new guy, need help installing windows etc.

Hello everyone! I need some help installing windows 7 pro 64bit on my M15x. (Dell version) I have an Alienware Area 51 m15x that I am getting rid of, but am using the hard drive out of it on my new (to me) m15x.

Hard drive is a WD Scorpio Black 500 GB 7200 rpm.
The problem is, after a full reformat and install I can’t seem to get the old bios logo to go away (it still shows the old area 51 alienware head and logo.) Also the hybrid graphics icon (on the taskbar) doesn’t show and I have no idea how to tell if I am using the integrated or the dedicated (nividia) card. I think Im missing a few other Alienware specific perks but Im not sure.
I tried doing a factory restore but it says my "parameters are incorrect." I guess if I were to do the factory restore I would need to use the hard drive that came with the machine? The original HDD is too small for me and I need the 500 GB. Is there a special procedure that needs to be followed to install windows on a new HDD on the M15x? Please help!

 

Yes there is. Here it is...

 

Looks like I dont have the Alienware resource disk but thats just a driver disk right?

 

Yes, but at the bottom you will see a list of the drivers and the order to install them.

 

Bottom of what?

 

Sorry , at the bottom of the article that I just sent you... Here is the link

 

Ahh gotcha. Thanks!
EDIT: Just reinstalled windows 7 (no drivers yet) and it still has the old area 51 m15x logo and alien head... A friend of mine has the same year m11x and we did a re installed 7 on it and the correct logo and head show up... Not an expert on this, what gives?

 

No problem. Let me know how it goes!

 

So I am now on the 3rd item on the download list, the Intel Turbo boost driver and an error pops up (after extraction) and says that "This computer does not meet the minimum requirements for installing the software." Did I miss something? The CPU I have is the i7 820QM.

 

Are you going 1 by 1? Did you make sure that you have selected the proper revision for your machine?
If both are positive then just disregard and continue with the rest of them.

 

Yes, I am doing it one by one and its the only one on the Dell Driver Download M15x page... Are there different versions?

 

Nope, that's the one for yours. Just continue with the rest of them. You may already have a newer one installed by an update.

 

Hmm ok. Maybe that was with the OS install because I haven't connected to the internet yet with it...

 

Ok so all the drivers are installed and am just starting the windows update. Still have the area 51 m15x alienhead and logo on bios and still no hybrid graphics option down on the taskbar. I know I have stealth mode (which as far as I know only downclocks the dedicated and does not actually switch between the 2 video cards.) What else do I need to do? On my area 51 I had the option to switch between the dedicated and integrated via a key function. I dont see that on the Dell M15x keyboard but is it possible? Id like to be able to use the intel onboard card when Im websurfing or doing the basics, then the dedicated during games/hd vids etc... Thanks in advance!

 

I also am having issues with windows update. When the PC reboots during the update process it says "Update Error" "undoing update changes"... How to fix?

 

Anybody with solutions on the Windows Update?

 

the key is Fn+F7

 

That could be caused by several things. I normally keep updates off to avoid them making changes on the drivers. BTW did you install the OSD application?

 

I noticed F7 is a blank key but I tried it and it did nothing.

Yes, but I cant get Service Pack 1 or any updates for that matter to work. Yes, OSD is installed. (installed it last per instruction.) Didnt look like it did anything. I still dont have the hybrid graphics icon on the task bar, in fact, in CPUZ it doesn't recognize the intel graphics at all...