Technical problem - lights remain on after shutting down

Question

My brand new Aurora desktop is only a few weeks old. Yet an issue has come up.

Symptoms:-

1) When the system is shut down (not into sleep mode), both the AlienHead logo light and the front panel lower bezel light remain ON

2) This was not so when the system first arrived. This began to happen just a few days ago.

3) This is not a 'repeatable' issue. I mean, sometimes the lights do go off. But other times, they remain on.

This is the most peculiar thing of this problem!!

4) When this happens, I turn the system on and then shut it down again. So far, this action fixes the problem.

What I have tried:-

1) Followed the steps in the link below but this does not solve the problem.

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kcs/document?c=us&cs=19&docid=541817&doclang=en&l=en&s=dhs

One uncertainty is step 8 where it says 'disable the lights'. But under 'System State', there is not option concerning 'Shut down' but only for 'Sleep mode'.

Regardless, I have assigned the color black for positions 1 (AlienHead logo) and 4 (front panel lower bezel) for the 'Sleep mode'. But this does not work.

2) Disabled the AlienFX in the Windows System Tray

3) Tried to update the AlienFX software but it says I am using the latest version

Anyone knows anything about this problem?

Please help. Thanks!!!

morblore · Answer

This issue with ACC has been around since Dell released their first Alienware Desktops. All you can do is pull the power cable and then hold the power button down for 30secs to reset it.

It will do it again though. About every 10th shutdown or so the front panel lights will stay on requiring you to reset it again.

angsaysrawr · Answer

You can also try disabling AC Recovery in the Power Management section of the BIOS.

mikeyfox · Answer

morblore and angsaysrawr, thank you both for responding!

I will try both suggestions.

So, this issue is a known and long standing issue with Alienware Command Center software? This is my first Alienware desktop and so I do not know the history. I have been using Dell XPS desktops in the past.

Is there a Dell/Alienware technical bulletin or note addressing this issue? If yes, please post the link.

Would a forum moderator please comment on this?

As this is a software bug, I hope Alienware will release a version of ACC that will fix this issue.

Thank you in advance.

morblore · Answer

morblore and angsaysrawr, thank you both for responding!

I will try both suggestions.

So, this issue is a known and long standing issue with Alienware Command Center software? This is my first Alienware desktop and so I do not know the history. I have been using Dell XPS desktops in the past.

Is there a Dell/Alienware technical bulletin or note addressing this issue? If yes, please post the link.

Would a forum moderator please comment on this?

As this is a software bug, I hope Alienware will release a version of ACC that will fix this issue.

Thank you in advance.

There are 3 common issues with the ACC software that has never been fixed.

Front bezel lights stay on after shutdown and vents stay opened.
Side panel flickers to another color and then back again
Ambient temps read zero.

Most of the time 1 and 3 will happen at the same time. To fix it you just shutdown, pull power plug and hold power button for 30sec. This resets it and makes it work again but it will come back. 2 is very random and will come and go.

Do a forum search here for this and you will find posts going all the way back to 2009 on this. Here are just a few, there are many, many more on this. Dell knows about it and they have tried to fix it a few times but never did. It's not as bad as it used to be but the issue is still there and pops up from time to time.

This happens with fully functioning MIO boards and ACC software. Most of the time there is nothing wrong with the systems that do this. Resinstalling the ACC or replacing the MIO board or any other system part/software/driver will not fix it.

It used to do this about every other shutdown and was a real pain. They got it to where it only does it about every 10 shutdowns or so which makes it much more tolerable.

http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/p/19329759/19686997.aspx#19686997

http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19318429.aspx?PageIndex=1

http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/p/19311257/19615207.aspx#19615207

http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/p/19325894/19671810.aspx#19671810

http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/p/19420718/19988660.aspx#19988660

http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/p/19324931/19668106.aspx#19668106

http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/p/19332745/19698289.aspx#19698289

http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/p/19400648/19935191.aspx#19935191

morblore · Answer

You can also try disabling AC Recovery in the Power Management section of the BIOS.

On or off makes no difference unfortunately.

My personnal experience with this has been I'v gone through something like 5 or 6 MIO boards. I have gone through 3-5 motherboard replacments. I have used every version of ACC made. No combination of ACC/Settings/Hardware/Drivers/BIOS has ever fixed this issue for me. It has been made to happen less frequently with each new release of ACC but it has never been fully resolved.

I believe it's ether the ACC software or a bad MIO design causing it. I don't think I have seen anyone with the x51 complain about these 3 very common issues. The x51 systems use a different MIO board so maybe it's the MIO board doing it. I really don't know and apparently nether does Dell.

Alienware-L_Por · Answer

You can also try this other article for a resolution.

mikeyfox · Answer

Thank you all for responding. I appreciate every reply.

@Luis, I have already tried the resolution described in that article, as mentioned in my first post.

Unfortunately, this does not eliminate the issue.

One uncertainty that I have is about step 8 concerning 'disable the lights'. I suppose choosing the color black is equivalent to disabling the lights. Am I correct? I do not see any option to disable the lights under 'Sleep mode'.

Alienware-L_Por · Answer

Do not disable, just switch to black.

tqwert1 · Answer

Unbelievable that this is clearly a known defect and hasn't been fixed. For about 25% more than I would have paid from another company for the same machine, and twice what it would have cost me to assemble myself, is it too much to ask that a key part actually works? I have no idea if my computer is going into sleep mode rather than shutting down, or the Master I/O board just simply doesn't work. All I know is that when I shut my Aurora down, the front alienhead light flashes non-stop, like the original poster. The suggested solutions are ludicrous. Turning the light color to black on sleep doesn't address the problem, it just hides it. I have to assume that if this obvious aspect of my machine was so obviously broken right out of the box, other things not so obvious might be broken too. So I just requested and received a return label from Dell, and I am sending my machine back for a refund tomorrow. Ridiculous.

I escalated this issue.

I understand it's likely too late to help you, but maybe the next customer can be spared the problem. However, I don't agree this problem is a sign that the machine contains other hidden problems. The other parts either work properly or they don't. These machines are fairly complicated and extreme.

Tesla1856 · Answer

You can also try this other article for a resolution.

While I don't agree this is a "deal breaker" ...

I don't think disabling the machine's whole Sleep Mode or USB Selective Suspend function in Power Profile is a proper solution. Both of these have major system consequences.

I'm not sure, but it seems the MIO-Board is mis-interpreting OFF as being in a Sleep Mode. Changing lights in "Sleep Mode" to black (off) in Alien-FX is pretty lame and should only be a "work-around" fix until the real fix is announced.

What Chris-M usually does in situations like this is file a report with the Alienware Engineering team. Someone (who actually has a machine in front of them and knows exactly how it works) can observe the problem and find a fix.

Obviously, something has changed (in this sub-system) since the days of Aurora-R1, because my machine has never done this. Nor did customers start complaining about it until the Aurora R4 was released. I could guess about the true cause or possible fixes (yes, I have some theories), but that's not really productive.

Tesla1856 · Answer

Unbelievable that this is clearly a known defect and hasn't been fixed. For about 25% more than I would have paid from another company for the same machine, and twice what it would have cost me to assemble myself, is it too much to ask that a key part actually works? I have no idea if my computer is going into sleep mode rather than shutting down, or the Master I/O board just simply doesn't work. All I know is that when I shut my Aurora down, the front alienhead light flashes non-stop, like the original poster. The suggested solutions are ludicrous. Turning the light color to black on sleep doesn't address the problem, it just hides it. I have to assume that if this obvious aspect of my machine was so obviously broken right out of the box, other things not so obvious might be broken too. So I just requested and received a return label from Dell, and I am sending my machine back for a refund tomorrow. Ridiculous.

I escalated this issue.

I understand it's likely too late to help you, but maybe the next customer can be spared the problem. However, I don't agree this problem is a sign that the machine contains other hidden problems. The other parts either work properly or they don't. These machines are fairly complicated and extreme.

Alienware-L_Por · Answer

Tesla, We had already escalated the issue and that was the outcome. That is why it is posted on the website.

Tesla1856 · Answer

Tesla,

We had already escalated the issue and that was the outcome. That is why it is posted on the website.

Please try again. That tech doc is more of a temporary work-around (if even that). See my message in RS private area.

Niranjan2 · Answer

This thread has been locked due to inactivity. For assistance, with the same or a different issue, please click New Post on the top right to start a New Thread.

Locked Topics – Alienware General

Technical problem - lights remain on after shutting down

Was this post helpful?