Unsolved
This post is more than 5 years old
3 Posts
0
74584
December 26th, 2015 13:00
Can't setup Alienware Alpha, keeps trying to install the same update, can't get to Windows Desktop
My Alienware Alpha has been the most painful setup of any computer or electronic device I've ever experienced. Things started fine with Windows setting up, connecting to my wifi, and asking for my Microsoft account login, but as soon as the AlienUI took over it began asking to download the same update over and over. It did about three rounds of installing the update, rebooting, and then asking me to download and install the same update again. Now it's still prompting me to download the same update, but nothing happens when I press 'A' to download it. It just sits there forever.
The update prompt is coming when I choose Console from the Console or Desktop setup choice. If I choose Desktop instead, I get to a black screen with a mouse cursor. Nothing else ever appears.
Now the other wrinkle. If I press Ctl-Alt-Del during any of this, it offers switch users and shows a login with my Microsoft account name. The first time I switched to that account, it gave me a Windows desktop. Now when I switch users, it takes me to the AlienUI, which actually works and can run Steam. However, the only way I can get to this is to let the device boot to the Setup screen, then Ctrl-Alt-Del to switch users and enter my Microsoft password. Not really an acceptable living room, "let's play games" startup procedure.
And on top of that, exiting the AlienUI gets me to a completely black screen (the same as choosing Desktop from the setup screen) instead of taking me to Windows.
So I'm basically having two problems:
1) The "Alpha Console" profile that it boots in keeps getting stuck on wanting to download updates.
2) The other Windows account does actually work, but I can't get the device to just boot up that way, and I have no way of getting to a Windows desktop.
Has anyone else had issues like this? Did I mess up my setup somehow? Should I not have given it my Microsoft username and password?
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
0 events found
Alienware - Rodrigo
9 Technologist
•
4.4K Posts
0
December 28th, 2015 09:00
Hello,
When you get the black screen, try pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete, look for the Sign Out option and click on it. This should take you to the initial screen where it shows the options for Desktop mode and Console mode, select Desktop mode and it should boot normally into the desktop. If it makes it to the desktop, reinstall the Hivemind Interface software. Let us know how it goes.
DanielMcP
3 Posts
0
December 30th, 2015 12:00
Rodrigo,
No, that doesn't work. Selecting Desktop goes to the same black screen. I have found no way to actually get to a Windows desktop.
A Dell support rep sent me a Dell OS Recovery and Restore USB Key. However, my understanding is that this will simply do a clean install of Windows and I will then have to download and install all of the Alienware drivers and software. I'd like to find an easier solution before I resort to that.
Daniel
Alienware - Rodrigo
9 Technologist
•
4.4K Posts
0
December 31st, 2015 10:00
Hi,
Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be another option if it does not boot to Desktop mode.
DanielMcP
3 Posts
1
January 1st, 2016 19:00
I found a solution! While I couldn't get to a Windows desktop. I could get to a Windows logon screen by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del. From there, holding the Shift key while pressing the Power icon and clicking Restart takes you to some diagnostic options, include Safe Mode restart and Refresh My PC. Refresh My PC was able to clean up the system (uninstalling the Hivemind updates) without completely resetting the system as drastically the OS Recovery USB Key would have. After the Refresh, the PC was able to download and install the Hivemind update (only once this time) and everything is now working. The PC boots up into Hivemind with no problems, and I can exit to the Windows desktop if I need to.
Daniel
Alienware - Rodrigo
9 Technologist
•
4.4K Posts
0
January 4th, 2016 14:00
Hi,
Thank you for confirming this.