Problem with MIO board and fans in Aurora R3 (2011)

Just a quick update to this situation, when I tried to downgrade the BIOS on the MIO board, it hung in bootstrap mode.  I was able to reinstall the most current CC and BIOS and got it back to 2.02.00, but still basically back to square one.

Interesting note, I do not appear to be able to control the PCI or HDD fans properly through the ThermalControls app.  If I either use the fixed value and drop the percentage down to at or near 0, or using the curve, and make the curve look basically flat line 0, both fans maintain running at 55%.  Unfortunately, I cannot really tell which fan(s) is making the continued noise, so I don't even know if it really is one or both of these fans that is the actual problem.  The behavior looks odd, though, so it makes me suspicious.

this is a recent issue within the past 2-4 weeks affecting most users. Area-51 & Aurora use a similar mio board so both models should be affected by W10 at some point in their life. I don't think there is a cure yet, just a random series of try this try that. the posts below are recent; you may've read one, a few or all, but there's our growing archive:

• Cooling Fan - Excessive Speed
• http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19649562
• Alienware Command Center Windows 10 , fan speed issues. Mostly cabinet fans
• http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19648599
• Alienware Area 51 R1 - Windows 10 Command Center PCI Fan Fix
• http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19649458
• Windows 10 Aurora R4 Fans
• http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19639308

Note: It is possible that CmndCntr 2.08.09 & 2.08.11 are both firmware version 2.02 & CmndCntr 3.5/3.6 are both 4.02 >< It's suggested that you might need W7 or 8 on its own hard drive in order to attempt repairs >< If Dell releases a fix it will be for Aurora R4 only >< the fans go to 100% at startup now in W10 because the mio board is showing 0% resistance to the fans; once the fans 'slow down again' it is because the mio board's kicking in & putting the necessary resistance in front of them; it is possible a fix or repair in 7/8 will induce a change (re-program) the mio to put resistance in front of the fans at startup; this has worked for some & not for others >< turn off fast startup as a possible 1st try at 'a fix' >< CmndCntr 2.08.11 requires .net framework 3.5; enabling .net3.5 regardless which CC version one uses might help; create a restore point 1st possibly, enable / turn on .net 3.5; if it helps leave it, if not restore back to before it was enabled. It's my bedtime I've about run out of ideas ... good luck 

post your problem at http://www.alienwarearena.com/forums/board/162/technical-support-1

Thanks for the links. I have, indeed, read some of them. It is funny you mention W10, as I didn't say anything about that in my post, but I have updated the system to W10, MS bugs and all. Thinking this might be the case for the original source of the problems, I have been doing all of this troubleshooting by way of the original W7 install on my old HDDs that I kept around after upgradingto an SSD.  I will read through the rest of these posts and see if there are any additional insights to be gleaned, and also see if I can snag a copy of CC 2.08.11, since it isn't shown as an available download for an R3 system.

Another point of note, I did convince the MIO board to backlevel the firmware to the 2.01 version eventually. Still seeing the same behavior, but maybe one more uninstall/reinstall to current will finally smack it into place. I will also try to summarize this stuff and pop it in the other forum you suggested.

Fans at 100% is affecting lots of owners, Markburv had this to say on page 2:

• Aurora-R3, Windows 10 compatible?
• http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19642047?pi21932=2
• 'Before I repaired CC using the uninstaller my fans were blowing 100% until CC loaded and then were stuck at a still very noisy 55%. Now with CC repaired I get 2 or 3 discrete revs before CC loads and 1 just before power off, a huge improvement and very acceptable minor issue compared to Win 7 which had no revs or fans stuck'.

AFAIK, only R4 is allowed to run CC 3.5/3.6. CC 2.08.11 is here:

• http://www.dell.com/support/home/ed/en/eddhs1/Drivers/DriversDetails?driverId=442CY&fileId=2990314836&osCode=W764

When you flash your mio with different versions of firmware you risk bricking it, the same way you risk bricking a mthrbrd during a bios update, so, do what we all do here & cross your fingers when you move between CmndCntr versions. Thankfully mio boards are affordable to replace on eBay these days (= It is best to uninstall CmndCntr 1st before moving to a different version (as opposed to an overlay on top of a version / installing 'over' that version).

Correct procedure to reinstall Command Center on Area-51 and Aurora systems

1. Uninstall Command Center from the Control Panel > Programs and Features.

2. Open My Computer, click Folder and Search Options, choose the View Tab and enable Show hidden files and folders. Click OK.

3. Go to C:/Program Data/Alienware/Command Center/Thermal Controls and delete the Profile.xml file.

4. Go to C:/Users/ /AppData/Local/Alienware/Alienware AlienFX/Themes and delete all *.ath files.

5. Verify that the device manager doesn't have any unknown devices under Universial Serial Bus Controllers. If there are unknown devices see note

6. Restart the computer.

7. Download the latest version of Command Center available and run it.

8. Complete the Alien Command Center installation by answer Yes to all dialogue pop-ups. During the installation process, the Master I/O board firmware will be updated. Do not shut down the computer at this time. If the firmware update process fails, please contact Alienware for support.

9. Restart the computer.

10. Verify that there are no Unknown devices under Universal serial Bus Controllers. If there are unknown devices see the note below.

11. Launch Command Center.

Note: If there are unknown devices on the device manager, or no device is detected please do the following: a. Verify the Master I/O board USB cable is properly connected to the motherboard and to the Master I/O board. b. Drain the MB power for 1 minute.

I've archived almost a dozen older CmndCntr versions at the bottom of the post below, any of which might work as a fix or brick your mio in the process of installing it (backwards-flashing from newer firmware to older firmware may result in a bricked mio). 2.08.11 / 2.08.09 are the newest versions, newest firmware & all versions before them are 'older' and have an associated risk of bricking the mio. We bust the older versions out for last, as a last resort. By putting the link in I'm leaving a crumb-trail for others:

• Area-51 R1 W10 Success CmndCntr & AlienFx 2.8.11.0 / 2.8.09.0 & Top Vents Issue / Fix
• http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19625158

At some point, some of us may need to consider a dedicated fan controller housed in the dvd bay to run the system fans as user / manually controlled if 100% can not be fixed in Area-51 / Aurora R1-R3. If Dell owes R4 a fix then we wait for it I suppose.

People have 11 more months to get their free W10, so, reverting back to 7/8 is always an option

Do you know if a device like the following would be able to take over control/ownership of the goofed up MIO board's fan controls?

http://www.frys.com/product/6433122

My concern is that even if replacing the MIO board works, it will simply go belly up again in time the way this one did, so this may wind up being the only permanent solution, since reverting back to W7 doesn't fix the issue (for me, at least).

Since I won't be fooling with W10 anytime soon, I can't troubleshoot a live system. Aurora has three fans:

• radiator / pci-e / hard drive
• I don't know if all three are going to 100% until someone says so
• it's as simple as disconnecting the pci-e & hard drive fans from the mio & listening to what the rad-fan does

If the rad-fan is ok? Then yes, a fan controller can handle the pci-e / hard drive fans no problem. If the rad-fan goes to 100%, a fan controller can still handle the duty but only if the user manually cranks it up & down when the cpu-temp calls for it, and only if the fan controller is rated for a high-power fan.

The fan controller you looked at (http://www.frys.com/product/6433122), the specs say it's rated at 12watts per channel. The rad-fan is 17w - 18w (volts x amps = watts --> 12volts x 1.5amps = 18watts). That fan controller handles a fan that's rated at 1amp (12volts x 1amp = 12watts). If your rad-fan is ok on start-up (when you tested it by disconnecting pci-e / hard drive fan), then yes, it can safely run the other two fans.If the rad-fan is affected too, you need a fan controller rated for 18watts+.

Nzxt Sentry Mesh is rated at 30w per channel (can handle the 18watt rad-fan for instance) & fits the drive bay without screws or a mod, a tad more robust than the aerocool:

• http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2047675.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xnzxt+sentry+mesh.TRS0&_nkw=nzxt+sentry+mesh&_sacat=0

if a fan controller provides wiring to reach the fan connectors, great; if not & your pci-e & hard drive fan need an extension to reach a controller you can look into these:

• search 4pin fan extension on eBay for instance
• http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=4PIN+FAN+EXTENION&LH_PrefLoc=1&_sop=10&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR2.TRC1.A0.H0.X4PIN+FAN+EXTENSION.TRS0&_nkw=4PIN+FAN+EXTENSION&_sacat=0

Someone mentioned a software-based program like MSI Afterburner & SpeedFan, but that was a while back & I doubted if they worked on our system fans (one, two, or all three).

The one step in there that I have not been following is to delete the .ath profile files between installations, unsure how much of a difference that particular step makes in the long run, but might be worth a shot.  I have updated to 2.8.11, as the most current version found when you look at the R3 on the Dell/Alienware site is 2.8.9, and it does not see .11 as an update internally.

I didn't even think about trying to move the fan controls over to an external solution outside of the Alienware CC/MIO solution.  I've got a replacement MIO board on order, but now I'm tempted to check the local electronics shop to see how much one of those controllers would run.

Again, thank you for all your assistance here.  As my system is out of warranty, I can expect no assistance from Alienware/Dell themselves, but c'est la vie.  I would just prefer to not have to do a complete system overhaul at this point in time, as otherwise the system runs beautifully and does everything I want and need of it.

generally the price has come down so far on mio boards that each owner would do well to have a spare on hand, so I do not think your purchase of another mio is was or will be in vain.

If you just installed 2.08.11 inside of Windows 7 and your fans still mis-behave? You can launch CC.exe again and attempt a 'repair', then reboot, see if it helped. I gave you links to steps like the pwr dissipation and jumper reset which are steps we'd take to correct mio/AlienFx errors inside of 7/8. Running the AlienFx tests either through 32bit diagnostics (on bootable cd/usb) or hitting ePSA at the bios screen may 'help' reset the mio board also. It is known that installing/reinstalling CmndCntr 'several times' may be in order.

Lastly, 2.08.11 requires .net framework 3.5 installed in order to work, you did install that right?

• http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=22

you'd have to check the aerocooler & sentry mesh etc, since the pci-e fan wears a 4pin fan connector. Any fan controller you shop for will need to have a provision to accept a 4pin fan connector. shop around 1st, since our system fans are generally 4pin-types. some fan controllers may only be set up for 3pin fans ...

sentry mesh only powers 3pin fan-types

the aerocooler has an unusual connector scheme, un-useable in Aurora without special adaptors

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/aerocool-f6xt-fan-controller-review/3/

if you needed a 4pin-to3pin adaptor you would look into these:

 http://www.ebay.com/itm/4Pin-PWM-Male-to-3Pin-Female-Adapter-Cable-Black-sleeved-CB-PWM-3F-/271136606286?hash=item3f2100484e

Otherwise, spend your time in search of a fan controller that can accept 4pin-types & be powerful enough to run 18watts per channel if needed.

hard drive & pci-e fan may both be 12watts (1amp), u can check yours, I can't check mine right now

u saw my edits above? it's a matter of shopping for the right type of fan controller, and if it needs 'help' to integrate with your 4pin pwm system fans you buy the right adaptors for it. it isn't a cheap work-around but it is a work-around for noisy fans.

A last resort is swapping out your 4pin fans for 3pin types in order to integrate with what are most likely 3pin fan controllers. sad but true. if a controller is rated at 12watts, then you could look into 3pin fans rated at 0.5amp - 1amp (6w - 12w)

As always, super helpful. I am pretty sure the rad fan is behaving itself, and just the PCI and HDD fans going wonky, but I can check on that. Only reason I was looking at the Aerocool is that I can get it locally and I would be able to return it easily in case of issues. Now that I know what to look for, that helps me narrow my search for potential solutions. You're a rock star, for sure. Much appreciated.

I have an Alienware R3 and everything was running reasonably smoothly on Windows 10 (yes I had to perform the  hard button power down trick during installation etc), but then a Windows 10 update  somehow totally destroyed my Alienware Control Center ALX coloured lights AND more importantly the FAN control and water cooling control and temperature sensor read outs (errors everywhere on display). So I tried the usual uninstalling/repairing/re-installing Alienware Control Center and no luck - the PCI fan was stuck on 50% always making a racket and the fan at the rear of the machine was not pulling out air and I suspect the water cooling was not working either. So I preformed the MIO board green jumper factory switch trick which is to simply move the two pin slot jumper to pins 2 and 3 instead of the usual pins 1 and 2 and do a restart after a power down with power drain and then I reverted the green jumper on the MIO board to pins 1 and 2 and did a restart after a power drain (the green jumper factor reset pins on the board has 3 pins and the jumper is two pins wide btw) BUT NO LUCK DOING THIS, fans stuck at 50% and Control center reporting errors with no ability to modify light colours or fans... So I identified the MIO power connector and unplugged it (with factory reset jumper on the default pins 1+2) and then I restarted Windows 10, I then shut down, reconnected the power connector on the MIO (white one on the bottom left of the board) and restarted and voila, the PCI fan above the MIO started whizzing fast at 100% ish and then I reinstalled Alienware Control Center ( V2.8.9.0, A02-00) AND GREAT IT ALL WORKED AGAIN.. I could control the fans/coloured lights etc manually or automatically all on Windows 10 !! and the fans are not constantly at 50% when the CPU etc is only at 28 degrees Celcious which was annoying.

Before when it wasn't working for Dell Diagnostics (hit F12 on bootup), I was getting a similar message to the one the other user in the thread above had something like .. "UTUSBTM DEVICE INITIALIZATION FAILURE, USER MUST REATTACH UNIT TO USB Port 3" - I did check the USB connection cable on the MIO to the Motherboard and everything looked secure so I didn't tamper with it. I think unplugging the MIO at the power connector, starting Windows 10 and then replugging forced Windows 10 to detect the MIO, in windows 10 it was showing as a failed USB device on Control Panel - Hardware Devices and Uninstalling it there achieved nothing. Also on the Dell Diagnostics when my MIO was playing up even though I got the UTUSBTM error message, I was not getting the device showing on the 'tree menu' or the 'coloured LED lights' on the tree menu either. One thing I must say about the Aurora R3 is that it is very particular about USB slots and what peripherals get detected or not, I cannot suddenly daisy chain my Razer Kraken 7.1 onto the Razer keyboard USB and then plug only the USB from the Razer keyboard into the front panel USBs on the Aurora R3 INSTEAD I have to plug the headset and the keyboard into two USBs at the front panel USBs (and the UDB headset/keyboard don't often work on the USB ports at the back of the R3). Occasionally the Logitech wireless mouse doesn't get detected and a restart is required, the wireless receiver for the mouse is on USB. Another thing - on the Windows 10 side I disabled the 'Fast Startup' on the Power Options and disabled the Power Options "USB Settings selective suspend" Setting when I was sorting this AW Control Center fan problem out.