17 R1, will not start up, 7 beeps

The good:  the CPU on these can be replaced.

The bad news:  this 7-beep error can be caused by a bad CPU for sure, but far more likely means it's the system board that's bad -- not the CPU.

If you are going to start replacing parts, the mainboard would be the first thing to replace -- not the CPU.

CPUs very rarely fail.  Mainboards much more commonly do.

Hi @Links22 !

I highly recommend you try using another AC adapter in another plug and I recommend you try this method.

Open the back panel and remove the battery connector from the board.

Hold the power button for 30 seconds.

let go of the button and plug the battery back on and then plug the charger in.

It should turn on the laptop.

Hi @Links22 welcome to this free user to user Alienware laptop discussion forum. This is not Dell Support. 

Understanding Beep Codes on a Dell Notebook PC | Dell US - How to Arrange an Out of Warranty Repair on Your Dell Computer | Dell US 

There is support/parts for a laptop more than 8 years old. This external Alienware 17 (R1) database includes Dell Part Numbers (DP/N): Dell Alienware 17 R1 Laptop Replacement Parts | Parts-People.com There is also $100 Dell Laptop Repair | Dell Repair | Laptop Repair | Notebook Service Center (parts-people.com) and Dell Service Manuals & How-To Videos Tutorials | Easy Laptop Repair Guides (parts-people.com) that includes videos on YouTube.  

There are many Dell PC discounted offers on the internet: Refurbished & Overstock Laptops, PCs, Monitors: Dell Outlet | Dell USA | Dell USA - Dell Refurbished - Dell Refurbished Off Lease Refurbished Laptops etc. Check to see if these offers include a Dell warranty. 

Clear CMOS. Try disconnecting the battery. Then disconnect the small battery on the motherboard for a few seconds

Thank you all for your responses to my plight. I do not have the battery connected anymore and just have my laptop plugged in to the wall(via adapter, of course). I had the thermal paste replaced and that helped for about a week and then the beeps started. I have very little experienced taking my laptop apart but will try to find steps on how to do so and try some of the suggestions provided (CMOS battery, etc).

Just for clarity, my laptop is an Alienware M17X. I have no indication anywhere that it is r1, r2, r3, etc.

Hey @Links22 !

There is a way to find out what model you have by searching up your service tag on Dell.com/support.

Then once you enter it, you can find out what model it is.

While a 7 Beep error is related to a CPU failure, these Intel processors are incredibly strong and do not fail often so the issue usually relates to a motherboard failure.It's hard to know though unless you test another CPU. You could try buying a cheap 4th gen i5 to test with but there is a 90% chance that the motherboard is bad.

I've worked on a lot of these laptops and I've had one i7-4910MQ that failed so it's possible.

Again I thank you all for your input. I now have my laptop stripped down. Holy screws, Batman! Anyways, it wasn't difficult and I have found the CMOS battery BUT, it is hidden underneath a bracket that I cannot find a way of removing. It is under the wifi card. Removing the wifi card is easy but although I can see the cmos battery, accessing it has me beat (so far).

Needs a lot of disassembly :

Alienware 17 Owner's Manual (dell.com)

@Links22 The only proper way to access the CMOS battery is to remove the motherboard. The 'non-proper' way is to cut the chassis next to the wi-fi card but I wouldn't suggest this.  

I wouldn't think that you'd need to remove the CMOS battery for your 7 beep issue though. 

When you put the screws for the palmrest back in just make sure you use the correct ones for each hole. they are marked with M2.5x8 (8mm) or M2.5x3 (3mm), etc. Don't put an 8mm screw in a 3mm hole or you will damage the palmrest.

Thanks again, all, for your input. I decided to fork out some dough and buy a new laptop. I'll keep my old Alienware 17 and tinker with it. I've rather enjoyed learning the internals and the disassemble/re-assemble process. I will also go back into it and hopefully find out where these 4 extra screws belong...lol. I've removed my hard drive and bought an external hard-drive enclosure today. Data on hard-drive appears to be intact.

@Links22 good luck with the new laptop. Hopefully your old 17 finds new life at some stage down the track. My guess is that the motherboard needs to be replace but a $50 CPU may even do the trick (rare but not impossible). You could send it to me and I'd work it out pretty quick as I have spare boards and CPU's to test with but I'm in Australia and I'm assuming you're in the US so that wouldn't be cost effective. 

We have a Discord Server for people who love to tinker with the older Alienware systems so feel free to join if you like. 

https://discord.gg/mcySfW6q

Thanks! I've followed these steps. Very invaluable for a "newbie".