bad idea.
     
    TurbodTalon, Mar 28, 2011
    #7