Aurora R10 won't restart without power-cycle

Question

I have a problem with my Alienware Aurora R10. The machine won't restart cleanly, either after selecting the restart option or choosing shutdown from the Power menu in Windows 10. In order to restart it, I have to shut it down, turn off power at the wall socket for a few seconds, then restart the computer.

If I don't follow this procedure the machine appears to restart - the fans start and the LEDs glow the normal colours - but nothing is displayed on the monitor. The machine is shown as a connected device on my ISP Router web interface at these times, displaying the expected IP address but with a temporary hostname such as 'minint-3kfm8ti'. The 'minint' part is unchanged each time this happens, but the last 7 characters are different every time. I can't use Remote Desktop Connect to control the machine - as I can when it's working normally and reporting its correct hostname. The RDP app reports that the device can't be connected.

In order to regain control of the computer, I have to power it off by holding down the power button, turn it off at the wall socket for a few seconds, then restart. It usually takes more than one round of this process. It reports 'diagnosing your PC' on restarting, then, more often than not, attempts another restart, which fails again. I wait until the disk activity has stopped and force it off again with the power button. If this process has been initiated by an attempt at a Microsoft update, it then usually reports that the update couldn't be completed and changes are being undone, before I get a login screen and can then use the machine as normal.

As the last few Microsoft Updates have used the restart function in order to install themselves completely, at least some of these have failed. This is evidenced by messages that the PC is being 'repaired' or update changes are being undone once I've been able to get the machine restarted cleanly.

This has occurred for the last two or three major Windows updates. I turned off updates to prevent the system trying to install them overnight and being unresponsive when I got to it in morning.

Today, I turned Windows update back on to have a look and it's currently showing several outstanding patches:
2021-06 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 for Windows 10 Version 20H2 for X64 (KB5003254) - Status: Pending Restart
2021-06 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 20H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5003637) - Status: Pending Restart
Killer - Net - 10.47.121.2021 - Status: Download error - 0x800f0246
Riven Networks LLC - SoftwareComponent - 2.4.3337.0 - Status: Download error - 0x800f0246
Optional quality update available
2021-06 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 version 20H2 for X64-based Systems (KB5004476)

I've tried to manage updates in the past by shutting down the machine rather letting the update system restart it. (The Power option shows 'Update and shut down'). I think that's how some of the updates have been installed successfully, but the larger updates, which require restarts during the update process, have failed and ended up being rolled back as the machine next starts normally.

I just tried that again now with the updates listed above, (I didn't select the optional one). On restart, using the same convoluted process outlined above, there's a report that KB5003637 failed to install, with another 8 successes reported for today - with KB articles not mentioned in the list earlier (KB4023057, KB4504738, KB4493143, KB2589338, KB4461579, KB4022206, KB3055047, KB2956076, KB2597087). The .Net update (KB5003254) is listed as a 'failure to install' under 'Other Updates' and there's also a success listed for an update to the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool X64 - v2.90 (KB890830).

As a result of these issues (I assume), I now have several errors showing in Device Manager. Initially, there were 3: Qualcomm QCA61x4a Bluetooth under 'Bluetooth', Unknown Device under 'DellUtils' and another Unknown Device under 'System Devices'. I tried to update the driver on all three, but was shown a similar error for each: "Windows encountered a problem installing the drivers for your device. Windows found drivers for your device but encountered an error while attempting to install. One of the installers for this device cannot perform the installation at this time". The Unknown Device under DellUtils was shown as a 'DBUtilDRV2 Device' and the one under System Devices was shown as a 'Dell Data Vault Control Device'.

I tried uninstalling the Qualcomm Bluetooth entry in the hope that it would re-install fully and correctly after a restart - including the usual power-cycle. Unfortunately, it now shows as an 'Unknown Device', the only entry under the heading 'Other Devices'. If I try the Update Driver option, it fails in the same way, but reports itself as 'Qualcomm QCA61x4a Bluetooth'.

I ran the Pre-boot diagnostic, but all tests were passed. (I didn't run the extended memory test)

I ran a Hardware Scan under SupportAssist and, while most components passed, it reports that the 'USB Composite' is 'misconfigured'. The Drivers and Downloads components reports 3 updates available: 'Qualcomm QCA61x4A/QCA9377 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Driver - A42', 'Killer PCIe Ethernet Controller Driver - A28' and 'Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition System BIOS - 2.1.3'. I tried updating the hardware components individually and they report failures. I'm reluctant to try the BIOS Update in case something doesn't work and the PC becomes permanently unresponsive. I'll install it when the other issues are resolved.

Please advise anything else I can try in order for this issue to be resolved.

Many thanks,

Steve

SteveTetch2 · Accepted Answer

An excellent idea that hadn't occured to me, r72019. I'm pretty sure I have a 256Gb SSD somewhere that was bought for a project that was never completed. It might be next weekend before I can get to it, but I'll report results back here when I do.

Thank you.

Vanadiel · Answer

It is possible you have a corrupt windows update file that it tries to reinstall and fails because it's corrupt.

You can try clearing your windows update cache and associated files, so it can download all the required updates fresh rather than from a cached version:

Windows 10 clear windows update cache

As for unrecognized devices, you can open up device manager, select your computer at the very top of the device list, right click on it and select "Scan for hardware changes".

That should reinstall any missing drivers from the drivers cache on your system.

Alternatively you can always download the latest drivers from the DELL web site, or the manufacturer website.

DELL drivers

I have an R10 myself and I have all the latest windows updates installed, including the one from yesterday evening. I can confirm it's not an issue with the windows update and the hardware. It could be an issue with software interfering, and often an aftermarket virus scanner can wreck havoc with updates and windows.

If you do have an aftermarket virus scanner installed you can either disable it, or uninstall it and reinstall it when the updates are finished.

SteveTetch2 · Answer

Thanks for your response, Vanadiel. I'll follow your advice regarding the Windows Update Cache, but I don't think that's the root of the problem. The restart failure happens even when I've suspended Windows Update - as I have again following yesterday's tests - and there are no updates to install. The update failures were merely the push I needed to finally get the issue looked at.

When the box first arrived, I was using an old flat-screen HD TV as the monitor and I thought the restart issue was somethnig to do with the TV not being fully engineered as a monitor and lacking some plug & play functionality. I didn't try a restart when I moved to using an actual monitor until a couple of weeks later, buy which time I had another support problem in flight with Dell and didn't want to muddy the stream by raising this one at the same time.

Once that support issue was resolved, I thought I could linve with the restart problem by being sure to use the Shut Down option when required and remembering to power cycle the box before I turned it on again. It tuns out that this wasn't one of my better notions.

Unfortunatley, Dell have decided that they can't/won't help now. I bought the box from the Dell Outlet with Windows 10 Home as the only option. As I needed some of the enhanced features, I upgraded to Windows 10 Pro three or four weeks after purchase using the bog standard Windows Upgrade procedure and an OEM Pro license. Dell have decided that this takes the machine 'outside of their support stream' as it doesn't have the shipped OS any more. I can downgrade back to Home and they'll talk to me but I'm currently mulling over whether this is a step worth taking.

I can well understand Dell's position, but I still find it disappointing.

I'll let you know how the Windows Update Cache refresh goes. If there's anything else that springs to mind and might help, I'd be grateful to hear it.

Cheers,

Steve

(edited for typo - the collective noun for typos is a groop!))

r72019 · Answer

'Unfortunatley, Dell have decided that they can't/won't help now.  I bought the box from the Dell Outlet with Windows 10 Home as the only option.   As I needed some of the enhanced features, I upgraded to Windows 10 Pro' If you wanted to rule out software (and get support) you can remove your boot drive and any others and clean install win 10h to a spare storage drive that can be wiped.  If that fixes the problem, there's a software issue.  Otherwise if it won't work on a clean install, it may be a hardware and support would troubleshoot with you.  If you have a spare drive it should take about 25 minutes to do this.

Alienware Desktops

Aurora R10 won't restart without power-cycle

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