Yes, it is safe. And there are advantages, such as avoiding unwanted BIOS updates delivered automatically by SupportAssist.
I have always installed drivers by downloading from the Support site's Drivers & Downloads area, other than those that are provided by Windows Update. Many drivers are provided by Windows Update. On my laptops, Windows Update provides drivers for webcams, touchpads, graphics, and more.
Another alternative is to use the Dell Update app to see the list of available updates, as you can select the ones that you want installed.
If you need to install drivers after performing a clean install of Windows, install chipset drivers first.
Re. BIOS, yes, I would expect version numbers to increment with each new release.
filbert
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March 14th, 2023 11:00
Yes, it is safe. And there are advantages, such as avoiding unwanted BIOS updates delivered automatically by SupportAssist.
I have always installed drivers by downloading from the Support site's Drivers & Downloads area, other than those that are provided by Windows Update. Many drivers are provided by Windows Update. On my laptops, Windows Update provides drivers for webcams, touchpads, graphics, and more.
Another alternative is to use the Dell Update app to see the list of available updates, as you can select the ones that you want installed.
If you need to install drivers after performing a clean install of Windows, install chipset drivers first.
Re. BIOS, yes, I would expect version numbers to increment with each new release.