Solved!
Go to Solution{MOVED}m11x - r2 Windows 8 Compatibility.
I have tried installing Windows 8 on my Alienware m11x -r2.
I run into the issue with the NX-bit not being enabled.
It's a core i7 u640 (Mobile processor obviously). The spec sheets for this processor advise that NX-Bit or it's intel equivalent XD-Bit is built into this processor.
I have the most up to date version of the BIOS i can find on the dell support site (A04) but the option to enable or disable this function in the security section of my BIOS is not available.
I say I have the most up to date, but the BIOS itself has not had a new release since 2010.
When is a new BIOS going to be released where we can enable this option?
771
0
Posted October 27th, 2012 16:00
Thanks bucket,
This option actually wasn't there until i Reflashed.
Perhaps I didn't have the latest firmware, though both firmwares reported to be identical.
771
0
Posted October 28th, 2012 00:00
Yeah, not sure what happened there, but glad it's working now!
For anyone still confused about this, the m11xr2 (and probably r1/r3, but I can't verify myself) does indeed have the NX capability, it's just called the XD bit. Here's a screenshot of my BIOS. You'll need to set it to [enable] (mine was on [disable] when I first went into the BIOS). I am posting this successfully from Win8 on my m11xr2
771
0
Posted November 4th, 2012 22:00
In order to make XD turn blue so you can enable/disable you must delete the user password in the BIOS. If you have the user password enable you can not change XD
771
0
Posted May 21st, 2013 07:00
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bucketachicken
2 Posts
771
1
Posted October 26th, 2012 23:00
Hey,
I have the m11x r2 as well, and was just looking into this issue myself, and I also have the a04 bios. From what I've been able to find, on our processor, it is called the " Intel eXecute Disable bit" instead of the No eXecute bit. I found it using (hoping these links show up) the manual for the m11xr2
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/Alw_M11xR2/en/mm/mm_en.pdf
and then confirmed the name difference via wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NX_bit
(if they don't work, just google "m11xr2 intel execute disable bit" and "nx bit wiki" for the two links)
I am about to try to install Windows 8 myself, so here's hoping it works! But I believe we do indeed have the NX capability as W8 requires.