XPS 8930, BIOS 1.1.26 fails

The Windows DM FW version 1.1.18 was sometime in mid 2021. I looked earlier but don’t remember the exact date. Windows Update for drivers is dumb in general. After I recently downloaded a recent driver update for Intel hardware straight from Intel, WU went straight in and reinstalled a previous version before I could hit “cancel”. Guess I’ll have to disable WU for drivers. This from the largest SW company in the world. Cost (and therefore quality) lowballed.

Correct. Test and debug before pushing this stuff out to customers. Sadly, we know this is a recurring theme with software more broadly. Everything about post sales support is cost cut to down to the lowest possible cost denominator. We get to suffer the results.

Maybe an argument to migrate to Mac. You’re handing over a lot of cash to vastly over-compensated prima donnas with very expensive hair-dos and maxed out Teslas and Lamborghinis, but do get one company controlling hardware and software. In theory, “sync” issues go away.

I have ZERO idea what the issue is, LOL and I am very confident that I will never figure it out, LOL. I started doing the USB method awhile ago as it became apparent that Dell would releasing a new bios every month. I un-installed support assist when I first got the PC and I had already installed the new bios before I tried the .exe file from the Dell site. I have not disabled UEFI capsule updates in the bios. I am guessing that you have yours disabled? Could that be why you aren't seeing a system firmware in device manager? Anyways, I will be disabling it later tonight or tomorrow and hopefully it disappears out of the device manager.

If you have Windows Pro, there's a Group Policy (gpedit.msc) option to disable ALL driver and BIOS updates. Could be an issue if a driver that Dell doesn't offer needs an update.

If you have Windows Home, Group Policy can be manually downloaded and installed, but it takes some OS changes to allow it to be installed. Google for the exact method and a (safe) link to download gpedit.msc.

You really think Apple is any better...?  Just look at how many fixes/updates Apple releases. Just because they all come from one company doesn't mean they work better, or all the time...

You are correct. It did not get rid of the DM entry. The dates it gives correspond to when Windows update forced the install. On a side note, this is why I like these forums. It allows me to get info about things like this from people like yourself that are VERY knowledgeable about computers and how they operate. Thank you very much. This forum has definitely saved me a lot of frustration. 

@kras1   - Does the BIOS version listed under System Firmware in Device Manager match the BIOS version number that Windows Update force-installed on your PC?

If they match, that could explain how that entry got created. But that means the next BIOS update you did, which was via the F12 Flash Update option, didn't update/delete the entry which may have been created by UEFI Capsule Updates via WU. 

IMO, WU should not be allowed to offer and/or force install BIOS updates. And the UEFI Capsule Updates option should be permanently disabled and disappear from BIOS...

I must have forgot to save changes last night in bios when I changed the UEFI Capsule updates. I looked again today and it was enabled so I turned it off. Now the system firmware entry in DM is gone.

Yep, the DM system firmware version and the bios version that was forcefully installed do indeed match. I agree completely that WU should not be handling bios updates. Everything works fine and really this isn't a big deal.. it is just a bit irritating. 

Ok, I will re-enable it and see what happens. Windows has only forced the install 2 times out of all the bios updates though. I usually install them pretty quick after they are released and maybe that is why WU doesn't always force install them? It will be interesting though to see if the current version is listed in the DM when it is re-enabled..

@kras1 - Interesting. So that entry is related to having BIOS updated via UEFI Capsule Updates.

The next question would be if BIOS is updated that way next time, will the DM entry reappear with updated an BIOS version number? We know every BIOS update re-enables UEFI Capsule updates so will the BIOS version change?

Did I just hear you volunteer to re-enable UEFI Capsule Updates and let WU do the next BIOS update that way? LOL!

And I guess seeing that entry in DM will be an easy way to know if UEFI Capsule Updates are enabled, at least on a PC that has received one UEFI Capsule Update.

After turning it back on the system firmware version is listed again in DM but it lists bios V. 1.7.0 not the current 1.8.0. I will leave the capsule updates enabled and see what happens going forward.

Not surprising the version installed by WU is still listed after re-enabling Capsule Updates. You installed 1.8.0 via F12 so no "capsule" was used/created for this version.

Next time there's a BIOS update offered on Dell's site, you could wait until WU offers that same new version too, and let WU install it via UEFI Capsule Updates.  In theory, System Firmware  in DM should be updated to the last version installed via Capsule Updates. 

May not be worth the effort, since you've already found out where that System Firmware entry in DM comes from. The rest is just filling in the details....

Well done!

I'll let windows install my next bios update. Like you said, I'm sure the system firmware in DM will change with it but there might be something else worth noting in the process that could be of use to others. I back-up system image on a regular basis to a portable hard drive so I'm not that concerned about something going wrong.

Hopefully there won't be any new XPS 8950 BIOS updates for at least a day or three, if not longer!  LOL!