XPS 8700, clean install Windows 10, add Dell drivers or Windows Updates?

I posted this earlier today, and it never showed up, so I'll try again.  Please forgive if it shows up twice.

I'm using an XPS 8700 that I've had for 5 years, running Windows 7.  Yeah, I know you'll say I need a new one, and that's probably right.  Maybe when end-of-year sales come around.

Anyway, I've just clean-installed Windows 10 using the Media Creation Tool, and it went flawlessly.  All appears to be working.  I haven't connected to the Internet yet.  Since this is my first time to setup Windows 10, I've been adjusting preferences and settings and getting used to the navigation and features.

Should I install the Dell drivers listed below prior to connecting to the Internet?   I know that Windows 10 automatically updates drivers.  Will Windows Update just overwrite the Dell drivers anyway if I were to install them?  The drivers I found on the Dell website for this machine are not very recent, and I know Dell is no longer updating this computer.

I do have the A13 BIOS installed.  What about these drivers for Windows 10:

Intel 8 Series Chipset  10.1.1.7
Intel AMT HECL  11.0.0.1153
Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) 14.5.0.1081
Cardreader removable storage 10.0.10125.31214
Realtek Audio  6.0.1.7525
Realtek Network ethernet driver   10.1.505.2015

I have the current Nvidia driver for Win 10 for my graphics card.

BTW, all of the above drivers were described as for  "Windows 10, 64-bit" but only the network driver has "WN64" in the file name.   The other 5 drivers have "WN32" as part of the file name, so maybe they don't come in a 64.

I'm kinda tempted to install them, then see if Windows 10 updates them when I connect to the Internet.  Or do you suggest otherwise?

Thanks for any suggestions/comments.

Welcome to the Dell Community  @Lone Star 

This is how I build an image for any new system!!!

After installing a fresh copy of W10 I make sure that I have "Ethernet" access to the Internet.

I then have the system do all of the W10 updates.

Next I install any device driver needed.

First looking to the "System Manufacturers" drivers."Dell, HP, IBM etc."

Sometimes I will have to search the "Hardware ID" and find the driver at the "Device Manufacturers" website!!!

 After all devices are installed I run W10 update one last time.

Then this is the last thing I do before uploading the "Image" to our server. "Optional"

First thing is to do a “Disk Cleanup”

Check everything except “Delivery Optimization Files”

Click on “OK” then “Delete Files”

Next do a “Disk Defragmentation and Optimize”

Click on “Optimize”

If an SSD is installed you do not need to run “Defrag”

Next go to “Advanced System Settings”

In the “Performance” box click on “Settings”

Click on “Adjust for Best Performance”

Then click on “Apply”

Next click on the “Advanced” tab.

Make sure “Programs” is selected in the “Processor Scheduling” box.

In the “Virtual Memory” box click on “Change”

Click on “Custom Size”

Set “Initial Size (MB)” larger than the “Recommended:” size.

Then set the “Maximum Size (MB)” larger than the “Initial Size (MB)”

Click on “SET” and then “OK”

REBOOT:

Best regards,

U2

WHAT ARE YOU ASKING, ? FOR OLD PC?  32bit or 64bit? is the first question. 64 is the correct answer.

you do know you can load w10 for free for 30days?, and test it all you want, why wait, test it first, let  it tell you what's wrong if anything,? even test it out on a spare HDD /SSD, wow easy to do and very effective to test.

point 2 is to use only the current MS ISO< 1803 or 1809 build, do not use 2015 relic versions of 10. ok?

my guess is you ask if dell supports w10  yes, the page is clear as day did  you look first seems now

if not why not?

google support XPS 8700

https://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/04/product-support/product/xps-8700/drivers

the w10 installer is best used with ethernet wired to the router, cat5/6 so windows can fetch corrected PnP drivers  on the fly, why avoid that?  it then asks do you want to update now. y/n , click yes.

for example what it one driver had very new WHQL cert. driver, NOW? see? why that matters?

W10 will use the PNP catalogs that HP provided to Microsoft, seen here if curious.

eg sample video card (see this is the PnP archive real)

http://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=PCI%5cVEN_10DE%26DEV_11C6

so why go past this ever, or go to web-sites full of virus or  worse....(bottom fishing do not)

we only go past here if the above fails and you never tried yet, and if you did the problems if any at all would be tiny, and we'd address them if present.

If afraid, pop in a spare HDD and test away,  no need to have fear ,just test.

Then if happy try the old HDD or put in a fresh new SSD and be amazed at the performance now.

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@Lone Star wrote:

 

Should I install the Dell drivers listed below prior to connecting to the Internet?   I know that Windows 10 automatically updates drivers.  Will Windows Update just overwrite the Dell drivers anyway if I were to install them?  The drivers I found on the Dell website for this machine are not very recent, and I know Dell is no longer updating this computer.

I do have the A13 BIOS installed.  What about these drivers for Windows 10:

Intel 8 Series Chipset  10.1.1.7
Intel AMT HECL  11.0.0.1153
Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) 14.5.0.1081
Cardreader removable storage 10.0.10125.31214
Realtek Audio  6.0.1.7525
Realtek Network ethernet driver   10.1.505.2015

I have the current Nvidia driver for Win 10 for my graphics card.

BTW, all of the above drivers were described as for  "Windows 10, 64-bit" but only the network driver has "WN64" in the file name.   The other 5 drivers have "WN32" as part of the file name, so maybe they don't come in a 64.

I'm kinda tempted to install them, then see if Windows 10 updates them when I connect to the Internet.  Or do you suggest otherwise?

Thanks for any suggestions/comments.

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This is a good question.

Once you have an updated Windows 10 installed go look at the device manager and see if the drivers Windows 10 installed are newer than the ones on the Dell site.

Microsoft does update their catalog to reflect the most recent stable drivers.  The exception would be for GPU’s as Nvidia/AMD/Manufacturer’s websites will release new drivers and packages, firmware updates regularly.

Since the XPS 8700 is an older machine you might think that W10 might not have the drivers for the audio chip or the ethernet controller but they typically are in the catalog and are installed properly. 

I have an older XPS 8300 and XPS 8500 and W10 installed properly on those machine with no missing drivers in the device manager.  1809 seemed to take care of the previous issues.

Couple of examples from the Dell website : XPS 8930 driver downloads

INTEL CHIPSET  DRIVER

From my device manager with all Windows updates current (note the 1968 date, this is when Intel was created.  So look at the version number instead)   Both are 10.1.1.44   So this one is current.

INTEL SERIAL IO DRIVER

In this case the Windows 10 update version has a newer version of all the IO controllers than on the Dell website.   30.100.1816.3 vs 30.100.1725.1

One thing to keep in mind is that the driver date is not always an indication of the release date.  One example was the chipset driver dated 1968 above. 

Here is another example regarding the SATA Controller driver which gives a 2006 date.  No idea why this date never changes with updates but the 17763 release on my XPS 8930 comes with the W10 1809 update.

Just check those you have listed in the same manner.  Chances are the W10 update version is more up to date. 

Hope this answers your question.

EDIT: Just took a minute to find out why the 2006 date never changes on some drivers and the purpose of this is if a custom manufacturer driver is installed on your machine then the Windows drivers won't replace them during an update.     Source:  Microsoft blog  

one more hint about 64bit w10

64bit  is fussy about hardware. (this is my tactic called Minimalist installs)

I  can not see your PC (it's a desktop) and can be full of things w10-64 does not like.

so that is my hint, install w10-64bit with a no toys connected to the usb ports, (keyboard/ mouse USB real only)

Unplug printers and web cams and other stuff there.

then those  PCI-e slots, what do you have there?, if old card w10 may get upset.
Hint2: if the chip maker went out of business it will fail. (vast did, no not ATI , no not Nvidia)

like for example this (worst case) old video cards that are not UEFI certified and you install  windows 10 under UEFI safe boot mode failed, (well don't use UEFI mode or buy a new card) or use the core GPU inside the CPU package. and remove the PCI card, and install. (easy no?)

then latter you add things back 1 by 1 and may suffer pain then., (best is then not at INSTALL TIME)

64bit bans vast old hardware, 10 years old or older. and many 2012 and older video cards,

I have and old GTX650 runs w10 64bit but is  UEFI turned OFF.! ive tested many cards like this and older.

I have only 64bit here, nothing else, in my shop or home. I have tested vast hardware on w10.

last hint, there are vast hardware that have no support at all for w10, or fails to work in capability mode.

things older than birthday of w7 can be a big big problem. 2009. (if added to your PC now or later)

FWIW, I have a Dell Inspiron 15 5577 laptop that I use in my recording studio.  I couldn't fully "clean" the Dell disc image for recording. As much as I could, I still had an occasional drop out and even Resplendence Latency Mon program showed "problems handling audio". 

The 5577 comes with an M.2 SSD and space to add either a laptop hard drive or a full size SSD.  I had a spare SSD so I installed that and did a clean install of Win 10 and  Windows installed the required drivers during the install.  I didn't need any drivers from the Dell downloads.  The clean install fixed my recording problems.  I now have a dual boot system on the laptop, one is the Dell disc image if I want to use it for regular PC work and the other is the clean install that I use for recording.

Thanks.  Since version 1903 is out now, I'll experiment with that one, and see what happens.  

Thanks, Ron, for that info.  What happens if I don't install the Intel Management Engine at all, which I guess it he one called "Intel AMT HECI"?   Does Windows 10 automatically install one?

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@Lone Star wrote:

My XPS 8700 is 5 years old,

1. I did update to A13 BIOS a while back.

2. I just did a clean install of Windows 10 from the Media Creator Tool, which seems to have gone flawlessly, 

3. I install the Dell Windows 10 drivers I listed below, or will Windows 10 choose everything as soon as I connect?

4. I found these Windows 10 drivers for my XPS 8700 on the Dell website, but they are not very recent,

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1. Good

2. Perfect

3. For old machines, just use the Windows-10 64bit drivers, and what it fetches from Windows Update

See section here:

https://www.dell.com/community/Alienware-General-Read-Only/fixed/m-p/5627126/highlight/true#M128687

4. Right. Maybe not even Windows-10 64bit compatible. That's why you don't use them.

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@Lone Star wrote:

Thanks, Ron, for that info.  What happens if I don't install the Intel Management Engine at all, which I guess it he one called "Intel AMT HECI"?   Does Windows 10 automatically install one?

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If you do not have an "error-ed" (or un-identified) device in Device Manager ... it doesn't matter because Windows does not detect anything missing.

That system should run Windows 10 fine and Dell offer Windows 10 drivers for it. Please Download and Install Dell Update for Windows 10:

https://www.dell.com/support/home/uk/en/ukdhs1/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=4985d

Dell Update will scan your system, look at your hardware and the driver versions and then if it finds any newer versions on Dell servers, it will automatically install them. It is also advisable to run the Intel Driver and Support Assistant which will search for additional updates direct from Intel:

https://www.intel.co.uk/content/www/uk/en/support/detect.html

Note you may want to Enable a UEFI Boot with Secure Boot for optimal performance:

https://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/enabling-uefi-and-secureboot-after-an-upgrade-from-windows-7-oem-to-windows-10-oem/