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Forums > Home› Support› PC, Network, and Other Technical Issues› Windows and General: PC, Network, and Other Technical Issues
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S8 and Alienware keyboard blink

airadinairadin Member Posts: 5 Arc User
edited September 2014 in Windows and General: PC, Network, and Other Technical Issues
Anyone had any issues (or a fix) for Season 8 all the sudden causing the various zones on Alienware laptop keyboards to blink randomly? Was find during LoR but S8 seems to have ticked off the Alien inside :)
Post edited by airadin on
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    sandormen123sandormen123 Member Posts: 862 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    Which model.

    I have an m17x-r4. Haven't had an issue with the lights.
    /Floozy
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    airadinairadin Member Posts: 5 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    Hmm, Same model M17-R4. Odd. Why do I feel like I'm headed for a reimage.
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    daunknownadmindaunknownadmin Member Posts: 96 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    I have the Alienware TactX Keyboard and all was working fine before S8. Now the lights go off when I use STO, but turn back on when I close out STO. This was the same type of behavior when I used to log into Tribble.
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    crypticcliffcrypticcliff Cryptic Developers Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    There's some partial support for the Alienware color control in the game. If you want to disable this, you can remove the LightFX.dll file from the game directory. The Alienware settings probably have an option to disable this also.

    I'll see about adding an option to disable it in a more sensible way.
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    daunknownadmindaunknownadmin Member Posts: 96 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    thanks for the work around. I'll give it a try.
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    captainpapucaptainpapu Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    same problem here
    workaround suggested did not work

    also m17x r4
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    vilifiedvvilifiedv Member Posts: 26 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    I am having the same problem. Lights turn off and then flicker off and on since loading up S8. I have a new 17 model. Help.
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    daunknownadmindaunknownadmin Member Posts: 96 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    Work around did not work for me as well.
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    hitithardhitithard Member Posts: 2 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    I have this same problem with lights on keyboard it started when with testing S8 on tribble when I would go back to holo they would work now that S8 is live they don't work can't find a work around for it
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    markstonemarkstone Member Posts: 2 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    I have an M17XR4 from May of 2012. Mine doesn't flash, the keyboards just goes dark when the character select screen comes up.
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    crypticcliffcrypticcliff Cryptic Developers Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    I'm going to take a guess and say the launcher/patcher helpfully restored the missing DLL for you guys that tried my workaround.
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    miklsilvermiklsilver Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    please help here same problem! http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=913981
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    captainpapucaptainpapu Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    after patch still not working
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    smoovioussmoovious Member Posts: 264 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    maybe just have it leave the keyboard lighting alone, but still use the other zones we have?

    -- Smoov
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    littlecyclone1littlecyclone1 Member Posts: 1 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    I have the same issue with the keyboard and have tried a few things with little success.

    There is no option within the game itself to deactivate, modify or adjust control of the keyboard LED's. As has previously been noted, deleting the lighting file just results in it being reinstalled by the launcher. I attempted to go into Alienwares software and set up a profile for STO and tell it to not allow it to take control of the lighting, but the game seems to have overridden the profile and the flickering remained. Thus far the only solution I've found is to completely deactivate the LED lights. This can be done by going through the Alienware AlienFX menu (I have the button/menu permanently stationed on my Windows taskbar) and by selecting the "Go Dark" mode prior to starting STO, or selecting the Function Key and the "ALIEN FX" key on your keyboard (Key F11 for me) which results in the same.

    I have played several games that have made excellent use of the lighting available on the Alienware keyboards, and I'm curious to see what possibilities could be in store for STO and such a tool. That being said if any of those possibilities would not be forthcoming (as I realize that theres certainly many more pressing matters for the dev's) it would be great to get it disabled in the meanwhile and be rid of the annoying flickering.
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    lpcherryburstlpcherryburst Member Posts: 7 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    The patch today, did nothing. I shouldn't have to make any changes to my system just to play this game. I ask you all to find the solution and fix this issue and patch again. I'm a monthly paying member of three years. I'd expect this to be fixed soon.

    Thanks.
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    tradiktradik Member Posts: 86 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    I have two fleeties that are experiencing this, and I must say, the raging on teamspeak is warranted.

    STO is working toward taking advantage of alienware's hardware controls...awesome, that is a great idea, I can imagine lighting changes based on Red Alert, etc. Very cool.


    But to be IGNORANT enough to begin such work without thorough testing to see how it may affect the playerbase, and force it upon said playerbase, astounds me. Was it really too hard to add an Option's toggle to allow a player to disable it? Instead we're getting instructions to disable it in the hardware, to counteract STO's lack of consideration?

    Srsly?

    2 patches involve tweaking the flashlight location on the Rom EV suit, and other costume issues....now don't get me wrong, these things need to get fixed, but should they have priority over the Game messing with people's keyboard lighting controls and the battery/consumable bug that is currently plaguing us?
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    crypticcliffcrypticcliff Cryptic Developers Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    tradik wrote: »
    Instead we're getting instructions to disable it in the hardware, to counteract STO's lack of consideration?

    The workaround that was mentioned is not intended as a permanent solution. It's a recommendation of what to do in the meantime to alleviate the symptoms while we work on the actual issue. And we are working on it.

    It was not intended for the feature to be enabled at this point for Star Trek in its incomplete state without options to disable it.
    2 patches involve tweaking the flashlight location on the Rom EV suit, and other costume issues....now don't get me wrong, these things need to get fixed, but should they have priority over the Game messing with people's keyboard lighting controls and the battery/consumable bug that is currently plaguing us?

    All of these issues are worked on by different groups of people.
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    ask4spock1ask4spock1 Member Posts: 135 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    I have the same Alienware keyboard with the same issue.


    Please fix this issue. Stop messing with our computers.
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    captainpapucaptainpapu Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    after 3 patches still no solution
    you should remove the PLAYS BEST ON ALIENWARE banner...
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    ariannadolidhariannadolidh Member Posts: 3 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    My m17x was doing the same thing but I went to the hidden icons on the main system tray and found an alienware icon there. If you right click it there will be an option to allow or not allow third party access. Just uncheck it and it should be find. Was for me.
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    crypticcliffcrypticcliff Cryptic Developers Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    A new workaround was added last week while we worked on tidying up official support. I will post here again with instructions on how to activate it once it goes live.
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    markstonemarkstone Member Posts: 2 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    Any idea if the fix for this will be in the update tomorrow?
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    lpcherryburstlpcherryburst Member Posts: 7 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    I'm not going to play till it's fixed
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    crypticcliffcrypticcliff Cryptic Developers Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    markstone wrote: »
    Any idea if the fix for this will be in the update tomorrow?

    It should be in. Add this to the command line options in the launcher to disable it (without the quotes):


    "-gfxAlienwareEnable 0"


    We'll get an actual option in the UI at some point in the future. For now, use this to disable the Alienware features.
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    zerofate74zerofate74 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    Im not sure if someone already said this but I had the same issue with odd blinking or the alienware keyboards lights shutting off as I enter game then come back on as I exit. Its a simple solution.

    Bottom right corner where your running programs are find the Alienware Alien FX, right click it, Uncheck 'Enable 3rd party AlienFX access' This will prevent STO and other games from effecting your hardware lighting effects and what not. Worked like a charm for me.
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    highcasualtyratehighcasualtyrate Member Posts: 66 Arc User
    edited November 2013
    zerofate74 wrote: »
    Im not sure if someone already said this but I had the same issue with odd blinking or the alienware keyboards lights shutting off as I enter game then come back on as I exit. Its a simple solution.

    Bottom right corner where your running programs are find the Alienware Alien FX, right click it, Uncheck 'Enable 3rd party AlienFX access' This will prevent STO and other games from effecting your hardware lighting effects and what not. Worked like a charm for me.

    I can confirm this works for me as well, simply de-check 3rd party access after right clicking on the little alien head in the task bar tray, all lights work fine now no blinking or flickering...MX18 R2 NVidia Geforce 675m x2 in SLI mode.:D:D:D
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    daunknownadmindaunknownadmin Member Posts: 96 Arc User
    edited December 2013
    zerofate74 wrote: »
    Its a simple solution.
    Thanks! Can't believe it was that simple. :D
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    oewefreestaroewefreestar Member Posts: 4 Arc User
    edited December 2013
    I have the same issue. It seems to work in Neverwinter (when I'm in combat and health is low red lights come on, it's a really nice feature so I'd like to keep it on) But sto it seems it still doesn't work. also it seems now my TactX keys don't work anymore :/
    I had healing macros set up on a few of those keys for when my team got in serious trouble or when I'm about to die and need a fast heal.

    I can play with out the macro's but it's just a nice little added bonus if I could get those back somehow...
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