major graphics card(s) issues

hello, i joined this forum in the search for an answer to my issues. a little background on me, I'm a computer science major (4th semester), i know a bit about computers, you can probably talk computer jargon and I'll know what you're saying.
okay onto my problem.
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i have twin ati 4870's but i can't enable crossfireX.
when i first bought the computer they worked but had driver issues. i had to re-install the driver each time before i played a game that would use both cards, or else the screen would look like it had "bad tracking" like how VHS tapes used to have. and then most likely it would freeze. then something happened that i can't remember that made me have to reinstall windows. after that the option for crossfirex disappeared altogether and catalyst control center system tray properties shows 4 graphics cards.

i called alienware and they sent a guy out that replaced both cards. but he was an idiot hen it came with anything besides hardware. changing the cards didn't work, so they wanted me to send in my laptop so they could fix it. i said fine, but I'll let you know when i could send it. I'm a college student and i can't really afford to go several weeks without my laptop. so hopefully someone on here can help me fix this.

also if i put the laptop in "sleep", when i try to take it out of sleep the screen just stays black (refuses to refresh the display).

here are screen shots of everything i thought was important:


^^this shows the system tray catalyst properties. top one is card #1 the bottom one is card #4 (but #3 and #2 show the same thing).


^^system summary (so you know my hardware)


^^what windows shows under Display Info


^^what shows up on Catalyst control center. (it shows the one card is Disabled but there is no option anywhere to enable it.

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all my drivers are up to date, I've taken the laptop apart and made sure the cards were plugged in right and all wires were connected correctly. i have no idea how else to troubleshoot this. anyone got any ideas other than sending in the laptop?

 

I don't know how well you removed the ATI Catalyst driver before reinstalling it. But doing an uninstall from windows will not totally remove the driver completely. You need to download Driver Sweeper and CCleaner from the internet then install both programs. Do the standard uninstall of the ATI Catalyst drivers from windows first. Reboot into safe mode and run Driver Sweeper selecting ATI as the driver to be removed. After it is done, then run CCleaner to clean out any remaining parts of the ATI driver. Reboot back into normal windows. At this point you should be in VGA mode. Reinstall the most current drivers from the Dell site for your system. Do this and see if that corrects your problem. I noticed that you are running the newest ATI 10.8 drivers instead of the official Dell drivers listed for your R1 system. I would try to get your system stable first with the official drivers listed for the R1. After that you can try the newer drivers. If you got the newer drivers from Dell, then you must have download the drivers for the R2 system. Don't know if they are going to be totally compatible with your R1.

 

I've also been having random problems with core #1 being 40-70% load even when nothing is open. like it was just doing it for like 10 mins, and finally i restarted the computer and now it's okay.

 

when i re-installed windows, i formatted the HDD before installing.

also you say VGA mode, do you mean integrated graphics? because if it's in integrated graphics then when i try to install ccc it says hardware not supported.

 

No, I am still talking about you HD4870 adapters not your built-in video adapter. VGA mode is a very low resolution that is supported by the built-in driver in windows. When windows starts up if there is no specific driver installed for the video cards, then windows uses a built-in video driver that gives you the ability to boot into windows. After that you can install the ATI drivers for your system which enables the higher resolutins and functionality.

 

okay i did what you said. worked fine up to the point where i had to install the DELL drivers. after installing the dell drivers i had to reboot. when everything was finished loading i got an error message that said

"ATI drivers not found or hardware is not working correcly and Catalyst Control Center did not load"

so i tried installing the DELL driver again, rebooted, same message. (also i should note that it wouldn't go abve 1600x1200)

so i installed the ATI drivers and rebooted. now i'm back to where i started with a slight improvement. now i can see the crossfireX menu bar again, but it's grayed out and i can't click it.

here is a pic of that + the stupid CPU running for no reason

 

Did you install the official Dell driver for your R1 system, or did you try installing the newer driver? Sorry I just noted that you did try the Dell drivers. It seems like not everything is getting removed when the old driver is being uninstalled. Please try this:
boot into safe mode, go to your device list and uninstall each video adapter that is listed in the device list. Run the driver sweeper and ccleaner again. Then reboot and try the install again usint the Dell drivers.

 

the first 2 times i tried to install this driver:
C:\dell\drivers\R237788
(driver from dell website for my service code#)
but i guess it didn't like the driver.
so instead i installed the same driver i have above

 

Well I can tell you this, that the vbios on the HD4870 adapters will not completely support the drivers directly from ATI. That is why you are having problems. On the R2 system they just updated the vbios for the HD5870 that allows it to use the ATI drivers directly. Now this update is for the HD5870 adapters NOT the HD4870 adapters. Some day Dell will release a vbios update for the HD4870 adapters, but not yet. So you are stuck using the drivers that Dell puts out until the vbios is updated. Where did you get the ATI 10.8 driver that you are using?

 

http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/windows/Pages/radeonmob_win7-64.aspx

that's where i got the 10.8 driver.

 

One thing I should not is that if you try the booting into safe mode and uninstalling the video adapter cards, make sure that you also check the box to remove the drivers also.

 

If you try the booting into safe mode and uninstalling the video adapters, make sure that you check the box to also remove the drivers at the same time. I understand that Dell does provide a link that takes you to AMD to download the 10.8 drivers, but this is not for your R1 system. If they were compatible with your system, Dell would provide the updated drivers in the video section for your R1. I think that you will find that all of your video problems stem from trying to use the new drivers.

 

i'll try it again. i'm downloading the dell driver again. the one i had i downloaded about a month ago, not sure when they updated it last, or if the files are degrading from compression and whatnot. i'll let you know how it works this time.

 

Ok, will check back with you later on in the day going to get some sleep.

 

no didn't work this time either. also when just the vga mode is on my wifi card doesn't work either. no idea how those are related, but after i install the old ati driver again it turns back on.

i noticed when it was in VGA mode that the under system devices the first card had a trouble shooting sign next to it. "device has issue (Code 10)" also two Base System Devices have issues too and i have no idea what those are.

the dell driver will not install. it will install the control center, but the driver always fails to load. only the ati website driver will install.

hopefully someone has another idea?

 

Sorry it didn't work. There is a ATI Catalyst 10.8b hotfix out that is suppose to fix some issues for the HD4870. You can try that but don't know if that will work for you. All I cna say is that you definitely have a video adapter problem. If you cannot even use the drivers provided for your system, then something is wrong. Sorry, I don't recognize that error code. But if you continue to have problems, I would call Dell again. Maybe one of the video cards is bad. If I were you I would reinstall windows using the most current drivers from Dell including the Dell video driver. Also when you reinstall your drivers there may be a sequence on what is installed first. I know that with the M17x-R2 the drivers have to be reinstalled in a certain way, don't know if that is the same for the M17x-R1.

 

yeah i have the hotfix software. it only adds support for some game. the drivers them selves are exactly the same.

 

okay, so i'm gonna just breakdown and get a different computer while i end this one into AW to get fixed.

i doubt that they will be able to fix it without replacing the mobo and the graphics cards.

do you think they would just send me a different laptop, or try to fix this one, and how long do you think i would be without the laptop?

 

have you tried uninstalling the drivers, using driver sweeper then using Ccleaner? also it matters what order you installed the drivers after the clean install. you might want to do it again if you just installed all of the system drivers randomly, as it can cause driver conflicts. just Google driver sweeper & ccleaner they are both freeware that are essential for any system. if you need more help pm me and i can walk you through it all, although first and foremost with the 4870's i wouldn't use the dell drivers, i never have, as soon as i got my system i wiped it and started over, anything that has Manufacturer driver support you should use that , and not the "OEM" drivers. but again just pm me before you give up on the system, ive tried a host of different systems and while they all have their ups & downs, AW is the best on the ,market now, and if you switch, you will miss the system.

 

Necrotopsy,

There is another subforum opened up by a user named "dma550" He had a similiar problem with the "error 10" code. You can read what he did to fix it. But simpley he had to do a manual install of the HD5870 drivers from VGA mode. He went to the device listed for his card and did a "update drivers". i guess it found the drivers and updated them and worked after that.

 

They can dispatch a technician to your house to repair/replace your laptop.
That's what in-home warranty is for.

 

i already had a tech come out to my house. he couldn't fix it, so i have to send it into AW.

good news is i bought a desktop today

HP p6616f

AMD Phenom II X4 820 @ 2.8 GHz
6 GB DDR3 Ram
750 GB 7,200 RPM HD
FOOXCONN 2AB1 motherboard
ATI Radeon HD 4200 GPU w/256K memory @ 533MHz (integrated)
(yeah the gpu sucks, but it'll get me by haha)

 

i lold, the driver is obviously the issue and the tech couldn't figure it out. well i hope they break it taking it apart and send you a brand new machine. GL

 

Tell them to dispatch a different tech with new cards. That way you completely annihilate your problem(s).

 

when the tech guy came out he did replace the cards. that didn't help.
plus I'm having cpu issues also, so i don't think its just the drivers. i think it might be a bad mobo.

 

just got off the phone with AW. they are sending me a box to send them my lappy in. the Indian tech guy thought it was a bad mobo also. hopefully they break something and i get a R2. keep your fingers crossed for me.

 

Why are they not sending a tech to your location to replace the motherboard? If you have active on-site coverage, I would insist on this. There is no reason to send to the depot when you have active on-site coverage.

 

truthfully i don't want the on-site tech guy. there is only one tech that covers my whole area (i asked him about it when he replaced my GPU's the first time) and he is very stupid. i literally knew more about the computer than he did. he knew how to replace hardware, but he had no idea how to check to see if what he did worked to fix the problem. He had no real experience with alienware, he said mine was the 2nd one he's ever worked on. I don't want people like that working on my computer.
-plus he's the one that recommended a depot because he couldn't fix it. if he's saying he can't fix it, no reason to have him come out to my house again.

i know what people have been saying about the depot, they damage it, don't replace screws, and all that. that is fine with me because that will only make my case stronger for getting a replacement R2. I hope they screw something up honestly.

besides that i can live 2-3 weeks without my laptop. not a big issues, my games can wait.

 

Yup chiefs. Hope they can fix your notebook.

However you are nearly there lol. Usually the depot option is the last straw before "replacement" starts making its way into the conversations. If they can't fix your machine then a replacement will normally be issued. See how they go give them the 2 weeks to try and fix it. Then if its still not fixed start chasing them up and see whats what. Then yeh bam start using replacement in conversations ehehehe.

Good Luck chiefs, hopefully they can fix it as all we really want is a proper working machine.

Cheers.

 

okay so on the 6th i shipped my rig to AW. i never got a e-mail saying that AW received my system so i called up tech support and asked about it.
they received my system on the 7th. the 7th, 8th,9th and 12th (10,11,12 was days off) my system has been being "diagnosed". the tech guy said that they confirmed my problems, but they haven't been able to figure out what's causing it, or fix it.

i think I'm looking good for a R2!

 

eheheh koolos cheifs. Guess they haven't figured out to try changing the LCD screen LOL. eheheeh GO GO R2 replacement oles!!!

Cheers.

 

well i got an e-mail from dell saying that my lappy was fixed and got shipped at 1:33 PM on 10/13/10. we'll see what condition it's in when i get it.

 

well i got my lappy back and they had replaced the mother board i guess (it had bios A04 instead of A05--i set it with a05 and got it back with a04)
bad news is that nothing had been fixed. the graphics cards still were unable to be put in crossfireX.

so i called up AW and complained and they approved me for a replacement R2!! w00tw00t!

since i had top of the line R1 (except no SSD) they are sendind me a top of the line R2 (except no SSD).

specs of replacement system:

Processor:
Intel® Core™ i7 940XM Quad Core Processor, 2.13GHz (3.33GHz Turbo Mode, 8M Cache)

Video Card:
CrossfireX™ 1GB GDDR5 ATI Radeon™ Mobility HD 5870

Display Panels:
17-inch WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 RGB LED (1200p)

Memory:
8GB Dual Channel Memory (2x 4GB DDR3)

Hard Drive:
640GB 7,200RPM SATA-II HDD

CD ROM/DVD ROM:
Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)

Wireless:
Intel® Ultimate N WiFi Link 6300 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO Technology

System Color:
Nebula Red - Special Edition - Anodized Aluminum



i'm pretty stoked!

 

Oh Awesome stuffs chiefs. COngrats!!!

Glad to hear its finally gonna be sorted out.

Prepare to be blown away by your new replacement machine oles!!!!

RGB LED FTW oless!!!! 940XM eheheheh lol.

Cheers.

 

werd. can't wait for it to get here.

 

well they sent me the order status number and all that they are building it now.

all the stuff up there about the specs is correct except it has a DVD drive not a blu-ray, and its the 1520 802.11n Half Mini Card not the Intel® Ultimate N WiFi Link. but i guess i don't care that much about those things. can't wait for them to ship the damn thing!

 

Almost 2 weeks and they haven’t even shipped it yet? Dang, I was hopeful that I would have my new one would in hand in less than 2 weeks!!!

 

well the first post one the 15th was the first time i called them to replace it. that was a friday. they had to wait until monday to get it approved for replacement, and then they had to order it with equal specs. so i guess they aren't doing that bad.

 

If your original order had bluray then you should get the same.

 

no my original system didn't have blu-ray. he said they would only build it with what i was in stock and at least as good as my current system. he told me that a blueray drive would be a good possibility.

 

well..... I got my R2 today! i'm setting everything up as i type this (on my desktop). man the RGB-LED is amazing!! and everything worked right out of the box (unlike my R1). man.. so happy.