Striferx84
New Member
System: Alienware 17 R4 GTX 1070 non-4k edition
OS: Windows 10 Home 64-bit (v1803 - 17134.345)
Hardware: Intel Core i7-7700HQ 2.8Ghz / 16GB RAM / GTX 1070
Looking for some suggestions, or here to report a problem with a specific Alienware laptop that may not have been addressed yet.
I've seen a lot of other forums/threads related to problems with certain systems that cause crashing when using HWiNFO. Maybe this can be fixed, or addressed for a resolution, as I enjoy HWiNFO and used it with my other desktop-based PC's, and haven't had any issues like this, and I'm aware that there are some compatibility issues with some laptops, especially DELL-type laptops, and I like running HWinfo with rainmeter, as I have created a theme that works great for me for temp and monitoring solutions. In addition, this is the only software that's compatible with my system to run a custom fan curve. This is the most important feature, as the default settings of the laptop's fan curve allow it to run ridiculously hot, and not compensate a high enough fan speed to help reduce under heavy load temps.
My only other option would be to go into the BIOS and choose CPU Fan performance mode to run the fans at 100% speed all the time. I had done this before, but I would rather use a custom fan curve if possible to reduce fan speed when I'm just idling or doing menial tasks on the desktop, that is not gaming related, for the sake of increasing the fans life-cycle, and to reduce the obnoxious constant noise when its at normal operating temps.
What I have been doing to cope with the problem currently, is making sure I close out HWiNFO after a gaming session when I'm not needing the custom fan curve. If I get pulled away from the system or forget to close it, then when I return to the PC, most of the time I'll come to the system seized up and have to force a hard reboot.
Problem:
Only when HWiNFO64, or 32-bit edition (tested both) is running, my PC will hard-lockup and crash.
Scenarios:
HWiNFO will be running, and external or built-in PC display panel goes into sleep mode. Once PC display panel is woken from sleep-mode, nothing happens.
- I use an external display panel connected to the laptop through mini-DP-to-DP cable.
- I attempted disconnecting/reconnecting the display cable, thinking it was some issue with the sleep/wake initiating state, when the signal request is being sent, to try and force it to reset this state, between the laptop/cable/external display panel, no solution.
- I also tried manually powering off/on the display panel, no solution.
- I tried switching display modes on the laptop function key, no solution.
- I tried closing/reopening the laptop display, thinking this would reset the display connection, or force the laptop to initiate sleep-mode, and re-awake, possibly fixing the display issue, no solution.
- The laptop display also during this scenario simulates the same issue the external display presents, and there's no display on the screen.
- This issue happens only when HWiNFO is running, and it's usually if it's running in the background when nothing is going on with the PC otherwise, and just in an idle state on the desktop.
- When the PC has a 3D application running, I don't experience any problems, as the display doesn't go into sleep mode with the application running.
Solution: I have to hard reboot the PC to get it functioning again.
Things to keep in mind:
- The PC itself does not go to sleep, and I disabled all other sleep/hibernate features that affect the system and hardware, that disable parts of the system after a period of idle time has been reached, so system and components are functioning and theoretically should be ready to respond when the system is interacted with by mouse and keyboard.
- I know this function works, because when I don't run HWiNFO, and my PC screen goes to sleep mode, or my PC activates lock-screen mode, the PC is responsive every time, and I never have an issue with the PC when HWiNFO is not running through my many tests and courses of troubleshooting.
- I tested numerous setting configurations for HWiNFO that I seen across multiple forums and threads, including this forum about settings to help prevent crashes, none have seemed to work.
- I believe it's related to the EC sensor, as that's what I've read to be the cause of other similar issues, and that's what's required from what I understand for allowing the adjustments to the fan speed curve through the application with HWiNFO.
An unrelated issue I have with this system, otherwise its flawless so far that maybe someone has some experience with:
When I put my laptop into sleep mode, it seizes up every time I try to wake it, not responsive, the fans are running, but no response from the laptop to enable it from sleep mode after pressing mouse or keyboard buttons. I have to force restart the PC. I don't think I ever have successfully put this PC into sleep or hibernate mode, and have it wake back up from it. So I either just let the laptop run, or shut it down. Alienware support for months could not come up with a solution as to why this happens, and my warranty has ran its course, and I'm done requesting more from them, as they have done everything I have done with my technical experience in a 12 year IT world, to troubleshoot the issue. The sleep mode issue still wasn't fixed, and they were also helping me determine why the laptop was crashing, but I narrowed that problem down to the HWiNFO application, as it only seizes up when its running and idle on the desktop when the display panels go into sleep mode. But they hadn't ruled out the wake from sleep mode issue for the laptop
- They replaced parts, including the entire motherboard
- reinstalled the OS 4 times.
- verified driver and BIOS updates.
- Critical PM Kernel-Power 41 (63)
- The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly. (This is the error I have to hard reboot the system because of the HWiNFO seize-up crash, or if I test sleep mode and it fails-to-wake-up-crash.)
Appreciate any suggestions or advice on any of these issues, thanks! -- and Alienware sucks is not a suggestion
. I already made my own conclusion on this based on the small but somewhat important issues I've had with this system, and the lack of resolution and the insane amount of time it took to constantly coordinate and troubleshoot problems with the official Alienware team during my warranty period, until it expired with some extended support after warranty, and still no resolution and constant frustation dealing with that team. Normally I'm a custom PC builder, but due to circumstances, and the options I had at the time, the laptop was cheaper than building custom, and still is currently with inflated prices on hardware components. So far the system has performed great and hasn't had any other serious issues, besides the minor setbacks with software compatibility and the sleep mode issue.
OS: Windows 10 Home 64-bit (v1803 - 17134.345)
Hardware: Intel Core i7-7700HQ 2.8Ghz / 16GB RAM / GTX 1070
Looking for some suggestions, or here to report a problem with a specific Alienware laptop that may not have been addressed yet.
I've seen a lot of other forums/threads related to problems with certain systems that cause crashing when using HWiNFO. Maybe this can be fixed, or addressed for a resolution, as I enjoy HWiNFO and used it with my other desktop-based PC's, and haven't had any issues like this, and I'm aware that there are some compatibility issues with some laptops, especially DELL-type laptops, and I like running HWinfo with rainmeter, as I have created a theme that works great for me for temp and monitoring solutions. In addition, this is the only software that's compatible with my system to run a custom fan curve. This is the most important feature, as the default settings of the laptop's fan curve allow it to run ridiculously hot, and not compensate a high enough fan speed to help reduce under heavy load temps.
My only other option would be to go into the BIOS and choose CPU Fan performance mode to run the fans at 100% speed all the time. I had done this before, but I would rather use a custom fan curve if possible to reduce fan speed when I'm just idling or doing menial tasks on the desktop, that is not gaming related, for the sake of increasing the fans life-cycle, and to reduce the obnoxious constant noise when its at normal operating temps.
What I have been doing to cope with the problem currently, is making sure I close out HWiNFO after a gaming session when I'm not needing the custom fan curve. If I get pulled away from the system or forget to close it, then when I return to the PC, most of the time I'll come to the system seized up and have to force a hard reboot.
Problem:
Only when HWiNFO64, or 32-bit edition (tested both) is running, my PC will hard-lockup and crash.
Scenarios:
HWiNFO will be running, and external or built-in PC display panel goes into sleep mode. Once PC display panel is woken from sleep-mode, nothing happens.
- I use an external display panel connected to the laptop through mini-DP-to-DP cable.
- I attempted disconnecting/reconnecting the display cable, thinking it was some issue with the sleep/wake initiating state, when the signal request is being sent, to try and force it to reset this state, between the laptop/cable/external display panel, no solution.
- I also tried manually powering off/on the display panel, no solution.
- I tried switching display modes on the laptop function key, no solution.
- I tried closing/reopening the laptop display, thinking this would reset the display connection, or force the laptop to initiate sleep-mode, and re-awake, possibly fixing the display issue, no solution.
- The laptop display also during this scenario simulates the same issue the external display presents, and there's no display on the screen.
- This issue happens only when HWiNFO is running, and it's usually if it's running in the background when nothing is going on with the PC otherwise, and just in an idle state on the desktop.
- When the PC has a 3D application running, I don't experience any problems, as the display doesn't go into sleep mode with the application running.
Solution: I have to hard reboot the PC to get it functioning again.
Things to keep in mind:
- The PC itself does not go to sleep, and I disabled all other sleep/hibernate features that affect the system and hardware, that disable parts of the system after a period of idle time has been reached, so system and components are functioning and theoretically should be ready to respond when the system is interacted with by mouse and keyboard.
- I know this function works, because when I don't run HWiNFO, and my PC screen goes to sleep mode, or my PC activates lock-screen mode, the PC is responsive every time, and I never have an issue with the PC when HWiNFO is not running through my many tests and courses of troubleshooting.
- I tested numerous setting configurations for HWiNFO that I seen across multiple forums and threads, including this forum about settings to help prevent crashes, none have seemed to work.
- I believe it's related to the EC sensor, as that's what I've read to be the cause of other similar issues, and that's what's required from what I understand for allowing the adjustments to the fan speed curve through the application with HWiNFO.
An unrelated issue I have with this system, otherwise its flawless so far that maybe someone has some experience with:
When I put my laptop into sleep mode, it seizes up every time I try to wake it, not responsive, the fans are running, but no response from the laptop to enable it from sleep mode after pressing mouse or keyboard buttons. I have to force restart the PC. I don't think I ever have successfully put this PC into sleep or hibernate mode, and have it wake back up from it. So I either just let the laptop run, or shut it down. Alienware support for months could not come up with a solution as to why this happens, and my warranty has ran its course, and I'm done requesting more from them, as they have done everything I have done with my technical experience in a 12 year IT world, to troubleshoot the issue. The sleep mode issue still wasn't fixed, and they were also helping me determine why the laptop was crashing, but I narrowed that problem down to the HWiNFO application, as it only seizes up when its running and idle on the desktop when the display panels go into sleep mode. But they hadn't ruled out the wake from sleep mode issue for the laptop
- They replaced parts, including the entire motherboard
- reinstalled the OS 4 times.
- verified driver and BIOS updates.
- Critical PM Kernel-Power 41 (63)
- The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly. (This is the error I have to hard reboot the system because of the HWiNFO seize-up crash, or if I test sleep mode and it fails-to-wake-up-crash.)
Appreciate any suggestions or advice on any of these issues, thanks! -- and Alienware sucks is not a suggestion
. I already made my own conclusion on this based on the small but somewhat important issues I've had with this system, and the lack of resolution and the insane amount of time it took to constantly coordinate and troubleshoot problems with the official Alienware team during my warranty period, until it expired with some extended support after warranty, and still no resolution and constant frustation dealing with that team. Normally I'm a custom PC builder, but due to circumstances, and the options I had at the time, the laptop was cheaper than building custom, and still is currently with inflated prices on hardware components. So far the system has performed great and hasn't had any other serious issues, besides the minor setbacks with software compatibility and the sleep mode issue.