Just pulled the trigger and bought a new Dell XPS 15 laptop. It comes with a 256gb SSD and I wanted to upgrade to a 500gb-1 TB SSD. Also considering upgrading the RAM from 8GB to 16 GB. I have a few questions I was hoping the Dell community could help me with.

1. Is there a particular form factor I need to get here for SSD? Any recommendations on specific models?

2. Can I get the windows 10 install on a USB drive from Microsoft and use the same product key the laptop came with?
2b. How do I install the drivers? Right from the dell website? Any hidden issues to look out for with this process?

3. It comes with 8 GB RAM - 2x4gb. Should that also be easily upgradable to 16gb RAM - 2x8gb? Compatibility issues? Suggestions?


I am most concerned with how I get the OS key from the laptop in the first place and then installing on a new HDD with no driver accessibility as this laptop doesn't come with support media. Am I going to have to download all the drivers from Dell on a separate USB drive and then install on the laptop?

Thanks in advance

I am just reading through a script from Dell for reformatting my pc.  After XP has loaded, it requires the Dell Resource CD to load the drivers which I do not appear to have.

How else can I load the drivers when you aren't supposed to connect to the network until you've got everything else installed?

The drivers with a yellow question mark next to them are Ethernet Controller, SM Bus Controller, Video Controller etc.

I have recently bought an Inspiron 14 x64 based Laptop with Windows 7 64 bit OS (OEM) and receive this msg "BootMgr is Missing." 

1. It was fine at a start, but I allot my partition badly C:drive is only 30GB and Logical drives is 182GB, so I wanted an increase of C:

2. Thru  a web forum I learn about "Partition Wizard Home Edition" downloaded it and use it to come up with a better partition. It was an easy success, quickly my C:drive increased with my desired size. But it was just a short relief for I noticed that my IE 8, YM, Windows Media Player, Mc Afee Security Center and others are not running properly or doesn't run anymore.

3. I resorted to a RESET to Factory Settings thru a DELL Local Back-up that comes with my unit. It did pretty good. All was just like the way it was. (I dont have to worry about my files coz I have an external modem to transfer everything)

4. Normal function is there for an hour, but to my curiosity I check on disk management and found out RECOVERY DRIVE is the one Active compared to C:Drive before.  I then Mark C:Drive as ACTIVE without knowing my OS doesn't seat there anymore (just I thought).

5. When I restart, there I got BOOTMGR is missing press CTRL+ALT+DEL.

6. And my problem is still not resolved, I tried to use a Repair Disk which I burned earlier but it did not work as well even if I choose boot from CD/DVD on boot options.

7. What could be my best solution? My package did not come with a Windows 7 DVD Re-installation Disk. My room mate has an Inspiron 1545 with Re-installation Disk. Can I use that to reboot? I am afraid it might add up another problem because it is from a different model and configuration.

Pls. extend your help for me to be able to reboot and use my new laptop once again. Can I download the Reinstallation Disk for my Inspiron 14 so I can have it finally? I have the service tag and necessary product code that comes with it.

Hello, I've been trying to install win me on my latitude d610 (no hdd) using an oem install disc from my dimension l700cx. The issue comes after the reboot during the install, every option results in the laptop rebooting to the dell logo screen. I was wondering if there's any way to make it work, the idea was to install me on the laptop and share the wifi connection with the desktop because I don't have a network card yet and the laptop don't have an os any way. Thanks for looking and please go easy on me with this I haven't used windows in a long long time.

Hello all,

sorry for my bad English.

I have a Latitude D820 with T7200 2Ghz cpu, 2 Gb ram and Intel 945 gfx.

I have upgraded from winXp to window7/10 and the cpu now works only at 0.96Ghz. I have changed the system bios from A7 to A10 version but same problem .... laptop works in half speed and it's very slooly.

I read to Dell website that this laptop isn't compatible with Windows7/Windows 10. I've tryed to reinstall from scrath Windows XP but the problem persist ... now the cpu works only at 0.98Ghz.

Have you an idea how to solve this? ... no problem for me working with windowsXP or Windows7 the most important thing is working at 2Ghz.

Many thanks in advance.

Ciao Wizzy

I deleted my Microsoft Office 2010 starter software. This software came pre-installed. Mydownloads does not allow me to see any 3rd party software pre-installed in PC. I am not able to find it in a solution in the Solution Center.

Hi

I bought a DELL Inspiron 3148 a few days ago. It's now upgraded from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10.

Windows 8.1 = I do not have the below problem.
Windows 10 = I do have the below problem.

I have been experiencing (and I still am experiencing to some extent) problems with my WiFi (Broadcom 1708 WiFi/BT combo chip). The problem is the same whether I'm running the laptop on battery or mains.

Problems:
- WiFi networks not available and not connected (I see a red cross over the WiFi icon in the Taskbar); or
- WiFi networks available but not connected

To manually fix either of these problems I have had to do one of the following, either:
- Disable and enable the Network Adaptor (this often works); or
- Reset the Network Adapter by running the "Network Troubleshooting" (this always works)

Then, once the WiFi is properly connected it works well for a short while (less than 15 mins). After that it shows "Limited" (under the chosen WiFi network name) or no connection (red cross through the WiFi icon in the Taskbar).

Although the above actions sort of fixed the issues it quickly became very frustrating and totally impractical, so I went in search of more permanent fixes on the internet and found the below suggestions.

Notes:
- I've not given an exact step-by-step howto at this stage. If things are unclear let me know and I'll updated the text accordingly.
- I've applied all the steps (in the order given below) and have not undo any previous steps ie. this is building each "fix" on top of the previous "fix".
- The below is amalgamation of what I've found and what seems to work (to some extent) for me. It might even be that some of the below is not really helping and/or is an overkill.

Right, here goes...

A. Driver
===================================================
1) Install latest WiFi adapter drivers.

The DELL Broadcom 1708 WiFi driver information on DELL driver homepage shows:
File name: 3148_Network_Driver_TH22T_WN32_7.35.295.0_A01.exe
Last modified: 17th Sept 2015

During installation of the driver, the date is shown as 6th August 2015.
After installation of the driver, the date is shown as 30th July 2015.

When I make a double-check that the driver is really upto date I get the following message "The best driver software for your device is already installed"

I also have the "DELL Updater" installed on my laptop and it shows "Your system is up to date".

Questions:
i) Why are does the driver still show "30th July 2015" even though the date shown on the DELL driver homepage shows "17th Sept 2015"?
ii) How do I really know if I have the real latest version of the driver installed, ie. version from 17th Sept 2015?
iii) I am supposed to delete the current driver before installing the new driver? Of "yes" then how"? 

2) Change Driver setup in the Advance Settings:
2.1) AP Compatible, set to Broader Compatibility
2.2) Minimum Power Consumption, set to Disabled
This did not fix the problems.

B. Power settings
===================================================
Control Panel - Hardware and Software - Power Options
Dell - Change Plan Settings - Change Advanced Power Settings
Wireless Adapter Settings - Power Saving Mode
On Battery, set to Maximum Performance
Plugged in, set to Maximum Performance
This did not fix the problems.

C. Forget all previous WiFi networks
===================================================
I simply ran what was recommended. The purpose is not 100% clear to me.
Settings - Network & Internet - WiFi - Manage WiFi Settings
Individually select each network and click "Forget". (Tedious but not sure how to Forget All)
This did not fix the problems.

D. BT interference
===================================================
I installed the latest BT driver from DELL's homepage.
This did not fix the problems.

I have noticed the following with BT:
1) Turn on the BT (without pairing or streaming data ie. no stereo audio from PC to BT headset)
   WiFi signal strength not reduced. WiFi remains stable  
2) Pair BT without starting to stream audio data to BT headset
   WiFi signal strength not reduced. WiFi remains stable  
3) Streaming audio over BT to my BT headset
   WiFi signal strength reduced but remains stable, ie. doesn't disconnect

Is there potentially a WiFi/BT co-existence issue here too?

E. Register
===================================================
I believe this is related to the Cisco VPN client from Win8 having an issue, but it's not 100% clear to me.
Again, I simply ran what was recommended.

- Press Windows Logo + X from your keyboard.
- Now select Command Prompt (Admin) Not the non-Admin version of the Command Prompt
- Now enter the following command and press enter.
  reg delete HKCR\CLSID\{988248f3-a1ad-49bf-9170-676cbbc36ba3} /va /f

(I only got to this point as this did not work for me. The deletion couldn't happend as nothing was there in my system to be deleted, but it may work for you)

netcfg -v -u dni_dne
- Now restart your PC.

This did not fix the problems.

F. Resetting TCP/IP auto-tuning
===================================================
Again I simply ran what was recommended.

- Press Windows Logo + X from your keyboard.
- Now select Command Prompt (Admin) Not the non-Admin version of the Command Prompt
- Now enter the following commands, pressing enter after each command
  netsh int tcp set heuristics disabled
  netsh int tcp global autotuninglevel=disabled
  netsh int tcp set global rss=enabled

You should get an "OK" after each commend is entered.

You can also check it worked by entering the following command
  netsh int tcp show global
It should show only the first state "Receive-side scaling state" as enabled, all others should be disabled.

- Now restart your PC.

This did not fix the problems.

G. IP resetting
===================================================
Again I simply ran what was recommended.

- Press Windows Logo + X from your keyboard.
- Now select Command Prompt (Admin) Not the non-Admin version of the Command Prompt
- Now enter the following commands, then enter
  netsh int ip reset

- Now restart your PC.

This seems to fix my problems as my WiFi has been constantly attached to the same WiFi network for over one hour now.
Previously, before running the above command, it would drop every 15 mins or less.

That said, I need to manually connect to the WiFi as the automatic connection no longer seems to work at all.

Please let me know if you have any constructive feedback on the above and/or if you have other workarounds/solutions.

Many Thanks,
Alan

I installed Windows 10 a few months back on my XPS 15 L502X. It seemed OK, but a little clunky. Now I'm sick of it. It is so much slower, things freeze up, the start button doesn't work, it takes forever to login, webcam doesn't always work etc, etc.

So, I want Windows 8.1 back. I actually grew to like this OS. Problem is I don't have the installation disks. I tried to get some via the Dell website but came to a bit of a dead end and am not sure if they will be supplied after the warranty has expired.

Also, I don't seem to have an activation code on the case - is this an issue.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks,

Chris

Hello,

I just reinstalled OS on this laptop and I ran through the Dell website to auto-detect drivers that need to be updated.

Once finished, I still have this listed under device manager and network controller is not found.  Can you provide the correct Network Controller?

Thanks,

Vern

Wife bought me an XPS M1330 for Christmas a year ago.  She never consulted me about options.  CPUZ shows Socket P T5250@1.5GHz, rated 667 FSB, 65nm technology.  I love the computer, but it is slow.  On checking current configs for the M1330, a T8300, 2.4GHz, 800 FSB, 45nm tecnology is offered. I'm running Vista Home Premium. Current BIOS- A14 (11/19/2008)

Are ther any contraindications to making this upgrade?  It looks like 5 screws are all that is necessary to swap processors.   I have built many desktops, so I am familiar with heat sinks, thermal compound, etc. 

Currently running 2GB PC2 5300 memory.  Would upgrade to 4GB.

Warranty is almost expired, so that is not an issue.

Any suggestions, cautions, alternatives are much appreciated.

Hi,

I wish to determine whether I will enjoy a satifying user-experience if I purchase and install Windows 10 on my old Dell Dimension 3100 desktop.

I bought my Dell Dimension 3100 Pentium 4 521 desktop in December 2005.  It was new and delivered by Dell.  It is fitted with an Intel 915GV chipset, elsewhere described as Pentium 4 Processor 630 with HT technology (3.0GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 800MHz FSB).  It has 2MB of RAM.  It currently runs Windows XP, and I find it quite serviceable for the applications which I most commonly run - Mail (Outlook), Word processing (MS-Word) and internet browsing (Google Chrome).  It does have a few limitations when trying to wrestle with large amounts of data, or if I ask it to load too many websites at once, but I'm a patient person and can usually afford to wait for it to sort itself out.

I've read the basic system requirements for Windows 10 as published by Microsoft, and my old computer would seem to meet those requirements.  Can anyone please help me and confirm that my old Dell Dimension 3100 will run Windows 10 satisfactorily and allow me to perform the most common functions that I use it for - mail, web browsing and word processing?  In particular, will my user experience be reasonably satisfying and not punctuated too often by slow response times?

I know that Windows XP is no longer supported by Microsoft and has security flaws which may render my computer open to exploitation by hackers but so far I have not been too troubled.  However, it's probably time to upgrade to a new Operating System, or perhaps to upgrade the computer itself.  Given that I'd have to buy Windows 10 and install it on my current equipment, I might be better off buying an entirely new system.  How much will Windows 10 cost as a stand-alone purchase?

52 minutes on the phone with some guy in Pakistan that I couldn't understand just to get an install disk for a machine that crashed 3 DAYS after the warranty expired. Still didn't get it. After 52 minutes, he said "another 20 minutes to wait for system to finish updating".  Thanks Dell, I didn't need that hour of air time for NOTHING. Beyond p.o.'d.

I have an XPS 8900 computer, Windows 10, received it last week. If your Dell is under warranty (mine is, one week old), you can order Dell backup and recovery discs here. You enter your Service Tag and click on continue. When I do that, I get this message: "Sorry, we appear to have an issue with one of our services (ASQ), please wait a few minutes and try again". Well, I've been trying (on and off) for a few DAYS and always get that message. Yes, I know that I can create the discs (or a recovery USB drive), and I'm going to, but I'd also like to get Dell's discs. Has anyone been able to order these discs?

Hello,

My laptop came preinstalled with Dell Stage. Since purchasing I have upgraded to Win 10 from Win 7.

Dell Stage is not compatible with Win 10. (see below)

I have tried to uninstall Dell Stage from my system, but that has proved to be impossible.

I have visited Dell Downloads to try to get another full version of the pre-installed software, but that appears to also be impossible as Dell Downloads does not load anything.

Dell Stage doesn't work on Win 10. It was preinstalled on my laptop. I can't uninstall Dell Stage from my system. I can't get onto Dell Downloads.

Dell Stage attempts to load on startup, and it slows down the startup considerably.

So, what are my options?

Hi.

Recently bought a new XPS 8300 with the Radeon HD 6950 graphics card.

I have had nothing but trouble with it.  The screen keeps freezing and then I get a message saying that the the card had crashed and has been succesfully recovered.

My event log shows the following.

"Display driver amdkmdap stopped responding and has successfully recovered."

I have looked into the problem and there are a huge number of things that it could be.  I have tried all of the software related fixes (Tdr edits in the registry, new drivers, clean installs of drivers etc.) and nothing is working.

The next most common problem is an underrated power supply.  I noticed that the 8300 comes with a 460 watt power supply.

The AMD pages for the Radeon 6950 state that is needs at least a 500w PSU.

Has anyone else had this issue and can someone please tell me that Dell have not sold me a PC with an underrated PSU for the supplied set up!!

Cheers :)

With all the clutter I have, I've lost my windows 7 CD that came with my Dell Inspiron 580, need it to unclutter my PC soon, want to start fresh, any help for my situation.

Hi, I upgraded my Inspiron 660 desktop to Win 10 back in January.  I want to go back to Win 8or 8.1.

Unfortunately when I bought this computer I did not get the disc for the operating system with it. Now I need to get back to the original Windows and can't figure out how to do it without the original disc. Can

someone help me with this...? Thanks.   <ADMIN NOTE: Email id removed per privacy policy>

Just received a brand new XPS 8900 with a 256GB SSD and a 2TB HDD. For some unknown reason Dell installed their image onto the HDD (C:), leaving the SSD as a blank data drive. I'm assuming that was a mistake. Any simple way to recover short of sending the machine back to them?

My motherboard stopped working in my Dell Inspiron 660S desktop.  It was dead.

Before it died I had done the free Win10 upgrade from the original Win8 Dell OS.

I bought an identical board (brand and model), swapped the old Intel chip into it and had to use the rescue disc to boot to Windows.  So it reset Windows from the rescue disc.  

Now I have no access to my Win8 key since it is on the dead board.

I talked to Microsoft and they tried but said I am out of luck, the Win8 key is needed to activate the Win10 upgrade, and the key is on the dead board.  I have to buy a new Win10 copy.

Am I out of luck here?  The computer is out of warranty (2013).

Thanks.

Alan

I have an Inspiron 15r N5110 on which the hard disk seems to have failed.  I have purchased an SSD of the same size etc and want to install it but wonder how I can get a copy of the windows recovery disk for Windows 7 for this machine? I seem to have mislaid the one I had.

Can anyone advise please?

Thanks very much