OK, the website did eventually suggest a download. A BIOS update or something.

I tried to manually install it, and that failed too.

This really isn't looking too good.

I also just tried installing and running Dell's Support Assist.

It installed, ran and failed. Now it won't even run at all.

Welcome to the Dell Community  @Johniwhite 

Do you receive any error when the install fails???

Bet regards,

U2

@Johniwhite 

Try copying the file to your desktop and run it from there.

Regards,

U2

Hi There,

Thanks for the response.

Do you mean when the controller/driver, Dell Assist, or the BIOS thing fails to install?

John

Hi U2,

I'll give that a go, thanks

john

Hi Again,

I copied the BIOS file set-up to the desktop and ran it. Same error as before unfortunately.

I just ran another system detect from the DELL drivers page. It's now suggesting a different file to download. Perhaps because I successfully updated to the 1903 version of Windows 10 yesterday?

The file I downloaded yesterday and can't install is:

V1720A08-32_64

The new one that I'm now downloading is:

V1520A08-32_64 

Which counter-intuitively, looks older.

John

Nope. That didn't install either.  'BIOS is not flashable' error -144 Same as before

I realise now--d-uh--that the filename refers to the Laptop model: 1720. The DELL drivers page is recommending both BIOS downloads for some reason. Neither works.

If it did indeed install earlier, is there anyway that I can check within the system if it did? It's just that I tried to do it this morning and left it alone. When I returned the PC was on, and there was nothing to show if it had successfully installed or not. All that was there was the desktop.

---

This page recommends 2 different ways to install:

https://www.dell.com/support/home/ie/en/iebsdt1/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=r262294&oscode=ww1&productcode=vostro-1720

"To use it, download the file and copy it to a DOS-bootable USB flash drive, then boot the system to the USB flash drive and run the program."

Sounds complicated for a non-techie. Then further down it says to install it from the desktop (which hasn't worked for me)

Trying this again in a different way. I added my 'product' to my account.

The website has detected that I need the 1520 BIOS update (even though my laptop is a 1720).

I clicked the 'Download 7 Install' button. And it's just not downloading. All night it was stuck, like the attached screenshot.

Maybe because I'm out of warranty, the site is deliberately making it difficult?

John