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Alienware data recovery

m15, m16, m17, m18, the x-series, Area-51 and Aurora desktops. Many Alienware systems leave the factory with two SSDs in RAID 0, which changes the recovery.

  • Free evaluation
  • No recovery, no charge
  • Free shipping to the lab

Alienware recovery in Temecula

Alienware is Dell's gaming brand. Its laptops and desktops are built for performance, with fast NVMe storage, powerful graphics and a lot of heat to manage. They often hold more than games: streaming archives, video projects, creative work and years of personal files.

Systems we recover

Alienware m15, m16, m17 and m18
Laptops with two to four M.2 NVMe slots.
Alienware x14, x15, x16 and x17
Thin models with M.2 NVMe storage.
Alienware 16 and 18 Area-51 and Aurora laptops
The 2025 generation.
Area-51m and older 13, 15 and 17 models
Earlier laptops, some with an SSD and a 2.5-inch hard drive.
Aurora and Area-51 desktops
NVMe SSDs with additional SATA hard drives.

RAID 0 from the factory

Many Alienware configurations ship with two SSDs striped as RAID 0 through Intel RST or VMD. Windows shows one large drive. Your files are split across both.

If either SSD fails, neither can be read alone. We need both drives. We image each one, repair the failed drive at controller or board level where necessary, and rebuild the stripe to recover the volume. A motherboard failure does not harm a RAID 0 set, and removing the drives and connecting them separately will not show any files. That is expected.

Faults we see on Alienware systems

  • "No boot device found" after a crash or update
  • One SSD in a RAID 0 pair failing
  • Motherboard or graphics failure that leaves the system dead
  • Overheating shutdowns followed by failure to boot
  • Liquid damage
  • Secondary hard drive clicking or not detected
  • BitLocker recovery screen after a BIOS or firmware update
  • System reset to factory state by recovery software

Alienware models we recover, 2013 to 2026

Examples of the model numbers we see most often, grouped by the years each range was sold. The model name is on the label or etching under the laptop, or on the rear panel of a desktop, beside the Dell Service Tag.

YearsRangeModel numbers
2013–2014Alienware 14, 17 and 182.5-inch SATA bays plus mSATA slotAlienware 14, Alienware 17, Alienware 18
2013–2016X51 and Alpha small desktops3.5-inch or 2.5-inch SATA hard driveX51 R2, X51 R3, Alienware Alpha, Alienware Alpha R2
2013–2019Aurora R4 to R8 and Area-51 desktops3.5-inch SATA hard drives; M.2 SSD from Aurora R5Aurora R4, Aurora R5, Aurora R6, Aurora R7, Aurora R8, Area-51 R2, Area-51 R4
2014–2017Alienware 13M.2 SSD; first Alienware 13 also offered a 2.5-inch driveAlienware 13, Alienware 13 R2, Alienware 13 R3
2015–2018Alienware 15 and 17M.2 slots plus one 2.5-inch SATA bayAlienware 15 R1, Alienware 15 R2, Alienware 15 R3, Alienware 15 R4, Alienware 17 R2, Alienware 17 R3, Alienware 17 R4, Alienware 17 R5
2018–2022Alienware m15Two M.2 slots with RAID 0 option; m15 R1 adds 2.5-inch baym15 R1, m15 R2, m15 R3, m15 R4, m15 Ryzen Edition R5, m15 R6, m15 R7
2018–2022Alienware m17 and Area-51mTwo or more M.2 slots with RAID 0; Area-51m adds 2.5-inch baym17 R1, m17 R2, m17 R3, m17 R4, m17 R5, Area-51m R1, Area-51m R2
2019–2024Aurora R9 to R16 desktopsM.2 NVMe boot drive plus 3.5-inch SATA hard drive baysAurora R9, Aurora Ryzen Edition R10, Aurora R11, Aurora R12, Aurora R13, Aurora Ryzen Edition R14, Aurora R15, Aurora R16
2021–2024Alienware x14, x15, x16 and x17M.2 NVMe only, no 2.5-inch bayx14 R1, x14 R2, x15 R1, x15 R2, x16 R1, x16 R2, x17 R1, x17 R2
2023–2024Alienware m16 and m18Multiple M.2 NVMe slots, RAID 0 optionm16 R1, m16 R2, m18 R1, m18 R2
2025–2026Area-51 and Aurora laptops and desktopsM.2 NVMe SSDsAlienware 16 Area-51 AA16250, Alienware 18 Area-51 AA18250, Alienware 16 Aurora AC16250, Alienware 16X Aurora AC16251, Aurora desktop ACT1250, Area-51 desktop AAT2250

Not listed? These are examples, not limits. If your model is missing we almost certainly still recover it. Give us the number when you start a case.

How we recover them

Send the whole system, or all of its drives with a note of which slot each came from. Have your BitLocker recovery key ready if the drive was encrypted. We diagnose each drive, recover the volume and give you a file list to check before you pay.

Call RMLD in Temecula on (951) 595-8065 or start a case online. See also Dell laptop recovery.

How a case works

Six steps from the first call to your files. You approve the quote and check the results before paying.

  1. Tell us what happenedCall or start a case online. A technician reviews it and tells you how to send or bring the device.
  2. Ship it or drop it offShipping to the lab is free. You can also hand it in at Temecula or London.
  3. Free evaluationWe diagnose the fault and send a firm quote. Nothing is charged for this.
  4. Recovery in our labOnce you approve, the work is done in-house. Your device never leaves our company.
  5. You check the filesYou receive a list of what was recovered and confirm it before paying.
  6. Data returnedOn a new drive, your own drive, or by encrypted download. No recovery means no charge.

More recovery services

Talk to a technician before you try anything else

The evaluation is free, and the first advice you get can decide whether the data comes back.

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