The Miami-based company, Alienware is renowned to design computers for gaming purposes. These are integrated with top-tier hardware and specs that are responsible for an exceptional gaming experience.
When it comes to the Alienware command center, it is basically an inbuilt software that comprises several different kinds of applications that too, on a single UI. The features of an Alienware computer are controlled by all of these applications.
While purchasing an Alienware computer, you can ask the retailer for a command center however, it can also be downloaded on your PC. Since Alienware is Dell’s subsidiary, you can get the compatible version of the command center from the official website of Dell.
Everything is fun and games until you encounter issues with your Alienware computer. One common issue faced by most of the users is when their Alienware command center stops working and displays a warning saying “Not Working”.
Fortunately, there are multiple ways to solve the issue and that is what we have discussed in today’s article.
Problems Associated With Command Center Not Working
There are different errors that occur when the command center stops working on your Alienware computer. These include:
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White screen appears
When the hardware or application on your computer is not up-to-date, the command center doesn’t show anything more than a blank white screen. You can try any of the fixes discussed below and resolve the problem.
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The Command center doesn’t open
Another most common issue faced by the majority of Alienware users. In this situation, you need to uninstall the command center, download and reinstall it properly again. This will help you use the command center without any errors.
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Thermal settings don’t load
Many users have reported that when they try to customize the thermal settings from the command center of their Alienware computer, it takes forever to load. In fact, the loading symbol appears even when you haven’t clicked on it yet.
The most effective solution for this is to use a Registry Cleaner and clean your Windows Registry.
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Command center crashes
When a computer’s hardware is damaged or corrupted, the command center is likely to crash. This can also happen if the application you are using is out of date. Though this issue isn’t solved by only updating the command center, you need to uninstall and then reinstall the app properly.
Basic Methods to Fix Command Center Not Working Issues
This section will tell you the two basic techniques that can help your overcome the command center not working error. The solutions include:
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Reboot your computer
One of the most basic techniques to resolve any issue in your computer is by restarting the system. If your Alienware command center stops working, close all the applications and reboot your computer.
Once it’s done, open the command center and check if the issue is solved or not. In case the error persists, you can try out other solutions.
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Look for damaged or corrupted hardware
As mentioned earlier, damaged or corrupted hardware can be one of the main causes why the command center doesn’t work. Whenever you come across such an issue, we recommend you check the hardware of your computer.
The hardware performance will help you determine if it is the reason why the command center is not working. If the hardware seems to work about right, you need to try out advanced techniques.
Advanced Methods to Fix Command Center Not Working Issues
If the basic techniques weren’t enough to deal with the issue, here we have some advanced methods for you.
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Uninstall/Reinstall the Command Center
The best way to fix the Alienware command center not working error is to uninstall and reinstall it completely. This is a tried and tested method by the majority of Alienware users. They uninstall the command center and then reinstall the newer and updated version of it.
Here is the step-by-step guide to uninstall the Alienware command center:
- Take your cursor to the Start Menu and right-click on it, select Run option
- In the dialogue box, type %Appdata% and press OK.
- If you see any folder related to Alienware, permanently delete
- In case you don’t find any such folder, proceed forward with the steps.
- In the Run window, type %Programdata% and click OK.
- Look for an Alienware folder and delete it. Cannot find it? Proceed forward.
- Now, go to the path, C:\Program Files\Alienware\.
- From here, delete all the Alienware folders.
- Open the Documents folder, select Alienware TactX and AlienFX folder, delete these both.
- For the third time, open the Run window, type Regedit, and press OK.
- Navigate to the path, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Alienware.
- Look for these four folders and delete them if found:
- Command Center
- Alienware AlienFX
- CCPlugins
- AlienFXMediaPlugin
- Next, search for the Registry key i.e., HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Alienware.
- Delete the following folders:
- Command Center
- Alienware AlienFX
- AlienFXMediaPlugin
- Finally, the uninstallation process is completed.
- Restart your computer.
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Install the Command Center
Now that you have uninstalled the command center, it’s time to install the updated version. The steps include:
- Go to Dell’s official website.
- From the Main Menu, click on Support.
- Now from the drop-down menu, choose “View all support”.
- Select the right model number of your Alienware computer.
- Hit the Drivers and Downloads option to get the process started.
- Next, you will see the Operating System option, choose your OS version here.
- Press Download and let the Alienware Command Center be downloaded.
- Once done, click on the .exe file to initiate the installation.
- Follow the instructions and start the installation process.
- You can close the window as soon as the Dell Update Package Window appears on your computer screen.
- After the Command Center is installed, reboot your PC.
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Delete Microsoft Visual C++ 2017
Does your computer have Microsoft Visual C++ 2017? If yes, this could be a major reason why you see the Alienware Command Center Not Working warning sign. To fix the issue, you must get rid of this program. Here is how to do it:
- From the Main Menu of your PC, open the Control Panel.
- Click on Programs and Features and select Uninstall a Program
- All applications installed on your PC will appear here.
- Look for Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 here and click on it when found.
- Now hit the Uninstall
- Once uninstalled, restart your PC.
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System Restore
System Restore is probably the best thing a Microsoft Windows computer has. It allows you to undo every single modification made by you on your computer. Since it can revert your Pc to the previous build, it is a great way to fix the Alienware Command Center Not Working issue as well.
To recover the changes, you must follow these steps:
- In the search box from the Main Menu, type “Create a Restore Point” and press OK.
- A window showing System Properties will pop up.
- Click on the System Protection
- Look for the System Restore button and press it.
- You will see a System Restore window.
- If you see multiple options, choose the one that reverts the changes back to the previous build.
- Before proceeding, don’t forget to select the “Scan for affected programs” option.
- This will show you all the programs that you installed after enabling the restore point.
- Finally, click on Finish.
- Your system is restored to its previous version.
Note: This function will only work if you have created and enabled it earlier and made the changes afterward. If it isn’t enabled, you cannot revert the modifications made.
Final resort – reach out to the official support
If everything fails to work for you, there is nothing left other than contacting the official Dell support to help you out. You can simply visit the Dell Service Points and get your matter resolved.
How to avoid Alienware Command Center Not Working error from happening?
- Rely on an updated graphics driver only to combat such problems.
- Always use a trusted application to prevent any kind of hardware failure so that you don’t end up with Command Center working issues.
- Make sure to install the Alienware Command Center with due care so that you don’t encounter any issues in the future.
Ending thoughts
Where Alienware computers offer an extraordinary gaming experience, they can also end up being extremely miserable to you. The Alienware Command Center is one of the most crucial programs a user requires for different purposes. Therefore, if it fails to run properly, you will face several other problems.
So, make sure as soon as you see the Alienware Command Center Not Working warning, you start fixing the issue right away. Fortunately, there are several basic as well as advanced techniques that can help you overcome the problem just by following a series of guidelines.
The best thing about the solutions mentioned earlier is that you can easily perform these on your own without having to take your computer to an expert technician.
