Command Center Problems (I know, another one!!)

First of all, "in place upgrades" or OS overlays almost never work smoothly.

Second, if you must do one ... I would suggest you remove all additional hardware and USB devices first. You should also uninstall your Anti-Virus temporarily. Since you can't remove the AlienFX device (MIO Board) ... I would instead uninstall Command Center first and reboot before doing the upgrade.

But it sounds like you already did it, so ... uninstall any traces of the old CC (look in Programs and Features) and install a new fresh copy.

CC has to be installed separately. As it appears you don't have the installer, just go to Dell's driver download page and get the current version.

The Command Center is the main reason why I personally will never buy another Alienware.

When the M17x R1 was released the CC allowed total flexibility over AlienFX with liquid smooth morphing. Earlier R2's received a new CC that was still relatively smooth but had lost the option to configure speakers separately. The final release ruined everything making it impossible to get any kind of fluid morphing and removing the fast tempo option that was so wonderful in the R1's CC.

Those of us with R2's have been patiently awaiting a new version of the CC that addresses these issues however, since R3 was released Dell seem to have abandoned R2 customers entirely. For some people, AlienFX is not very important but to others, it played a large part in their decision to purchase an Alienware ...and I'm one such person.

I'm sorry.  I did not explain myself correctly  I did not do an upgrade from Home to Ultimate.  I took out the hard drive loaded with Home, replaced the hard drive with another, and loaded Ulitmate on a newly reformatted hard drive.

Also, the MIO board is recognized every time I try to load CC.  Can anyone give me a list of the Alienware applications that I should have?  The original hard drive from the Area 51 ALX is loaded into my Aurora ALX and working quite well.

The CC is a bundled, package of apps. You don't have (or probably don't have an option) to install it seperately.

Here's a breakdown of CC, hopefully it'll help you verify :

-AlienFusion

-AlienFX Controller

-AlienFX Editor

-Thermal Controller

-(Don't forget TactX apps, if you have TactX hardware!)

I don't think you're supposed to use the CC that came with the Resource DVD, so I guess you can head over to the Drivers and Downloads section on the Dell website and grab the CC installer.

Agreed, I got rid of my Resource DVD for fear that I may accidently toast my PC.

How insane is it that if you possibly but more than likely re instal the CC from the dvd shipped with your system that you may fry your m/b so to speak, that's like if you buy a new car dont expect to use the spare wheel in the trunk as doing so will more than likely result in the wheel coming off as your travelling down the interstate!!!

Bare with me here now why the hell was there an update made and published that would be in conflict with all the owners that recieved the dvd with the CC on it for the purposes of reinstalling software required for their systems that may be needed at a later date, only to fry their systems m/b if it was required.

Does it matter on the model mine was new when i purchased it and i shouldn't have to have a new update be coded with data that is going to fry some major part of my system which i paid over four thousand dollars for.

I thought that only related to older machines. For example, with my first M17x R2 purchased last October, Chris said not to use the resource DVD but when my replacement came in March this year the resource DVD was not the same. I still won't use it because I already downloaded everything from Dell's site.

I believe, and perhaps Dell_Chris can elaborate, the problem may be a confilct between the Firmware on the MIO board and CC software. Thus if there was an update of the Firmware (mine was done when AW updated my CC software which included an updated firmware). the software on the Resourse Disk is too old to work with that firmware.

If my assumption is correct, then, to ovoid this potentially costly and certainly aggrevating problem, Dell should preferably try to upgrade the software to check when installing it that it is compatible with the firmware, and if not provide instruction on getting the needed version rather than proceeding with the installation.  Similarly, if CC when Windows tries to initialize it could perhaps first check for compatibility and not initialize if not compatible but provide an appropriate message upon starting Windows.  That way one of the Respawn problem may be overcome.  At a minimum, the Resourse Disk shouldn't include CC but a simple bat providing detaile on how to receive the latest software. And to avoid customers being anoid on having to download it rathe than finding it on the disk, include the reason.

Yes Chris_Dell's note is great, but not everyone reads it and more importantly not every AW user will be on this forum or does a prior goodle search for CC to "maybe" get to Chris_Dell's note.

Of course this doesn't fix the problem for existing Resourse DVD's or users of existing CC versions.  .

I haven't updated the bios but still why code a new CC that can be so destructive to any previous version/s of other software thats related in anyway?

When the machine was shipped, that which was on the resources DVD was current however since then your machine has likely had its drivers and BIOS updated. When you reinstall Windows the BIOS remains the same so installing a Command Center designed to work with the old version is probably a recipe for disaster.

My CC software has been working well for sometime now so I don't want to jinks it...I event found a working FIX for the "Events" which I had posted sometime ago.......Although I can offer no help to your situation, My opinion is that this CC "bells and whistles" software is tempremental, at best, and not very dependable system to system.

Good Luck

I pointed it out because a friend of mine got the defected version of CC with his DVD. He purchased his PC quite recently, yet he still received the old package; screwed up his PC; needed a change of hardware.

<< I event found a working FIX for the "Events" which I had posted sometime ago >>

Any chance of the link to that please? Alternatively, perhaps you can explain it again. ;)