XPS One A2420 64 bit driver

When it shipped, the only validated operating systems were:
Windows Vista Premium (32-bit)
Vista Ultimate (32-bit)

The latest driver posted for this PC was in May, 2009. This tells me they are not working to add more. Did you try forcing a Vista 32-bit driver in compatibility mode onto those operating systems?

I had exactly  the same problem with my A2420 and Windows 7 64bit.  I am not sure that it is a driver problem as it got worse with time and Dell have now repalced the video card which has solved the problem.

What card did they replace with? The Intel graphics card?

I found the solution. I am now running Windows 7 64bit with a 64bit Nvidia GeForce 9600M gt driver.

I would like to know how to do this, because on my computer, the  NVAM.inf file and the listdevices.txt file only exist in the 32-bit drivers directory

I have downloaded the driver files from Nvidia. Can you identify the changes that need to be made to the NVAM.inf adn the listdevices.txt files?

thanks!

What card did they replace with? The Intel graphics card?

They replaced the nVidia graphcs card. There was definitely a hardware problem with it. There's a different issue with getting the official nVidia installer to recognise our hardware (as you found and fixed). My PC was locking up and doing silly things until the card was replaced, and wouldn't work with any 64bit drivers, or even updated 32bit drivers. No issues at all now.

The files mentioned are in the nVidia installer package. Instructions below.

I'm disappointed at the lack of Dell's software support/development for this system - they were quite happy to take my money for a 3 year hardware warranty. They should at least continue HW development for that period. My system scores 5.9 on Micro$oft's Windows Experience Index - the max score on that scale is 7.9, so the system is still quite a high performance machine even by today's standards. There's no reason for me to upgrade/change to a newer system and I intend to keep it for a good while yet. Poor show, Dell.

Anyway, rant over. Here's how to get the official nVidia drivers to install. I went down this route as the original driver was causing my system to delay on resume from standby. 

WARNING: you can trash your system if you don't know what you're doing - do this at your own risk, and make sure you set a system restore point before proceeding (and if you don't know how to do that then you should not even consider doing the following...!)

Note that although the directories below are VISTA-64bit it all works perfectly on Windows 7 64bit.

1. Get the latest nVidia driver istall package from the nVidia website. I used their automatic hardware scanner to identify the correct package, which it did.
2. When the package is downloaded, run it. You need to do this to extract the package. It will ask for a directory to extract to - just accept the default (something like c:\NVIDIA\DisplayDriver. Once extracted, the setup file will run and will FAIL as it will not recognise the 2420's display hardware.
3. Quit the installer package.
4. You need to find out your display device ID. To do this, click the start button, type device manager in the search box, click device manager when it appears. Navigate to Display Adaptors >and double click the GeForce 9600M entry. In the dialogue box that opens, click the Details tab, and then select hardware Ids from the dropdown. You should then see a list of hardware ID's. You're after something like: PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0649&SUBSYS_90131043
5. Make a note of the device ID

Now you need to edit the files in the installer package to add your device ID so the package recognises your hardware.

1. Go to the location you chose to extract the nVidia installer package, and navigate to the Display.Driver subdirectory:
2. eg if you used the default settings it would be something like C:\NVIDIA\DisplayDriver\270.61\Vista 64-bit\International\Display.Driver
3. Open ListDevices.txt in this directory.
4. Scroll down to the NVAM.inf section of this file.
5. In the NVAM.inf section you will see several entries for GeForce 9600M GT. They should all have device ID's that match the first part of your device ID, but with the last 8 digits different. Make a note of the last 8 digits of the first entry, and then replace those 8 digits with your device ID - so for the example above you'd change them to 90131043, and end up with a line that reads DEV_0649&SUBSYS_90131043 "NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT"
6. Save and close the file.

Now you need to edit the 2nd file:

1. open NVAM.inf from the same directory.
2. You now need to find the entry that corresponded to the entry you've just edited in the ListDevices.txt file. THERE ARE TWO ENTRIES, each in a different section of the inf file, AND YOU NEED TO REPLACE THEM BOTH.
3. Hit to open the search dialogue, and enter the digits of the original number you replaced (you should have made a note of them in the steps above). Once again, change the last 8 digits to your device ID so you end up with something like  %NVIDIA_DEV.0649.01% = Section013, PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0649&SUBSYS_90131043
4. Hit to find the next entry and replace it in the same way
5. IMPORTANT NOTE: The bit above is the only bit I'm slightly uncertain about. If you look at the list of entries, you'll see several that correspond to the geforce 9600M hardware id - the first DEV.0649 bit, each with a different suffix - so .01%, .02%, .03% and so on. I'm not sure what significance the suffix has, and some point to a slightly different section of the inf file. I just replaced exactly the same entry that I replaced in the ListDevices file, and it all worked fine. I really don't know if it makes any difference.
6. Save the file and close it.

Now you can run the installer again by navigating up a couple of directories to International (so in the example using default values it will be C:\NVIDIA\DisplayDriver\270.61\Vista 64-bit\International), and double clicking setup.exe.

It should now run without issues. You'll get the usual windows warning about it not recognising the package publisher etc. which you can ignore unless you think nVidia are after your bank details and porn collection.

Hope that helps. If anyone has an explanation for the different suffixes, it would be great to clear that bit up.

I tried this on a Win7 64-bit install and it seems to work fine. So well done that man, bernmc :emotion-2:

And a big boo-hiss to Dell and nVidia for such a ridiculous oversight. :emotion-39:

I'd like to add that at least with the latest nVidia drivers no tinkering around the INF file is necessary!

You just have to download the wrong driver: The card in the XPS One 24 is a 9600M GT, so of course on the nVidia Driver Page one would select GeForce 9M Series, wouldn't one?

If you do that you will get a driver that won't install unless you manually tamper with some files. If however you download the normal "GeForce 9 Series" driver (i.e. "non-mobile"), that one will install and work flawless (unless of course you suffer from the Hardware problems that bernmc has described: something that 2 of my 4 XPS-One-24 Systems do/did)...

I just had Windows 10 put in, and installer informed me there might be

A prob with the video card..should I replace the card or upgrade graphic

Card or what. Computer worked for 2 weeks, now nothing...blank screen

You cannot upgrade the graphics card. You can replace it with an identical one, whether this will change anything is doubtful.

Can't really say what you should do since you fail to provide even the most basic information on what is wrong with your computer. In general: Win 10 x64 runs fine on the XPS One 24 (A2420) if you know how to get the proper drivers.