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vintage computing
Hi, I am an avid vintage computing enthusiast. I have several Alienware Area 51 model computers. My favorite of which is my old pre-Dell Area 51 7500 R5 Predator 2. These models were once considered the best pc ever made by pc magazine and others and I use mine daily with pride. Up until recently I could still find all my old drivers and software on the Dell website. Heck even SA (SupportAssist) recognized my computer and looked a lot of them up for me believe it or not. But I had to do a re-install to put Windows 11 on it (yes it can be done), and noticed that SA and the Dell website have removed all info and software from the support site. Me and many others are curious as to where it went and how we can acquire it again? If Dell wants to cut off support for them with the SA app that's fine, but why remove it from the internet all together? Just a link to it would do but it should be made available somehow. Please help. Vintage computing is becoming quite popular and my old area 51 was a real showstopper. Really just the last functioning customized software, bios, Alienware Command Center, AlienFX, etc.. The rest can still be be acquired from the product manufacturers. I don't understand why it couldn't have just been left in the SA structure but whatever. Anyways any info is deeply appreciated.
Sincerely, David
Tesla1856
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September 17th, 2022 07:00
As @speedstep says, after the Dell buyout of Alienware in 2008-2009 Dell did help support original Alienware customers with a "Legacy Alienware" forum. I'm not going to post those links as they are no longer functional.
After about 2012 or so, we used to send owners over to Origin's Legacy area, but that seems to be removed as well.
IIRC, those Legacy Alienware machines shipped with XP and Vista. I find it hard to believe that Dell's Support-Assist ever supported them, but whatever you say.
I can't imagine any of those old 32-bit driver files and apps being of any use on a modern Windows 64-bit OS. However, if you had them at some point (and wanted to keep them for future OS re-installs and rebuilds) ... it would have been smart to archive copies of them back then. That's what I do now and always have.
You might find-out differently, but I would assume the only driver files you are doing to get now-days are the ones provided in the Windows installs, and what Microsoft provides in Windows-Update.
Dell's first Alienware machines were Area51-R1, Aurora-R1, and Aurora-R2. They shipped with (when brand new) Windows-7 (64bit). We can still get you the 64-bit Area51-R1 AW-CC files for these if that is what you are talking about.
ProfessorW00d
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October 1st, 2022 18:00
look in the middle of this thread where Cass-Ole posted some links
redxps630
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October 2nd, 2022 07:00
to use the pre-Dell AlienFx software to control led, your 7500 needs to have an active elc light card. most of the 7500 I have seen had the standard stock passive elc card which they still sell replacement on eBay. I have not seen any one selling the active card. If you do have one please upload a high resolution picture of the card to share with others and tell us how your pc recognizes the card in device manager.
Passive vs active card:
One of the cooler features on the Alienware P2 chassis is the lighting. If you choose the standard lighting configuration, you get to choose one of seven colors, and all the lighting will be the same color. Or, for an extra $200, you can upgrade to the AlienFX system lighting, which provides the user with a system lighting interface (software) to customize the lighting to his or her heart's content. Each lighting zone can be a different color, and you can even program pulsating or morphing colors.
speedstep
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September 14th, 2022 03:00
@D-MO
Dell did not maintain the old alienware owners forum which seems to be gone now. Systems older than 5 years going back to the ancient models with 8086, 286, 386, 486, Pentium, Pentium2, Pentium3, Pentium4 etc are not applicable to windows 8 10 11.
Models from 2006 and newer will install 8 10 11 if they have 4 gigs ram and at LEAST Pentium D 915 to 960 aka XPS 400 or Optiplex GX620. However models earlier than that are not "Vista Capable" and lack basic WDDM 1.0 drivers as well as NX support in Bios.
Later versions of 8.1 10 11 are 64 bit only and require more instructions like LAHF, SAHF, CMPXCG16 etc. So I do not understand how you got a Pre EMT64, PRE NX, PRE UEFI system working with anything Higher than Windows 7.
Drivers and support for 10 to 30 year old systems are pretty much gone AFAIKT. You can still find some Drivers but there is absolutely nothing as far as I can tell that was ever for the PRE Dell Alienware systems. I did find that in 2006 a core 2 extreme model was introduced.
Area-51 7500 Core 2 Duo Extreme Edition
2.93GHz with 4MB Cache and 1066MHz
Alienware NVidia nForce 4 SLI X16 chipset.
So Nforce Vista 7 drivers exist
nvidia 14875
However I do not know about NX (execute Disable bit) which is required for 8 10 11. This is NON optional BIOS/CPU system/motherboard setting is REQUIRED for any OS past 7,
The other 11 requirements like LAHF SAHF are likely there.
TPM however is not required nor is secure boot or UEFI when Rufus is used to make an extended USB 2.0 FAT32 flash drive installer for 10 or 11.
D-MO
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September 16th, 2022 19:00
yeah I've been running windows 10 and even windows 11 on this old girl just takes a little know how. All I need are the old alienware custom programs and bios and I'm set. you"d be blown away at what old cpu's are really capable of. if only the program and os developers weren't working hardware manufactures to intentionally make you buy new gear lol.
D-MO
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October 1st, 2022 18:00
Yes I do have the core 2 extreme processor in mine but no service tag. I'm Shure those files wouldwork or at least be helpful. Where can I find them? Thanks.
Tesla1856
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October 1st, 2022 19:00
No, they would only work on a Dell-Alienware Aurora R1-R2 and Area51-R1 (with an Intel x58 Chipset) and Intel-i7 like a i7-930 or similar.
But check those files in the other thread. Those sound more-like what you are looking for.
D-MO
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October 3rd, 2022 10:00
My lighting controller did work with alien-fx originally but hasn't since I lost the install disks. if these files work the i will most definitely share the info.
D-MO
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October 3rd, 2022 11:00
Also this unit has the evga 680i sli motherboard in it with intel core 2 extreme processor that I have overclocked to 3.98 mhz stable so its tilly pretty effective. it has execute disable bit and an added tpm module. It sounds like the first dell a51's came with the 790i sli at most. it uses the same bios and drivers as the 680i sli so why the a51 r1 package wouldn't work I dont know. Except the the installer doesn't recognize the board. I'm going to crack open that package and see what I can come up with. If I come up with a better solution I'll post it.
redxps630
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October 3rd, 2022 22:00
the downside of fancier active card and AlienFx is that user has to use software to control light, and if there is problem bth mobo and daughter elc card talking, you lose control of light. whereas the passive card is manual and reliable.
I do not think pre-Dell alienfx is tied to specific legacy AW motherboard chipset as long as it allows you to install (non-AW motherboard needs a registry bios key edit first). Dell A51 r1 (Phobos) has nothing to do w pre-dell predator. according to one user, running the incorrect dell AWCC in P2 can potentially brick daughter card.