XPS 8940, BIOS 2.26.0, freeze up

Two more freeze ups this morning, I went back to 2.25.0 and all seems to be well again.

Thanks for the HEADS UP. Never got notice of a new BIOS, and still on the .25 version.

What was going on when it froze (I call it a lock up). Moving a mouse, typing, coming out of sleep, something else?

Do you have an Nvidia card? Their V572 drivers are causing a LOT of similar problems on many PC's. and it did hit me recently.

Wondering if that driver if you have it installed plays into this? Had you looked into the Event Viewer for critical or plain errors that happened around the time of the freeze? If so, what does that show.

@ispalten​ First freeze up was using Nvidia studio driver 566.36 which I have been running for a while with no problems on the .25 bios. It was one of those freeze ups that involved the sound freezing to a steady shrill and no mouse movement or any keyboard keys working. The next freezes were just the mouse pointer freezing in place and no keyboard keys working. As soon as I reinstalled .25 bios, all problems stopped. I have yet to update to the 572 drivers, but I may just to see if they cause a problem. The only way I could get the computer to work again after the freezes was to hold the power button in for a few seconds as everything was locked up.

@ohwell1954​ 

Interesting to say the least? Those lock-ups/freeze you describe are the usual Nvidia caused ones.

Odd it would start with a BIOS install, but the Nvidia problems do trace back to BIOS V2.3.0 install that started the problems.

I had the lock up with the Nvidia V570 and V572 drivers. I suggest you stay away from those. They even put out Hotfixes for those and it didn't solve the problem, but a majority at this point are on Series 40 and 50 cards... worth reading the Nvidia Forums for the driver (https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/forums/game-ready-drivers/13/) and this is Game Ready Only and quite active with problem reports. The Studio one, (https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/forums/studio-drivers/39/) is very quiet though.

The Studio Driver is at the same version as the GRD, so 'base code' for the cards would be the same, and if that is what is 'breaking' the GRD one, well, latest Studio driver might do it as well.

Have you tried in the Nvidia Control Panel setting the Power to MAX, POWER? That helped me avoid problems for a while.

@ispalten​ yes I have been running max power, since my last post I have upgraded to  the 572.60 studio driver,  have it set to max power and so far no problems with .25 bios. I am using an older 1660ti for my video card. I do have a 500 watt power supply if that matters.

@ohwell1954​ 

I've always felt the card model had played into the problem. Also, different cards have different settings for the Power default. That also indicates why some work, some don't.

In my case, and RTX2060, even with Max. Power set it turned out on some new driver installs, that setting was reset to default.

At first I used to check the setting on every new driver.. and only once did I find it changed. So I stopped looking. However, once I got a lock-up and rebooted, upon checking the setting, I see it was set to default. Reset set it to Max. Power, problem solved.

Recently, when the V566 came out and maybe the version before it, I saw it reset to default and left it at that, in my case it is Optimal Power, and I've had no issues except for the V570 drivers that many hit a lock up with. Staying V566.36 GRD until I see in the forum that Nvidia has corrected all driver problems.

I was checking an 8940 to see how it was behaving and noticed MS had pushed the 24H2 update. :O

I checked Winupdate and there were a few updates, but it never completed downloading them.

I tried to reboot and the system was restarting for a good 10min so I had enough of that.

Maybe we have to be more patient but that is ridiculous (my 8950 never has this).

After a few power cycles, it did finally boot up and I was a bit concerned I had to power cycle a few times first.

I ran Dells update (which is not supposed to be supported in 2025 but ran most of it's updates.

I then after a reboot, checked Winupdate again and under the newly installed bios v2.25, seems to be working and restarting properly.

This XPS 8940 can be touchy, that's for sure but I guess W11 24H2 is probably the root problem.

Since Winupdate is not offering the v2.26 bios, staying at 2.25 on this 8940.

@Element115s4​ I have been running 24H2 for a few months now, it's best to do a clean installation instead of an upgrade. The .26 firmware will come to Windows update unless Dell pulls it, it just takes a while after it is released. I, for one, download very few drivers from Dell anymore as they send all the drivers designed for their computers to Windows update anyway, and it keeps your computer from unnecessary bloatware from Dell. I am running Nvidia studio driver 572.60 now, and I have reset the power management mode to the default optimal, just to see if it causes a problem, if it does I'll set it back to maximum power.

@Element115s4​ 

Well, I'd never trust MS to apply any Updates but MS's. Especially Capsule Updates, that are for Dell and other vendors. In the past, Dell BIOS has been pushed via WU, and somehow the user never sees that happening. You can't even tell if anything failed. I suggest you go into the BIOS and TURN OFF CAPSULE UPDATE.

By the way, if you ran the Reliability Monitor, it would show you failed installs as well,

Dell Update function has been rolled into the newest Support Assist.

I normally wait for an EMAIL from Dell or check the forum for new updates. Then I d/l them and install them via Windows... although some prefer to use a DVD/Flash drive booting from it.

@ohwell1954​ 

We are on the same page (this was not my 8940).

I will be doing a fresh W11 24H2 on my 8950 once that new RTX 5070 magically appears. :P

@ispalten​ 

I have no issues with my 8950 (and other Dells) using Winupdates even for the BIOS.

It has always been optional on my 8950 though.

I didn't check what failed on that 8940 but I'm assuming the 24H2 was the cause of that and it wasn't pretty.

I think it says a lot MS isn't releasing that latest BIOS for the 8940, for example.

I see no reason to revert to Dell app/manual updates which I use to show me what Dell is advising.

I think I like MS opinion on the BIOS because Dell seems to be treating you more like a beta tester. :O

@Element115s4​ 

I think it says a lot MS isn't releasing that latest BIOS for the 8940, for example.

I see no reason to revert to Dell app/manual updates which I use to show me what Dell is advising.

I think I like MS opinion on the BIOS because Dell seems to be treating you more like a beta tester. :O

Well, first of all, Dell has many way to alert you that there is ANY new file for you PC.

First place it gets put up, on the SUPPORT page.

Then, 3 other ways are used:

• EMAIL about it (if you signed up to get email on new files on the Support page). Just today, I got an email that there is a NEW Critical BIOS.
• The Dell Update/Support Assist Database is updated to reflect the new file, usually lags the actual posting date. Measured in weeks sometimes before it appears in those applications.
• MS Update, again, well after the posting date. The file has to be 'processed' into a Capsule Update with the appropriate flags indicating if it is Optional or not and info as to what h/w it goes on. This takes time.

So, all these are delays. MS doing it is probably the worst option. I have had it FORCE down BIOS on me, EVEN with Capsule Updates turned off. I have had it BACK LEVEL files on me. Worst part, when MS Update installs a BIOS, you do NOT know it did that unless you looked at the Update History. With a MANUAL install, you actually see the Install on Reboot. MS hides that on you.

When BIOS 2.4.0 broke Nvidia systems, going back to V2.3.0 fixed the problem. However, shortly after MS Update installed V2.4.0 on me and I had NO way to notice it did that.

Well, if you think MS is 'protecting' you to make sure the file is good, more power to you. It says nothing that MS Update isn't released the latest BIOS other than they do not have it yet.

Tell me, what would you do if you were not running Windows on your h/w? Many people put Linux variants on the PC. No MS Update for them. They rely on email to tell them or visit the Support page to see if new BIOS are available. Or check the Forum to see if a new one is there (where Dell never seems to make an announcement of its availability, but reports of it or problems with it appear).

@ispalten​ 

Yes, understood on the Dell support options.

I will just say I deal with many Dells and really don't have many issues with them.

This latest W11 24H2 8940 issue is unusual and I think it's more a problem with that W11 release.

Considering you seem to be having a LOT of issues, maybe you might either have hardware issues or maybe could improve the way you deal with your 8940.

Just a suggestion....

@Element115s4​

@ispalten​ 

Yes, understood on the Dell support options.

I will just say I deal with many Dells and really don't have many issues with them.

This latest W11 24H2 8940 issue is unusual and I think it's more a problem with that W11 release.

I do too, but I know how to figure out

Considering you seem to be having a LOT of issues, maybe you might either have hardware issues or maybe could improve the way you deal with your 8940.

Just a suggestion....

Had, not have. I probably forgot more about Windows and h/w than you ever knew, many years as a S/W developer on PC Operating System and Support thereof.

Of course, you stated this before:

======================

I think it says a lot MS isn't releasing that latest BIOS for the 8940, for example.

I see no reason to revert to Dell app/manual updates which I use to show me what Dell is advising.

I think I like MS opinion on the BIOS because Dell seems to be treating you more like a beta tester. :O

======================

Well, those 2 statements tells a lot about your knowledge of how things work. Believe what you want...

I don't think your are anyone that should be making any suggestions, especially why MS hasn't put it into Windows Update or me.

@ispalten​ 

Not trying to offend, just observing that you seem to do a lot of setting changes and that can get you into trouble but nothing wrong with being adventurous with your own PC.

I've been dealing with Windows since Windows 2.0 so I also do have some experience with PC's and do know MS is huge and while they have been getting really careless since Win8, they are careful with what they deploy even today.