New Command Center for M17x

For those of you who are having issues with the install, try this (what I did to resolve the errors):

1. Uninstall Command Center via the Programs & Features Control Panel.
2. Reboot
3. Run CCleaner's registry module and clean out all left over traces.
4. Reboot
5. Run the installer for the new command center. Now here is the important part (and dont ask me why this is, but it is and its how I was able to resolve the error), SHUTDOWN the system after the installer complete - instead of restarting, SHUTDOWN.
6. Power up and everything should be fine.

Important Notes:
As we have learned, the older theme files will not function. If you currently have one of my themes (hex color codes manually edited) or you have tweaked one yourself, I suggest installing the old version of Command Center first and then resetting to the default AW theme file or set it to Go Dark. Reason for this is the new CC released today uses a different structure with the .xml. This is also why you can't load any themes created with the older versions of CC.

This should work - let me know if it doesn't.

 

It seems that you can have more actions configured in it, too.

 

now i have to redo all my themes... sweeet

 

@Batboy: When you mentioned step 5.... do you start the installer and just shut down? Or let it finish installing....and then shut down. I'm just confused at which stage of the installation do u actually perform the shut down

Cheers

 

Yeah - no worries, let the installer complete. Once it completes, it may or may not generate a prompt to restart. Regardless, just shut down completely via the Shutdown command.

If after power up, you still have issues, shut down again and power back up. If still having issues, let me know.

 

OK! Trying now , will attempt your method twice and report back.

 

HOLY COW IT WORKED!! Thanks BatBoy!!

What I did different to before was, instead of clicking "Yes, I will restart computer now" , I clicked "No, I will restart later" . And then two error messages came up , but then my keyboard FX already changed to blue. Then, shut down the M17x completely and start it up again.

Hope this works for everyone!

PS: BatBoy....do moderators need rep?

 

lol - glad it worked out for you. Truly at a loss why AW/Dell would release this without taking into account the possible update paths used by the end user.

The other issue I have noticed during testing is with having a 'tweaked' theme file active at time of update. If I had a tweaked theme file active (one with manually added hex color values - like the ones I added to the LightFX theme thread in Side Topics) then it wouldn't work without reverting back to a default theme prior to updating. Really funky to say the least.

At least we have a possible work-around for now. If anyone runs into issues, try it first and if still having problems be sure to post back.

In regards to the rep question azelexx, NBR Forum Rules prohibit asking for rep points. If you found it useful, feel free - your call.

 

Sure they are human to ....

Thanks batboy , I was at work and haven't been able to test anything. Could you upload a new theme file for me to look at ?

These command center programs are so useless other then alienfx. Vista can do any thing but change lights with alienfx.

These programs are more trouble then help IMO . It's also why I haven't installed command center in 2 months

 

I'm willing to bet when it updates it tried to read. The existing file and create a temporary file to save while it updates so it can reapply it at the end of the upgrade.

But any way I think it tried to read that file then when it can read it and Understand it then it throws up errors or just hangs up. The coding in the programs was never ever amazing and I would not be surprised if that's what it is.

Or

When it tries to upgrade it trys to convert it and since the stuff is not in the normal place it tries to read from where it should be then can find it .... Bla bla bla





Either way Dell didn't fully test this and their tech support will pay

 

Agreed on the CC usefulness factor.

Personally, I have AlienFusionService and the FAService services stopped and disabled. In addition to disabling these two services I have also chosen to disable FATrayAlert and the AlienFXController startup items. Having the FXController not load at startup requires a manual launch of it to change colors, but its a only a small issue. The disabling of the items I mentioned was how I was able to completely eliminate in-game stuttering as well as mp3 playback issues.

What I would like to see is Dell/AW release an installer which allows you to choose which modules are installed. Actually, I need to head over to Dell's IdeaStorm and post that if its not already up there.

I'll upload a theme to the AlienFX Theme thread in a moment.

 

Hey on the resourse cd you can install alienfx lite which is nothing but a alienfx editor

I could create a program to change it from a file.

Have a batch file that looks in a specific file for .theme files then write it to the alienfx board

only thing is I do not know the dev I'd or location to send it to ....And it would require testing which could mess up your alien fx.



But my programming skills are like a 2/10 lol so anything I did would pale in comparison to findvikas. Also the only reason his program does not work is due to the dev id's for the alienfx controllers changed on the new allpowerfuls. And now that Dell changed it up


If we can get him to agree maybe you and me batboy could work on his source code to write the new XML files and change the dev I'd lemme kno in pm's or email

 

Can be fixed by reinstalling the current version then the new version is able to remove it.

I might remove and reinstall the new one anyway as the FX editor crashes everytime I try to add a new application :-(

 

Ok, followed BatBoy's method and it's working now. Thanks!
The thing I don't get is during the installation, why does it ask for the computer model? I mean, shouldn't it just somehow detect it? It didn't ask when i installed over the old version.

 

Like I said, I just fixed mine with a re-install of Windows (needed to anyway) but thanks guys! Also, I have all 4 functions available, including Fusion, in Windows 7....so don't know what's up with Fusion on your rig Scook....

 

cheers man, this fix worked for me!

ps: love the blog

 

Well I'm boned. After about a month of not booting into Vista (I dual-boot Linux on the second hard drive) I thought I might as well boot into Vista and update some programs and drivers. Well, as always, now I wanna kill myself.

I've updated Command Center just as BatBoy suggested, first removing CC, then using CCleaner, etc., being careful to shutdown and not reboot after installing the new version... Doesn't work, lights disappeared. I get the same error message mentioned in this discussion before, CC cannot connect to the device, cannot find it, whatever.

I've repeated the process about a million times, either booting after every step or not booting after every step, whatever combination possible. No go. Tried running AlienFX and playing with the theme, no go. I removed the new CC completely again, reinstalled the previous version. Still no go.

Now I'm back on my trusty Linux, minus the lights, plus a broken heart.

I'm never booting Vista again in my life.

 

Vista works fine, it just has to be setup correctly

 

Had some issues getting the lighting on the keyboard to work at first, but eventually fixed it. When I first finished installing, I opened up AlienFX Editor and there wasn't any option to change the lighting on the keyboard in basic theme. I eventually fixed it by going to advanced theme and making a theme there, and when I went back to basic theme, there were options available for the keyboard. Just wanted to put this out there in case someone had the same problem as me.

Thanks for the instructions on getting the new Command Center to install properly! I love the white.

Edit: I figured out why I wasn't getting the option for changing the lights on the keyboard.
The default theme that was set for me was the file Alienware.ath, and in that theme file, apparently there aren't any options for changing the keyboard lights, but there are options when you create an entirely new theme.

 

Can anyone perhaps post a valid, new theme file?

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=403837&page=7

 

has anyone noticed that installing the new CC on Win 7 slows the boot time down by an extra 20secs. Quite a lot when it takes a full 20secs to boot without it.

Has anyone else found this?

 

Yep. This is normal. It's a result of poor coding. I had this issue as well. If you want to have the facial recognition app, AlienFX and Fusion components active then its going to lag the startup.

If you don't care about those launching at startup you can do the following (as a work-around until the next release of CC becomes available - hopefully they will have it resolved):

1. Disable the following startup items (use CCleaner's Startup Items module for fast access or use MSCONFIG):

• AlienFXController.exe - this startup item is responsible for your system lighting. You can still access it by launching the AlienFX Controller via the start menu ---> Programs ---> Alienware. Once you have made your lighting changes be sure to shut it down again by right-clicking on the alienhead and choosing EXIT.
• FATrayMon.exe - this is your AlienSense Facial Recognition startup item. It displays the little icon in the task tray for quick launch of settings. Not necessary.

2. Disable the following Services (Note: When editing services, always access the services console by typing 'Services.msc' into the Run Command):

• AlienFusionService - This service is responsible for the GUI tie in of the Command Center Fusion Module and the OS's Power Profiles. You can make changes via the Power Options Control Panel instead. All this module does in Command Center is provide a nice fancy GUI to the OS's power profile settings. It is not required.
• FAService - This service is required for AlienSense (Facial Recognition). Since it's a resource hog, kill this one as well (needs to be killed since you have already disabled its startup tasktray item).

This should correct the startup delay.

 

I have done those and still have a pretty slow windows start up time, and I have an X128 SSD (used to be about 3 seconds from log in, now around a minute). My windows install is plenty clean and the SSD is only half full

 

Sorry to hear you are having issues Scook. Must be a W7 issue, yet another reason why I will be sticking with Vista for now.
My startup time is not laggy and no issues at all. Loving this system.

 

Windows 7 was fine at first, just noticed that after a few weeks it slowed down considerably (just the start up time though - HDTune still shows 235+ MB/s)

 

my startup time is also drastically different. Going from RAID to regular is also to blame, but damn! It takes a good minute or so to load now.

 

I followed Batboy's instructions because Fusion never work for me after a clean install.
Not a big deal, but I figured everyone was getting all of the functions to work with the instructions.
However, when I clicked "restart later" my keyboard lights went out. I shutdown and they didn't come back on. I went into CC only to find there was no keyboard light option and Fusion is still not working.
I freaked.

Then I saw Youngkyu's post;

This got my keyboard lights back and I am indebted to youngkyu!

As for Fusion. I will leave it not working....

~Pic~

Alienware M17X - Lunar Silver
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU P8700 @ 2.53GHz
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M
17-inch WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD (1200p)
4GB Dual Channel DDR3 1333MHz
Windows 7 Ultimate 64

 

As for running AlienFusion.exe I receive this error;
Cannot create instance of 'AlienFusionPlugin' defined in assembly 'AlienFusion, Version=1.0.55.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null'. Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. Error at object 'LayoutRoot' in markup file 'AlienFusion;component/pluginpresenter.xaml'.