No Speakers Detected M17X R4 Help!

So my M17X R4 came in this morning and it started fine, AMD drivers were missing but I fixed that easily. I went to go check on the speakers and found that windows as well as sound blaster do not see any audio devices what-so-ever. Even when I plug in headphones, I still see no possible audio output devices, its like anything to do with sound on the motherboard was not even connected. I reinstalled all the chipset drivers as well as the audio drivers but no matter what I do I cannot get the laptop to see an audio device.

I take it back, it stopped working again upon another reboot and I cannot make it work again.

Further Edit: It seems that the sound only works when I am purely on the 7970m, if I am on integrated graphics, no sound device is seen but when I fn + f7 and reboot, I have sound again. I don't want them sending someone over to take it about after owning it for a few hours, I am going to try and reinstall the intel graphics drivers and see if I can fix it.

 

I would contact tech support. If reinstalling the drivers are of no help I would suspect a bad on-board audio device.

 

After multiple restarts and messing with drivers to no-avail I messed around in the BIOS before I called and even though I did not change any settings when I brought it back up it saw and installed HD audio device and now the speakers and headphones work. My best guess is that messing around in the BIOS made it update its devices, I have had this happen on other laptops as well but with HDDs.

Update: Speakers stopped being recognized after reboot, I guess it's time to call Dell.

 

Hello Dragon, you could also email us; that will avoid the call.
Use this email: AWSocialMedia at dell.com
Make sure you add my name somewhere on it and your service tag. Thank you

 

Thanks for the info, I just sent off the email and I made sure to mention you along with my service tag. I really love the laptop so far accept for this rather deal breaking issue.

 

Thank you, excellent I'll check on it +1

 

I have recently recieved my M17x R4 and am expirencing the same issue. I have tried to remedy first by removing the drivers via Programs and Features. After removing the drivers for all nvidias products and doing full reinstall using the Perform a clean install option checked. But to no avail. i downloaded the drivers from the dell website using my Service Info.

It should be noted that when i discovered the issue upon receipt (yeah out of the box the final OOBE run after that first login to desktop, sound card with a big X)

I ran the sysprep with generalize.

Then after rebooting began audit mode and removed all drivers and reinstalled all starting with chipset. got all from dell via service info. didn't work... but shutdown of computer for 20 mins while talking with hot chick...came back with number and boom the classic win 7 startup sound...never loved to hear something so simple. i thought wow this is awsome, til i went out and bought 3d version of Tron and screen went blank and crashed full system crash no bsod just straight restart...bummer. k so try factory restore via usb took 45 mins start to finish...the speed of this beast is exceptional...but...see above to start over with the same issue.

I will try anything u ask send all reports full format has already been done. so again? but i did not try yet without raid 0 striped config...maybe will try til i hear back?...hmmm. thanks...problem appears intermittant, not ruling out hardware failure, but it does come and go cause i have used itunes to jam out. it also crashed when it did work after i tried to hookup my ps3. got video but sound didn't work after it was few seconds prior, playing itunes. after i got it working it failed i did full restore to dupliacte the problem but now it refuses to work, intermittant part. it will be on again and i;ll keep trying to duplicate my problem and review the effects.

 

To add to what my partner said:
Have you guys updated your system's BIOS to the latest version? Here's an article that you might find useful.

 

Hi Alienware-L_Porras,
I've tried it even with A02 and A05 bios and none is working. Still have the issue that the sound card is sometimes recognized and sometimes not after reboot.
I've sent and email to the address Frank posted earlier.

Regards,

Wesley

 

I have been having this same issue as well for about three weeks. My M17x R4 will sometimes not show that I have speakers installed after waking up from hibernation. upon closer inspection I have noticed that in my "device manager" I am getting an "error code 10" on one of my two "High Definition Audio Controllers". I have tried EVERYTHING! system restore, clean install of the sound and video drivers from Dell.com, clean install of windows, and nothing seems to work =( I have updated my BIOS to A05 and still no fix.

 

Hi Sieg,
I think the people of Alienware are investigating it (well I hope so). Maybe they come with a new BIOS for this problem.
I've sent an e-mail to alienware support, they have read it but still no reply.
I hope they fix this ASAP.

Please people from Alienware, prove I've bought a high quality laptop and not some crap toy as Acer.

 

Hi there, i have the same problem. Somethimes system boot but audio card is not recognized. same happen sometimes after hibernation.

Looks pretty random...

Is there any update from Dell? are they working on a fix.
I have tryed A04 and A05 bios, but problem still persists.

 

I had the same problem. In the end a Dell technique changed my mainboard. Now the problem doesn´t exist any more. Call the Dell Support.

 

I'm having the same issue. Booted up my PC this morning only to find my speakers missing. On the A05 bios....

 

I don't know if I just experienced the same issue or something different. Basically, once I woke up my M17xR4 from hibernation no sound whatsoever was heard through the speakers, even though, according to the Mixer in the bottom right hand corner, sound was playing. I plugged in some headphones and the same thing. Weird because when I turned on my computer tonight the Windows startup sound definitely played. Anyway, a restart seems to have fixed it but I'm not sure if for me it's a hibernation isssue.

 

Yesterday I launched Dota 2 and my laptop speakers started crackling and buzzing a minute or so into one of those real time sessions in the "watch" tab. I closed the game down and tried playing a mp3, and a video but it was same. So I restarted and everything returned to normal. I didn't try launching Dota 2 again though because I had to go out.

I hope the speakers ain't dying. I reformatted the machine and installed the sound drivers a day or so before this happened.