M15X Lighting Problem

I have recently been sent an M15X due to a problem with a Studio XPS1640 ( Bios problem, not yet sorted). Starting the M15X I noticed that McAfee Security Centre showed the firewall as switched off. I clicked to turn it on, but within a short time it switched off again. I therefore decided that the best solution was to remove McAfee and then re-install it. The uninstall appeared to go OK but on restarting just a flashing cursor, no access to f12. I therefore reloaded Windows 7 from the supplied disk only to find that I could not use the Recovery Partition to reload the system. I therefore used the Resource DVD to load the drivers and, as I found to my cost, when I installed Command Centre from the DVD, it killed all lighting. After the support person in India tried to get the lighting working again without success, the motherboard was replaced. All seemed OK at this point, all new drivers from the website were installed and everything worked fine.

I went away for a few days and when I returned started to load the normal programmes onto the M15X, all still OK. I then shut the computer down overnight. On restarting all went as normal until the Alienware log under the screen (zone 8) flashed red and went out. All other zones were still on so I checked with Command Centre which said that the logo should be lit. I shut the computer down and restarted, just in case of a problem with the programme, still zone 8 not lit but an error message which matched that when the MIO board stopped working. I checked Device Manager and there is an Unknown Device shown, no other information. As the problems have been dealt with at Dell Board level, I contacted the email address of the guy in India, who has not had the decency to contact me. I suspect that this is yet another motherboard replacement, so now 2 motherboards within 3 weeks, is this a record??

Why is Dell sending out M15X's with a DVD which can effectively destroy part of the motherboard (MIO)? This is, I found out later, a known fault so the DVD should have been withdrawn until a replacement with the correct drivers was produced. I also found that the video drivers for my M15X were NOT on the DVD, I needed the ATI drivers not the nVidia ones on the DVD. I've now made my own Resource DVD with the newest drivers from the website along with the correct video drivers, the Alienware one will be filed in the round filing cabinet on the floor, the rubbish bin.

I am now wondering when something is going to happen about this duff motherboard. Boy, am I glad I didn't pay the price listed for this computer!