AlienFX Problems/Questions Thread

Hrm. Neither worked. Still unresponsive.

 

Time to call support then Forge. Since you performed a clean install of both the current Command Center and OSD in addition to doing a hard power reset, its time to get support involved.

Your welcome. Wrong thread, but your welcome anyway. Glad its sorted.

 

Oh well. I hear Dell support is generally good, so I'm not too worried.

As an extra note, I notice the prt scrn button (the one that's shared with the AFX hotkey) doesn't respond, either. I tried to take a picture of my desktop and paste it in paint, but nothing. I'm not sure how to test the pause/CCC key, but I think it won't work, either.

I'll try reseating my keyboard, and if that doesn't work, off to Dell Support with me.

 

ALT+PRT SCRN to cap the screen (at least thats what I use on the R1)

FN+PRT SCRN to enable/disable AlienFX lighting

 

Those button combinations did nothing for me. Looks like some goofy hardware then.

 

I just installed Windows 7 64bits And now my alienware is malfunctioning badly, all the problems started after i did the following:
1° Installed Dell KG900 Alienware TactX™ Keyboard (i found it at the dell's page and tought i could edit the keyboard's lights with it)
2° Clicked the button to update the "Windows experience evaluation"

When i did that the laptop's screen started flashing in different colors and made an unusual sound, i had to restart it using the turn on button, now im not sure WHEN did the backlights went off, if it was when i installed the "Alienware TactX" keyboard thing, or when the computer freaked out trying to calculate its experience evaluation, but i THINK they went off as soon as i installed the KG900 Alienware TactX

after that im getting the following problems
1° Absolutely No keyboard backlight
2° The "On" button's eyes lost their backlight as well
3° The alien head/face behind the display is off as well
4° When i installed the video driver (GTX260M) and restarted, windows wouldnt start and the screen would start blinking in different colors again (Might be a driver issue)

In order to get trough this i changed the bios setting of the video card to:
-Disabled Hybrid Graphics and
-Disabled Integrated Graphics

And that made it start again, but i still dont have any keyboard or alienware's logos backlight.

this is my model:
M17X

http://support.dell.com/support/dow...emID=Alw_lp_M17x&os=WV64&osl=en&catid=&impid=

And this is where i got the downloads from, as for the Command Center it shows no devices to edit the backlight

I formated it again after this in the hope it would fix the lights but the problem remains after instlalling windows seven again

I also tried another solution for the backlight i found in another forum:
Turn off the laptop
Unplug the charger
Unplug the battery
Push and hold the start button for a couple of seconds to completely discharge
Plug again and turn it on

I even unplugged the BIOS batery and even so the lights remain off

So, im just assuming this is 2 separate issues, 1 regarding video drivers/flickering screen (which i would appreciate if someone could help me with, being the wireless one)

 

So, yeah, technical support determined a hardware fault. The guy had already booked a tech before I realized that I could just have it sent to my house for self-repair.

But anyway, the tech came. I had already taken my faulty keyboard out, and all the tech basically did was unpackage the replacement keyboard.

He was all "Oh. Well then. Look like you have everything under control," when I started putting the battery back in.

Great service, I have to say. My hotkeys are all working again.

 

Very cool Forge. Nice to hear a good tech story now and then. Even if you were the tech.

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@Shmendrich, I have to look at your post and I'll reply - post is a bit long. Dont have the time right now, sorry.

One thing, you dont need to install that keyboard hardware. Alienware Command Center is all you need. You should be able to edit the lights via the regular AlienFX window. Look for the keyboard icon on the right side of the AlienFX editor screen.

 

Well actually skip the "Wireless" thing since i already got it working.

Generally speaking all my leds, alien head, and turn on button went black after installing that keyboard program, and CC doesnt seems to detect anything, the alienfx window is empty so i cant turn them back on or anything

And maybe it's got something to do with this, maybe not, but after installing all the drivers i get an "Unknown Device" in the device manager under the USB category

And thanks in advance ^^

Translation of the second picture:

Information of the card (The card could not be detected)

 

After reading trough hundreds of posts and trying all solutions i could find i think what would fix this is either:

1° Install original cc from the resource cd (which i dont have, and there's no old versions to download at dell site)

2° Dissasemble 90% of the computer to find if the I/O card's got a reset jumper like the mentioned in another models, which im not sure will have X_X

Any other ideas? or perhaps a link to dl Command Center A00? in the hopes it will update the firmware of the card which seems to be the problem

 

The problem with that is that a newer version also updates the BIOS of the controller board, so using an older version can FUBAR the board, if not the system.

 

Taz is 100% on target with this. From the screenshots you provided, it appears you have fried your AlienFX firmware. Once this is done, the only way to correct it is a motherboard replacement. Contact support. Looks like you have an M15x - this sticky warning has been posted in the M15x sub-forum for some time
http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...not-use-command-center-your-resource-dvd.html

Before calling support, you can try re-installing the current command center but it may not flash the firmware correctly due to the older flash.

Uninstall Command Center
Reboot into Safe Mode and run CCleaner's registry module
Reboot the system normally (no safe mode)
Run the *current version* installer for Command Center (grab it from support.dell.com)

 

Batboy, in my previous post i mentioned all my problems, model of laptop and how they started, and i dont think the problem you mention is what happened because:

1° my Computer is M17x, not 15
2° The lights went off WITHOUT installing ANY command center, i installed another keyboard program "Dell KG900 Alienware TactX™ Keyboard" along with a video driver.

Then the hybrid video tried to change from one to the other and the computer crashed, i restarted the computer and thats when the lights refused to start again.

(It happens every time i try to switch from one video to the other while using windows, i read its a problem with windows 7 but i dont mind, i simply disabled hybrid video)

I tried your solution but after installing the latest CC downloaded from dell for my model im getting Im getting a "MIcrosoft .NET framework" unhandled exception, and it never asks for my model
-i have net framework 4.0 installed
- All the netframework features are On

 

I know there is nothing out there like this yet. We should write a program that makes the alienFX lights display the screen's average color, something along the lines of this, it uses a Aurdino to control the rgb leds and i think processing for the screen averaging, Writing a program that would interface with alienFX would be trivial if using this code to start with, is there anyway to control alienFX via processing?

 

Did you take a look at this: AlienFx Winamp plugin?
I think if you really want the ambient lights to light as the keyboard then the exteriour RGB leds should be connected to the ones in the keyboard/touchstrip etc.

 

I was wondering if the Alienware warranty is by any chance an International Warranty, does anyone bought an alienware from USA and then used it in Europe, for example?

 

Yes, it is international.

 

My test

YouTube - AlienFX winamp R2.AVI

 

I just updated Winamp to v5.61.3133 and the AlienFX plugin is no longer visible in the visualizations screen. I checked whether the two dll's and the config.xml files are still located in their respective directories and they are all present.

Has anyone else experienced this, in which case have you found a way to reactivate it please?

 

Please re-post in the http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware/419484-alienfx-pidgin-winamp-plugin.html thread.

Thx.

 

I made a new theme that rolls all colors from the left to the right. When I boot only the lighting of the three left part of the keyboard and the two alienheads work. Everything else is just turned off...
When Alienfx is started down in the left everything else lights up.

 

When Windows has booted I'm sure the theme runs correctly. It has happened to many of my themes too. Basically, the theme has corrupted. You can either delete and rebuild it or just live with only a part of it working during boot.

Edit: What I said previously was what Dell tech support told me when I asked about this problem. Reading in depth on the NBR forum reveals that it's a common issue caused by the BIOS not being able to load the theme during a cold boot. As AlienFX launches with Windows the full theme will work once you are fully booted. In short, there's nothing you can do but live with it.

 

Have you ever installed a older version of the command center than the previously installed one?

 

No, that's deadly as it will destroy your firmware. ChrisM of Dell's AW forum warned us never to do that.

 

That is the reason i'm asking, i was thinking it was the cause of you're issue.

 

Hey guys,

I'm on the m17x r3 which just arrived, and as this is my first aw, I'm still learning everything. I noticed however that when i turn alienfx off (choosing go dark from the system tray), the touchpad and media controls stay lit up. Additionally, they don't change their colour to black. is this the case with everyone, or is there something I'm missing?

 

Yes. This is because they are 'status zones'. Meaning, Alienware chose to not have them 'go dark' when using the go dark feature. You can override this by right clicking on the AlienHead in the task tray and unchecking 'Keep Status Zones on during Go Dark'.

 

You're a gentleman and a scholar! Any idea for the alien head on the lid though?

 

I dont believe so. Although you can put the display to sleep (blank screen), the AlienHead will remain lit. Not sure why.

 

lol, that'll be a nice greeting for all my proffs next year lol. I'll be in tiny classes too.

 

hi, I formatted my computer and then installed the windows back (windows 7-64 bit)
After formatting the AlienFX not work for me, I installed all the drivers on the disk that came with, and when I try to create a new theme, I get an error:

The device you have selected is included in the current theme but AlienFX cannot detect this device on your system. Do you Want to remove this device from the current theme?

It has been two months that way. Does anyone have any idea what I should do?

Thanks!

 

Open AlienFX. From the Theme menu, select CLOSE THEME. Theme menu again and select NEW THEME. Make color changes and select APPLY.

Also, in the future, always download current drivers from support.dell.com instead of using the resource disc.

 

Didnt want to make a new thread about my silly question so ill ask it here.

How do i turn off the trackpad light? I click "Go Dark" and everything turns off except the trackpad. I tried changing the color to black but that button is unclickable.

 

on the go dark icon, unclick "keep status zones on during go dark"

 

wow that was easy. lol thanks

 

Is there a way to do some kind of light show that goes with the music? Would the winamp plugin work with the M14x?

 

There is an official AlienFX media plugin that works for WMP and iTunes.

Check dell downloads.. under alienware aurora/applications.

However the FX media plugin light effects are minimal. You can adjust the lights to react on different Hz settings. Still yet to experiment on it. Any audiophiles care to give advices?

 

NO. Do not do this. The desktop systems have a different firmware than the laptops. Problems may arise. Think alienfx firmware 'brick'. Suggest NOT doing this.


-------------------------------------------

For M11xR3, M14x, M17xR3 and M18x owners -

Open up winamp, windows media player or itunes and play a selection. Go to your audio player's settings/config and select visualizations.


You shouldn't have to move any plugins from the CC/Mediaplugin directory.

Windows Media Player walk-through:

1. Launch WMP
2. Select an MP3 and play
3. CTRL+3 to show the Now Playing window
4. Right Click in window ----> Visualizations ----> Alienware AlienFX ----> Default
5. Enjoy the AlienFX Light Show.

When exiting Windows Media Player, your LEDs will go dark for a moment. Don't worry - the last active theme will return in a second or two. AlienFX is cycling out of third party access and returning to the last theme file saved.

Not sure about Winamp or iTunes as I was not able to test/mess with these when I had access to an R3.


Current version of Command Center for the first gen Dell/AW lappies (M11xR1/R2, M15x and M17xR1/R2) does not offer this. Alienware has not released the newest Command Center on the older platforms.

There may be differences between the two so for owners of the previous platforms, I do not suggest trying to use the New Model version of CC. Might brick your AlienFX firmware.

 

How do we fix issues related to Alien FX on startup? My m14x doesn't light up the leftmost keyboard zone while the computer is booting if an advanced theme is in use. (Somebody else had a similar problem with an m15x.) After being in Windows for about 10 seconds, the Alien FX program starts running, and lights work as they should.

Also, if I hit the Alien FX function key to turn off the lights, the lights still turn on while the computer boots. Like the last problem, after being in Windows for about 10 seconds, the Alien FX program starts running, and the lights turn back off as they're supposed to.

It's odd the way the problems work. There is clearly some support for AlienFX during start up, as the keyboard lights up in the colors it should (except for one zone on advanced themes), but a few details -- like the front grills, or the lights actually being turned off -- don't take effect until the Windows program runs.

I'm using an m14x, and I haven't found any new m14x updates for the Command Center on Dell's website.

 

AlienFX writes the current theme to the AlienFX firmware. This is what retains your selected theme at startup. You could remove Command Center entirely and the color selection you had previously chosen will persist. So yes, there is 'support' in sense without the AlienFX Controller running.

As for the issue you mentioned, I suggest re-seating the keyboard connections on the motherboard. This may correct the issue you are seeing. If it does not, you'll need to contact support and have a trouble ticket created. If you are at all hesitant on re-seating connections, do not proceed and have support resolve it. The keyboard cables are fragile and can easily be damage if not handled properly.

Reference the service manual for the 14x -
Documentation

 

Has your system always been like this? (Was it like this when you first got it).
Have you got any programs that make use of an AFX plugin? Sometimes during startup these programs will try to load up as well, causing the plugins to affect normal state of the FX. This is just a theory anyway, since when I run itunes on my computer, even though the AFX plugin is off, the keyboard will go completely black when I close itunes. Only way I fixed it was to remove the plugin file from the itunes folder altogether.

 

You can also uncheck 'Enable AlienFX 3rd Party Access' which can be found in the context menu of the AlienFX Controller icon in the notification tray (next to the clock). This should prevent the behavior you observed.

 

When I do the advanced themes and it changes or dims to another color it's not as smooth as I see it in certain YouTube videos, it's more of it lags to the next color, how can I get a smooth transition?

 

Which system do you have?

 

M17x R3, would that change anything?

 

You really can't. The videos you saw were probably the older version of CC (and no, once you are on the current you should never attempt to roll back. This can lead to a bricked AlienFX Firmware).

Tempo was changed a couple of versions back. Hasn't been the same since.

See this post for reference - loved the fact we had more control over themes then...
http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...themes-morphing-editing-poll.html#post6379321

 

Yup the one with the smoothest transitioning was the R1, It's the Software they use. It is not smooth on the R2 neither, only on the R1. they changed ALienfx between R1 and R2 sadly.

 

My m17x led light not working .. Look like CC error with .NET Framework... Plz ! help me.
Sorry for my english ^^!
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/231/unledbi.png
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/2064/unledbi.png

 

What did you do prior to this error?? Without knowing what you did, I cant suggest anything.

Also,

Please do not post huge images. Anything over 500x500 should be thumbnailed or linked only. See our guide for where to host images here and how to resize images here.



Thanks.

 

thank for advise ....
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/5838/cc1hk.jpg
this is my error. sorry all my english so bad