Dell 9560 Thunderbolt Firmware Installation Failing

The firmware file designation is different from mine but I am using A03 which seems to show version 9.  Right now, I  see no firmware update available for my unit, either on the 9365 site or the TB 16 site.

Intel_TBT3_FW_UPDATE_NVM09_ VP9W3_A02_4.09.00.003.exe

That said, the TB16 dock has been stable since before the XPS 15 9560 was even released, except for a recent BIOS snafu on some systems that broke USB connection stability (but the replacement BIOS updates have been out for a while now) and a known issue with older versions of Citrix Receiver, so if that's your only concern, you're going to be fine even if you can't get the very latest firmware installed right away. You really committed to spending weeks on this and even going through Windows Fresh Start before even seeing whether you would have a problem with the system's current state first?

I have learned that having the ASMedia USB drivers installed is important to dock operation, so make sure those are up to date.

Otherwise, I need to check from where you downloaded the dock firmware.

That TB3 firmware update was just released, whereas the Thunderbolt software is a few months old, so my guess is that the newer Thunderbolt software version you need in order to install that firmware update will be posted soon. Maybe the firmware update was posted earlier than intended.

Hi All, thanks for the quick response. I will keep an eye out for a thunderbolt controller driver update.

I do have 2 of the TB-16 docks here at home I was trying to get working for the past couple weeks, never making it past the thunderbolt firmware step mentioned above.

Since running Window's start fresh I have not plugged in the docks and intend not to until l install all the recommended drivers. I'm not sure if connecting the docks to the laptop before installing the drivers caused any of these problems initially.

Here's a few more details that may help diagnose. Both TB-16 docks were able to charge the laptop, but only one of the USB ports on one of the docks was able to keep a usb stick's LED on (all other ports flash the LED and it goes out instantly). When the dock was connected to the laptop a mouse/keyboard connected to the dock wouldn't show up on the laptop.

I also attempted to plug the laptop into a monitor and tv (confirmed to work) using HDMI and it wouldn't recognize that there was a display attached. I've tried lowering the laptop's resolution to 1920x1080. Not sure if this is because I haven't installed any video drivers yet. The primary objective is getting the docks to work, though.

Thanks again for the assistance,

Nick

Yes, the ASMedia USB Host Controller driver is essential to operation of the dock's USB ports, and possibly even the Ethernet and audio controllers since they're wired internally to the USB controller.  And yes, you do need the GPU drivers installed for video output to work correctly.  The dock doesn't require any ADDITIONAL display-related drivers specific to the dock since it taps into the GPU outputs wired directly to the Thunderbolt controller, but you absolutely need the GPU drivers.

And no, connecting the dock for the first time before all required drivers are installed won't permanently break anything, but of course the dock won't work properly until all of the required drivers are installed either.

www.dell.com/.../dell-thunderbolt-dock-tb16-driver-installation-guide

I've been following this order for drivers to install

***

Source for downloading the drivers:

www.dell.com/.../advanced

****

Attempted/installed so far:

BIOS: Dell XPS 15 9560 System BIOS: XPS_15_9560_1.5.0.exe (success)

CHIPSET: Intel Thunderbolt Controller Driver: Driver_7X8Y6_WIN_16.3.61.275_A03_01.EXE (apparent success)

CHIPSET: Intel(R) Thunderbolt 3 Firmware Update: Intel_TBT3_FW_UPDATE_NVM21_8VJR1_A02_4.21.04.003.exe (failure)

***

That's as far as I've made it as the firmware fails saying the controller driver isn't up to date. (This was happening last week too, before the firmware was updated this week).

Would it be unwise to install the ASMedia USB driver before the thunderbolt firmware? Or plug the TB-16 in to see if the controller driver takes any action?

Thanks,

Nick

Sorry I commented before I saw your response came in. I'll report back when I try out some of these suggestions.

Much appreciated,

Nick

I found the firmware update in the chipset section of the download page.  Since we have different systems, the fact it looks different doesn't mean much.  Your version is showing as Oct. 4th 2017.

All drivers and firmware are loaded on the computer, not the dock, so I don't think it would hurt to load the USB drivers now.

Had the motherboard replaced and it now works fine. Looks like it was just a bad thunderbolt port or some other hardware issue.

Thanks for the responses, all.

Intel_TBT3_FW_UPDATE_NVM21_MHTHF_A02_4.21.03.001.exe systematic installation failure on an XPS13 9360

same symptoms than the one detailed above. beside changing the motherboard (not an option in my case), what Dell would suggest to fix the issue?

thanks

+1. I was able though to update the rest of my drivers as per Dell indications.

Right now each time I plug in my TB I have a popup saying that I'm missing the last version of the driver (?)