KB500 keyboard DDPM firmware update 0.0.1.8 always fails

Hi

I am a little confuggled....

https://www.dell.com/support/product-details/en-us/product/dell-wireless-keyboard-kb500/drivers

Okay, so now look at the new DDPM application. On the screen, top right corner, there's a "settings" icon. Mine now is showing a little orange dot on the bottom right of the wheel icon.

Click on that "settings" and the new DDPM app opens a window with a column on the left, which includes "updates." In my case, "updates" now has a 1 inside a circle, next to it. I suppose that means 1 update.

Click on that "Updates" and this new DDPM app now shows two types of possible updates:

Software listed first, and

Firmware listed second.

Under "Firmware Updates" is now listed "Firmware Update 0.0.1.8 - Dell Pro Keyboard KB500," which looks like my keyboard.

The latest software update is indeed 2.3.0.9, which I have installed some time ago, but this is the first firmware update made available with the new DDPM app. And it fails every single time.

(This is on a Dell OptiPlex 7000 SFF, with wireless keyboard and mouse.)

Am I the only person with a desktop, KB500 keyboard, and the new DDPM app? I didn't even know these keyboards had upgradeable firmware.

Thanks for any info. Hopefully, something like, "Dell is aware of the problem and will send a corrected update shortly."

(BTW, cool name, Anne Droid!!)

Thanks, Anne.

So, the firmware update you found, version 0.0.1.6, it did install just fine. Then I went back to the DDPM app and it's still saying a new firmware version 0.0.1.8 is available. And it still fails.

Not sure what more details you might need. This PC is the PC I used for just about everything. It's an OptiPlex 7000 SFF, with Intel Core i7 12700, I use Intel integrated graphics 770, Windows 11 Insider Beta 26H1 build, DisplayPort interface plugged into an HDMI adapter cable to LG HDTV and separate stereo sound system.

Anyway, obviously something isn't right with the DDPM app, I would think? It's still insisting I have an update to install.

I'll go search the Dell site for the .exe files with keyboard firmware updates. These updates don't show up with the other Dell driver updates available for my PC's Service Tag code.

Thanks again!

Thanks again

I have the same exact issue.

I even lost the keyboard in the DDPM app. The mouse and Dell dock remained.

The keyboard worked fine, just the DDPM app didn't see it anymore.
I had to uninstall/reinstall the latest DDPM app just for DDPM to see the keyboard again.
The Firmware update 0.0.1.8 - Dell Pro Keyboard KB500 still fails. 

Boogman, my solution was the same as what I've done with Dell Support Assist. Just like DDPM, it too gets messed up at times, and yet it's not really necessary.

Instead of relying on these automated update apps, which are often buggy, just go to the Dell Support site and find what you need there. Then to make it easy next time, save the sites in your Favorites.,

So I saved the site for my PC's drivers and BIOS, which lists those according to the Dell Service Tag of the PC, and the separate site for the keyboard and mouse, based on the keyboard name. The updates are sorted by date. Easy to tell if a new update is available. Done.

@Bert22306​ Were you able to resolve the failing Firmware update 0.0.1.8 - Dell Pro Keyboard KB500 specifically? 

All, the Dell Pro Keyboard KB500 Drivers & Downloads page should show a new firmware update sometime next week.

I'm having the same problem with the newish DDPM utility failing to install KB500 version  0.0.1.8.  - Surely Dell could investigate and fix either 1) the install failure, or 2) provide a different notice in DDPM such as detailing how to fix the firmware manually.  Just leaving it broken is annoying and should be embarrassing.  I buy Dell for good engineering and support and this is not meeting the normal bar.

@cb20777-CB​, I feel the same way. One would expect a fix like this to take very little time, but instead these bugs linger. So my strategy is to minimize aggravation level by deleting as much "bloatware" as I can.

DDPM is the most recent example. I already mentioned a similar problem with SupportAssist, which is also not essential. And the same sort of problem happened with Dell Optimizer some years ago. Ended up removing it too.

In that case, after installing, I experienced the PC hanging up at times. Using the Windows Task Manager, I found the task which was depleting resources, did a search online, turned out to be related to Dell Optimizer. Still unclear what that app does, but the PC, in my case, ran much better without it.

Uninstalled that, problem solved instantly. Less is more.

KB500 / KM5221W Keyboard Firmware Updater
9M8FF
17 Jul 2026

@DELL-ChrisM2​ ,

I went to the Dell keyboard downloads site,

https://www.dell.com/support/product-details/en-us/product/dell-wireless-keyboard-kb500/drivers

found that .exe file, downloaded it, clicked on it, and I couldn't tell if anything happened. No indication that it had installed successfully or at all. Tried this a couple of times, rebooted, same effect every time.

The only hint I got was the SSD light on my OptiPlex flashing a little longer than the usual brief blink.

I just downloaded this new, bigger file (13MB vs 8MB), with the same filename as the older one.  Sadly, the results are the same. NOTE - the dongle was plugged directly into the left USB port on my Latitude 7400 and I'm running the latest version of Windows 11 Pro. See photo

I should clarify that after bypassing Dell Peripheral app, I WAS to install KB500 firmware version  0.0.1.8 on ONE of my KB500 keyboards in one location, but NOT on the other KB500 in another location, using the same laptop to connect to each one, and the same access procedures.  Each KB500 has its own unique dongle that normally sits in the docking station, but which I moved to the left usb port of my Latitude 7400 while attempting the keyboard firmware update.  Very puzzled.