Thanks for your reply! Last night I decided to unplug the ac adapters (Area 51 has two of them) and let the battery die. I can’t say for sure what exactly happened but an hour or two later in desperation I tried holding the power button down for two minutes straight… I had done this before several times… still no effect… but then about one minute after I had stopped holding the power button down it shut down on its own. Not sure what did it… maybe finally ran out of battery? I plugged it back in and booted again and it took me to a screen with the Alienware logo at the top saying 'battery has been disable' (yes it actually did say 'disable' instead of 'disabled') and then something about the battery being overheated. From this portal I was able to run a system scan and it found no problems. I restarted again this time tapping F2 and confirmed that battery and ac adapter were functioning properly… then rebooted and it came up with a screen saying it was finishing windows update… after that it booted normally and seems fully functional. Not sure exactly what fixed it but my best guess is battery finally died… I hope this helps someone who might finds themselves in the same situation. JD Answer from Johnny Dixon on dell.com
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Thanks for your reply! Last night I decided to unplug the ac adapters (Area 51 has two of them) and let the battery die. I can’t say for sure what exactly happened but an hour or two later in desperation I tried holding the power button down for two minutes straight… I had done this before several times… still no effect… but then about one minute after I had stopped holding the power button down it shut down on its own. Not sure what did it… maybe finally ran out of battery? I plugged it back in and booted again and it took me to a screen with the Alienware logo at the top saying 'battery has been disable' (yes it actually did say 'disable' instead of 'disabled') and then something about the battery being overheated. From this portal I was able to run a system scan and it found no problems. I restarted again this time tapping F2 and confirmed that battery and ac adapter were functioning properly… then rebooted and it came up with a screen saying it was finishing windows update… after that it booted normally and seems fully functional. Not sure exactly what fixed it but my best guess is battery finally died… I hope this helps someone who might finds themselves in the same situation. JD
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Hi @Johnny Dixon , I got you so its no problem. I had the same issue when my dads AREA 51M was doing a BIOS Update and he closed the lid during it and that must've corrupted something because it wasn't turning off. I spent 2 hours diagnosing and fixing it to come out with the solution: unscrew all the screws attaching the laptops bottom panel where the fan is and use a suction cup to pull it out gently. Then even though the laptop IS on still unplug the battery connector from the motherboard. DONT REMOVE THE BATTERY, just unplug it. Then the laptop should shut off and then you need to hold the power button for 30 seconds. Then hold CTRL+ ESC while your plugging the battery back in and the laptop should boot!
Asktech
asktech.support › laptop › r2v5d-alienware-laptop-stuck-working-update-0-complete.html
Alienware laptop is stuck on "working on update 0% complete don't turn off your computer" screen, it has made absolutely
January 20, 2025 - This might mean that your system ... not seeing an immediate solution here, let's try a different approach:1. Restart your laptop and immediately press F12 repeatedly when the Alienware logo appears....
Videos
Reddit
reddit.com › r/alienware › please wait while we install a system update.
r/Alienware on Reddit: Please wait while we install a system update.
November 19, 2022 -
Hi all,
Went apply update and shutdown earlier today and my x15 r2 has now been stuck at this screen for several hours? What's the best course of action here? Do I leave it? Do I power down and restart?
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Similar thing happened to my first update w my x15 r2 on august when I first got it. I let it sit plugged for like 8 hours until I decided to pull the plug and manually restart the laptop. Mine worked, nothing went wrong. No BIOS pop up and the updates were finished. Just do it when you lose patience
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That's a Windows update... Nothing you can do except wait for it to finish.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/alienware › stuck on system update
r/Alienware on Reddit: Stuck on system update
August 4, 2022 -
My laptop forced an update as I was shutting it down for the day and now it’s stuck on a screen saying “Please wait while we install a system update”. The power button and any key functions are disabled. Is it best to let it die then restart? Or is there something more I can do to combat this. It’s the x17 model btw
It’s been stuck here for about an hour now
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Just wait
Microsoft Learn
learn.microsoft.com › en-us › answers › questions › 3946263 › alienware-laptop-stuck-atfirmware-update
Alienware laptop stuck atfirmware update - Microsoft Q&A
Firmware is sensitive update so I advise you wait a bit longer. ... You may try disconnect external hardware components like mouse, keyboard, printer and so on and see if it makes any difference. ... Thankyou for respond.
Dell
dell.com › dell community › laptops › alienware
x15 R2, System Update taking too long - Alienware
September 24, 2022 - I searched for online solutions, they said to remove the charger until the battery is drained and the system shuts down then turn it on again, it will work fine then go to support assist and update it from there.
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How do I stop the installation, the power button isn’t working, it will not turn off
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Hi @GaminCobra welcome to this free user to user Alienware laptop discussion forum. This is not Dell Support. The Alienware Command Center Application version 5.5.8.0 has a known bug that prevents installation on many PCs. When installation stuck, please stop installation. Go to Programs and Features and hopefully the AWCC v5.5.8.0 is listed. Right click to reveal list of options and click on Repair. Then Restart (not Shut Down) to save change. After Restart, the AWCC may ask to load additional components, to be followed by Restart (not Shut Down). If AWCC v5.5.8.0 is not listed in Programs and Features, install the Old AWCC version that you know works.
Dell
dell.com › dell community › desktops › alienware desktops
Aurora R10, BIOS update stuck in Alienware Update app | DELL Technologies
August 19, 2021 - I am experiencing the same thing with Aurora R11 on PC bought in September. I ran the update checker and it said several updates were needed. I downloaded them and the dialog went away. Some tasks may have installed but no reboot and not BIOS. So I ran update checker again and it still said last update “Never.” So I clicked Update and it has been installing R11 System BIOS for over and hour. I finally clicked Cancel and it says “can no longer be cancelled!” So I’m really stuck and worried that if I shut down or restart that I will damage the system.
JustAnswer
justanswer.com › laptop › q8ier-updated-dell-windows-configure-softwares.html
Dell Alienware x16 R2 Stuck Restarting After Update?
October 2, 2024 - ... x16 R2 may experience restart loops and update failures after Windows updates or driver installations. If your Alienware x16 R2 is stuck restarting after a Windows update, try booting into Safe Mode to uninstall recent updates.
Asktech
asktech.support › laptop › sske4-alienware-m16-r2-bios-update-stuck.html
My Dell Alienware m16 R2 (8YYJX54) I started to update the bios. But it is stuck on the screen that says updating your
August 17, 2025 - Customer: I downloaded the bios update off of the Dell website. JA: Got it, you downloaded the BIOS update directly from the Dell website. I understand the update is stuck at 0% on your Alienware m16 R2. Have you noticed any error messages or unusual sounds coming from the laptop during this process?
Dell
dell.com › dell community › laptops › alienware
m15 R1, Alienware Update stuck in an operation | DELL Technologies
August 28, 2020 - If Alienware Update continues to be stuck in an operation, your OS C: disk may have errors or corrupted files. Open a command prompt and run a "chkdsk /f /r /x" (that's /f for "fix", /r for "relocate" data from bad sectors, /x for "eXit windows".
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How do I stop the installation, the power button isn’t working, it will not turn off
2 of 8
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Hi @GaminCobra welcome to this free user to user Alienware laptop discussion forum. This is not Dell Support. The Alienware Command Center Application version 5.5.8.0 has a known bug that prevents installation on many PCs. When installation stuck, please stop installation. Go to Programs and Features and hopefully the AWCC v5.5.8.0 is listed. Right click to reveal list of options and click on Repair. Then Restart (not Shut Down) to save change. After Restart, the AWCC may ask to load additional components, to be followed by Restart (not Shut Down). If AWCC v5.5.8.0 is not listed in Programs and Features, install the Old AWCC version that you know works.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/alienware › alienware x15 r2 stuck on system update
r/Alienware on Reddit: Alienware X15 R2 Stuck on System Update
September 15, 2022 -
I don’t have a clue on what it is updating but it’s been stuck on this screen for just above an hour, which worries me. I was turning it off and there was an option to Update and Shutdown, so I picked that. An hour later, it’s still on this screen. This is the first update I’ve done since getting it. Is this normal?
Reddit
reddit.com › r/alienware › windows update and now stuck on update screen
r/Alienware on Reddit: Windows update and now stuck on update screen
October 15, 2021 -
I had a notification that a Windows Update was needed and so I scheduled it to install late last night(around 1am) and when I woke up this morning my monitor(which is a Vizio tv) is stuck on the "Please wait while we install a system update" screen. It has been this way since I woke up at 7am and possibly even longer considering when the update took place.
Windows said it was a Firmware update and usually they never do this or take that long. Most times updates are done by the time I wake up.
I did sort of restart my PC and it booted back up to an update screen that said it was 30% complete, did a restarting screen and now it's back to the please wait screen.
I'm genuinely afraid to touch it at this point...
UPDATE: Just jumping in to say that my updates are not automatic, I do have to approve them. I just saw this one and didn't think anything of it. Also, I dunno if it matters but I can definitely hear the fan on my PC running(it usually does this if it's loading something) so I dunno if that is an indicator of it doing anything or not.
UPDATE.2: I turned it off and back on again and got it to boot up. It went to the update progress screen went from 34% up to 100% and then windows started up as if nothing had happened. Everything seems to be going okay so far, but if anything changes I will update again.
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I believe it tried to install alienware firmware and failed. If you can boot it up go to alienware website and download latest bios. Should clear it up. Should never update bios through windows update. Idk why it was there.
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UPDATE: I turned it off and back on again and got it to boot up. It went to the update progress screen went from 34% up to 100% and then windows started up as if nothing had happened. Everything seems to be going okay so far, but if anything changes I will update again.
Dell
dell.com › support › kbdoc › en-us › 000275742 › bios-update-error-or-update-gets-stuck-on-windows-24h2
BIOS Update Error or Update Gets Stuck After Windows January 2025 Update | Dell US
Below symptoms may occur while installing the latest BIOS on your computer: Error in SupportAssist: Something went wrong during installation, and we couldn't complete it · Error : Driver Version Fail ! message is displayed ... A security enhancement from Microsoft blocks the BIOS update. All impacted BIOS versions have been demoted from SupportAssist, Dell Update, or Alienware Update.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/alienware › had my r10 for 10 days working fine. been on this screen for the past 3 hours. what should i do?
r/Alienware on Reddit: Had my R10 for 10 days working fine. Been on this screen for the past 3 hours. What should I do?
April 9, 2021 - Disable UEFI capsule firmware updates in bios, save and exit. ~This will stop your PC from automatically fishing online for firmware updates for your system. Doesn't solve the current loop, but its important to remember to do this so you aren't ...
TikTok
tiktok.com › discover › how-to-fix-alienware-please-wait-while-we-install-a-system-update
How to Fix Alienware Please Wait While We Install A System Update | TikTok
November 10, 2025 - Learn how to fix Alienware update issues and effectively manage driver updates for smooth performance.See more videos about How to Fix Alienware Monitor Not Turning on, How to Update Alienware Monitor, How to Restart A Monitor Alienware, How to Update Alienware Monitor Drivers, How to Fix Alienware Monitor Flickering, How to Fix Being Stuck on Alienware The Current Input Timing Is Not Supporter.
Dell
dell.com › dell community › laptops › alienware
laptop stuck at please wait while we install a system update | DELL Technologies
April 12, 2021 - Also, i cannot turn off the laptop. not even holding the power button. this have never happened with me, ever. and i have plenty of desktops and laptops. at this point im extremelly worried because i cant do anything. can anyone please help me? ... It's very strange that holding the power button down doesn't work. It should force a shutdown. When all else fails I would pull the battery but I don't want to tell you to do this. If it's doing a BIOS update then you could cause serious issues.
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Hi @Chaos Spyder from local admin account, please see if Revo Uninstaller Free can list the Alienware update software and use its advanced scan to completely remove everything.
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Hi @Chaos Spyder please take and share photograph or record text within 'Restarting' screen. Was BIOS update applied over the internet? If system working, there is no requirement to update the BIOS unless it has a feature you want. Never apply BIOS update over the internet because PC might get bricked. Follow the official Dell/Alienware BIOS update process Update the BIOS on your Alienware PC - YouTube. Please press the power-on button and allow the Alienware Area-51m R2 to automatically shut down. Wait a few minutes, then press the power-on button, hopefully the update has failed and the normal boot process will get your Alienware Area-51m R2 working again. Please share an update. Thank you.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/alienware › firmware update thingy stuck?
r/Alienware on Reddit: Firmware update thingy stuck?
December 10, 2024 -
Been stuck on this “erasing EC SPI Flash” screen for around 30-40 minutes. Bar hasn’t moved since the last updating process before this one. Any suggestions?
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A firmware update shouldn't take more then 5-10 minutes at the most, and in a lot of cases won't even take that long. If you are still stuck at this screen then you may have no choice but to power cycle it and cross your fingers that it still starts up. Interrupting a BIOS flash is a very dangerous procedure and should never be done if you can prevent it by any other means, but if your stuck indefinitely at this screen then you won't have much choice.
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Any updates OP?