XPS 8930, Killer E2400 latest update

Question

The previous Software Component and Extension version 3.1122.329.2 installed by Windows Update last month on my system ~ 20 days after the release date June 16 shown on Support.

Curious if anyone received the latest version yet which under DM is 3.1222.608.4 ?

Sort of odd Dell Support didn't list the Killer E2400 Controller under 'Important Information' for the Dell release package 3.1222.640 posted Aug 11. I see they listed the E2400 under the 'Applies To' drop down section. Still. . . sort of odd

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

I received the Intel Corporation - Extension 3.1222.608.4 update today 8/26/22

@RoHe It was my typing error. You're correct.

Killer PCle Ethernet Controller update is 3.1222.620 (11-Aug)

I use to have all the Killer and xTend services disabled. I can't remember as I'm typing at the moment but after some un-related actions are performed, those services become re-enabled. It became tiresome checking services.msc to disable them. So I gave up.

I don't fight it and I allow the services running. They don't cause problems for me. I could do without the telemetry running but as long as the system remains stable and doesn't throw errors, its as good as its going to get.

Tesla1856 · Answer

Not sure if this helps, but I have same on-board Killer E2400 NIC in my Alienware Aurora-R6 . There was a similar Dell validated file posted in our file-section recently.

I tried to manually install but it said my existing driver was better (best driver already installed). This is on Windows-11.

RoHe · Answer

@Anonymous - Where do you see Killer Ethernet update 3.1222.640 (11-Aug) on the XPS 8930 support page? I only see Killer Ethernet version 3.1222.620, A44 on that date.

Top of .620 page says it's for Killer E2X00 and E3X00, so it applies to Killer E2400, etc.

If you read the info for .620, it fixes an issue with the Killer Control Center. So unless you use Killer Control Center, this update is probably unnecessary for using E2400 Ethernet in the XPS 8930.

The real question is what version driver is actually listed for Killer E2400 in Device Manager after you install .620? The Killer Ethernet driver listed in DM on my XPS 8930 (Win 10) is 9.0.0.50 (installed 6/30/22).

I've disabled all Killer and xTend services in Start>Run>services.msc. So Killer Control Center can't run on my XPS 8930, and I have no need to fix something that isn't running. None of those Killer or xTend services is essential to use Killer Ethernet. And IMO, Killer Ethernet works better and more efficiently without any of that stuff running in the background.

RoHe · Answer

Every time you update Killer drivers, they re-set the Startup type for all Killer and xTend services to automatic in services.msc. Only takes me a few secs to disable them again. And no telling exactly what data those services are collecting and if/where it's being sent. So I'd rather not have them running.

Even better, I don't let any of these updates get installed, especially for trivial fixes like in this last one.

I'll bet if you look at the Killer Ethernet driver in Device Manager, it's still version 9.0.0.50 which has been around for at least 2 years. So this latest update does nothing to fix/improve Ethernet performance.

Anonymous · Answer

You may not remember this discussion I posted just this past January.

https://www.dell.com/community/XPS-Desktops/XPS-8930-Killer-E2400-Ethernet-Controller/td-p/8137963

I mentioned in that thread that I followed their "driver only" option that Killer Networking provided instructions for on their website years ago. I also had them respond to my inquiry about why the Killer Control Center drivers remain on the system (which I posted a screen shot of) that their uninstaller tool left remaining.

The tool does de-activate the Control Center as Killer Networking told me it would. But in their own words they said "the updates would still continue". end quote

Now in regard to only the 9.0.0.50 driver. I have no Windows Update history that reaches as far back as Jan 2020 when I performed the "driver only" instructions. I also see no history which does go back as far as Aug 2020 that shows Windows Update ever installing 9.0.0.50 over the existing 9.0.0.50 driver I already had. Yet, I've had to go back into services.msc and disable all those Killer and xTend services that automatically became re-enabled multiple times

You stated in my previous thread from January that Windows Update installed the 9.0.0.50 driver again and again that you already had on your system. You said its like "playing whack-a-mole with Microsoft" e.g, going back into services.msc to disable the Killer and xTend services all over.

In my situation it sounds different because the re-installation of 9.0.0.50 hasn't occurred and triggered the services to re-enable. Perhaps I may be mistaken and its something else other than the Killer Control Center .inf, dll and other files. However, they appear though to be the instigator of the behavior in my case.

So perhaps you can fill me in how you prevent any of these updates from being installed (besides using something like Microsoft's Show or Hide Updates" tool . I assume you too followed the "driver-only" instructions years ago and you also still have the Killer Control Center folder with files remaining on your system.

RoHe · Answer

Beware the long reach of Windows Update and Intel...

I got Intel SoftwareComponent 3.1222.608.4 and Extension 3.1222.608.4 force-installed by WU again today, 1-23-23.

This is 2nd time in last 3 days Intel force-installed an update that re-enabled Killer services in services.msc again. Intel SoftwareComponent 3.1322.1101.2 did the same thing on the 20th.

Getting fed up having to undo things I don't want or need every time these big companies force them on us. This time the Killer Control Center .exe file is found when I search for it, but I can't find a way to uninstall it because neither Windows Add/Remove nor Revo list it...Grrrr!

Anonymous · Answer

Found the thread Tesla1856 posted in reply to my question on how to remove Killer CC files https://www.dell.com/community/XPS-Desktops/XPS-8930-Killer-E2400-Ethernet-Controller/td-p/8137963

Anonymous · Answer

Unless the 'weeds' in the Killer Control Center folder are pulled out by their roots, Intel updates are going to continue force installing through WU no matter what you do You have to have the Killer Control Center folder with the .inf, .dll, .sys, files. Some of these types are the mechanism of allowing the updates. I too still have the Killer CC folder. I seem to recall Tesla1856 mentioning something in regards to a removal suggestion of those files but it escapes me at the moment

RoHe · Answer

The point of my post earlier today was to alert users that they may need to disable Killer and xTend services in services.msc again because these recent Intel updates re-enable them, and Intel never says what these updates are when Windows Update force-installs them.

And most annoyingly, even with all these recent Intel/Killer updates, the Killer E2400 driver is still v9.0.0.50 and hasn't been updated since 2020. So all the junk they've been installing lately is for their crummy control center, analytics service, bandwidth management, etc, none of which I need/want.

The problem is you can't easily delete many/most of the Killer folders/files because: "You require permission from System to make changes to this...".

So they can't just be moved into the Recycle Bin. And yes, I'm logged into an account with FULL admin privileges.

It's wastes lots of time to do all the steps required to "take ownership" away from System and reassign it to my admin account for each of these folders/files so they can be deleted because they have to be done one at a time.

Right now there are more than ~200 folders/files with "Killer" in their name on my Win 10 XPS 8930, of which ~70 were newly created in just the last 3 days.

RoHe · Answer

You can do that, but I bet Windows Update will re-install it all again, sooner or later...

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XPS 8930, Killer E2400 latest update

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