MIO Board died

You can try with HWinfo to control the fans, however my recommendation will be to get a new MIO board in a third party like eBay or Amazon. 

I tried Hwinfo and bunch of other software but I can not control fans... As example in HWinfo there should be an icon for fan controlling if my system would support fan control but is not there.....

With SpeedFan when I am changing fan speed value nothing happens....

Actually, there is something what concerns me a lot...why DELL after selling product with broken drivers(resource disk) do nothing to replace this broken by them components? Looking around I realize how common problem it is, when people after reinstalling their systems loosing MIO board just because not correct drivers in resource disk sold by DELL.................

Edit: *** I originally took this member's post / issue here to mean Windows 7 was reinstalled, & the mio board might need to be reset afterwards. I typed my response here at the crack of dawn, it wasn't until later I re-read his issue closer & learned the mio board may have bricked by using the recovery/utility disk. Some members here in the past used the term 'Windows recovery disk', meaning the reinstall dvd, which is what I thought happened here. *** Recently a member dug up an old thread, I have pulled out a juicy tid-bit from it:

• Area-51 Active Venting System
• http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19337963

"We appear to have solved the problems that were related to the MAIN I/O board. I’m posting here in case others find the solution helpful. We ran the FX Tester program

• C:\Program Files\Alienware\CommandCenter\AlienwareAlienFXTester.exe

It reported that a firmware update had not gone to completion when a previous tech had uninstalled the old Command Center and installed the latest one. After uninstalling and reinstalling the Command Center again my situation appears to be back to normal. The Command Center now communicates with the MAIN I/O board. The fans, lights and venting  work as designed. The Automated Bay Cover Door which runs off the Main I/O board is working properly as well. The AlienwareAlienFXTester.exe program revealed the problem quickly".

The gist of it? CmndCntr was installed, the mio board's firmware didn't stick, his AlienFx spazzed out . didn't work, AlienFx Tester revealed a failed firmware instance, the cure was to reinstall CmndCntr correctly. Dell_ChrisM has been heard to say CmndCntr may need to be reinstalled 'several times' before the firmware sticks ... the member above of course had a working mio board, which acted like it didn't work. This is opposed to a bricked mio, which is what this member's post today is looking more and more like, where an mio board may or will brick if you attempt to install an older firmware version (older CmndCntr version) over a newer version (if you back-flash the mio with old firmware it might brick it, where perhaps the oldest version of all is found on our original recovery/utility cd). The AlienFx tester had information to reveal about a working mio, so try it using the method described above.

- Original Unedited Response -

On some versions of Command Center .netframework 4 must be installed 1st, others need .net 4.5

One version of CmndCntr (2.08.11) at least needs .net 3.5 (& then possibly .net 4 also) 

On your mio you have a lil bitty lime green plastic piece called a jumper. As a last resort, and perhaps for the very 1st time in this forum we might get you to try a 'jumper reset' & see if it brings your mio back from the dead. I'll discuss it last. Right now, let's be optimistic & go w/a theory your mio isnt really dead, but it is playing possum. I hope so. It might be dead, we'll do what we can, if all tests fail, it's probably kapoot.

Is your mio led lit up with computer on? That's a sign of life. This is what I would do 1st, it will involve the power-drain or power dissipation reset. PDR. We'll use it alot 'cause it might work. PDR is like CPR ... 1 2 3 push ... 1 2 3 breathe, do it a lot, see if it helps.

It is possible your unknown device is mio. If you're in device mngr you could 'update driver', be online while you do so just in case. After driver installs, if it will, see what happened. Nothing? Power down.

PDR: unplug machine, press/hold top power on button down for, oh, 30-60 seconds (then let machine rest for 3-5 minutes is another suggestion), plug in, pwr on, see what happens. Lights come on I hope.

Nothing? Pwr down. Do another PDR & remove your case panel; find your mio's usb cable & connector, disconnect it either from the mio itself or trace it to the mthrbrd & disconnect that end of the mio usb cable.

Listen: plug in, pwr up, Windows desktop, now shut down. Unplug machine, PDR. Now. Plug your usb cable back in:

• we've just tried to do a start-up session without the mio hooked up
• we want to shut down, & now try a new session with it hooked in

Usb plugged in, plug in machine, power up: did windows detect your mio & can you look carefully to see if it installs drivers, & did your alienFx lights come back on?

If not, device mngr, try again to reinstall drivers if you have an unknown device there, see what happens.

Phase Two: if you have an Aurora R4 (R3), at the bios screen, perform an ePSA pre-boot diagnostics assessment, see if your mio is detected in there or if you have a usb device unrecognized/error. I will be honest, I have an R4, I have run the ePSA, but did so with a working mio. I do not know what ePSA will think about a bunk mio, or report to you.

Utility Partition: if you have an R1 R2 (R3) (R4), & you have your utilty partition, get into it / run it, it should have a Diagnostics option. None of my Aliens have a Utility Partition, I haven't kept up on this.

The DIAG software & test described below might be on your utility partition. 'Enter Diagnostics' etc.

{ edit: in a follow-up Post later below I have photos & a discussion on Diagnostics & ePSA}

Last, if you have created a 32bit Diagnostics CD or on bootable flashdrive, time to run it, or time to create one & run it. Boot into it, look for your mio. If it is shown there on your screen? Test it. If it is absent? It means your MIO is MIA:

• the sign of a bunk mio is if it is absent from the main screens of a 32bit DIAG test
• in ePSA perhaps it is a 'usb device error'

You can shut down I suppose, recheck your usb cable, boot back into DIAG, but the mio will communicate over the usb, so, if it is absent from the DIAG test the usb ability is lost, it is dead or it is sick. Try a new usb header, no good?, try your 3rd usb header.

No good? Plan Z. A Jumper Reset.

Perform a PDR 1st. Yes, keep trying that, nothing left to lose.

We will do the jumper reset three times if need be ok?

Place your Green jumper on the pole/pin next to where it sits right now. Power up, shut down. Do a PDR. Take green jumper off, place it to the side, power up, power down. PDR. Place green jumper back on its original poles, power up ... see if it fixed it.

At any point in the scenario of switch poles / remove jumper entirely / replace on original poles, you're looking for signs of life from your mio. Looking to see if Windows installs drivers or your lights come on.

No? Do another Reset series: this time, disconnect your usb cable 1st. Everytime you power down, do a PDR.

Switch pole, pwr up / pwr down. PDR, remove jumper, pwr up / pwr down. PDR. Replace jumper. Pwr up / pwr down. PDR. Reconnect USB, pwr up. Now does it work? Check device mngr, try to install drivers on an unknown USB device if Windows did not.

No good? One last chance I think. Do one more Reset series: switch poles, remove jumper, replace on original poles, PDR inbetween power downs.

If that doesn't do it? Retry your ePSA / 32bit DIAG test. No?

Barring some other malfunction, your mio probably bricked & went bad, time for a replacement.

A replacement will in the least let you know if your mthrbrd is ok & not part of a 'usb malfunction' etc, & if the new one works you'll be back in b'ness.

If nothing helped today, fans are driving you nuts huh. Disconnect the hard drive fan & the pci-e fan from mio. If your radiator fan is loud - full blast, reach at your mthrbrd for the mio's cpu_fan connector, top right, remove it, now see if your system radiator fan will reach, if so, plug it in, let the mthrbrd monitor your cpu-temp & fan speed, keep your side panel off for cooling, wait for your replacement.

The mio connects to the mthrbrd cpu_fan header, so if you are forced to disconnect it to insert your radiator fan, remember later on to reconnect your mio fan connector that is now laying to the side, if you swap your mio out. Gimme a sec to dig up some links, I can check back in about 10 hours from now, be gone all day, ok? Also, wait for other member input in case I left out other tools or trouble-shooting help, before writing your mio off as DOA. Good luck

Here are links to Diagnostics Tests: A discussion with photos is now in a follow-up post, below

For Aurora R1 R2 (maybe R3, if not see below):

Alienware 32-Bit Diagnostics (GUI for Alienware projects), v.A1382A0/A0494, A1382A0

• http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/Drivers/DriversDetails?driverId=R267117

read the page carefully in order to create your bootable media if you need to run a 32bit DIAG

For Aurora R4 (& possibly R3). Hit F12, enter Diagnostics:

Alienware™ Enhanced Systems Diagnostics (ePSA)

• http://www.dell.com/support/Article/us/en/19/446143/EN

Alienware Desktops MIO (Master Input/Output) Troubleshooting and Policy

http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19599408

green jumper in the middle

If you got lucky & your lights came back on, your fans should have settled down as another sign of life from your mio.

A mio can work independent of CmndCntr, all day long in fact, but if no lights & loud fans, you can try CmndCntr installs/reinstalls/repairs if need be if you're at your wit's end. Who knows if it'll work.

Hopefully what you do today using the methods I described can bring yours back from the dead.

Some other threads have talked about cleaning out, ungunking, and replacing coolant that is used.   How old is your machine?    You still might have to replace the MIO board.   Other folks reported fan problems from an update, and also spoke of updating the BIOS.   I dunno, I do not have an Aurora, just thought I might mention some of the other threads.  

There is a new post right above me where a forum member points toward the signs of a faulty cooler; I assume he's noticed your loud fans & pointed out alternative explanations. I realize you used your Resource DVD of course, and it may have everything to do with this. But. It would *** if you had a pre-existing condition, so you reinstalled Windows at an attempt at a fix, now your mio bricked, & we never solve the original issue. Was there one? Why did you feel it was time to reinstall Windows, & did your AlienFx & system basically run ok & work right before you reinstalled it the other day? If so, good.

Below, on my Area-51 I booted into & ran my 32-bit DIAG, burned to a CD:

Click 'Test System' > next screen > click Custom Test. Why? I'm looking for my MIO

Above: a working MIO on DIAG. Below photo: I disconnect the usb cable, to replicate a dead mio?

disappears; there's no usb connection detected between it & my mthrbrd. A bunk mio may look similar

If on your Aurora R1 R2 - R3 maybe - (my R4 can not run this test, it has its own ePSA shown later)you can get to this test by whatever means, or have already performed this test, you're looking for your MIO board to show up, be accounted for on your hardware list.

Tesla often says to test your mio or run DIAG outside of windows, this is the test (or ePSA) he usually means:

• I disconnected my hard drive 1st, so Windows has nothing to do with this test
• I have booted into it using my 32-bit DIAG CD but you can also make a bootable flashdrive  

He is also heard to say, if your mio is not on this screen? It might be temporarily bunk or plain bricked. An MIO can not be working if it is MIA from this basic hardware device testing list. If an mio is on the list & 'acting funny' - or my AlienFx / CmndCntr seem odd - yes, I can test it now, but it has to be on the list 1st.

An MIO MIA from this list? Again, all that is left basically to do is make sure the usb cable is solid at both ends, mio led is on, then do your PDR & jumper reset procedures, hoping it will show signs of life &/or pop up on the DIAG list eventually. If it can not find its way on this list you've also lost access to the 3rd type of reset:

• we're told a 32-bit test performed on an mio can further help 'reset it'
• if its on the list, does it need a reset? *laughs* if it doesn't help ... it can't hurt
• if it isn't even there on the list? there is nothing to test & then nothing to reset
• usb communication is down between it & mthrbrd: temporary? or permanent, yikes

If the mthrbrd can not detect it outside of windows like this, you can never expect it to be functional on your Windows install let alone have nor expect CmndCntr functions to work.

I left you the link to the Dell/Aurora page to download & create 32-bit DIAG & look for your MIO on the list. It has to be there 1st. Let me know if you have done this basic trouble-shooting step:

• if you have, & if your RESET procedures failed?
• perhaps try a different usb header, no good?, try the last usb header on your mthrbrd
• still no good?

Knowing you used your Resource DVD it is highly likely it has in fact bricked your mio. I know of no other way to get it back online, working, but that does not mean someone else has other tools to try. At $30 a pop on eBay, you can make a small investment in a replacement & hopefully be back up running.

********************************

R3 / R4 PSA+ vs ePSA

The 32-bit DIAG software isn't on the R3 download page, I could be wrong but I assume if when you hit F12 at the BIOS logo on R3, if you see PSA+ available, maybe you can try the 32-bit DIAG test burned to CD / flashdrive, perhaps as part of your utility partition if you still have one, I do not have one.

On my R4, I hit F12 & I can enter Diagnostics as part of my ePSA test:

I saw no MIO test in there, but, in my build right now I have nothing connected to my #1 USB header. The test knows that too (see above). My mio works however, & until I know more about whether there is a specific mio test in this ePSA, it is possible a bricked or 'dormant' mio may not be detected also as a usb device:

• my mio is on usb#3
• if it were bunk, or acting bunk, I suspect my test here would also say: error on USB#3 etc.

- 32-bit DIAG Error on R4 -

I can not use my 32-bit CD on R4; if you get this error on your R3, try an ePSA if you have that & look for a USB device error, similar to my USB#1 error. Hopefully a more experienced member will tell us what to expect in the ePSA testing for with a mio dead or alive.

Sir, I wish you the best, sorry if yours crapped out, I did my best here for ya

@Cass-Olé

Hi ,  i swapped my asus mobo from my aurora r3 to my new case ( area 51 alx ) , i reinstalled  win7, the problem is now that  the lights don´t work anymore , fans runs at a very high rpm and now i get this error "usb unknown device code 43" (main reason mio is dead) , i read a lot of your and tesla posts but nothings works ...

i hope u guys can help me solve this problem.

best regards

The normal scenario is to disconnect the mio usb cable during a windows reinstall. 1st question: at what point did the fans go to max? From your very 1st powerup, during the initial stage of the windows install, sometime during it, or after windows installed?

Moving on, if you read, there are ways to disconnect your pci-e fan and hard drive fans to stop them from being at max while you troubleshoot (keep both of your door panels open to help vent during the process), and I suppose you could connect your radiator fan to the mthrbrd cpu_fan header to reduce the speed, if you can get its cable to reach, of course. 

No electronic component is meant to last forever, now may be a good time to invest in a spare mio board, 604GC CR1KN & FWKNT for alx, all other mio part#'s on eBay are for non-alx. I have no experience w/an mio that refuses to work with an Asus, I've only heard about them. I did my best in this thread to try to outline a regimen, which included the power dissipation & jumper resets, & doing instances where the mio usb cable is disconnected then the desktop powered on then off then reconnecting the mio usb to see if windows would then install drivers, also making sure .netframework4 is installed so CmndCntr can work. I would be hard pressed to re-type a better trouble-shooting guide then I've already done here since I basically 'threw every trik in the book at it'. If there are to be such things in this life as an mio that will not work with an Asus or some other board, the fall back plan has always been to simply 'buy & try a different mio board' in the hope it will work. You can find your part# on the 'top left corner' tag.

If you bought 'a new ALX case', what assurance were you given the mio worked? And are you sure it is properly wired/connected? Do you in fact have the mio usb cable installed in the correct black usb connector & not in the wrong flexbay connector? Is it possible, that since most Asus boards only get two usb headers, you simply have plugged in your top external usb's, and 'forgot' to hook up usb_3, the mio usb cable? Did you trace the mio usb from the mio board to the mthrbrd to make sure you have the right cable in place? You might check to see if the mio usb cable 'looks ok'. Crazy as it sounds, does your Asus have its usb drivers installed? (now I'm reaching at straws).

If you can get online, maybe through device manager try to find drivers or update drivers for the unknown device.

When I did my mio testing using 5 different mio boards & eventually 6 of them in tandem with an Asus, three worked w/out issue but three would not respond. That was a long time ago, hard to remember the pay by play, but I believe I moved the jumper pin, I believe the fans then went to max, then an install of CmndCntr made it all go away. I prefer to think that when in Area-51 the fans all goto max, it is a sign that the mio is waiting for CmndCntr to 'tell it what to do', perhaps install CC & .netframework, perhaps an instance or two of uninstall/reinstall CC to see if it helps.

If your new case came with the stock motherboard, you might reach a point where you want to put it back in, long enough to get your mio lights and features working, in order to make sure the mio did in fact arrive to you in working condition and is properly connected with 100% good cables/wiring/pins.

• typical ebay USA listings
• http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=alienware+area-51+master&_sop=15

As I said, I did my best to help resurrect that guys dead mio, I'm not sure what else can be done other than what little more I added here. MIO part# 604GC can be had for $28 or less right now, and can work on ALX & non-ALX, I suggest you buy one either as a new drop-in testing unit, or a future spare, since all four of my 604gc's here are majik. I haven't tried FWKNT yet, but I see the price has dropped on them, nor tried CR1KN but would like to, given it is $25 right now. 604GC is energy-compliant however, it is the last revision, & it is known to work with Asus boards.

Do us a favor, check your mio part#. If you have 604GC, I would not see why the steps I outlined in this thread are not working. If you have CR1KN or FWKNT, prepare for the remote possibility that those simply do not like to work with an Asus and then try out 604GC instead.

I assume your Asus worked fine with your Aurora's mio? I have various questions strewn in here, try to answer them all, then we'll go from there.

Thank you for the fast answer :D

i already ordered a new mio board , i will test everything that u listed.I'll give my answer as soon as possible.

i have the mio board MS-4195 V1.01 FMDKG

@Cass-Olé

New board is on the road , do u have a tuto for the installation ?

here at about halfway down:

• The ALX-Files: Success w/my Area 51 desktop Asus + Haswell 4770k + Command Center 2.08.11 = Proud new Poppa  / motherboard swap
• http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19523732
• both of my FMDKG's work w/aftrmrlkt mthrbrds, one worked right away, one I had to do a reset