M11x Problem/Technical Question thread for New Owners

hi !
I have a ssd intel postville 160Go (V2) and when I run a crystal disk mark, on the 4K QD32 test, the system freeze... any idea ?

My result on m11x :


My result with the same ssd on other laptop :


There is a big difference ! any idea ?

 

I've been changing my desktop color to black from the control panel but everytime i restart windows it reverts back to blue. Any explanation for this?

Not a major issue but more of an annoyance.

 

I just did a fresh install of windows 7 on my m11x and I was wondering if anyone knows how to get the alienware theme back on the m11x. I have been searching around but haven't really been able to find a solid answer.

 

You mean the Stardock themes? Alienware: AlienGUIse Theme Manager

 

Not those themes. I am talking about the theme that you would see when you start the computer or shut the computer down.

 

I have a warp keyboard is that normal? Should I request a replacement?

 

Post a photo and we'll better be able to tell.

 

So the DW1520 wireless card that is in the M11X R2 sucks. I want to replace it with a different wireless card. Any recommendations? I've had much better luck with Intel then Broadcom.

I was looking at the Intel 6300N http://cgi.ebay.com/Intel-Wifi-6300...ultDomain_0&hash=item2a09cbe55e#ht_4514wt_911

 

Hi I used this program when I did a fresh install using the themes available from Dells download page. I found the link somewhere else in the forum a while ago when the same question came up.

Hope this helps

Windows 7 Logon Background Changer - Customize your Windows 7 welcome screen wallpaper

 

Ok, so my battery issue came back.
This time, it says that it is plugged in, but not charging.
I have gone into the BIOS, and it says that charging has been enabled.
And of course, when I unplug the power cord, the M11x shuts down.
Could this mean a faulty battery?

By the way, I am using the A03 BIOS.

EDIT: Never mind, I think I fixed it.

 

This may have been covered before, but is there any way to turn off battery charging via windows? Without having to go into BIOS turning it on and off?

Figured if it were possible it might be worth it.

Thanks!

 

BIOS is your only option for disabling battery charging.

 

Thanks Slickie, thats what I expected...

 

Any body experience wireless connection problem? - Solution please?

Thanks

 

You haven't provided any specific information as to what your problem is. Have you tried the search feature in this forum? There has been quite a bit of info already on wifi issues and their possible fixes.

 

I seem to have trouble installing new drivers for my m11x2.
i downloaded the newest driver from nvidia (258.96) but when i install it, this message pops up.

"The NVIDIA Setup program could not locate any drivers that are compatible with your current hardware. Setup will now exit."

suggestions?

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m11x/514167-335m-driver-problem.html

 

When my other laptop is turn OFF or wireless connection of my other laptop is OFF i don't get any weak or disconnected signal. I can download and browse without any problem and I didn't get disconnected.

Once I turn ON my other laptop wireless connection, my M11x R2 wireless connection disconnected or there's a yellow exclamation mark. After I troubleshoot, I can connect again to the internet but just a couple of SECONDS it disconnected again.

Any help?

Thanks in advance.

 

Just got my R2 i7 yesterday and it runs great. Only issue I have so far is I can't switch between the gpus with Fn+f6. Does that function have to be turned on somewhere?

 

You cannot manually switch GPUs on the 11xR2 via FN keys as is possible with the R1. Does your keyboard have it listed as a F6 option?

 

I heard you can if you get the duo core, not the i series.

 

That is true. The duo core is the R1, the i-series is the R2. It is not an option on the R2 since it has the Optimus technology.

 

Ok, I'm sorry if this is nothing, but my fan seems outrageously loud now-a-days.
After only about a hour's worth of gaming(Supreme Commander 2) the fan goes into overdrive. I'd almost compare it to the ones on a GTX 480...
Is this normal? Or do I just need to clean out the fans?

Though for regular usage, the fans are silent.
EDIT: For regular usage, it occasionally flares up, then goes silent...

 

hello freeman,

can u plz tell me how i can know if my m11x is r2 or r1 ??

 

Hi guys, I seem to have run into quite a snag while updating the drivers.

In my quest to optimize battery life on my M11xR2 I decided to install the Nvidia drivers on the Dell website to see if changing from the 258.69 drivers would have any effect. So when I uninstalled, driver swept and reinstalled like I normally would a message appeared halfway through installing the drivers saying that Nvidia Control Panel could not be found and it would revert back to the latest installed drivers that worked.

After rebooting like I was instructed, the drivers that were automatically installed were Standard VGA Video Adapter. I thought this was a bit weird so I tried to install the 258.69 drivers again but got the same message in the installation.

This is really annoying and weird as I now have no control over the Nvidia GT 335 graphics card as the Nvidia control panel is nowhere to be found. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this problem as well or if someone could help me out.

Thanks...

 

I see, thanks. Now is there a way to check to see which GPU it is currently using? I'm suspecting my computer is using the 335 and not the integrated when I'm just browsing or doing simple tasks because the temperature reading keeps going up. The Global Settings are set to Auto-select

 

If you're using one of the newer 25X drivers then you can enable a systray icon that will tell you when the 335 is being used. You'll need to turn on that feature in the nvidia control panel.

 

The easiest way is to look at the back left side. If you have a VGA port, it is an R1. If you have a display port instead, it is an R2.

 

Assuming you have the latest BIOS installed (which improved fan performance), and assuming that this is something new, I'd say get a can of compressed air and blow it out, just to be sure it is clean. If it is still noisy, call support and get them to replace it for you.

 

258.96, I am trying to install this latest driver. The only other drivers I have installed are from the Dell Support website, when i try to install the latest one, i get a pop up saying " The NVIDIA Setup program could not locate any drivedrs that are compatible with your current hardware. Setup will exit now". Can anyone help me

 

You need to download the modified drivers kopicha has posted. This has been covered very many times on this forum, so a search should point you in the right direction.

 

Does someone still keep the Bios A01 driver for the R2? I think I have problem after installing. The R2 keeps on freezing randomly (mouse disappearing) and I noticed that it happens most of the time the fan start running. I tried using a Windows hotfix for randomly freezing problem but it didn't fix. I think it's the BIOS A03 driver because the problem started after I installed it.

 

There are enough of us using A03 without issue that I'm fairly certain that it's not the cause of your freezing issue. However I suppose it's worth a try to revert back to A01 to see if that helps. It can be downloaded from their FTP site directly. I don't know for sure if flashing to an earlier version works though. I would want to know that it's ok to do that /before/ I attempted to do so.

ftp.dell.com/bios/M11XR2A01.exe

 

I've got a weird issue for you guys! last night I was bored so I took the bottom cover off just to have a look, took out one ram stick to check the brand, whatever. Just lookin around. I made sure I didnt lose any of the screw retainers and put it all back together nicely. After that I plugged it back in and hit the power button, flash and off... Ok tried again, same thing but this time saw the alien head screan first. So I unplugged it and then powered it up. It started up this time but with some random beep from the internal speaker, not the front speakers. Everything seems to be working though but with a few random beeps here and there. I put it to sleep and went to bed. Today when I powered it back on it started doing the beeps again! I restarted it and still beeps. Just random beeps. Anyway, I took it apart again, made sure the ram was seated correctly (actually Its hard to say if it was originally because I seemed to get it in a bit further), re-assembled and powered it up, flash but then started and gave me the "windows did not shut down properly". Im assuming this was because I moved the ram again. Anyway, still beeps so I decided to play a little crysis. just 45 minutes and not a single beep throughout or after yet...

Any ideas?

 

First thing I'd try is to unplug the battery and run it on AC adapter alone to see if the beeps persist. Seems odd that it's booting to Windows and beeping afterward. Typically beeps are an indication of a boot failure condition. Is it a single beep? Two beeps? Long, short? Will have to see if we can track down the beep codes for your model. R1? R2?

 

R2, and its random beeps. there is no order and no specific time, it just "beep".... It did it again today on battery power when I was at work, mostly when I start it up I notice it so maybe its processor related? I turned off over clocking and nothing changed...

 

Just got my m11x in today, trying to update the nvidia driver to the 258 from 257 and i got this message "the nevidia setup program could not locate any driver that are compatible with your current hardware." ??

Also where can i get the dell photo booth b/c this was from original OS installed.

 

The 258 driver package needs to be modified slightly in order to work with the R2. Check out the two links posted in this thread.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m11x/515397-m11x-r1-256-series-drivers-not-supported.html#post6690382

 

Today, my m11x's wireless randomly stopped working. I got a message which says "Not Connected-No Connections Are Available". Then I went to the Action Center and I got this problem.
EDIT: My internet randomly started working again... weird.

 

Thx slick, isn't there an apps that let u use the webcam to take picture/recording video similar to mac photobooth that every dell notebook have it? this laptop was reformat and installed a fresh os from usb not from recover cd so, where can i get it? i dont see it on dell driver list.

 

nvm found it.

 

Hi everyone,
quick question... I just got my M11xR2 a week ago. Still under warranty from dell. Will opening the bottom panel of the laptop void my warranty??

 

Opening the bottom access plate doesn't impact your warranty in any way. You're also free to replace memory and the HD.

 

I just installed Firefox 4 Beta 5, it started having problems with the UI right away, the buttons flashed around.

It got me thinking I could not found that problem in other places and some friends had no problems at all, then I noticed that firefox was using the nvidia gpu, I forced it to use the intel gpu and problem solved.

Im just curious on if there is an specific setting that is causing this, or if anybody is getting the problem with optimus and firefox beta.

im using 258.96 drives.

 

Hey guys! Great forum you've got here...

I'm having some issues with my R2. Firstly, whenever I boot up the computer and then go into the Control Panel, it will cause explorer to crash. It's a matter of corce closing it, the control panel goes away, then everything after that is okay. I just don't understand why it always crashed the first time after a boot, every time. I've noticed that the DW LAN Card Utility is the icon that takes it's time showing up. Any advise?

My second problem is smaller, and I'm hoping simple. The screen is a bit bright by default, and after going through the display calibration, the only change I make is reducing the gamma level from the halfway mark down to about a quarter. Looks the way I like it. Trouble is, when I shut down and reboot, it reverts back to the original halfway point..... but only after teasing me. At the login screen, as soon as my password is entered, the gamma level drops for a second to where I like it, and then pops back to the default. I'm not sure how to get the system to take... advise?

For what it's worth, I have an R2 i7-640UM, A03 BOIS, updated graphics drivers (using the 259.32, but the gamma problem existed before the update and remains).

Thanks in advance. You guys are quite helpful it seems, I've already used a lot of info from this board to tweak my laptop and for the most part I love it.

 

@Fel_15 Could it be the alienware command centre settings overriding the windows ones when they start up?

 

Not a bad idea..... though I can't seem to find any of those settings in the Command Center, only the battery related brightness settings.

 

mmm may be you should deactivate the Alienware Fusion Service?

 

I was going to ask this, if not start another thread..... I've always been the type to keep a "clean" system. I usually remove all the packed in crap that PC manufacturers include on new PCs, simply because they are unnecessary and never get used. In this case, I've been eyeballing the Alienware software that came with the notebook. I like the lighting themes, but is there anything on the system that is seen as "extra"? I mean, is there any fat I can trim from the startup, etc? I mean already on initial boot, I've already got 80-90 processes running, and I've added very little as far as programming is concerned (Steam, new browser, photoshop, etc... but not much else).

Is there any pre-installed crap I can get rid of? As long as I can adjust the lighting (which would require the Command Center), not a lot else matters. This is sort of a secondary system for me anyways, so the backup stuff isn't all that important to me. My desktop is the real load bearer....

 

Good news! Adjusting the lighting does not require Command Center. http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware/458528-alienfx-lite-linux-windows-alienfx-tool.html

I uninstalled all the Alienware programs that came with it and never looked back. It's all unnecessary bloatware IMO.