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4166
June 20th, 2019 02:00
XPS 15 9370, Windows Update deletes WiFi driver
I've a brand new (<4 weeks old) Dell XPS 9370. A recent Windows Update wiped the WiFi driver off the face of the earth...no record of it in Device Manager, and no guide I followed could recover it. I eventually solved it by using system restore to go back to before the update.
However, since Windows Updates are automatic these days, I thought I'd be safe and download the WiFi driver file in case it happened again. 24 hours later...it has!! Thankfully I could re-install the driver from the file (Killer WiFi-Controller + Killer Wireless 1435 WiFi Driver) and get it back up and running again, as the driver is deleted at a moment's notice.
Cmon Dell...this is ridiculous. I don't expect my brand new laptop to delete a WiFi driver for no apparent reason and therefore render the laptop useless for working.
Can whoever picks this up please escalate this to the appropriate team to investigate so it doesn't happen again - from googling the issue I'm far from alone.
Saltgrass
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4.3K Posts
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June 20th, 2019 05:00
You can get a new Wi-Fi driver from either Dell or Killer Wireless, so reinstall should not be a problem. Also a reason I keep an Ethernet adapter for my 13 inch model.
Normally, Win 10 places a high priority on keeping networking devices running so if it deleted the driver, perhaps that one driver has a problem with the newest build, if that is the update to which you refer. Updating the driver now might keep it from having problems during Win 10 updates.
The really important thing is to verify the Wi-Fi device is still being shown in the Device Manger so you can update its driver..
Saltgrass
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June 21st, 2019 05:00
If a Device does not show up in the Device Manager, it may be failing. But there is another situation where the Bios does not recognize the device and locks it out. I have seen this on all types of devices such as drives. The way to recover from this is to disable the device in the Bios and boot a couple of times, then enable the device and hopefully, it should be picked up.
You may also have an option of viewing hidden devices in the Device Manager and trying to uninstall the device or updating drivers there.
@Pepper9187The Intel AX200 and Killer Wireless 1650 cards are the same thing and use the same drivers. So it seems odd that you believe the Intel card works great and the Killer Wireless does not. I certainly understand, these dropping Wi-Fi connection are serious and need to be fixed. Since I have tested all the Killer Wireless cards, except the 1435, in my systems, I have to believe it is a original install problem. Thus the link to how to accomplish a clean install. You do not have to install the Killer Wireless control center.
Also a link about Wi-Fi dropping out.
https://support.killernetworking.com/knowledge-base/wi-fi-drops-and-disconnects/
cliffwright
1 Message
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June 21st, 2019 01:00
I've had this exact issue on my XPS 13 9370 too! One day at 10pm - as I prepared for an important business meeting the next morning - everything was working fine, the next morning at 6am when I NEEDED my laptop to present in a meeting (at 9am), the Wifi had completely dissappeared like it was a form of technology the laptop had never heard of!
Reboots etc all had no effect - I did 1 system restore back to the last restore point - and that didn't work, but another restore back to an earlier point seemed to cure it.
Low and behold as you point out - 3 days later, it must've automatically re-installed whatever killed things first time and killed me again!
Sadly I was in such a rush to fix things so I could get on with my job, I didn't have chance to then think further about it and so I had no way of getting to any drivers to try and fix it in any other way.
Intersting to know that you've ultimately cured it with a Driver re-install - I'll download it now for when it inevitably happens again.
I agree with your sentiment though - this laptop is a real premium price - and this is just ridiculous.
CassaDell
2 Posts
1
July 3rd, 2019 07:00
This just happend to me as well, only 30 minutes after I unboxed my new Dell XPS 13-9370. The windows update, which Dell advises you to take..., deleted my WiFi drivers... How can this be?! Dell you should know about this already? Fix the update with Windows are don't advise to take it. I had to return my laptop as a whole.
DELL-Jesse L
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July 3rd, 2019 07:00
CassaDell,
Click my name and private message me the pc service tag number as well as your registered name, email address, and phone number.
Saltgrass
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July 3rd, 2019 08:00
When a poster states something happened after an update, it really doesn't help much. Especially, on a new system you will receive updates of all kinds from all sorts of places. Knowing the exact driver, if it can be determined, would really help.
When you say you can't install a new driver or Win 10 doesn't find one, that would seem to mean the Wi-Fi adapter has been disabled or failed. A device should always show up in the Device Manager if it can be recognized during a boot process. If you had gotten a Bios update, that could have happened or the Bios lost track of the device, assuming the update did not change the Bios settings to disable the device.
@DELL-Jesse LSince the laptop has been returned, do you have the ability to check the repair order and find out exactly what happened? I am sure Dell would appreciate not having these laptops returned if there were to be a simple fix.
DELL-Jesse L
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July 3rd, 2019 09:00
Saltgrass,
I would need the users repair order number, service tag, and name. I could then try and locate some information. The information I get is what part they replaced and not what happened.