XPS 8930, several issues

Question

Regarding: XPS 8930, i7-8700, GTX 1070, 16 GB RAM

-SupportAssist shows an urgent BIOS update is required but while installing it shows Failed. Installing manually generates a .sys file in the same folder as the .exe file but fails to show an installation window whatsoever. Run as administrator on C:. Dell Customer Service Netherlands unable to resolve this issue
-PC changes to energy saving mode even though I have changed this back numerous times. Really annoying. This means the PC goes and sleep when you want your PC to stay on
-PC turns itself on when hibernating without me doing anything to cause this
-Youtube music 'cracks' often which ruins the experience, with me unable to delete MaxxAudioPro, the audio driver/interface

I would greatly appreciate help regarding these issues. I have this PC since december 2017 but issue after issue has kept me busy.

Previous issues (now resolved)
-PC takes ages to turn off
-Windows cumulative updates consistently fails -> Had to reinstall Windows; very tedious and time-consuming
-Killer networking card is off after hibernation/sleep mode

Overall I expected a much faster PC, considering the i7 8700 with 6 cores and 12 MB cache. My HP i7-7500U laptop, while theoretically having much less processing power, feels faster and more responsive, and above all else more stable. I do not remember having any such long-term issue on my HP laptop.

Can I receive a refund, considering I am within the 1 year warranty? This PC basically keeps me busy trying to resolve all these issues rather than actually getting productive work done on it. Which basically defeats the purpose of having a high-end PC.

RoHe · Accepted Answer

Have you tried running the flash update from a "DOS"-bootable USB stick? Create the bootable stick and copy the BIOS update .exe file onto it.

Plug the flash drive into a USB2 port before powering this PC on. Then power on and immediately press F12. Select the option to boot from USB.

Running the update from the USB will avoid complications from any apps that might be running when you try to do the update from inside Windows 10, particularly antiviral apps, etc.

Also keep in mind that BIOS updates can fail and brick the motherboard. Dell will only replace the board once if the PC is still under warranty, if you update BIOS on your own, not being told to do so by a Dell Tech Support agent. Update recommendations from the SupportAssist and/or Dell Update apps do not count as being told by a Tech Support agent to update BIOS. :Wink:

RoHe · Accepted Answer

@340958 wrote:

Thanks for your reply and help Tesla

Just tried the workaround. However, even with all the settings changed to favor speed over energysaving (even CPU speed set at minimum 25%) in the troublesome power plan it still slows down insanely much. So counterproductive and nonsensical right? In the Dell power plan however I have good performance.

Thanks for suggesting me to look at eventvwr.exe! The following errors seem to be the culprit

Source: Intel ( R ) RMT

Task category: NeverSleep Agent Service

IRMT - CPowerPolicyManager::SetActivePowerScheme PowerSetActiveScheme failed with error 0

IRMT - CPowerPolicyManager::GetDisplayBrightnessValue PowerReadACValueIndex for GUID_DEVICE_POWER_POLICY_VIDEO_BRIGHTNESS failed with error 0

IRMT - CPowerPolicyManager::GetPasswordRequiredValue PowerReadDCValueIndex for GUID_LOCK_CONSOLE_ON_WAKE failed with error 0

Any idea how to resolve these errors from occurring? They seem to originate from Intel

Read the solution posted by netchel on 09-06-2018 here.

fireberd · Answer

1. Support Assistant. I would disable this. I have seen several posts from users with corrupted BIOS updates due to the Support Assistant installing a BIOS update. Only manually install a BIOS update and follow the Dell installation instructions exactly, if the BIOS update is even needed for your installation.

2. Power Plan mode. Check this tutorial from the tenforums.com in case a step has been accidentally missed.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2843-change-power-plan-settings-windows-10-a.html

3. Turns on when hibernating. See this solved thread on this subject.

https://www.tenforums.com/general-support/22452-pc-turning-itself-hibernation.html

4. Popping/crackling/stuttering is associated with some wi-fi connections. As it does it on youtube it is most likely wi-fi (if you use this) or a communications issue of some sorts. Run the free Resplendence Latency Mon and see if show what the problem is.

http://www.resplendence.com/latencymon

340958 · Answer

Thanks for your help fireberd!

1) I deleted SupportAssist right now. I did not realize I was able to delete it.

2) Note that I know how to change the power plan, and I continuously put it on high performance but it changes back to Power saving mode without me changing anything.

3) I believe the guy in the forum has a task planner active. I am unaware of having this, and have not found any such thing when running cmd (admin): powercfg /lastwake

4) That could be right! I also suspect it has to do with Google Chrome. It often feels unresponsive and out of memory/leeway. Thanks for the tool. I also installed WhySoSlow from the same developer. Below the logs.

LatencyMon

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MEASURED INTERRUPT TO USER PROCESS LATENCIES
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The interrupt to process latency reflects the measured interval that a usermode process needed to respond to a hardware request from the moment the interrupt service routine started execution. This includes the scheduling and execution of a DPC routine, the signaling of an event and the waking up of a usermode thread from an idle wait state in response to that event.

Highest measured interrupt to process latency (µs): 321,70
Average measured interrupt to process latency (µs): 7,653773

Highest measured interrupt to DPC latency (µs): 293,60
Average measured interrupt to DPC latency (µs): 2,720610

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
REPORTED ISRs
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Interrupt service routines are routines installed by the OS and device drivers that execute in response to a hardware interrupt signal.

Highest ISR routine execution time (µs): 166,618108
Driver with highest ISR routine execution time: dxgkrnl.sys - DirectX Graphics Kernel, Microsoft Corporation

Highest reported total ISR routine time (%): 0,006075
Driver with highest ISR total time: dxgkrnl.sys - DirectX Graphics Kernel, Microsoft Corporation

Total time spent in ISRs (%) 0,007990

ISR count (execution time <250 µs): 12385
ISR count (execution time 250-500 µs): 0
ISR count (execution time 500-999 µs): 0
ISR count (execution time 1000-1999 µs): 0
ISR count (execution time 2000-3999 µs): 0
ISR count (execution time >=4000 µs): 0

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
REPORTED DPCs
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
DPC routines are part of the interrupt servicing dispatch mechanism and disable the possibility for a process to utilize the CPU while it is interrupted until the DPC has finished execution.

Highest DPC routine execution time (µs): 446,436090
Driver with highest DPC routine execution time: ndis.sys - NDIS (Network Driver Interface Specification), Microsoft Corporation

Highest reported total DPC routine time (%): 0,062769
Driver with highest DPC total execution time: rspLLL64.sys - Resplendence Latency Monitoring and Auxiliary Kernel Library, Resplendence Software Projects Sp.

Total time spent in DPCs (%) 0,122812

DPC count (execution time <250 µs): 448425
DPC count (execution time 250-500 µs): 0
DPC count (execution time 500-999 µs): 13
DPC count (execution time 1000-1999 µs): 0
DPC count (execution time 2000-3999 µs): 0
DPC count (execution time >=4000 µs): 0

WhySoSlow

Application responsiveness

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The highest application responsiveness on your system was measured at 35,249 ms. This value is considered critical, your system does not appear responsive.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kernel latencies and real-time capabilities

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The highest kernel responsiveness on your system was measured at 0,807 ms. This value is considered fair, your system may appear to have difficult processing tasks in real-time. Note that this value says does not say anything about your overall system performance.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BIOS and chipset behavior

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The highest measured SM BIOS interrupt or other stall was 137 microseconds. This is considered poor behavior. Your system may have difficulty handling multimedia in real-time and may be subject to unexpected stutters and unresponsive behavior.

fireberd · Answer

If its a 'critical' update then it should be done.  When you run the BIOS update, don't have anything else open to avoid possible conflicts. As far as the power plan, I referenced that in case something was overlooked.  I wasn't inferring that you didn't know how to do it.  My power plan is set to High Performance.  I 'turn off' the monitor after 2 hours and Never Sleep. Fast startup is disabled (with an SSD its really not needed). I don't have Google Chrome.  I know its popular and I tried it but I ran into other problems (dropouts) in my recording studio program.  I had to uninstall Chrome and the Google Updater to clear the problem. Look at what you have in startup or possibly a security program is set to auto update and causing it to start up.  I don't use Hibernate as I have an SSD for boot up and also because I use my system for my recording studio I have the minimum in start up.

340958 · Answer

Regarding the out-of-date BIOS, do you not think this poses a security threat? I reckon deleting the SupportAssist works as a temporary solution but does not resolve the underlying issue.

Regarding the youtube audio issue, using SRWare Iron instead of Chrome seems to resolve this issue. I just remembered that this alternative existed.

340958 · Answer

SupportAssist said the update was 'urgent'. I guess that means the same as critical?
I understand you do not require hibernation/sleep mode for how you use your pc (as recording studio), but I however use it often when I take a break (an hour or even a day) and want to resume my work (studying/reading/research) with everything exactly like I left it (often 30 tabs open in Chrome). Shutting down and booting up with a SSD is possible of course but this method does not allow me to keep webpages open with them scrolled to where I was reading.
The issue of the PC turning on while in hibernation I now circumvent by cutting the power completely.

340958 · Answer

Thanks RoHe for the clarification regarding the warranty provisions. Could you tell me what the likelihood is for the motherboard to brick? If it's 1% I would take the gamble but any higher then I'd probably not

RoHe · Answer

The BIOS update is probably a patch for the security holes that were accidentally designed into microprocessors. So it's urgent in the sense that hackers may eventually find a way to use those holes to attack PCs. AFAIK, this hasn't happened - yet. Critical seems more likely to mean the PC isn't or won't work correctly.

Odds a BIOS update will fail...? Impossible to say. Far too many variables involved, unless there's an actual error in the BIOS code itself that stops the PC from working.

Even a momentary power blink can cause a BIOS update to fail, so it's recommended not to do it if there are thunderstorms in the area... :Wink:

340958 · Answer

I have attempted a BIOS update from a FreeDOS bootable USB drive. The XPS8930_1.0.13.exe is put on the drive. After pressing F2 during start-up I have changed the boot order: boot option #1 changed to USB. However, the PC fails to boot into the USB drive as it just boots up Windows. When I look back for the boot order I see Windows as #1 again. How is this possible?

Vic384 · Answer

With your bootable USB drive plugged into an USB port you need to press F12 and select the boot device from the list. Using F2 will not work. This is an UEFI BIOS.

340958 · Answer

Thanks to all of you! Issue resolved! It has worked. I did not see my USB drive in the F12 menu. That was why I was confused. I had to select BIOS flash upgrade in the F12 menu.

RoHe · Answer

@340958 wrote:

I have attempted a BIOS update from a FreeDOS bootable USB drive. The XPS8930_1.0.13.exe is put on the drive. After pressing F2 during start-up I have changed the boot order: boot option #1 changed to USB. However, the PC fails to boot into the USB drive as it just boots up Windows. When I look back for the boot order I see Windows as #1 again. How is this possible?

Connect the bootable USB to a USB2 port while the PC is off. Then power on and immediately press F12. Look for the option to boot from USB and see if that works.

Brian1962 · Answer

I have the XPS 8930 Special addition and it had the same BIOS issues. Three mother boards and a replacement PC from Dell and the problem is solved. I've had so many other problems that I'm ready to dump this one in the trash. It looks like now I need another mother board to fix a dead USB port, same port that died on the previous mother board. Good luck with your Dell, I use to really like my Dells but now I have a different opinion of their products. I will give there support an A for effort but they can't fix bad hardware over the phone.

Good Luck,

Brian

340958 · Answer

Sorry to hear that Brian. Did you update your BIOS and did this then brick your motherboard? Thankfully that did not happen to me.

Yes i would opt for another brand likewise. There is just too many little annoying things (which the customer service wont fix). My PC goes into power saving mode everytime, despite me changing it back often to the regular Dell powerplan. In addition, the PC doesnt seem to support hibernation or sleep mode. Both make it turn on out of itself. Is this AI taking over from humans? Have we finally become redundant? If I say go into sleep mode, do not TURN BACK ON :@

XPS Desktops

XPS 8930, several issues

Was this post helpful?