Aurora R4, AWCC stopped working

MIO AlienF/X daughterboard is pretty simple in that it only needs 4pin Molex-Peripheral power (17) & the double-ended USB communication / comm cable plugged into MIO USB2.0 header (25) & a motherboard USB2.0 header

With power on, the MIO board has a glowing LED light to denote it is on / has power

From there, confirm the top light strip (cooling motor 7pin / radiator fan etc) cable connector is plugged into the light strip & into the MIO board (18)

C: > Program Files > Alienware > Command Center > find AlienFXTester, launch it: a connected & working MIO board will have a firmware version listed as above … unconnected, non-working 'off-line' board will instead say 'no board detected' … if no board is detected, generally it means it has no 4pin power (17) or the USB cable is disconnected (at Mio, at motherboard, or both), or it could mean the board died & needs replaced

The jumper reset trick can sometimes resolve the no board detected error

Generally, here, I goto Control Panel > System & Security > System > Device Manager > scroll to & open Human Interface Devices & also to Universal Serial Bus Controllers 1) with system on, running, carefully reach in & disconnect the MIO USB cable connector from the motherboard header 2) at same time, 'watch' for a change in HID Devices & USB controllers … did any line item disappear? (it should have) … now carefully reconnect the USB connector back into motherboard header … did any item in HID/USB reappear? It should have. If nothing happened either time in Device Manager then the MIO is offline for reasons unknown ...

Make sure factory green jumper is on the correct poles seen below, make sure 4pin power is applied & USB cable connected at both ends (MIO/Motherboard) & Orange/Amber LED light is on… report back

Orange LED with power on / 4pin connected (17)

Above, there are three USB2.0 headers, & two USB cables. One of the USB cables above is for MIO, the other is for the top external USB ports by the Alienhead/audio portion up top

1st, confirm a USB2.0 header works by inserting a flash/pen/thumb drive up top (open device manager if u like & note the change if your USB drive works). If it does work, find the USB cable & unplug it (note device manager), & now disconnect the MIO USB & connect it into the header that just was for the USB drive & note device manager, did it itemize the MIO board?, it should have … from there u can test the USB header that was not in use & see if it works with a USB drive & then the MIO (above it is empty USB_1)

Hopefully u can prove USB_1/2/3 all work with the USB drive, & if so then the MIO board should have three confirmed working USB headers

If you then launch AlienFXTester & it says no board detected, I'd say the USB cable needs replaced or the MIO board needs replaced. If the 4pin power is connected but the LED light is off, then either the MIO board needs replaced or the PSU itself --> w/system on, unplug 4pin from MIO, use voltmeter to test for 5volts (RED WIRE) & 12volts (YELLOW WIRE) relative to ground (BLACK WIRE)

Thank you for the reply! 

Ok so the fxtester shows no board. The orange led is lit up, showing i have power. My fans and leds are all on and running at normal speed. 

I have put the mioboard usb into each slot. 1,2,3 with no change. My upper usbs do work. 

I did a resistance check and checked for shorts in the mio to mother board usb cable and all checks are normal. 

The mioboard is brandnew. Is there a software/firmware i needed to manually install when the board has been replaced? I assumed since its usb that it automatically picked it up and installed. ? 

When monitoring the device manager when unplugging the mioboard the human interface devices do not change. The universal serial bus controller drops 2 usb devices when unplugged and readds when plugged back in. Ive checked for updates on all showing usb devices with none available. 

The green jumper pin is in the correct position. 

When i unplug the 4 pin connector with pc on the orange light stays lit. Is this normal? Light only shuts off when usb disconnected. 

I haven't tested connector 4 for voltage yet as it has power, but i can still do that test if you recommend it. 

Even though my usb ports on the pc seem to work, is there a chance the motherboard is failing? 

Even though the cable passed the resistance and short test could it still be causing a fault? I deal with automotive electrical all the time, not sure if pc logistics are the same. 

I assume you've encountered some of the help posts here at the Dellware forum already (Desktop Command Center Issues with fans, lights, or vents & MIO (Master Input/Output) Troubleshooting & Policy) ... some general thoughts below, & I also gave ideas in MIO Board Died & MIO Board Issue

*Note: when instructions = 'hit F12 & run diagnostics on MIO', the R4 model can not do it, R1-R3 models can

I took this screenshot of my Device Manager a few minutes ago, MIO board has two entries, one of which is the Filter Driver. Since your MIO has no entries there, it's a product of 'not being detected' which is the issue that needs fixed. The Filter driver installs when CmndCntr installs, it lists under HID Devices when board is detected, &, if board is detected then the board's firmware already did install at some point in its life (at the factory, or during an owner install of CmndCntr) & board will update to a newer firmware version when 'newer CmndCntr versions' are installed by owner

"Is there a software/firmware i needed to manually install when the board has been replaced? I assumed since its usb that it automatically picked it up and installed?" ... that can only happen if board is detected during the CmndCntr install itself, if no board detected during install then firmware can not install onto it. It should have a firmware version on it already, but, that's moot if it isnt detected by motherboard/Windows etc

I can't know if your board arrived good or not, I agree that because it's 'new' it should work; the fact it appears to have 4pin power, has USB cable connected at both ends on a tested/working USB2.0 header, Device Manager notes a change when USB connector disconnected from header & notes change (discovers device) when plugged back in & green jumper is in correct position doesn't inspire confidence though, it's possible the onboard controller firmware is corrupt / soft-bricked so my advice is to keep trying a Jumper Reset (to 'reset' the controller), while sprinkling in a Power Dissipation Reset (*PDR*) inbetween tries, & try that perhaps 4 times before giving up, see below

*PDR* = unplug PC/PSU wall cord > press top power button down for 30-60sec to release / drain any residual power > let sit for 1min > plug wall cord back in

Desktop MIO (Master I/O) board Jumper Reset

• Shut down the PC (Turn power off)
• DO PDR
• Open side panel & battery cover & find MIO board
• Using the Green jumper on the MIO board, note which pins it's connected to now (return the jumper to those pins when finished, below) now install the jumper onto the other 2 pins
• Power the PC on for 30 seconds. If it goes into Windows, do a proper shutdown (Turn power off)
• DO PDR
• Remove the MIO board jumper completely
• Power the PC on for 30 seconds. If it goes into Windows, do a proper shutdown (Turn power off)
• DO PDR
• Return the MIO board jumper to the original 2 pins
• Power the PC on, launch CmndCntr, launch AlienFXTester, is MIO board firmware version detected? Is 'no board detected'? If no board detected, re-do Jumper Reset + PDR Resets 2-3 more times *see note below*
• R1 R2 R3 models, continue below
• Press F12 at the BIOS screen
• Cursor down to the Utility Partition [press Enter] 
• Run the diagnostics on the MIO board. This will test it and sometimes resets it so that it will work the next time the Command Center is loaded fresh
• If all test pass, boot into Windows and load the Command Center Clean

• R1 R2 R3 models, Download Alienware 32-Bit Diagnostics & follow Installation Instructions / Create Media / Boot into Media & run diagnostics on MIO board: MIO board must be detected 1st, if it is not you must correct the issue before Diagnostics can work

*Note 1* Tech Support has two methods for how to perform a Jumper Reset

1) Power Off > move jumper to other poles (power down) > remove jumper completely (power up / power down), return jumper to original poles (power up)

2) Power Off > move jumper to other poles (power down) > return jumper to original poles (power up)

3) I instruct to perform PDR's inbetween those steps above

*Note 2* The fact 'two methods exist' is of interest, 'which method is superior' has no immediate answer, & where Method #1 urges the step or instance to 'remove jumper completely', that too is of interest, since it implies that when I inform owners to perform a Jumper Reset 3-4 times (using method #1, & eventually remove jumper completely), if method #2 is also valid, an owner can optionally try BOTH methods 3-4 times each

Example: perform Method #1 (with PDR's inbetween steps) > if AlienFXTester shows no board detected afterwards, power down & perform Method #2 next > if no board detected then go back to Method #1, then #2 etc such that Jumper Resets of both types / methods have been performed 3-4 times each. It's what I would do here & what I suggest owners do there (end *Note)

The fact someone could buy & properly install what should be a fully working MIO that can't be 'detected', & I can not help them get it to work, would be no surprise to me anyways ... in that case perhaps someone else has ideas. Given the age of MIO boards these days & the fact we cant know if 'new / new other / open box / used' MIO's would/could/should truly work on delivery or truly will not (true state of condition before install) is also a point of interest. When 'nothing' seems to work (old board failed somehow & now new board fails) I suggest buying & trying another new board til one works, sad but true, thankfully some are inexpensive

There are three part#'s for MIO boards, ALX models get 2JXP2, non-ALX P0GVP or V51MH --> Under a generic eBay/USA search of 'Alienware Master' (price = low to high), I see a potential inexpensive test board V51MH for $13/mailed ... I'd buy it, put it in, see if it's detected, if it isnt, perform jumper resets & hope it comes online ... You have the option to return the original MIO you had prior & try resets on it also

"When i unplug the 4 pin connector with pc on the orange light stays lit. Is this normal? Light only shuts off when usb disconnected" ... I guess, I havent tried to disconnect 4pin power from mine w/system on, I assumed the orange LED denoted power to the board & turned off when power removed, it was a guess for what Aurora MIO should do since it turns off in the similar Area-51 MIO board when power is removed. I doubt it staying on is of interest to us

Feel free to test for 5volts red / 12volts yellow / black grounds w/a voltmeter, but yes if your fans & liquid cooler work that kind of tells us it's getting power

"Even though my usb ports on the pc seem to work, is there a chance the motherboard is failing?" ... I don't know ... with MIO USB plugged in + powered up, with a Thumbdrive in your external USB ports, open Device Manager, expand HID + USB items, reinstall your USB drivers & see if MIO board (& Thumb drive) gets detected afterwards or after the restart. If yes to thumb drive & no to MIO, switch the USB connectors at the motherboard header & see if that helps, it may not

Even though the cable passed the resistance and short test could it still be causing a fault? ... not likely, but here is one

Unfortunately that didnt help either. Was going to try reinstalling windows when another bunch of controls stopped working.. from what im seeing and testing the motherboard must have just givin up. Pc wont even do a full start half the time now, just powers on fans and powersupply. The computer is from 2012 and its definitely got its use. 

So time to bite the bullet and upgrade! New custom alienware ryzen r10 ordered last night. 

Kinda su*cks as i just dumped $600 in upgrades over the past 6 months, but will just keep those items for a build as this new one specs out much better.

Thank you for your help!! Have a good one. 

Figured id share an update incase anyone else ran into same issue. Got my new r10! So decided to wipe the r4, upgraded to windows 10 and performed a full fresh install. And magically everything works! Usb ports are no longer randomly making the ding noise as if something was plugged in or unplugged. Command center works, all fan and temp readings working and fx working perfectly. So im gunna say there was a glitch in my windows 7 software. So now my husband has a computer to game on.