Backup hard drive

Well, I don't know anything about the ins and outs of how this programme is started.. I thought it may be via  

Program Files\Alienware\Command Center\AWCCStartupOrchestrator which is one of the Startup Programs run when Windows starts normally.  But I noted that when I was in safe mode, my lights did work.  So  I just did the following brief test.

Started in safe mode then clicked on the Command Centre Icon and the CC Screen showed up.  So based on that, I'm affraid the answer is NO.  

Perhaps someone else with more knowledge of CC can explain this further.  Except for having set some fans on manual, using the curve, I have never used and once played with a differnet light colour I have not worked with CC, Just from reading many posts on this forum, I know many people have run into this problem when the firmware on the MIO board and the software are out of sync, which then required a replacement of the MIO board. May be newer firmware &/or software has put in a safety function, but I have not heard anything about that..

Further to the above, perhaps clicking on the icon which uses CommandCenter.exe doesn't require that AWCCStartupOrchestrater programme is running, but your question would need to be answered but someone totally familiar with the interaction of firmware with the software.

But it would be nice if DELL could tell us, After all if this would work, using AlienRespawn or installing an older Image which may have older software one could start after installation in safe mode, delete the Software including all the other requirements, reboot and download the latest version of CC and install it.  Properly communicated, it might also save DELL some Dollars (of course not everyone reads instructions first before going ahead. LOL)

I was curious if the alienrespawn partition is updated along with the other stuff myself, If its not then everytime you use it, it would cause issues ?

Isn't the solution here, buy an external caddy (usb) for a pennies then manually remove the offending program ? Maybe throw some errors when you restart but surely it solves the problem ? or am I being a lil too simplistic ?

Well it was my understanding that this is there for the user if the PC is screwed up to put it back into the excact position it was when he/she received it. Obviously user would have to re-install any software as well as update software, e.g. Windows updates, update drivers, etc. If my understanding is correct, it would mean it's not updated.  Perhaps the "better version" at a cost has some capebilities. I have not checked into it, as I use my own images taken and never intend to use alienrespawn.  Also if, say a driver update or whatever change is made creates the need to go back as the last resort in fixing the problem, if that same update is applied to the info on that partition, would a re-install not simply include the problem?  It would have to be seperate dated updates so user could go back to a given date.

Therein lies the problem with this type of backup.  That why I prefer an Acronis or similar software periodic image, Certainly before a bigger update, like trying a newer graphic's driver update or installation of certain software. Then one can go back to a specific date in time. And obviously if a change was to a firmware update which interfaces with software, like the MIO board issue (unless fixed by a preventive method) images taken prior to that firmware update need to be deleted.

I agree with you, (not sure how you manually remove it) Better in fact if Dell would have created the Alienrespawn "image" prior to installing Command Center that would have eliminated at least the MIO board potential issue. Alienrespawn instruction then would need to tell users to download the latest CC from the Dell site and install it. That instruction could have been right on the desktop prior to Dell creating that backup. Of course theoretically the user could have some other hardware with updated firmware with interfaces with software, just like the MIO board, so in the end it is up to the user to control the "backing up" issue.

See my profile for system specs..  

How about if I plugged the drive back in but leave the current drives in place.  Could it be done with computer running and then go into that drive and manually delete the files off the drive. At least enough  of them so it won't load.

Well as obviously you coudn't un-intall, if you know all the files which need to be deleted it "might" work.  Lines are still in the registry, and as that it loaded I not sure if the "firmware" and the "registry" data interact. This is way beyond my Windows knowledge and certainly way beyond me as to the Firmware on the MIO board and software interaction aspect.

May be some Windows experts can comment on that and as to the latter, it might required an input by DELL.  There Engineers certainly should be able to tell.

If you simply delete the files, the registry will tell windows to load the deleted files, it will throw a not found error and load as normal. So just delete the cc/etc files as an external device, you may need to hunt down which files exactly you need to delete the registry shouldn't matter much.