17 R1, freezes when installing graphics driver

Try using the AMD driver cleaner available at their web page here. Clean out all traces of drivers for the GPU and try installing only the Dell version of driver. The GPU may be listed in Device Manager as either Microsoft Graphic adapter, or possibly with another MS installed AMD driver.

Thank you for your replies.

The AMD driver cleaner put the laptop in safe mode and did what it needed to do. The laptop rebooted and I tried installing the driver from the Dell support page.

The laptop froze when the installer showed "Currently Installing: AMD Display Driver"

Was using AMD Catalyst Install Manager Version 08.00.0916

I confirmed on the System page that I have Windows 10 64-bit installed.

Any other thoughts on the subject? I'm swaying between frustrated and depressed because of this.

crimson, I have never used that tool before. Do I just run it and leave it or am I supposed to run it and do something while it's running?

Hi @BobbyB999 welcome to this free user-to-user Alienware laptop discussion forum. 

Please check that Windows 10, 64-bit has been installed. If Windows 10, 32-bit installed, revisit Windows 10 installation files and upgrade to 64-bit. This change will use the same Microsoft product licence. 

Hi @BobbyB999 thank you for sharing update. 

Pease run windows Reliability Monitor and wait for event timeline to be created. Hopefully, the windows operating system is complaining and creating critical events, open event to reveal root cause and Microsoft error code. How to use Windows Reliability Monitor to identify software issues | Dell US 

Hi @BobbyB999 thank you for sharing update. 

Installer Error 1624 means there was an error applying transforms and update address is not available. Please download the update package from website onto your Alienware 17, verify the checksum value to ensure the integrity of your download file, and install using Run as administrator. If windows update software already installed, it should automatically download file and install, then Restart (not Shut Down) to save change to operating system. 

The Free MD5 & SHA Checksum Utility, or similar should be used to verify the checksum value.  

Never try and install updates over the internet. Always download file and then install. 

The Reliability Monitor shows "Windows Installer installed the product. Product Name: AMD Catalyst Install Manager. Product Version: 8.0.916.0. Product Language: 1033. Manufacturer: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.. Installation success or error status: 1624"

Googled error 1624 which showed "Error 1624 means that the during the update installation, Windows installer was not able to find the original product installation content and could not resolve the path to the transforms file (. mst file)."

Don't know what that means.

First of all, thank you very much for trying to help me!

When you write "Please download the update package", what update package are you referring to? Do you mean the Dell Update Application Win 32 that I see listed on the website?

I've working on quite a few 17's and I've come across two AMD machines with the M290x that had the same issue. In both instances it was a faulty graphics card. The system would freeze randomly even when just on the desktop and before a driver could even be installed. I'd have to do a hard forced shutdown. 

Without a driver installed the card should show as a Basic Microsoft Display Adapter. 

"The system would freeze randomly even when just on the desktop and before a driver could even be installed."

The laptop froze earlier today when it wasn't being used. Had to hold down the power button again.

How can I find out what graphics cards will work in my older laptop?

Thank you!

Hi @BobbyB999 Thank you for sharing request clarification. 

Alienware 17 AMD Radeon R9 M290X Graphics Driver | Driver Details | Dell US. This package contains the AMD Radeon R9 M290X graphics driver version 15.200.1045. There are no Older driver versions. Always download file, verify the checksum value, and then install, followed by Restart (not Shut Down). 

You can visit other Dell compatible systems, to determine if they have a more recent GPU AMD driver version. 

Just froze again.

A bad graphics card, even without its drivers installed, will make the laptop freeze?

@BobbyB999 easiest thing to do is remove the card and see if it still freezes. If it does then it's pretty much going to be the card that's bad. Probably a bad vRAM chip but it could be any PCB component, even the GPU chip. There are guys who can test and replace the chips pretty easily but it's beyond my skills.

There are many cards that will work but Nvidia has the widest range. You can just replace it with another M290x/8970M or you can get an Nvidia 700M or 800M series card. Most of these will work without having to do much work but you can also install a 970M, 980M, 1060 or 1070 but it depends how much you want to spend. These cards will require a modded Nvidia driver.

Hi @BobbyB999 thank you for speculating that the graphics card may be bad. 

Please install and run the free HWiNFO64 diagnostic software to analyse your hardware. Look at System Summary - GPU (on RH side), to see Integrated and Discrete GPU, toggle between GPU #0 and GPU #1. HWiNFO64 should diagnose the status of GPU hardware on both original MXM cards. 

If HWiNFO64 diagnostic software did not find Integrated and/or Discrete GPU, please reseat the MXM card to reinstate good electrical connection. Alienware 17 Owner's Manual (dell.com) page 43 (Removing the Video Card) & page 44 (Replacing the Video Card). 

crimson, when I switch to GPU #1, HWinFO64 does show an AMD Radeon HD 7950M/8970M card.