Error on boot: Alienware AlienFX Controller

My M18X R2 failed again tonight. Yesterday spent over an hour with support. Flashed Bios. Tried to restore (it did not work)

Finally started working.

Tonight when failure started most items in the control panel were  inop..

Booted from the repair disk and attempted a system restore to 9/1. it ended saying that it could not restore. Rebooted the system. Came up saying it HAD restored and wanted a restart. Restarted and checked for updates. Now wants to do 24 updates (like all of the Sept updates including those we got last week?) I have just disabled ALL updates.

I think you can play with the Command Center all you want and it will not fix this problem. We all were affected in the last week or so AFTER a major MS update Tuesday. DUU?  Google for MS update problems. There is a problem in Redmond. Looks like they are putting out updates before full testing.

ADDITIONAL INFO

My Inspiron 15R is failing with the same symptoms. Of course it doesn't get the error from Alienware. However it won't connect to the lan, and most of the control panel in non functional. It got the same updates last Tuesday. Go figure. I have an image from several weeks ago and am currently restoring it from a backup. My ASUS MB has not been affected "yet". Will post progress. Looks like maybe Dell needs to get with MS ASAP!

I have the same problem this morning on my m14x r2.   It was fine when I go to bed.....      

I have the same error and called Dell Support. They refused to help me as my M17xR4 was out of warranty. I was able to start in Safe Mode but unable to restore from an earlier load point. I tried a multitude of things before backing up documents and pictures and then reloading from the original configuration. The error went away but I lost all the programs I had loaded, bookmarks and settings. The fact that this is a $2,500 machine and came loaded with Alienware and Windows 7 I would expect that Dell would assist in resolving an issue that was created by a critical update. I realize that MS occasionally messes up, no one is perfect.  But Dell refusing to assist?   .  I'll never recommend an Alienware to anyone.

Not sure what support we get from Dell when out of warranty. There is probably some extended warrantee that can be purchased. This is getting interesting. I have the following machines:
IBM T61 Laptop WORKING
Toshiba Satellite Laptop WORKING
ASUS MB homebuilt WORKING
Alienware M18X-R2 FAILING
Dell Inspiron 15R FAILING

The failure apparently shows up as an Alienware problem on an Alienware device. Both failing machines will not connect to lan, Control Panel items inop, Can sometimes be restored from the repair disk. What happened to me, I did a restore and that restore had auto updates on. Everything working fine- until on shutdown it installed the offending 24 updates from last Tuesday. So I restored again with my network powered down. No way to get updates. Deleted all files in the Software Distribution download folder. Turned auto updates to NEVER! Seems to be doing fine. MS has had the update problems for a while. There are many hits on-line showing this. Could our ROCKSTAR chime in here and possibly assist with escalating this to Dell? Dell is responsible for Windows support on  their preloaded machines. I will be calling back to support this AM. Will keep you posted of any progress.

The fact that this is a $2,500 machine and came loaded with Alienware and Windows 7 I would expect that Dell would assist in resolving an issue that was created by a critical update.  I realize that MS occasionally messes up, no one is perfect.  But Dell refusing to assist?  I'll never recommend an Alienware to anyone.

lol...but not really, I know what you mean man; you pay out the  for a killer machine and then they want you to pay out the  for a warranty. If you don't have the warranty then it's like " " I guess. Mine expired on 9/18. I saved up for the machine because I needed a laptop for school but I also needed to game because that's how I "stay connected" to a lot of family. They wanted $280  to renew it for 2 years. May not seem like much, but to a working/married/college student it is. 

I started having this issue a couple days ago.

After reading here, I uninstalled the command center and rebooted.

No issues

re-installed the latest version of command center (I went from 2.7 to 2.8)

Reboot 

Same errors...

Uninstalled and I seem to be OK, however it would be nice for a fix to this issue for CC.

scoTt

Just an update from my previous post. Yesterday I flashed the bios to A12 (the one listed on my downloads page). Since then I haven't had performance issues, but I feel like the problem isn't 100% licked. Once and a while the computer will say my internet connection is gone (it isn't, but it's the wireless connection that's complaining and I'm plugged into the router) and once it said my security was off (it wasn't). I have not reinstalled alien command center. I agree with the posts that say this isn't about the command center, it's just one of the programs having trouble since the Microsoft update. I'm curious now that people with the problem use for virus protection. I use Microsoft Security Essentials.

I am also using the Microsoft Security Essentials.

I also have an also dell XPS M1530, but have not seen any issues there. It is a different OS though (Vista 32 bit Vs Win7 64)

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scoTt

No. I haven't tried that. I'm not that tech savvy to start deleting files. Hopefully, Dell (or whoever is responsible) will fix this issue before too long.

Wait for it...

Wait for it....

Key the We're not responsible posts!

Okay, i'll give that a try and see what happens.

Thanks!

Could our ROCKSTAR chime in here and possibly assist with escalating this to Dell?

Dell is aware. They have known since the beginning because Dell-Milena-M was helping originally.

No. I haven't tried that. I'm not that tech savvy to start deleting files.

I went through a day of nonsense. Then, read on some forum that it was antivirus causing the problem. So, I uninstalled MSE and it works perfectly now. The only problem is I cannot find any posts about the best antivirus to use on my M17x R4. Surfing without antivirus on the edge...

I went through a day of nonsense. Then, read on some forum that it was antivirus causing the problem. So, I uninstalled MSE and it works perfectly now.

Have you tried using MSE, but Excluding the folder C:\Program Files\Alienware ? Or whatever it is on AW laptops ... possibly including other folders where CC deposits files.