XPS 15z, Windows 10 drivers?

I talked with a Dell service rep and he told me there was a 90% chance that the drivers would not be updated.  Windows 7 was okay....

signed up for the FREE upgrade for my all-in-one Dell Inspiron One 2320 with a NVidia graphics. They informed me to finally do the upgrade to Win 10.   Since doing the upgrade I lost use of my computer.  The screen flashes various solid colors.

When I got this computer years ago, I did a win update and it installed a new driver and caused this flashing of various colors.  Than I did a "system recovery" and went to original driver.

I tried doing system recovery after Win 10 upgrade but there is no previous recoveries since this is a major upgrade.

Microsoft says FREE, yes free to destroy computer.  Dell says my 2320 is not going be upgraded to Win 10.

I disconnect power and restart computer, tapping the sleep key.  At some point (30 seconds or more) tap ESCAPE key than sleep key.  Sometimes it will finish booting up.  When it does boot up, the display adapter shows a Intel(R) HD Graphics was install, not a NVidia.

Dell, what is so different that 2330 models and up have been written to Win 10.  Why can not I just turn on this computer and boot up properly.

Strange I've not had video flickering problems on my Dell XPS 15. Maybe it depends on what you are doing. Or maybe it depends if you did a clean install or an upgrade from a prior version of Windows (7/8).  I did a fresh install. I created an install USB drive using the Microsoft Installation Tool. Fresh install to Windows 10 Pro x64. Remember you need to first do the "get genuine ticket trick" first to save your genuineticket.xml file (only ever need to do this once) ...this saves from not having to do an upgrade. If you don't know this trick...Google it. Or maybe some people aren't on the latest firmware BIOS.

My BIOS version A12

Incidentally I just installed Nvidia driver 358.91 release date Nov 9th 2015. So far so good.

FYI for the Intel Graphics I'm running Intel HD Graphics Driver version 9.17.10.4229

You have my confused with another user.  I've not had any flickering.  My issue is that once Win10 is installed, it kills my touch pad's ability to do most anything.  Pinch and squeeze is not working.  Not are the scrolling functions.  This is why I have uninstalled Win 10 twice, hoping that a second install might work.  I've read the same complaint from scores of other owners of the same Dell laptop.

Robert M Yuna

<ADMIN NOTE: Email id removed per privacy policy>

@RobertYuna I was not intending to reply directly to you. I just wanted to add follow-up post to the thread. I didn't see where to do this so I just picked any post (yours maybe...I'm not sure) and clicked Reply. That is how this forum works. Then if you have elected to receive email updates then you get all follow-up posts. It isn't the greatest web forum software.

But while we are discussing the touchpad I would agree that it seems that Microsoft Windows Update service will override the Dell Touchpad driver and it goes back to being a generic mouse.  But at least I can scroll (not with two fingers) but I can scroll with the right edge of the touchpad.  So you are right...no multi-finger gestures. For me an external mouse solves this and when I need to be portable I just deal with the limited touchpad functionality...but at least I can scroll....not the end of the world at least for me. :)

Actually, my touchpad completely stopped working some time after I installed Win 10.

I wouldn't consider upgrading until they provide new drivers.

Which is why, after 10+ years and many Dells with my family members, we will never purchase a Dell again. They have made the calculated cold decision that our product is obsolete and not worth supporting.

Planned obsolescence in action.

Well, here's costumer loyalty in action: No more Dells.

I came to that sad conclusion  as I bought my first Macbook Air.  I've kept this Dell XPS 15Z as a back up.  But not again.

I was the last person in my professional group to make the switch.  When I bought it, I wish I had done it 10 years earlier.  And Dell wonders why its sales are in the toilet? 

The only good thing is their corp of customer service repair people in India.  I've gotten excellent advice and service from them.  But, bye-bye Dell.  This flap over the Win10 system that I cannot use on my second generation XPS just blows my mind.  It is though at some level of the company, the Dell people believe they can force us to buy a laptop, as though they believe they're the only brand in the market place.  Good Lord.

Robert Yuna

I think it's either because they want to push you into buying a new product, or because they're too lazy.

(or both?)

Thanks for your note.  I initially checked the site of the makers of the touch pad. Not a word.  End of that story.

I can only tell you that every single time Apple has updated an operating system on its devices, I have updated them without one, single problem.  I spent a fair amount of money on a new Dell and I am expected to fix the problem myself?  That's crazy and it is why I've bought my last Dell and will stay with my MAC.  When there is an error in my experience, when Apple has screwed up somewhere, they've apologized and worked very quickly to fix the problem.  In this entire little drama,  Dell has said nada, zip, not a freakin' word to its existing customers.  Not a word that I have seen.

I also felt lured.  I received an email several months before Win10 was released.  The email said with great confidence that my Dell XPS was compatible with the new Win 10.  So, they lied while luring me.

My experience with Dell service people has been excellent.  When I had my first-generation Dell XPS, the graphics card was attached to the motherboard.  There was a serious issue with heat and so the Dell service man or woman came to my house to fix the problem.  I'd bought the 3 year super warranty.  I think I had 5 or 6 visits over about 2 years from the service person, so often they knew my dog's name! Dell's promise to fix my laptop-wherever there was a problem-was true.  Dell dispatched a service person and motherboard/graphics card combo to me when I was on assignment in Abuja, Nigeria!  It took a couple of days to find the part in Amsterdam and put it on a play to Lagos, Nigeria.  Dell put a tech on a plane with the new part and flew him and it to my hotel in Abuja.  The fix to the problem took bout 90 minute but their word was good.  Of course, 6 months later the same problem occurred. The Dell service guy on the phone from Bangalore, India finally said: we're gonna send you a new machine."   I asked him if this heat issue was a common problem.  He paused and said "yes."  Sorry for such a long response but there a lot of water that's gone under the bridge.  

I have to chime in and disagree about a few of the people posting here and with the stance that they have taken against Dell or against Microsoft.

Yes the Dell XPS 15z L511z works with Windows 10 although not from Dell officially. And Dell will probably never support a 4+ year old computer to support Windows 10 officially. But if you know what you are doing then Windows 10 can be made to work with a clean Device Manager and all drivers working.

I'm an IT professional. I deal with all the brands with all my customers (Dell, HP, Lenovo, Toshiba, MSI...etc...just about all of them). I can tell you from personal experience that successfully upgrading to Windows 10 is a challenge only because it sometimes requires experience. Although Microsoft would like everyone to just click the Upgrade to Windows 10 button and be done the fact remains that it isn't that simple for everyone depending on their system and current configuration. This isn't to say that it is Microsoft's fault if it doesn't work, and it isn't Dell's fault either. I feel Microsoft has done a tremendous job with Windows 10. Microsoft makes it easy to try the easy path to upgrade and if it doesn't work for you then you can revert back. The fact that you can revert back (for 30 days) is incredible. That doesn't mean it isn't impossible to run Windows 10 on your system. It just requires a more knowledgeable and skilled approach. Even if I could successfully just hit that Upgrade button and everything came out fine, for me I would not ever choose this option because you are always better off on a clean fresh formatted drive install. Take this opportunity to buy a new SSD (Solid State Drive). That way your old drive is your instant backup. Get a USB hard drive adapter and copy your data over when you are done with you fresh Windows 10 install. Then enjoy the reward of a new faster hard drive. The Dell XPS 15z is incredible with an SSD.

I also feel it is unfair to claim that Dell is doing anything wrong by not officially supporting Windows 10 on older systems, even if the computer is only a couple years old. Because all manufactures have done the same thing. The grass isn't greener on the other side....I know as I deal with many models and just about all the brands. A computer manufacture has to evaluate their position and determine to what extent they should dedicate any effort in supporting Windows 10 on older systems. If that turns out to affect you then you have a right to be upset but you have to also look at it from a financial perspective of gain for the company versus how many people they may upset and how many customers may defect. Companies make wrong turns all the time and they may suffer a bit and they may course correct and a good company will fix their mistakes. But it is also unfair to put all of the blame on Dell (or any manufacture) because sometimes it is the manufacture of the parts that is not cooperating rather then Dell. Take a Dell computer for instance....if you think Dell built the entire computer then you don't know how computers are made. Dell sources parts from many manufactures of parts and then designs and builds a computer. So if your Intel chipset doesn't have Windows 10 drivers available from Dell then that isn't necessarily Dell's fault ....it could be Intel's fault.  Sure Dell can put some pressure on Intel but that would be up to them to sort out. Same goes for the touchpad that may be made by Synaptics or Alps. So seek drivers elsewhere.

I have a pretty good track record of installing Windows 10 on different computers. I've installed it on probably more than two dozen models of computers and I have not failed yet. Sometimes you have to go beyond the manufacture of the computer for drivers. Sometimes you have to go to the manufacture of the part to get a driver. Like going to Synaptics for a touchpad driver rather than looking for it on Dell's support site. Sometimes it requires not running a setup.exe for a driver but knowing how to install an .inf file manually. Sometimes it requires using a generic Microsoft driver. Sometimes it requires using a Windows 7 or 8 driver.

I posted originally on this forum to share my success and give tips on what I did and how I did it. To demonstrate that it is possible to run Windows 10 successfully. So the touchpad doesn't support multi-gesture functions...so what. You have an old computer and Windows 10 can run well on it. Accept that! If your screen is flickering ...well that is not happening to me...touchpad stops working ...not happening to me....maybe you have defective hardware. Sure you may go back to Windows 7 and everything seems is fine...but maybe it is just that Windows 7 is less demanding on hardware and you are suffering hardware problems but they are being masked by poor performance or Windows Event Log errors and you don't even realize it. Maybe you just haven't used the best driver yet that may work one way with Windows 7 and have problems in Windows 10 until you change the driver. Or maybe you should have done a fresh install rather than an upgrade and not brought over all that *** from Windows 7. I've had problems even with the right driver. Sometimes a driver needs to be uninstalled and then reinstalled. Many more technical know how that would just be crazy to begin to discus in a simple post that is already too long. I could write a book on dealing just with Windows drivers. So if it is beyond you and your skills then find an expert.

Bottom line is that Windows 10 works on the Dell XPS 15z L511z and works well without Dell official support.  Go back to Apple, or buy an HP or whatever and if you think that will save you, well good luck with that. Apple is a different animal ...they control the hardware and the software. This makes it much easier of an environment to manage. What Microsoft has achieved with Windows and how many manufactures and models their operating system runs on is incredible. With Windows you have many choices like price, design, features, performance, more software choices, more hardware DIY modification choices...etc. With Apple choices are limited. So I realize that there are things to gain by choosing Apple. You decide what is most important to you. If you aren't technical then yes buy the Apple and buy the iPhone and be happy. If you want more control and choices and accept maybe needing more technical know how to do more then you know who you are and what to do. Vote with your wallet. But if you make an emotional decision then you will never be happy.

I was able to find a newer driver for the Dell XPS 15 touchpad. It did everything just about great including multi-touch gestures. The problem was that it would stop working and Microsoft Windows Update would over-write it with a generic driver. So not finding a driver with the touchpad driver isn't the end of story as you claim.

Stop comparing Apple to Dell. They are providing different types of products for different types of people. Ask yourself who you are choose a brand.  Also realize that a 4+ year old computer is unreasonable to expect any new support from the manufacture. I would argue even from a 4+ year old Apple. But if Apple does support 4+ year old computer then good for them (easy job for them vs what Dell has to do) and good for Apple's customers...they paid more for the privilege of that elite club and gave up everything else I mentioned in my long previous post.

I wouldn't say you were lured or lied about Windows 10. I don't think Microsoft ever promised Windows 10 to be something 100% of everyone could get and be satisfied with. On the contrary....they tell you to try if for 30 days and give you a revert back button to your old OS if you aren't satisfied. And if you were not able to upgrade the easy way so what?....what do you have to loose but time? What do you want from free? I doubt you can provide anything from Dell saying that they would support a new OS that comes out 4+ years into the future. And lastly never fall prey to marketing ads. Did you read the small print? There is always a disclaimer. Often words are chosen cleverly to advertise a new product and its claims. That isn't necessarily deceitful. It just means what it means literally and sometimes things can be interpreted more than one way...and there is always the terms and conditions section that nobody reads.