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Dell XPS 15 9550 docking issues
So, my computer is out of warranty, and I was trying to update the drivers for my WD15 Docking Station using the PDF guide that Dell provided, only to find out that the guide is outdated. I no longer know what order I need to install everything in. I should've written it down the last time I was on the phone with customer support (before my warranty expired), since Dell seems to engineer their stuff to break for no reason after a certain period of time. Anyways. Can somebody help me install the drivers in the correct order so that my keyboard/headphones/other devices stop randomly getting disconnected from the laptop? Thanks.
jphughan
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August 28th, 2017 22:00
The order doesn't matter. The issue is that the latest BIOS updates released for a handful of systems, including your XPS 15 9550, have introduced intermittent device disconnects for USB devices connected via the WD15 and TB16 docks. There are several threads about this in this forum already. So far, there isn't a fix. The only driver updates you need are the ASMedia USB controller, Realtek USB Ethernet, and Realtek USB audio. Then you can optionally install the firmware updates for the WD15 and the Realtek Ethernet controller if desired.
samos1111
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August 29th, 2017 01:00
Yes it was fine with BIOS 1.2.25 and dock issues started reappearing with 1.2.29. Roll back worked for some but not all!? Just recently 1.3.0 came up and it may have been fixed, a couple of success reports but too soon to tell. Unfortunately, Dell doesn't seem to do much driver testing, don't comment on problems reported by users here, and don't pull back drivers well known to cause issues.
The ASMedia driver is for the TB15/16 only. The Realtek drivers are related to the WD15 but not sure if to the issue. There are also the recent Thunderbolt driver and firmware, not sure if applicable with the WD15.
> The order doesn't matter.
I don't think so - with some drivers the order is specified (I recall firstly BIOS, then TB driver, then TB firmware). In case of problems also verify if installation steps actually succedded and new drivers are in fact installed. When I had dock USB issues over a year ago (this seems to be a re-occurence), the laptop wasn't working properly with the troubled dock attached which also resulted in failed driver installs.
jphughan
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August 29th, 2017 08:00
I didn't say the order of driver installation doesn't EVER matter for any scenario. I'm well aware that it does matter for Thunderbolt and some other cases. I said the order doesn't matter because it doesn't for this particular case. And I originally thought the ASMedia USB driver didn't apply to the WD15 either, but I keep seeing it listed as applicable to the WD15 on Dell Support pages, and since I don't own one myself I can't check. I figured the risk of installing it when it's not needed is that you'll just have an inactive driver on your system (and you'll be ready for a TB16 if you ever encounter one!), whereas the risk of NOT installing it if it does in fact need to be there is that your dock won't work correctly.