Dell XPS 17 Waves Maxx Audio and webcam central missing on Windows 8 Release Preview

This is most likely because I installed the Release Preview of Windows 8 on the Laptop which comes without all the Dell programs and services. I'd like to reinstall them and also re-install the drivers

Have you re-installed your original operating system or still using 8? If 8, Dell does not support it yet and even after it is released I don't know if Dell will support it on all of the models that had a different OS pre-installed. Dell tends to mostly support only the pre-installed OS so your best  bet is to stick with it if the programs and drivers that came with the laptop are important to you.

About the links, I can't link you directly to your drivers & downloads page. You have to go to the Product Selection page first, then follow the links.

http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/04/DriversHome/NeedProductSelection

I suggest that you do not enter your Service tag because you will only get the drivers for your pre-installed OS. To see all of the drivers for your model, select " Choose from a list of all Dell products", then follow the links to your model. You have to know your model name, which is either XPS L702x or XPS L701x.  When you arrive at your drivers & downloads page you have to select your operating system. The only choice for you is 7. That is what I meant when I said that 8 is not supported. You can try installing the 7 drivers. If you have trouble then see if 8 has something like a "7 compatibility mode" to help with the installations.

The Realtek driver is in the Audio category. There are 2 versions there. I would try the 6.0.1.6312, A04  first,  Tip: if you click on the driver's name rather than on "download file", you will go to the driver's own page where there is some valuable info, including links to other driver versions that are not on the main drivers & downloads page.

Quickset is in the Applications category. Also in that category is Dell Digital Delivery which you should install if you purchased optional software when you ordered your laptop. If not don't bother with it.

The Webcam driver should be included in 7, don't know about 8, but I see a Quanta webcam driver in the Input category. Don't know if you need that one or not.

The webcam application and other applications that came pre-installed on your computer should be available for download from My Dell Downloads.

1. Navigate to the Dell Support Website  Bad link I think. Try this one: https://smartsource.dell.com/Web/Welcome.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fweb%2fmain.aspx
2. Click My Account in the upper right corner and sign in with your Dell My Account in the popup box provided.
3. Under the My Software section on the right side of the page, click "Download Factory Installed Software (My Dell Downloads)".
4. Click the checkbox that agrees to the Terms and Conditions of the My Dell Downloads website and click Register System at the bottom of the page
5. At the My Download Locker page, click the registered system that corresponds with the computer you are downloading Webcam Central to.
6. Under the Title section, look for Dell Webcam Central. There may be more than one listing for this software title.
7. Select the listing with the latest version number in the Version column. Click the checkbox under the Download column for this software, and at the bottom of the page click Download Now.
8. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
9. Once the Dell Webcam software is installed restart the computer.

The above instructions came from this page.

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kcs/document?docid=266612#Uninstall-and-Reinstall-the-Webcam-Central-Software

Edited

Korados,

About the webcam, I will monitor this because of my webcam knowledge. jimco was correct, Windows 7/8 are supposed to provide the webcam drivers for the webcam except for some of the XPS models and they are available to download and install from Drivers & Downloads enter your service tag number, then under Input, you'll find the webcam drivers. You may have to install them in the Vista/Windows 7 Compatibility mode

• Did you recently install/reinstall the operating system? If yes, did you install the drivers i the correct order? How to Download and Install Drivers in the Correct Order

Try reading...

Troubleshooting the Dell Webcam and Dell Webcam Central Software

Also try running the Webcam Diagnostics

Did the webcam show in the symptom tree?

Any error messages?

Is the computer under warranty? Don't think Dell supports Windows 8 until it comes out, so Windows 8 CP would not be supported.

If you can answer the questions I asked about the webcam, I can give you an idea on what is wrong with it.

You can work with Jim on the audio part then the webcam with me, or just make it all in the same posts. Jim and me get along to work together.

Rick

Korados,

Using Internet Explorer, go to My Dell Downloads :: Login Use the same email address and password you used here. Click on add system. Your paid programs can be found there.

You have to use Internet Explorer. If your system does not register in 5 minutes, then contact Dell Tech Support.

Rick

Thank you very much for your help Jim, but the smartsource link leads to a site where I have to sign in. After I did that I shall register my laptop, but when I click on register, the button just disappers and nothing happends. Do you they have a server error or something?

Ok, I now used the IE and it worked, but there's another problem: The audio driver doesn't work. I tried to install the other one on the page, but the installer says that the zip file is part of a CD set. That doesn't make any sense because I have no discs!

Jim and me get along to work together.

:emotion-21:

Windows 7/8 are supposed to provide the webcam drivers for the webcam except for some of the XPS models and they are available to download and install from Drivers & Downloads enter your service tag number, then under Input, you'll find the webcam drivers.

I didn't know that. The only one I see there Is it the Quanta H.264 integrate webcam driver. (Peculiar name). Is that it?

Korados, what do you mean the audio driver doesn't work? It won't download? Won't install (error message?) Or it installs but there is no audio?

Did you use Vista/Windows 7 Compatibility mode as Rick suggested? If you can't get the Realtek 7 driver to work using compatibility mode then use the native HD native driver in 8 until Dell posts a Realtek 8 driver. Or try one of the 8 drivers on the Realtek website.

Jim,

SOME of the XPS models use a different webcam and need the drivers installed. I think, but cannot be certain that they are Quanta Webcams. I have one installed on my XPS L501x. Just the XPS models may or may not have webcam drivers. Windows 7 is supposed to provide the webcam drivers for the other models.

I got involved with the webcams and if the person answers my questions, I can tell if the webcam is attached, detached or may have failed. Hopefully the system is under warranty and Dell Tech Support can take care of some of those issues.

Rick

It's allright, I fixed it! I download Web Cam Central and I downloaded the latest HD Audio at realtek.com - which actually was developed for windows 8. Now the Maxx Audio is back and Webcam Central, too. Case closed!

Thank you for your help!

Glad you got it all worked out. I'm happy to know that the 8 driver at the Realtek site works for the next time this comes up, but what about the webcam driver -- did you use the Quanta driver or the native 8 driver?

I didn't install a driver for the webcam. I visited the My Dell Downloads site and downloaded Webcam Central and then everything was fine! The Realtek driver was the Windows 8 64-bit HD Audio Driver R2.69. It was the first driver in the and was written in bold to say that this one is important! I can't believe I overlooked it!

Everything works fine again and it was so easy! Just downloading a driver and program! I guess we just thought too complicated

Same here.

I have a Dell XPS 1702 and already had tons of issues inclding Wave Audio not working and Dell Webcam stopped working since August 2012.

Can not take risk of wasting hours over phone to talk to customer service who are trained in diverting calls without any resolution.

DELL Sucks.....

I have stopped buying Dell products and saved my friends from getting into Dell trap....

Now this is one of my mission to educate my network and people around me about Dell's Product & horrible customer service......

Dell is Hell.......