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DELL-Brian B

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February 29th, 2016 00:00

back to the top Dell TB15 Desktop Dock - Step-by-step driver/firmware/BIOS installation instructions for XPS, Latitude and Precision notebooks [UPDATED 07-28-16]

Use Dell Command | Update to install Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock (TB15) drivers for Latitude E5570 / 7275 / 7370 / Precision 3510 / 5510 / XPS 15-9550 / XPS 13-9350 & XPS 12-9250

Dell provides the Dell Command | Update Application on a business client supported platforms to simplify the BIOS, firmware & driver update experience. This application is located under the "Systems Management" section of the Dell Support website (www.dell.com/support). Be sure to pick your system type from the list or enter your service tag to ensure you get the right version for your system.

  • Install the Dell Command | Update v2.2.0 available for the system in the "Systems Management" section to obtain the latest firmware and drivers.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03810413M/1/Systems-Management_Application_P52W9_WN32_2.2.0_A00.EXE

NOTE: The application allows users to download and install the latest firmware and drivers on their systems, including

  1. System BIOS
  2. Intel Thunderbolt Controller Driver
  3. Intel Thunderbolt 3 Firmware Update
  4. ASMedia USB 3.0 Extended Host Controller Driver
  5. Realtek USB GBE Ethernet Controller Driver
  6. Realtek USB Audio Driver

Other than above automatic installation, it’s recommended that users download and install the Dell Dock Firmware Update utility (expected to be available to download by August 2016) and Intel HD Graphics Driver manually.

Back to the Top 

<ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>

Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock (TB15) Installation Guide for Latitude E5570 / Precision 3510

The latest BIOS, drivers and Firmware can be downloaded at the Dell Support website (www.dell.com/support). Dell highly recommends installing the following BIOS / Drivers step by step in the prescribed order to ensure optimal performance. Failure to install BIOS, drivers and Firmware in this document may result in undesirable performance.

  1. Connect the AC adapter to the Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock (TB15) and then connect the Thunderbolt™ 3 (Type-C) connector to the computer.
  2. Search your system model name under Select a Product selection or enter the service tag of your system to locate Drivers & downloads page on the Dell Support website (www.dell.com/support). Change the OS to view all available updates for your system.
  3. Flash the latest Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) available for the system. This is posted in the "BIOS" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03796988M/1/Latitude_E5x70_Precision_3510_1.7.3.exe

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Intel Thunderbolt Controller Driver available for the system. This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03795588M/1/Docks_Stands_Driver_2VCD4_WN32_16.1.47.275_A02.EXE

  1. Install the Intel Thunderbolt 3 Firmware Update available for the system. This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03798151M/1/Intel_TBT3_FW_UPDATE_NVM16_A04_2.16.01.003.exe

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Intel HD Graphics Driver available for the system. This is posted in the "Video" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03788600M/1/Video_Driver_N8YN8_WN32_20.19.15.4454_A03.EXE

  1. Install the ASMedia USB 3.0 Extended Host Controller for Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock available for the system. . This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03578208M/1/Chipset_Driver_YM9TJ_WN32_1.16.33.1_A02.EXE

  1. Install the ASMedia USB 3.0 Extended Host Firmware Utility available for the system. This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03771609M/5/USB_Utility_ASMedia_A00_WIN_H43H3_ZPE.exe

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Realtek USB GBE Ethernet Controller Driver for the Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock and Dell Dock available for the system in the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03520011M/7/Docks_Stands_Driver_9YCY0_WN64_2.43.2015.1225_A01_02.EXE

  1. Install the Realtek USB Audio Driver for the Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock and Dell Dock available for the system in the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03613504M/1/Audio_Driver_GG4M6_WN32_6.3.9600.44_A02.EXE

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Dell Dock Firmware Update Tool (expected to be available to download by August 2016) for the system in the "Docks & Stands" section.

NOTE: After the update process completes, it’s desired to shut down the computer and perform below steps in order to make the new firmware take effect.

  1. Power off the system.
  2. Disconnect the Thunderbolt 3 (Type-C) cable from the computer and then remove the AC adapter of TB15 dock from the power outlet.
  3. Then follow the recommended steps of connecting the AC adapter to the TB15 dock first and then attaching the Thunderbolt cable to the computer.
  4. Power on the computer with the docking station connected.

Back to the Top

Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock (TB15) Installation Guide for Latitude 7275 / XPS 12-9250

The latest BIOS, drivers and Firmware can be downloaded at the Dell Support website (www.dell.com/support). Dell highly recommends installing the following BIOS / Drivers step by step in the prescribed order to ensure optimal performance. Failure to install BIOS, drivers and Firmware in this document may result in undesirable performance.

  1. Connect the AC adapter to the Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock (TB15) and then connect the Thunderbolt™ 3 (Type-C) connector to the computer.
  2. Search your system model name under Select a Product selection or enter the service tag of your system to locate Drivers & downloads page on the Dell Support website (www.dell.com/support). Change the OS to view all available updates for your system.
  1. Flash the latest Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) available for the system. This is posted in the "BIOS" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03814070M/1/XPS_9250_Latitude_7275_01.01.17.exe

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Intel Thunderbolt Controller Driver available for the system. This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03795588M/1/Docks_Stands_Driver_2VCD4_WN32_16.1.47.275_A02.EXE

  1. Install the Intel Thunderbolt 3 Firmware Update available for the system. This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03798151M/1/Intel_TBT3_FW_UPDATE_NVM16_A04_2.16.01.003.exe

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Intel HD Graphics Driver available for the system. This is posted in the "Video" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03730414M/1/Video_Driver_JM0JP_WN32_20.19.15.4454_A02.EXE

  1. Install the ASMedia USB 3.0 Extended Host Controller for Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock available for the system. . This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03578208M/1/Chipset_Driver_YM9TJ_WN32_1.16.33.1_A02.EXE

  1. Install the ASMedia USB 3.0 Extended Host Firmware Utility available for the system. This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03771609M/5/USB_Utility_ASMedia_A00_WIN_H43H3_ZPE.exe

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Realtek USB GBE Ethernet Controller Driver for the Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock and Dell Dock available for the system in the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03520011M/7/Docks_Stands_Driver_9YCY0_WN64_2.43.2015.1225_A01_02.EXE

  1. Install the Realtek USB Audio Driver for the Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock and Dell Dock available for the system in the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03613504M/1/Audio_Driver_GG4M6_WN32_6.3.9600.44_A02.EXE

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Dell Dock Firmware Update Tool (expected to be available to download by August 2016) for the system in the "Docks & Stands" section.

NOTE: After the update process completes, it’s desired to shut down the computer and perform below steps in order to make the new firmware take effect.

  1. Power off the system.
  1. Disconnect the Thunderbolt 3 (Type-C) cable from the computer and then remove the AC adapter of TB15 dock from the power outlet.
  2. Then follow the recommended steps of connecting the AC adapter to the TB15 dock first and then attaching the Thunderbolt cable to the computer.
  3. Power on the computer with the docking station connected.

Back to the Top 

<ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>

Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock (TB15) Installation Guide for Latitude 7370

The latest BIOS, drivers and Firmware can be downloaded at the Dell Support website (www.dell.com/support). Dell highly recommends installing the following BIOS / Drivers step by step in the prescribed order to ensure optimal performance. Failure to install BIOS, drivers and Firmware in this document may result in undesirable performance.

  1. Connect the AC adapter to the Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock (TB15) and then connect the Thunderbolt™ 3 (Type-C) connector to the computer.
  1. Search your system model name under Select a Product selection or enter the service tag of your system to locate Drivers & downloads page on the Dell Support website (www.dell.com/support). Change the OS to view all available updates for your system.
  2. Flash the latest Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) available for the system. This is posted in the "BIOS" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03810970M/1/Latitude_7370_01.04.05.exe

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Intel Thunderbolt Controller Driver available for the system. This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03795588M/1/Docks_Stands_Driver_2VCD4_WN32_16.1.47.275_A02.EXE

  1. Install the Intel Thunderbolt 3 Firmware Update available for the system. This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03798151M/1/Intel_TBT3_FW_UPDATE_NVM16_A04_2.16.01.003.exe

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Intel HD Graphics Driver available for the system. This is posted in the "Video" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03788600M/1/Video_Driver_N8YN8_WN32_20.19.15.4454_A03.EXE

  1. Install the ASMedia USB 3.0 Extended Host Controller for Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock available for the system. . This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03578208M/1/Chipset_Driver_YM9TJ_WN32_1.16.33.1_A02.EXE

  1. Install the ASMedia USB 3.0 Extended Host Firmware Utility available for the system. This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03771609M/5/USB_Utility_ASMedia_A00_WIN_H43H3_ZPE.exe

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Realtek USB GBE Ethernet Controller Driver for the Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock and Dell Dock available for the system in the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03520011M/7/Docks_Stands_Driver_9YCY0_WN64_2.43.2015.1225_A01_02.EXE

  1. Install the Realtek USB Audio Driver for the Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock and Dell Dock available for the system in the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03585219M/1/Audio_Driver_0PP6T_WN32_6.3.9600.44_A02.EXE

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Dell Dock Firmware Update Tool (expected to be available to download by August 2016) for the system in the "Docks & Stands" section.

NOTE: After the update process completes, it’s desired to shut down the computer and perform below steps in order to make the new firmware take effect.

  1. Power off the system.
  1. Disconnect the Thunderbolt 3 (Type-C) cable from the computer and then remove the AC adapter of TB15 dock from the power outlet.
  2. Then follow the recommended steps of connecting the AC adapter to the TB15 dock first and then attaching the Thunderbolt cable to the computer.
  3. Power on the computer with the docking station connected.

Back to the Top

Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock (TB15) Installation Guide for Precision 5510

The latest BIOS, drivers and Firmware can be downloaded at the Dell Support website (www.dell.com/support). Dell highly recommends installing the following BIOS / Drivers step by step in the prescribed order to ensure optimal performance. Failure to install BIOS, drivers and Firmware in this document may result in undesirable performance.

  1. Connect the AC adapter to the Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock (TB15) and then connect the Thunderbolt™ 3 (Type-C) connector to the computer.
  1. Search your system model name under Select a Product selection or enter the service tag of your system to locate Drivers & downloads page on the Dell Support website (www.dell.com/support). Change the OS to view all available updates for your system.
  2. Flash the latest Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) available for the system. This is posted in the "BIOS" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03800318M/1/Precision_5510_1.2.10.exe

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Intel Thunderbolt Controller Driver available for the system. This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03795588M/1/Docks_Stands_Driver_2VCD4_WN32_16.1.47.275_A02.EXE

  1. Install the Intel Thunderbolt 3 Firmware Update available for the system. This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03798151M/1/Intel_TBT3_FW_UPDATE_NVM16_A04_2.16.01.003.exe

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Intel HD Graphics Driver available for the system. This is posted in the "Video" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03761002M/2/Video_Driver_CK7GP_WN32_20.19.15.4454_A06.EXE

  1. Install the ASMedia USB 3.0 Extended Host Controller for Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock available for the system. . This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03578208M/1/Chipset_Driver_YM9TJ_WN32_1.16.33.1_A02.EXE

  1. Install the ASMedia USB 3.0 Extended Host Firmware Utility available for the system. This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03771609M/5/USB_Utility_ASMedia_A00_WIN_H43H3_ZPE.exe

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Realtek USB GBE Ethernet Controller Driver for the Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock and Dell Dock available for the system in the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03520011M/7/Docks_Stands_Driver_9YCY0_WN64_2.43.2015.1225_A01_02.EXE

  1. Install the Realtek USB Audio Driver for the Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock and Dell Dock available for the system in the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03613504M/1/Audio_Driver_GG4M6_WN32_6.3.9600.44_A02.EXE

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Dell Dock Firmware Update Tool (expected to be available to download by August 2016) for the system in the "Docks & Stands" section.

NOTE: After the update process completes, it’s desired to shut down the computer and perform below steps in order to make the new firmware take effect.

  1. Power off the system.
  2. Disconnect the Thunderbolt 3 (Type-C) cable from the computer and then remove the AC adapter of TB15 dock from the power outlet.
  3. Then follow the recommended steps of connecting the AC adapter to the TB15 dock first and then attaching the Thunderbolt cable to the computer.
  4. Power on the computer with the docking station connected.

Back to the Top

Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock (TB15) Installation Guide for XPS 15-9550

The latest BIOS, drivers and Firmware can be downloaded at the Dell Support website (www.dell.com/support). Dell highly recommends installing the following BIOS / Drivers step by step in the prescribed order to ensure optimal performance. Failure to install BIOS, drivers and Firmware in this document may result in undesirable performance.

  1. Connect the AC adapter to the Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock (TB15) and then connect the Thunderbolt™ 3 (Type-C) connector to the computer.
  2. Search your system model name under Select a Product selection or enter the service tag of your system to locate Drivers & downloads page on the Dell Support website (www.dell.com/support). Change the OS to view all available updates for your system.
  3. Flash the latest Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) available for the system. This is posted in the "BIOS" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03800340M/1/XPS_9550_1.2.10.exe

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Intel Thunderbolt Controller Driver available for the system. This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03795588M/1/Docks_Stands_Driver_2VCD4_WN32_16.1.47.275_A02.EXE

  1. Install the Intel Thunderbolt 3 Firmware Update available for the system. This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03798151M/1/Intel_TBT3_FW_UPDATE_NVM16_A04_2.16.01.003.exe

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Intel HD Graphics Driver available for the system. This is posted in the "Video" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03761002M/2/Video_Driver_CK7GP_WN32_20.19.15.4454_A06.EXE

  1. Install the ASMedia USB 3.0 Extended Host Controller for Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock available for the system. . This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03578208M/1/Chipset_Driver_YM9TJ_WN32_1.16.33.1_A02.EXE

  1. Install the ASMedia USB 3.0 Extended Host Firmware Utility available for the system. This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03771609M/5/USB_Utility_ASMedia_A00_WIN_H43H3_ZPE.exe

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Realtek USB GBE Ethernet Controller Driver for the Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock and Dell Dock available for the system in the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03520011M/7/Docks_Stands_Driver_9YCY0_WN64_2.43.2015.1225_A01_02.EXE

  1. Install the Realtek USB Audio Driver for the Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock and Dell Dock available for the system in the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03613504M/1/Audio_Driver_GG4M6_WN32_6.3.9600.44_A02.EXE

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Dell Dock Firmware Update Tool (expected to be available to download by August 2016) for the system in the "Docks & Stands" section.

NOTE: After the update process completes, it’s desired to shut down the computer and perform below steps in order to make the new firmware take effect.

  1. Power off the system.
  2. Disconnect the Thunderbolt 3 (Type-C) cable from the computer and then remove the AC adapter of TB15 dock from the power outlet.
  3. Then follow the recommended steps of connecting the AC adapter to the TB15 dock first and then attaching the Thunderbolt cable to the computer.
  4. Power on the computer with the docking station connected.

Back to the Top

Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock (TB15) Installation Guide for XPS 13-9350

The latest BIOS, drivers and Firmware can be downloaded at the Dell Support website (www.dell.com/support). Dell highly recommends installing the following BIOS / Drivers step by step in the prescribed order to ensure optimal performance. Failure to install BIOS, drivers and Firmware in this document may result in undesirable performance.

  1. Connect the AC adapter to the Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock (TB15) and then connect the Thunderbolt™ 3 (Type-C) connector to the computer.
  2. Search your system model name under Select a Product selection or enter the service tag of your system to locate Drivers & downloads page on the Dell Support website (www.dell.com/support). Change the OS to view all available updates for your system.
  3. Flash the latest Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) available for the system. This is posted in the "BIOS" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03769593M/1/XPS_9350_1.4.4.exe

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Intel Thunderbolt Controller Driver available for the system. This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03795588M/1/Docks_Stands_Driver_2VCD4_WN32_16.1.47.275_A02.EXE

  1. Install the Intel Thunderbolt 3 Firmware Update available for the system. This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03798151M/1/Intel_TBT3_FW_UPDATE_NVM16_A04_2.16.01.003.exe

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Intel HD Graphics Driver available for the system. This is posted in the "Video" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03743273M/1/9350_Video_Driver_4XM7X_WN32_20.19.15.4454_A05.EXE

  1. Install the ASMedia USB 3.0 Extended Host Controller for Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock available for the system. . This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03578208M/1/Chipset_Driver_YM9TJ_WN32_1.16.33.1_A02.EXE

  1. Install the ASMedia USB 3.0 Extended Host Firmware Utility available for the system. This is posted under the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03771609M/5/USB_Utility_ASMedia_A00_WIN_H43H3_ZPE.exe

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Realtek USB GBE Ethernet Controller Driver for the Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock and Dell Dock available for the system in the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03520011M/7/Docks_Stands_Driver_9YCY0_WN64_2.43.2015.1225_A01_02.EXE

  1. Install the Realtek USB Audio Driver for the Dell Thunderbolt™ Dock and Dell Dock available for the system in the "Docks & Stands" section.

http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER03613504M/1/Audio_Driver_GG4M6_WN32_6.3.9600.44_A02.EXE

NOTE: Restart the system before the next step.

  1. Install the Dell Dock Firmware Update Tool (expected to be available to download by August 2016) for the system in the "Docks & Stands" section.

NOTE: After the update process completes, it’s desired to shut down the computer and perform below steps in order to make the new firmware take effect.

  1. Power off the system.
  2. Disconnect the Thunderbolt 3 (Type-C) cable from the computer and then remove the AC adapter of TB15 dock from the power outlet.
  3. Then follow the recommended steps of connecting the AC adapter to the TB15 dock first and then attaching the Thunderbolt cable to the computer.
  4. Power on the computer with the docking station connected.

Back to the Top

 

 

 

bull3964

8 Posts

March 5th, 2016 09:00

I would suggest you call them instead. I did and they took care of the RMA quickly and easily. Emailed me the shipping label the next day.

No, I'm sorry, that's unacceptable.  You don't put links to do this online and then completely ignore the tickets.  There should be zero functional difference in me calling VS doing it online.  I had something similar happen when I ordered my XPS 15.  I had originally ordered it from Dell and the ship date kept being pushed back, meanwhile I saw that the Microsoft Store had them in stock.  I submitted for a cancellation of my order and it took 12 days to actually happen.  Meanwhile, I had the computer in my hands from Microsoft 36 hours from order time even when choosing the slowest shipping.

In other news, flashing the thunderbolt firmware YET AGAIN from the command line with the /F switch seems to have returned stability to the setup.  It seems obvious at this point that the controller gets itself into a state that it can't recover from, even with a power cycle of the computer (likely because the battery is still connected so you can't really completely power cycle the computer).  However, forcing the firmware flash does cause the controller to reset which clears out whatever the problem is.  Until the source of instability is found, Dell might think of building into the drivers the ability to reset the controller on reboot of the computer or provide a troubleshooting utility to force a reset of the controller.  I'm not too thrilled about having to reflash the thing on a regular basis since I don't really know what the endurance of the NVRAM is for the controller.

So, now I'm waffling again on returning it since it seems like I can fix it rather easily and it does give me hope that it can be fixed permanently.  So, maybe the delay in RMA is a good thing right now.

kramrengaw

57 Posts

March 5th, 2016 10:00

I have no affiliation with Dell, and honestly don't care one way or another. I agree with your sentiment and also agree that it is ridiculous and both methods should work equally well. All that said, you can wait, be mad, and right, or just call and get your problem solved....

meyers980

1 Message

March 5th, 2016 16:00

Just adding what I've seen.

Running XPS 15 9550 that I received two weeks ago. Got a TB15 this morning. Followed the instructions from the first post in this thread with full shut downs between each driver. My setup: Dell monitor using mDP, a USB 3 external drive, USB 3 dock with mouse/keyboard plugged in.

Have not had any random black screens or BSOD, restarts, etc. Been running fine. The fan is on constantly though as noted. Longest I've had the machine running is about 2 hours. During that session, the thunderbolt was charging the laptop. Boot time seems about the same as before. 

I did notice that booting up and then plugging the dock in locked the laptop screen up once. Booting up with the dock already plugged in multiple times hasn't caused any problems yet. Also, during bootup, sometimes my usb devices have power. Other times, they don't. Not sure what that's about.

I have NOT used Ethernet...not available in my location so I can't comment on that. Final note: I moved a file to an external drive plugged into the dock. I KNOW it was there. After a reboot it was gone. This hasn't happened again with many test files and may be completely anecdotal. 

xKloc

19 Posts

March 6th, 2016 22:00

Same issue as everyone here. I have an XPS 15 and two U2414H hooked up to the dock via DP (daisy chained). It will only work for a few seconds before the screens go black and the dock doesn't show up in the attached devices.

Right now I have my screens hooked to the laptop directly via HDMI, because the dock is unusable. 

My productivity has gone way down since it arrived, because I've spend hours trying to get it to work properly.

I've reinstalled all the driver listed in order with reboots and that did nothing for me.

SeattleHighrise

14 Posts

March 7th, 2016 10:00

So what do we do if we were an early adopter of the TB15 and installed all the drivers/firmware updates early and "out of order"? I still have a non-fully functional dock.

kramrengaw

57 Posts

March 7th, 2016 10:00

As long as you are within 30 days of purchase, return it for a refund. That's what I did.

pr3dL

3 Posts

March 7th, 2016 23:00

Hey everybody,

i have received my two TB15 docks today and i have at both docks the periodically disconnects (Black screen, no mouse & kb, ...)with my XPS15, i have allready tried out all the hints from here without any success.

BUT I have accidentally found a strange behavior, if i enlarge the distance between the notebook and the dock it works without any issue! If the notebooks stand direct in the front from the dock i have the disconnects! Is it possible that one of the radio units (WLAN, BT) disturbs the dock?

I have added a picture that describs the "strange behavior".

1 Attachment

llololjio

9 Posts

March 8th, 2016 01:00

Does the fan noise issue still occur? Or has that been fixed with 'fine tuned' fan curves the Dell rep talked about on the first page?

bull3964

8 Posts

March 8th, 2016 06:00

Does the fan noise issue still occur? Or has that been fixed with 'fine tuned' fan curves the Dell rep talked about on the first page?

No driver and firmware updates have been released since then, so there's been no change.

At this point I would settle for a way to reset the Thunderbolt Controller without having to force reflash the firmware since that seems like the only way I can get the thing to behave after it gets itself into a state where it doesn't want to connect.

mjp2016

3 Posts

March 8th, 2016 11:00

Hey guys,

I just wanted to share my experience since I've been following this thread and other online communities closely regarding this topic and I hope this post helps someone. I have a XPS 13 (9350) and ordered the TB15. Prior to receiving, I had been extremely worried about its performance based one everything I've read. I actually never came across one post saying that the product actually worked 100% like it was supposed to. I called Dell and got rerouted 6 times before FINALLY speaking to someone who was located in the USA and knew was a docking station was. Unfortunately, he wasn't aware of these issues and wasn't very helpful. I was asking if the issues were worked out with the driver updates and I could tell he was just reading off a screen saying it was compatible with my machine. Not really what I was after...

After I received the dock, I followed the instructions in this thread to a T.

1) I installed the BIOS drivers. Restart.
2) Removed Thunderbolt software from Add/Remove. Restart.
3) Installed Thunderbolt Controller Driver. Restart.
4) Installed ASMedia USB 3.0. Restart.
5) Removed Realtek USB GBE Ethernet Controller. Restart.
6) Installed Realtek USB GBE Ethernet Controller. Restart.
7) Removed Realtek USB Audio. Restart.
8) Installed Realtek USB Audio. Restart.
9) Installed USB audio/mouse on dock drivers. Restart

I experienced multiple problems during this process. Two or three times during a restart, the computer would not start. I had to hold down the power button for a few seconds to power down and then it powered up. One time I believe the computer shut itself off as well after one of the boot ups.

I was really worried and ready to call Dell to get the instructions to send back this dock. I never had an issue at all before doing any of these updates. That being said, I'm glad that I didn't send it back! The dock is working for me 100%! I am not experiencing any fan noise from the dock or my computer. I can't recall anytime that my monitors have cut out either.

Here is what I have connected to the dock:

2 monitors (1 HDMI / 1 VGA) - VGA screws wouldn't line up properly with the dock but I'm okay with this
Ethernet
USB - Speaker power
USB 3.0 - Flash drive

Here is what I have connected to my laptop:

Speaker audio (plugged into headphone jack)
USB for keyboard
UBS for mouse
Thunderbolt dock

I hook everything up when I get to work then open up my laptop and hit the power button, close the lid, and get to work. The dock is powering my laptop. I had to change my Advanced Power Settings under Power Options in Windows 10 and made Lid Close Action -> Plugged in: Do nothing.

I hope someone finds this information useful. There are tons of threads with people saying it doesn't work but my experience with the setup above is that it is working surprisingly flawless.

llololjio

9 Posts

March 8th, 2016 12:00

If we assume a new firmware update fixes the fan ramping up and issues with disconnects with external monitors, do you know if this computer is a viable desktop replacement to drive 3 x 1080p external monitors? It should work as an extended desktop with the dock, but I'm also wondering if the GTX 960M can also do simple games on triple monitors, like Nvidia Surround. Anyone know if this is possible? Thanks in advance.

xKloc

19 Posts

March 8th, 2016 14:00

Have you tried your setup using monitors that have DisplayPort capability? I believe this is where the major issues are.

xKloc

19 Posts

March 8th, 2016 15:00



I did a screen recording of what happens to my attached devices when I plug the device in. It starts a loop of connecting and disconnecting.

bull3964

8 Posts

March 8th, 2016 19:00

I hope someone finds this information useful. There are tons of threads with people saying it doesn't work but my experience with the setup above is that it is working surprisingly flawless.

At this point, it's plain that the issue lies with the controller.  The TB controller can get itself into a bad state and while it's in that state the connection is flaky to non-functional.

If your controller doesn't "crash" then everything can be fine and work more or less perfectly.  Once it does though (and there seems to be somewhat random causes for it) there's no recovering things without resetting the controller and the only way I've found to do that so far is to re-run the TB firmware flash from the command line with the /F switch.

My dock had been working for a full week, then it started to act up after one reboot while connected.  Re-flashed and restarted and it was fine for a few days.

Then I let the computer get into a low battery state while undocked to the point where it shutdown.  I connected it back to the dock and powered it back up again (it was coming back from hibernate at that point.)  Bad move, controller crashes and I get stuck in the connect/disconnect cycle again.  I know if I flash the firmware again, things will likely recover and work fine until the next time.

The controller crash and lack of self recovery is the random element, that's the real cause of the issues.  It's possible that certain display or peripheral configurations may make it more likely for the controller to crash.  It's why one person can have zero issues and another can't get the thing to work at all no matter what they do.  Until they reset the controller, every other step is futile.

Power cycling the computer will not reset the controller.  I suspect that maybe yanking the battery would, but that's not an option for these notebooks and you probably can't (and probably shouldn't) let the battery drain far enough to cause it to reset.

I'm just wary of continually flashing the firmware for the controller.  I have no idea what the endurance of the NVRAM is on a controller like that which normally should only see a dozen or so flashes in its lifetime.

Edit: I think I may have found a way to reset the controller without flashing.  I went in and ran the system diagnostics pre-boot.  I was having issues since Monday with the dock (continual cycling), ran the diagnostics just now, and tried reconnected and it worked.

kjhkjhjhh

8 Posts

March 9th, 2016 10:00

Hi Brian,

I received my Dell Precision 5510 with Intel XEON, 32GB mem and 512GB NVME PCIe SSD and FullHD display a few weeks ago. Because I have Microsoft Action Pack I ordered it without Windows.

So I installed Windows 10 Enterprise (V1511) 2 weeks ago and with being still offline I downloaded all latest drivers and BIOS from the Dell support pages and installed those. After those were installed I put the laptop online.

A week after that I got the TB15 dock and connected the dock to both power and my new Dell U3415W monitor through DisplayPort. The thunberbolt cable is going to the Type-C connector on my Precision 5510 (my god, that Thunderbolt cable from the dock to the laptop is wayyyyy to short!! That's a bummer!). I cannot even position my Precision 5510 + dock on the desk as I would like to have it :-(

Anyway: I also have the fan problem. As soon I connect the laptop to the TB15 dock the fan starts blowing quite heavy. And.... it has nothing to do with drviers I assume because fan's will keep blowing when I'm in the BIOS. In Windows even with < 3% CPU used the fans will blow and I get quite some annoying noise.

Hope this can be addressed and fixed very soon, with I assume a BIOS update or Thunerbolt firmware update? Let me know if you need any info on this and please keep us posted. :-)

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